USS Nansemond (1862)

USS Nansemond (1862)

The first USS "Nansemond", a side wheel steamer built at Williamsburg, N.Y., in 1862, as "James F. Freeborn", was purchased by the United States Navy at New York City 18 August 1863 from Richard Squires; it was renamed "Nansemond" and commissioned at Baltimore on 19 August, with Lt. Roswell H. Lamson in command.

After joining the North Atlantic Blockading Squadron off Wilmington 24 August 1863, the side wheeler chased blockade running steamer "Dour" ashore near New Inlet, North Carolina, 11 October, and destroyed her and her cargo of cotton, tobacco, turpentine, and rosin. "Quaker City" had previously captured the steamer, but, after being condemned and sold, "Douro" had reverted to running confederate contraband. However, after her encounter with "Nansemond", "Douro" was “...a perfect wreck...and past ever being bought and sold again.” Squadron Commander Rear Admiral S. P. Lee reported, “Nansemond has done well off Wilmington. She discovered followed and destroyed (sic.) the "Douro" at night, the first instance of the kind, I believe.” Ten days later four shots from "Nansemond" caused blockade running steamer "Venus" to take on water, forcing her ashore near the mouth of the Cape Fear River. After vainly trying to refloat her the next morning, Lt. Lamson set fire to the hulk.

On the evening of 4 November, "Howquah" sighted blockade runner "Margaret and Jessie" and pursued her through the night. The next morning, "Nansemond" and Army transport "Fulton", which had joined in the chase, captured the notorious runner at sea, east of Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. "Margaret and Jessie" had previously succeeded in running the blockade 15 times.

On the evening of 6 May 1864, CSS "Raleigh" steamed over the bar at New Inlet and attacked blockaders "Britannia" and "Nansemond" while a Confederate steamer raced to sea. The following morning, "Nansemond", "Howquah", "Mount Vernon", and "Kansas" repulsed a renewed attack by the Southern ram. "Raleigh", while attempting to withdraw over the bar at the mouth of Cape Fear River, grounded, suffered severe damage and was destroyed by her Commander, Flag Officer William F. Lynch, to prevent her falling into Union hands.

On 20 June "Nansemond" and "Calypso" embarked Army troops for an expedition to New River, N.C. to cut the Wilmington and Weldon Railroad. However, word of the raid reached Confederate ears, and strong Southern defensive forces compelled the Union troops to withdraw under cover of the ships’ guns.

The Union was determined, however, to have Wilmington. A joint Army-Navy attack on Fort Fisher, which protected the vital Southern port, was launched on Christmas Eve, only to be repulsed the next day by determined defenders. The Union struck again 13 January 1865 and finally conquered the bitterly contested Confederate stronghold three days later.

After supporting the Union’s final drive on Richmond, "Nansemond" decommissioned at Washington Navy Yard 8 August 1865. She was transferred to the Treasury Department 22 August and served the Revenue Cutter Service as "W. H. Crawford", operating primarily along the Atlantic coast from Baltimore to Key West. She was sold at Baltimore to Edward D. Booz 24 April 1897.

ee also

*See USS "Nansemond" for other ships with this name.

References

*DANFS [http://www.history.navy.mil/danfs/n1/nansemond-i.htm]


Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Нужна курсовая?

Look at other dictionaries:

  • USS Nansemond — may refer to:*USS Nansemond (1862) was a side wheel steamer that served in the Union during the American Civil War. *USS Nansemond (1896) was a transport that served during World War I from 1917 until 1919. *USS Nansemond County (LST 1064) was a… …   Wikipedia

  • USS Britannia (1862) — was a steamer captured by the Union Navy during the American Civil War. She was used by the Union Navy as a gunboat and patrol vessel in support of the Union Navy blockade of Confederate waterways. Britannia constructed in England to run the… …   Wikipedia

  • USS Galena (1862) — USS Galena , an ironclad screw steamer, was one of the first three ironclads, each of a different design, built by the Union Navy during the American Civil War.She had an unconventional armor plating arrangement which proved ineffective. Designed …   Wikipedia

  • USS Zouave (1861) — was a steamer acquired by the Union Navy during the American Civil War. She was needed by the Navy to be part of the fleet of ships to prevent blockade runners from entering ports in the Confederacy. Assigned to the North Atlantic Blockade Zouave …   Wikipedia

  • USS Alert (1861) — was a 90 ton steamship named A. C. Powell purchased by the Union Navy during the first year of the American Civil War. A. C. Powell later renamed Alert , and still later renamed Watch served primarily as a tugboat, but at times she performed duty …   Wikipedia

  • USS General Putnam (1857) — – also known as the USS William G. Putnam was acquired by the Union Navy during the first year of the American Civil War and outfitted as a gunship and assigned to the Union blockade of the Confederate States of America. She also served as a… …   Wikipedia

  • USS Yankee (1861) — was a steam powered side wheel tugboat acquired by the Union Navy just prior to the outbreak of the American Civil War. Provisioning Fort Sumter, evacuating Norfolk The Yankee a side wheel steamer built in 1860 at New York City was one of three… …   Wikipedia

  • USS Western World (1856) — was a ship acquired by the Union Navy during the American Civil War. She was used by the Navy to patrol navigable waterways of the Confederacy to prevent the South from trading with other countries. Western World a screw steamer built in 1856 at… …   Wikipedia

  • USS Iron Age (1862) — was a steamer acquired by the Union Navy during the American Civil War. She was used by the Navy to patrol navigable waterways of the Confederacy to prevent the South from trading with other countries. Iron Age was built at Kennebunk, Maine, in… …   Wikipedia

  • USS Commodore Barney (1859) — was a ferryboat acquired by the Union Navy during the American Civil War. Ferryboats were of great value, since, because of their flat bottom and shallow draft, they could navigate streams and shallow waters that other ships could not. Built in… …   Wikipedia

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
… Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”