- USS Sangamon (1862)
*See USS "Sangamon" for other ships of this name.
*See USS "Jason" for other ships of this name.
*See USS "Conestoga" for other ships of this name.USS "Sangamon" (1862) was a monitor constructed for the
Union Navy during the second year of theAmerican Civil War where she operated in the waterways of theConfederate States of America . She was later recommissioned and placed into service during theSpanish-American War .Laid down in Pennsylvania in 1862
The first
U.S. Navy ship to be so named, USS "Sangamon", a "Passaic"-class monitor built byJohn Ericsson , was laid down under the name "Conestoga" in the summer of1862 ; renamed "Sangamon" on9 September 1862 ; launched on27 October 1862 ; and commissioned on9 February 1863 atChester, Pennsylvania , CommodorePierce Crosby in command.Civil War service
Assigned to the North Atlantic blockade
The monitor was assigned to the
North Atlantic Blockading Squadron and soon began efficient but unspectacular operations inHampton Roads, Virginia and in the many roughly parallel rivers which empty intoChesapeake Bay . "Sangamon" was one of the vital ships of the Navy which guaranteed the Union Army control of the waters which border and penetrate the bitterly contested land which separatedWashington, D.C. andRichmond, Virginia .After repairs at
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on21 February 1864 , she was towed by "Wachusett" toPort Royal, South Carolina , for duty with theSouth Atlantic Blockading Squadron . AfterUnion blockade duty offCharleston, South Carolina , she returned to Hampton Roads in the summer to support General Ulysses S. Grant's drive on Richmond, Virginia.Varied river duties
"Sangamon" performed widely varied duties. She conducted
reconnaissance expeditions up the river to obtain information, and often dueled Confederate forces hidden along the banks. She guarded Union troop concentrations and served as part of the Union naval force which patrolled the upper James to prevent the Confederate flotilla from threatening Union transports.In March and April
1865 , during the final thrust on Richmond, Virginia, she assisted in clearing the river of Confederate torpedoes (mines) and countering the threat of Confederateironclads so that Union shipping could proceed safely to the Confederate capital.Post-Civil War operations
After the war ended, "Sangamon" was decommissioned at Philadelphia and placed in reserve. Renamed "Jason" on
10 June 1869 , no record has been found of any subsequent active service until she was recommissioned on13 May 1898 for service during theSpanish-American War . The old monitor was stationed atFisher's Island ,Long Island ,New York where she provided theNew York City area with some degree of naval protection against the perceived threat of a raid by Spanishcruisers .Final decommissioning
In
1899 , she returned to Philadelphia and was placed in reserve atLeague Island , where she remained until sold in April1904 .References
*"This article contains text from the US Naval Historical Center."
*DANFS
*"Additional technical data from" cite book
last = Gardiner
first = Robert
coauthors =
title = Conway's All The World's Fighting Ships 1860-1905
publisher = Conway Maritime Press
date = 1979
pages = p. 120
month =
isbn = 0 85177 133 5ee also
*
American Civil War
*Union Navy
*Confederate States Navy External links
* [http://www.history.navy.mil/danfs/s5/sangamon-i.htm history.navy.mil: USS "Sangamon"]
* [http://www.navsource.org/archives/01/sangamon.htm navsource.org: USS "Sangamon"]
* [http://www.hazegray.org/danfs/monitors/sangamon.htm hazegray.org: USS "Sangamon"]
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