USS Marietta (1864)

USS "Marietta", a light draft, single‑turreted, ironclad, screw monitor, was laid down in the summer of 1862. Primary construction was at the Tomlinson and Hartupee yard in Pittsburgh, PA, owned by Joseph Tomlinson and Andrew Hartupee. However, Hartupee had a separate partnership with a man named Samuel Morrow and they operated a secondary company that was also heavily involved in the construction process. Though the three men knew each other, it appears that they were not full partners as Tomlinson and Hartupee Co. had a different location from Hartupee and Morrow Co. The US government allocated $188,000 US for the construction of the "Marietta".

Construction of the "Marietta" was slow and time consuming. The reports of the hull and machinery inspectors often mentioned that more men needed to be employed. Letters were sent to the contractors stressing the need for haste, but nothing seemed to alter the continued slow pace of construction. The many changes were incorporated during the construction by Navy inspectors further lengthening the process.

Original plans for the "Marietta" resembled the "Ozark" in many ways. The turret was 20 ft wide and was followed with an aft deckhouse. There were also twin smokestacks similar to the Mississippi River steamboat designs. The original plans also called for a forward, pyramidal pilothouse, similar to the one on the "Monitor", however it is believed that the pilothouse was moved to the top of the turret before construction was completed. The "Marietta" had 4 horizontal, tubular steam boilers powering 2 western steamboat type engines that propelled the vessel with 4 × 6 ft 6 in propellers. She also had three rudders.

"Marietta" launched as a gunboat early in December 1864; completed 16 December 1864; and accepted by the Navy 25 April 1866. She was never commissioned. Soon after her acceptance "Marietta" was laid up at Mound City, IL. Renamed "Circe" 15 June 1869, the gunboat carried that name only until 10 August, when she was again named "Marietta". Remaining at Mound City, "Marietta" was sold 12 April 1873 to David Campbell.

See USS "Circe" for other ships of this name.

References

*DANFS|http://www.history.navy.mil/danfs/m4/marietta-ii.htm