- USS John P. Jackson (1860)
USS "John P. J"ackson (1860) was a
steamship acquired by theUnited States Navy during the beginning of theAmerican Civil War . She was assigned to theUnion blockade of theConfederate States of America . as well as the bombardment ofMississippi River ports.Commissioned at the New York Navy Yard
"John P. Jackson" was built at
Brooklyn, New York , in1860 and purchased by the Navy atNewark, New Jersey , fromJersey City Ferry Company on6 November 1861 . She was commissioned atNew York Navy Yard on14 February 1862 , LieutenantSelim E. Woodworth in command.Civil War service
Assigned to the Gulf blockade
"John P. Jackson" was ordered to
Key West on10 February to serve as one of the steamers in Comdr.David D. Porter 's mother flotilla. On30 March she arrived atShip Island fromKey West, Florida , as Flag OfficerDavid Farragut assembled vessels for his campaign againstNew Orleans, Louisiana .While Farragut labored to move his deep-draft, sea-going ships across the bar into the
Mississippi River , "John P. Jackson" was part of the task force which securedPass Christian, Mississippi on4 April . During the operation she joined USS "New London" and USS "Hatteras" in driving off Confederate steamers "Carondelet", "Pamlico", and "Oregon" as they attempted to prevent the Union landing which wrested the area aroundBiloxi, Mississippi from the South. The same day "John P. Jackson" captured steamer "P. C. Wallis" with a cargo of naval stores.Bombarding Forts St. Philip and Jackson
She next escorted General Butler's occupation troop ships to the Mississippi passes while towing Army transport "Great Republic". Leaving the
Union Army vessels at the mouth of the Mississippi to await the outcome of the impending naval effort against New Orleans, "John P. Jackson" joined the mortar boats for the intense bombardment of Forts St. Philip and Jackson.The cannonade began
18 April and lasted until Farragut's ships had safely passed the Confederate batteries 6 days later, dooming the Southern riverside strongholds and the metropolis which they had fought to protect.Sailing under fire past Vicksburg
"John P. Jackson" again supported Farragut when he ran the gauntlet at
Vicksburg, Mississippi almost two months later to meet Flag OfficerCharles Henry Davis , who had battled south along the Mississippi valley. Braving the fire of skillfully used Vicksburg cannons, Porter's flotilla peppered the Southern emplacements with shell, grape, and shrapnel throughout the daring dash.During the fray "John P. Jackson" was hit twice by 7-inch rifle projectiles, leaving her without power and causing other serious damage. Moments later "Clifton", coming to her aid with a towline, was struck in her
starboard boiler; seven men were killed by scalding steam. "John P. Jackson" quickly lowered her boats to save a number of other men who had been forced overboard by the steam.Continued blockade operations
After repairs at New Orleans, "John P. Jackson" was ordered to Mississippi Sound on
30 September forreconnaissance work; and she served there throughout the remainder of the war. Fire broke out in her engineering spaces on8 October , but efficient and courageous damage control action extinguished the blaze and saved the ship. She captured sloop "Young Gustave" in Mississippi Sound on21 October , and diligently performed blockade duty in the months that followed.On
12 September 1863 she cooperated with "Genesee" and "Calhoun" in chasing steamer "Fanny" ashore where she was burned to prevent her falling into Union hands. The next day the same team engaged Confederate steamer "Jeff Davis", forcing her to withdraw to the shelter of batteries at Grant's Pass. The Union vessels then silenced the Grant's Pass guns. "John P. Jackson" overhauled and took schooner "Syrena" bound fromBiloxi, Mississippi , toPascagoula, Mississippi , on21 October .Bombardment of Fort Powell
Admiral Farragut's next major objective was
Mobile Bay . "John P. Jackson" was on hand at the outset of the campaign on16 February 1864 when she towed threeschooner s into position for the bombardment ofFort Powell and then joined in the cannonade. For the next six months she operated from New Orleans supporting the operations which culminated on5 August in Admiral Farragut's stirring victory."John P. Jackson" captured the schooner "Medora" in Mississippi Sound on
8 December 1864 , and continued to serve in theWest Gulf Blockading Squadron until after the end of the war.Post-war decommissioning and sale
She departed
Pensacola Navy Yard on26 July 1865 and two days later arrived New Orleans, where she decommissioned5 September . She was sold at public auction in New Orleans to Marcy, Maury & Co. on27 September 1865 . She was renamed "J. P. Jackson" on3 October 1865 and was later abandoned in1871 .References
See also
*
United States Navy
*American Civil War
*Confederate States Navy External links
* [http://www.history.navy.mil/photos/sh-usn/usnsh-j/jp-jackn.htm USS John P. Jackson]
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