- USS Metacomet (1863)
The second USS "Metacomet" was a wooden side-wheel steamer in the
United States Navy during the mid 1800s. The ship was named forMetacomet , a war chief of theWampanoag Indians."Metacomet" was launched
7 March 1863 by Thomas Stack,Brooklyn, New York , and commissioned at New York4 January 1864 , Commander James E. Jouett in command."Metacomet" joined the
West Gulf Blockading Squadron in the blockade ofMobile Bay and captured British blockade runner "Donegal" 6 June. On the 30th "Glasgow" forced blockade running steamer "Ivanhoe" ashore near Fort Morgan, whose guns protected the ship from destruction by the Union. Unsuccessful in efforts to destroy her by long-range fire from "Metacomet" and "Monongahela",Admiral David Farragut ordered a boat expedition to attempt the task. Under cover of darkness, boats from "Metacomet" and "Kennebec" slipped in close to shore and burned the steamer."Metacomet" and 17 other ships entered Mobile Bay in a double column 5 August. In the ensuing battle "Metacomet" and other Union ships captured Confederate ram "Tennessee", a major threat to the blockaders at Mobile. Farragut's ships maintained a heavy fire on Fort Morgan and Confederate gunboats, capturing CSS "Selma". "Metacomet" then rescued survivors from Union monitor "Tecumseh", sunk by a Confederate torpedo.
With Mobile Bay in Union hands, "Metacomet" steamed to the
Texas coast and captured blockade runner "Susanna" offCampechy Banks 28 November, and tookschooner "Sea Witch" andsloop "Lilly" off Galveston 31 December and 6 January 1865, respectively.Mines, then called "torpedoes", remained a danger to shipping in waters near Mobile, so "Metacomet" returned there to drag the Bay and
Blakely Channel 9 March through 12 April 1865. Returning north after the end of the conflict, "Metacomet" decommissioned at Philadelphia18 August and was sold there toJohn Roach & Sons ,28 October 1865 .References
*DANFS|http://www.history.navy.mil/danfs/m9/metacomet.htm
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