USS Mercedita (1861)

USS "Mercedita" was a wooden steamer that served in the United States Navy during the U.S. Civil War.

"Mercedita" was built at Brooklyn, New York in 1861. She was purchased by the U.S. Navy on July 31, 1861 from J. C. Jewett & Co., and commissioned at New York on December 8, 1861, Commander Henry S. Stellwagen in command.

"Mercedita" joined the Gulf Blockading Squadron on January 3, 1862, and the next day chased two vessels attempting to run the blockade; "Julia" and an unidentified ship ran aground trying to escape and were set afire by their crews. In March, "Mercedita" was ordered to Apalachicola, Florida to relieve USS "Marion" in West Pass. There she destroyed the Confederate batteries at St. Vincent’s, Florida on March 21. She and USS "Sagamore" captured Apalachicola on April 3. "Mercedita" pursued blockade runner "Magnolia" on April 12, but during the chase Confederate ships "Whitmore" and "Florida" slipped through the blockade. "Mercedita" captured blockade runner "Bermuda" on April 27 and schooners "Victoria" and "Ida" on July 12.

In September, she transferred to the South Atlantic Blockading Squadron and arrived at Charleston, South Carolina on September 19. She served on the blockade of Charleston Harbor until the end of January 1863. On the night of January 31, CSS "Palmetto State" and CSS "Chicora", both Confederate ironclad rams, slipped out of the main ship channel of the harbor. They hoped to recapture British iron propeller "Princess Royal", taken by Union blockaders 2 days earlier with two powerful steam engines for new Confederate ironclads aboard.

"Mercedita" was the first Union ship the southern raiders encountered, and "Palmetto State" succeeded in ramming her, ripping a hole in her keel, piercing her boiler, and leaving her in a sinking condition. Challenged "Surrender or I’ll sink you," "Mercedita", unable to move or bring her guns to bear, struck her colors. However, the Confederate rams, eager for further action, accepted paroles for "Mercedita"’s officers and crew, and sped off to attack USS "Keystone State", USS "Quaker City" and USS "Augusta" before retiring to Charleston.

Hardly captured before abandoned, "Mercedita" made temporary repairs before proceeding to Port Royal, South Carolina and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania for complete repairs. In April she was attached to the West Indies Squadron, to escort California steamers over part of their route, from New York to Aspinwall, Panama. Later that spring, she joined the North Atlantic Blockading Squadron and operated from Beaufort, North Carolina for much of the remainder of the year.

Joining the West Gulf Blockading Squadron in March 1865, she saw only brief action with it. In May she searched for USS "Susquehanna". When the conflict ended, the U.S. Navy resumed its peacetime activities, protecting American citizens and their property throughout the world. "Mercedita" went to Santo Domingo on August 3 to protect Americans there. Arriving at Ciudad de Santo Domingo on August 11, the ship found the country in an unsettled political state, but there was no sign of the reported Spanish man-of-war on the southern coast. "Mercedita" departed Santo Domingo on August 14, touching at Kingston, Jamaica on August 17 for coal en route home.

Decommissioned October 14, 1865, "Mercedita" was sold at public auction at New York on October 25, 1865, and redocumented in merchant service November 9, 1865. She was converted to a brigantine June 16, 1879.