- USS Horace Beals (1862)
USS "Horace Beals" (1862) was a
barkentine acquired by theUnion Navy during theAmerican Civil War . She was placed into service as acargo ship assigned to support the fleet blockading the ports of theConfederate States of America . However, at times, "Horace Beals" was assigned extra tasks, such as that of ahospital ship as well as anammunition ship .Commissioned at New York City in 1862
"Horace Beals" was purchased in
New York City 14 September 1861 ; and commissioned atNew York Navy Yard 5 February 1862 , Lt. Comdr. K. R. Breese in command.Assigned to the Gulf of Mexico blockade as a cargo ship
Two days later she departed New York City for
Key West, Florida , where, upon her arrival23 February , she became asupply ship for the flotilla of mortarschooners being organized by Comdr.David Dixon Porter .The flotilla sailed from Key West
3 March , arrivedShip Island, Mississippi , and 5 days later crossed the bar at Pass a l'Outre. When, after almost a month of backbreaking labor,David Farragut finally succeeded in getting his heavy deep-sea ships inside the mouth of theMississippi River on16 April , he ordered the mortar flotilla to commence operations.Supporting the bombardment of Forts Jackson and St. Philip
Porter's ships, camouflaged with bushes and tree branches, moved up river to pre-assigned positions below Forts Jackson and St. Philip and opened fire
18 April .During the ensuing 6-day bombardment, "Horace Beals" kept the mortar schooners supplied with ammunition and provisions, took on board ordnance and other stores, and embarked and cared for sick and wounded from ships of the squadron.
Preparing to attack the fortress at Vicksburg
After
New Orleans, Louisiana , and the forts protecting her bad surrendered, the mortar flotilla sailed toMobile Bay ,Alabama ; but Farragut then ordered Porter to return to the Mississippi River, where the mortars were needed to engage the enemy's cliffside batteries atVicksburg, Mississippi . The Confederates had cleverly placed these guns high on the bluffs of the Chickasaw Hills perfectly safe from the low trajectory cannon mounted on the Union's salt-water ships. All vessels of Porter's flotilla were back at New Orleans9 June . "Kensington" steamed up the Mississippi with "Horace Beals" and "Sarah Bruen" in tow22 June . On the 26th the cruise upstream was enlivened by a duel with enemy batteries at Ellis Cliffs in which the Northern ships silenced the Confederate guns.Bombarding Vicksburg with mortar fire
The mortars opened fire on the batteries at Vicksburg
26 June and continued the attack while Farragut's ships ran by the thundering hillside cannon28 June . They repeated the service when Farragut again ran the gauntlet on his return passage15 July .Reassigned to homeport of Pensacola
After withdrawing from the Mississippi River with Admiral Farragut, "Horace Beals" spent the rest of the year supplying ships of the
West Gulf Blockading Squadron , operating fromPensacola, Florida , as a base.Returned to Mississippi River operations
She was ordered back to New Orleans
22 December and arrived there1 January 1863 . She arrived below the Confederate batteries at Port Hudson16 March two days after Farragut's heavy damage passing the enemy guns at that point."Horace Reals" continued to supply ships operating against Vicksburg and Port Hudson until those last Confederate strongholds on the Mississippi were taken and President
Abraham Lincoln could boast that:"The Father of Waters again goes un-vexed to the sea."
During the remainder of the war this reliable supply ship operated between New York City and stations in the
Gulf of Mexico bringing indispensable war material to ships of theWest Gulf Blockading Squadron .Post-war deactivation and disposal
Shortly after the end of hostilities "Horace Beals" was sold in New York City to A. Leary
30 May 1865 .References
See also
*
American Civil War
*Union Navy
*Confederate States Navy External links
* [http://www.history.navy.mil/danfs/h8/horace_beals.htm USS Horace Beals]
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