- USS Wabash (1855)
USS "Wabash" (1855) was a steam screw
frigate of theUnited States Navy that served during theAmerican Civil War . She was based on the same plans as "Colorado". Post-war she continued to serve her country inEurope an operations and eventually served as abarracks ship inBoston, Massachusetts , and was sold in1912 .Pre-Civil War service
"Wabash" – the first U.S. Navy ship to bear that name -- was laid down on
16 May 1854 by thePhiladelphia Navy Yard ; launched on24 October 1855 , sponsored by Miss Pennsylvania Grice; and commissioned there on18 August 1856 , CaptainFrederick K. Engle in command."Wabash" departed
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on7 September 1856 , stopping atPortsmouth, New Hampshire , to embark PresidentFranklin Pierce for passage toAnnapolis, Maryland . She arrived at New York on23 October 1856 , sailing on28 November 1856 to becomeflagship of CommodoreHiram Paulding 'sHome Squadron . The squadron was instrumental in foiling the expedition againstNicaragua underway by American filibuster, William Walker, who had dreamed of uniting the nations ofCentral America into a vast military empire led by himself. Through insurrection, he became president of Nicaragua in1855 only to haveCornelius Vanderbilt —who controlled the country's shipping lifelines—shut off supplies and aid. A revolt toppled Walker from power, and he was trying for a military comeback before he was captured in 1857 by the Home Squadron. Stateside controversy over the questionable legality of seizing American nationals in foreign, neutral lands prompted PresidentJames Buchanan to relieve Commodore Paulding of his command. "Wabash" was decommissioned on1 March 1858 at theNew York Navy Yard .First recommissioning, 1858-1859
"Wabash" was recommissioned on
25 May 1858 , CaptainSamuel Barron in command, and became the flagship of CommodoreElie A. F. La Vallette 'sMediterranean Squadron . The future naval hero of the Battle of Manila Bay during theSpanish-American War ,George Dewey —then amidshipman —served aboard the "Wabash" when she touched at her first port of call,Gibraltar , on17 August 1858 . Dewey would later write in his autobiography that “The Wabash was quite the finest ship of the foreign fleet and also the largest.” "Wabash" returned to theNew York Navy Yard on16 December 1859 and decommissioned there on20 December 1859 .Civil War service, 1861-1865
With the outbreak of the
American Civil War , "Wabash" was recommissioned on16 May 1861 , Captain Samuel Mercer in command, and departed New York on30 May 1861 as flagship of theAtlantic Blockading Squadron under Rear Admiral Silas H. Stringham."Wabash" captured the
brigantine "Sarah Starr" offCharleston, South Carolina , on3 August 1861 , and recaptured the Americanschooner "Mary Alice", taken earlier by CSS "Dixie". By this date, she had also captured the brigantines "Hannah", "Balch", and "Solferino", along with 22 Confederate prisoners from the four vessels.On
26 August 1861 , "Wabash" departedHampton Roads , bound forHatteras Inlet ,North Carolina , to take part in the first combined amphibious assault of the war. "Wabash" accompanied "Monticello", "Pawnee",revenue cutter "Harriet Lane", the tug "Fanny", and two transports, carrying over 900 troops under Major General Benjamin Butler. Union forces secured Hatteras Inlet with the capture of Forts Hatteras and Clark on29 August 1861 . The attacking force suffered no casualties and took over 700 prisoners. Among these was CaptainSamuel Barron of theConfederate Navy , the former commander in the United States Navy of "Wabash" when she served under Rear Admiral La Vallette. "Wabash" was later designated the flagship of Flag OfficerSamuel Francis du Pont , the new commander of theSouth Atlantic Blockading Squadron , and was sent to the New York Navy Yard for repairs on21 September 1861 .After refit, "Wabash" departed
Fort Monroe on29 October 1861 to spearhead the Federal assault onPort Royal, South Carolina . The assembled invasion fleet was the largest yet organized by the Navy, containing 77 vessels and 16,000 Army troops under Brigadier GeneralThomas W. Sherman . The combined force secured Port Royal Sound on7 November 1861 after a furious four-hour battle. "Wabash" led the battle line in this major strategic Union victory."Wabash" now took up permanent station on the Charleston blockade, operating out of Port Royal. On
11 March 1862 , a landing party led by ship's commanding officer, Commander C. R. P. Rodgers, occupiedSt. Augustine, Florida . A detachment of seamen and officers from "Wabash" landed and manned a battery which bombardedFort Pulaski , Georgia, on10 April and11 April 1862 and was instrumental in forcing that Southern fort to surrender. A naval battery of three 12 pounder howitzers from "Wabash" supported Union troops at theBattle of Pocotaligo , on22 October 1862 .Confederate vessels twice harassed "Wabash" while on duty in Port Royal Sound. On
5 August 1863 , CSS "Juno", a small steamer on picket duty belowFort Sumter , fired upon and ran down a launch from "Wabash", capturing 10 sailors and drowning two. TheCSS David submarine torpedo boat also attacked "Wabash" on18 April 1864 . EnsignCharles H. Craven , officer of the deck, spotted the cigar-shaped vessel in time for "Wabash" to get underway. TheCSS David disengaged from the attack in the face of musket fire and round shot discharged from "Wabash"."Wabash" departed her station on
1 October , bound for theNorfolk Navy Yard and an overhaul. En route, she grounded briefly onFrying Pan Shoals , suffering minor damage to her rudder. Repairs and overhaul were completed by16 December , in time for "Wabash" to join the North Atlantic Blockading Squadron and to participate in the first attack onFort Fisher, North Carolina , on24 December and25 December 1864 . The failure of this initial attempt to take the fort necessitated a second, successful combined operation between13 January and15 January 1865 . It was during this second attack onFort Fisher , that corporalAndrew J. Tomlin and ordinary seamenLouis C. Shepard earned the Medal of Honor."Wabash" returned to
Hampton Roads on17 January 1865 , receiving orders on25 January 1865 to proceed to theBoston Navy Yard . "Wabash" was decommissioned at Boston on14 February 1865 .Officers during Fort Fisher Siege
*"Captain", Melancton Smith
*"Lieutenant Commander ",C. H. Cushman .
*"Lieutenants ",Ellicot C. V. Blake –H. C. Tallman
*"Surgeon ",H. F. McSherry .
*"Passed Ass't Surgeon ",James H. Tinkham .
*"Acting Ass't Surgeon ",N. L. Campbell .
*"Paymaster ",George Cochran .
*"Chaplain ",Charles A. Davis .
*"Marine Second Lieutenant",L. E. Fagan .
*"Acting Masters ",W. U. Grozier –S. J. White .
*"Acting Ensigns",George T. Davis ,Whitman Chase ,E. A. Small –Joseph F. Brown .Notable Crew
*
Samuel Barron , "Captain"1858 ,United States , and later Confederate naval officer, Confederacy representative toEurope .*
George Dewey , "Midshipman "1858 , future Admiral of the Navy and Presidential candidate 1900.*
Samuel Francis Du Pont , "flag officer"1861 -1862 *
Frederick K. Engle "Captain"1856 ,*
Oscar Walter Farenholt "Ordinary Seaman"1861 , first enlisted man in the Navy to reach flag rank*Samuel Mercer "Captain"
1861 ,*
Edward D. Robie , "Naval engineer"1871 , inventor, Union naval officer during the American Civil Waran future Rear Admiral.*
Christopher Raymond Perry Rodgers "Captain"1861 , Superintendent of the United States Naval Academy, and Commander-in-Chief of thePacific Squadron .*Melancton Smith "Captain"
1865 , Commander during the Siege of Fort fisher.*
John Henry Upshur , "Executive officer "1862 during theBattle of Port Royal ,Port Royal, South Carolina .Honored Crew
*
Edward Ringold , "Coxswain "1862 ,Medal of Honor recipient fromBaltimore, Maryland *
Louis C. Shepard , "Ordinary Seaman"1865 ,Medal of Honor recipient fromAshtabula County , buried in Lakeview cemetery, Port Clinton,Ottawa County, Ohio .*
Andrew J. Tomlin , "Corporal "1865 ,Medal of Honor recipient fromGoshen, New Jersey , buried in Goshen Methodist cemetery,Goshen, New Jersey .Post-Civil War service, 1866-1912
"Wabash" was placed in ordinary from 1866 to 1869; overhauled during 1870 to 1871; and recommissioned on
24 October 1871 , CaptainRobert W. Shufeldt commanding. "Wabash" departed the Boston Navy Yard on17 November 1871 and served as the flagship of Rear AdmiralJames Alden , commanding the Mediterranean Squadron. She arrived atCadiz, Spain , on14 December 1871 and cruised throughout the Mediterranean until30 November 1873 when she departed Gibraltar, bound forKey West, Florida . "Wabash" arrived in Key West on3 January 1874 . She was decommissioned on25 April 1874 at the Boston Navy Yard. In 1875, she was placed in ordinary and served as a housed-overreceiving ship from 1876 to 1912. "Wabash" was struck from the Navy list on15 November 1912 and sold that same day to theBoston Iron and Metal Company ,Boston, Massachusetts .ee also
*
List of United States Navy ships
*American Civil War
* USS "Wabash" for other ships of this name.External links
* [http://unionnavy.org/page11.html The Steam Frigate USS "Wabash"]
* [http://americancivilwar.com/tcwn/civil_war/Navy_Ships/USS_Wabash.html Pic's USS "Wabash"]
* [http://www.golton.com/goultonletter.htm Letter from Henry Goulton on board USS Wabash to his mother - 25th January 1859]
* [http://www.history.navy.mil/danfs/w/wabash.htm USS Wabash at Navy history]
* [http://www.history.navy.mil/photos/sh-usn/usnsh-w/wabash.htm USS Wabash (1856-1912)]
* [http://memory.loc.gov/ndlpcoop/nhnycw/aa/aa02/aa02002v.jpgAdmiral DuPont and staff Deck of U.S.S. "Wabash."]
* [http://memory.loc.gov/ndlpcoop/nhnycw/aa/aa02/aa02007v.jpgUSS Wabash Musicians]
* [http://memory.loc.gov/ndlpcoop/nhnycw/aa/aa02/aa02006v.jpgDeck of the USS Wabash]
* [http://memory.loc.gov/ndlpcoop/nhnycw/aa/aa02/aa02005v.jpgUSS Wabash After pivot gun. X in. Dahlgren]
* [http://memory.loc.gov/ndlpcoop/nhnycw/aa/aa02/aa02004v.jpgUSS Wabash Forward pivot gun Officers and sailors]
* [http://memory.loc.gov/ndlpcoop/nhnycw/aa/aa02/aa02003v.jpgUSS Wabash Forward pivot gun. 200 pdr Parrot]
* [http://www.archives.gov/exhibits/designs_for_democracy/symbols_and_substance/articles/horizontal_steeple_engines_uss_wabash_2.html U.S.S. Wabash Horizontal Steeple Engines]
* [http://www.archives.gov/exhibits/designs_for_democracy/symbols_and_substance/articles/horizontal_steeple_engines_uss_wabash_1.html U.S.S. Wabash Horizontal Steeple Engines]
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