- USS Seneca (1861)
USS Seneca (1861) was a screw-driven
gunboat procured by theUnion Navy during the start of theAmerican Civil War . Seneca was outfitted with guns for horizontal fire as well as with twohowitzers for bombardment of shore targets. With her crew of 84 she was assigned to theUnion blockade of theConfederate States of America .Commissioned at New York City in 1861
One of the “Ninety-day gunboats”, "Seneca" -- the first
U.S. Navy ship to be so named -- was built atNew York City by Jeremiah Simonson and launched on27 August 1861 . She was commissioned at theNew York Navy Yard on14 October 1861 , LieutenantDaniel Ammen in command. Her executive officer wasJohn G. Sproston ofMaryland .Civil War service
North and South Atlantic blockade operations
On
5 November 1861 , "Seneca" and three other Federal Union gunboats engaged and dispersed a Confederate squadron nearPort Royal, South Carolina ; two days later, she took part in the capture of Port Royal, which proved to be an invaluable Union naval base throughout the remainder of the Civil War. From the 9th to the 12th, she took part in the expedition which took possession ofBeaufort, South Carolina . On the 5th of December, she participated in the operations aboutTybee Sound to help seal offSavannah, Georgia . The next day, she was in sight during the capture ofschooner , "Cheshire", entitling her crew to share in prize money.From January
1862 to January1863 , "Seneca's" area of operations extended fromWilmington, North Carolina , toFlorida . On27 January 1863 , she took part in the attack onFort McAllister ; and, on1 February , she participated in a second attack. On28 February , in theOgeechee River , she supported "Montauk" in the destruction ofprivateer , "Rattlesnake", the former Confederatewarship , "Nashville". In July1863 , she was one of the vessels in the attack onFort Wagner . She later returned via Port Royal to theNew York Navy Yard where she was decommissioned on15 January 1864 .Reassigned to the North Atlantic blockade
She was recommissioned on
3 October 1864 , CommanderGeorge E. Belknap in command, and was assigned to theNorth Atlantic Blockading Squadron . On 24 and25 December 1864 , "Seneca" took part in the abortive attack onFort Fisher ; and, between 13 and15 January 1865 , she participated in the successful second attack which finally captured that Southern coastal stronghold and doomedWilmington, North Carolina , closing the Confederacy's last major seaport. On17 February , she was in the force which attackedFort Anderson and captured it two days later.Post-war decommissioning
At the end of the war, "Seneca" returned to
Norfolk, Virginia , where she was decommissioned on24 June 1865 . The ship was sold on10 September 1868 at Norfolk to Purvis and Company.ee also
*
American Civil War
*Union Navy
*Confederate States Navy References
*DANFS|http://www.history.navy.mil/danfs/s9/seneca-i.htm
*cite web
url= http://www.history.navy.mil/photos/sh-usn/usnsh-s/seneca.htm
title= USS Seneca (1861-1868)
date= 31 August 2001
work= Online Image Library | publisher=Naval Historical Center
accessdate= 2008-01-30
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