- USS Valley City (1859)
USS "Valley City" (1859) was a 190-ton steamer acquired by the
Union Navy for service in theAmerican Civil War ."Valley City" was outfitted as a
gunship and served blockade duty as well as performing surveillance duty.Constructed at Philadelphia in 1859
"Valley City" -- a wooden-hulled screw-steamer built at
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania , in 1859 -- was purchased by theUnion Navy atNew York City on26 July 1861 ; and commissioned at theNew York Navy Yard on13 September 1861 , Lt. James C. Chaplin in command.Civil War operations
Assigned to the Potomac Flotilla
The next day, "Valley City" left New York to join the
Potomac Flotilla commanded by Capt. Thomas T. Craven. She arrived in thePotomac River off Occoquan Creek,Virginia , on the 17th and began patrol and reconnaissance duties. She exchanged gunfire with a Confederate battery atFreestone Point, Virginia , on25 September .Reassigned to the North Atlantic Blockade
"Valley City" was reassigned to the
North Atlantic Blockading Squadron under Flag OfficerLouis M. Goldsborough in October but first put into theBaltimore Navy Yard ,Maryland , for emergency repairs to her funnel. After a brief stop inHampton Roads late in December, the repaired steamer was deployed with the blockade offHatteras Inlet ,North Carolina , on4 January 1862 . "Valley City" remained offHatteras Inlet for one month and then participated in the successful amphibious assault uponRoanoke Island , North Carolina, on 7 and8 February . The victory closed supply lines to the Confederate-heldNorfolk Navy Yard and was largely responsible for the evacuation of that vital naval facility three months later. Following the capture of Roanoke Island, "Valley City" assisted in the capture ofElizabeth City, North Carolina , on the 10th.Gunner wins Medal of Honor for sitting on an open barrel of gunpowder during a fire
During the attack, a shot passed through the steamer's magazine and exploded in a locker containing
fireworks . When Lt. Chaplin and others went below to extinguish the fire, they found Quarter Gunner John Davis seated calmly above an open barrel of powder to keep the fire out, while passing powder to the upper deck. For his incredible valor on this occasion, Davis received theMedal of Honor ."Valley City" remained in the North Carolina sounds and participated in the capture of New Berne on 13 and
14 March and the subsequent clearing of theNeuse River . She returned toBaltimore, Maryland , for repairs on2 June .Patrol and reconnaissance duties
In September, "Valley City" was assigned patrol and reconnaissance duty in Virginia's York River. She was reassigned to
Plymouth, North Carolina , on25 October to protect Union troops stationed there. On the evening of2 November , she led a reconnaissance expedition up theRoanoke River to Hamilton which she left a week later and returned to New Berne.In January 1863, the vessel returned to the
Norfolk Navy Yard for a new propeller and underwent further repairs and alterations atBaltimore, Maryland , before deploying offWashington, D.C. , in April. "Valley City" fired upon Confederate positions nearBlount's Creek , North Carolina, on15 April , then left to join Lt.Charles W. Flusser 's command at Plymouth on19 April . "Valley City" performed routine patrol and reconnaissance duties off Plymouth through July. On the 26th, the steamer helped to protect Union forces ashore during a joint expedition up theChowan River , North Carolina.Later, while serving as a mail steamer, the vessel collided with the U.S. transport "Vidette" on
21 September and suffered one fatality. "Valley City" sailed forHampton Roads on27 November and proceeded on to Baltimore for repairs and did not return to New Berne until19 February 1864 , when she resumed her now familiar patrol and reconnaissance activities.Evacuation of Washington, D.C.
"Valley City" was present at the evacuation of Washington, D.C., in May and captured the schooner "M. O'Neill" there on
5 May . During the summer months of May through September 1864, the steamer played an important role in support of Union forces ashore and afloat in scattered operations in the Roanoke, Chowan, Pamlico, Pungo, and Scuppernong rivers of North Carolina.On
28 October , "Valley City" plucked Lt.William Barker Gushing from the Roanoke River after his daring, successful torpedo attack upon the Confederate ramCSS Albemarle at Plymouth and, from29 October to1 November , assisted in the recapture of Plymouth itself. While on an expedition up the Roanoke River on20 December , the vessel suffered two casualties in a surprise attack by hidden Confederate shore batteries atPoplar Point, North Carolina .End-of-war activity
"Valley City" remained active during the last few months of the war, rendering assistance to a Union Army expedition to
Colerain, North Carolina , in January 1865, and participating in a reconnaissance patrol up the Chowan River toWinton, North Carolina , in early April.In May, USS|Iosco|1864, "Valley City", and a picket boat captured a motley collection of small Confederate watercraft during a sweep of the Roanoke River and also dragged the bottom for sunken guns and unexploded torpedoes (mines).
Decommissioning
Early in the summer, the steamer returned north and was sold at public auction at
New York City on15 August 1865 . She was redocumented for merchant service on28 December and was lost at sea offCape San Blas ,Florida , on30 January 1882 .References
See also
*
United States Navy
*American Civil War External links
* [http://www.history.navy.mil/danfs/v1/valley_city.htm USS Valley City]
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