- USS Gem of the Sea (1861)
USS "Gem of the Sea" (1861) was a bark acquired by the
Union Navy during theAmerican Civil War . She was used by the Navy to patrol navigable waterways of the Confederacy to prevent the South from trading with other countries."Gem of the Sea" was purchased at
New York City from Galway & Teller3 August 1861 ; and commissioned15 October , Acting Volunteer Lt. Irvin B. Baxter in command.Assigned to the South Atlantic Blockade
She departed New York
20 October 1861 to serve theSouth Atlantic Blockading Squadron off the coast ofSouth Carolina . She ran British blockade runner "Prince of Wales" aground off Georgetown24 December . She capturedblockade runner "Fair Play"12 March 1862 ,schooner "Dixie"15 April 1862 , and schooner "Mary Stewart"3 June . Nine days later she took schooner "Seabrook" off Alligator Creek. On1 July she took possession of four rice-laden lighters up theWaccamaw River .Returning to Boston, she was reassigned to the East Gulf Blockade
"Gem of the Sea" returned to the
Boston Navy Yard 18 October 1862 for repairs. Ordered to theEast Gulf Coast Blockading Squadron , she arrived atKey West, Florida ,18 December 1862 to guard the coast.A very busy bark, capturing numerous prizes
She captured sloop "Ann" off
Jupiter Inlet 30 December 1862 , a small, unidentifiedschooner 12 January 1863 , a small boat28 January , and schooner "Charm" in the Indian River Inlet23 February . In the same vicinity, she captured sloop "Peter", and British blockade runners "Maggie Fulton" and "Inez". British schooner "George" was taken in the Sanibal River29 July ; and sloop "Richard" fell into her hands in Peace Creek31 August . In an expedition up the same creek5 September , she destroyed the buildings and four boats of noted blockade runner "Johnson". Thereafter she captured British schooner "Director"30 September and sloop "Matilda"21 October . From 24 to30 December 1863 , she was part of an expedition up theMyacca River , transporting refugee rangers fromUseppa Island to the mainland.End-of-war activity and decommissioning post-war
"Gem of the Sea" spent her remaining career patrolling off
Charlotte Harbor, Florida . She joined her tender "Rosalie" in capturing steamer "Emma" off nearby Malco Inlet11 June 1864 . She departed Charlotte Harbor2 February 1865 and entered thePhiladelphia Navy Yard the 22d. She decommissioned24 February and was sold6 May 1865 to A. C. Purvis & Sons,Philadelphia, Pennsylvania .References
See also
*
United States Navy
*American Civil War External links
* [http://www.history.navy.mil/danfs/g2/gem_of_the_sea.htm USS Gem of the Sea]
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