USS Rosalie (1863)

USS "Rosalie" (1863) was a captured Confederate sloop acquired by the Union Navy from the prize court during the American Civil War.

She was put into service by the Union Navy to patrol navigable waterways of the Confederacy to prevent the South from trading with other countries. She served primarily as a ship's tender, but, occasionally, she served as a gunboat to capture blockade runners she encountered.

Captured by the Union Navy and fitted out as a Union Navy tender

The sloop "Rosalie", commanded by Master W. R. Postell, was intercepted and seized on 16 March 1863 by "Octorara" while attempting to run cargo from Bermuda into the besieged port of Charleston, South Carolina. Sent to Key West, Florida, for adjudication, she was purchased by the Navy on 6 May 1863; fitted out as a tender; and commissioned in June 1863, Acting Ensign Charles P. Clark in command.

Civil War service

Assigned to blockade duty off Florida

Assigned duty as tender to the blockading vessel at Charlotte Harbor, Florida, until December 1864, "Rosalie" arrived at Charlotte Harbor in mid-June. On 6 July she sighted her first large blockade runner, the schooner "Ann" accompanied by a small sloop; and a 3-day chase up Peace Creek ensued.

On the 7th, "Rosalie", frequently grounding in shallow waters, was joined by two cutters from "Restless". On the 8th, the American seamen took their cotton-laden quarry. By 18 July "Rosalie" had added one sponging vessel and another small sloop to her list of captures. On 1 August she took the British schooner "Georgie" into custody after spotting her, deserted and empty of cargo, hidden up the Caloosahatchee River. On the 7th, she intercepted a small sailboat; took the three occupants prisoner on suspicion of espionage; and sent them to Key West, Florida. On 30 September she captured another British schooner and in October added patrols at Estero Bay to her mission.

Supporting Union Army operations along the Florida coast

During the winter of 1863-64, and into the spring and summer of the latter year, "Rosalie" supported Army operations along the west coast of central Florida. Such missions, however, primarily involved transportation of scouts or protection of refugees and seldom took her far from Charlotte Harbor. On 9 June 1864, "Rosalie" seized her only prize steamer, "Emma", as that wood burner attempted to smuggle coal to Rebel forces. Four months later she took her last prize, another sponging vessel.

End-of-war operations and decommissioning

In December 1864, "Rosalie" departed Charlotte Harbor for the last time and took up guard vessel duty at Boca Chica, Florida. She remained on that duty through the end of the Civil War and at the end of May 1865 was designated for disposal through sale at Key West. Decommissioned in June, she was sold at public auction on the 28th to a Mr. Benjamin Roberts.

References

See also

* United States Navy
* American Civil War

External links

* [http://www.history.navy.mil/danfs/r9/rosalie.htm USS Rosalie]