USS Kanawha (1861)

USS "Kanawha" (1861) was a steamer acquired by the Union Navy during the American Civil War. She was used by the Navy to patrol navigable waterways of the Confederacy to prevent the South from trading with other countries.

Commissioned at New York City

"Kanawha" was launched 21 October 1861 by G. B. & W. H. Goodspeed, East Hadden, Connecticut; and commissioned at New York Navy Yard 21 January 1862, Lt. John C. Febiger in command.

Civil War service

Assigned to the Gulf Blockade

Assigned to the Gulf Blockading Squadron, the new gunboat arrived off Pass a l'Outre, Louisiana, 13 February and a week later was ordered to take station off Mobile, Alabama, where she soon distinguished herself for vigilance.

"Kanawha" proves very efficient at capturing blockade runners

She drew first blood with a vengeance 10 April capturing four blockade-running schooners in a single day: "Southern Independence", "Victoria", "Charlotte", and "Cuba". The first three had attempted to slip to sea laden with cotton and naval stores while the latter had tried to run into Mobile, Alabama, with supplies badly needed by the South. Thereafter, her kills were frequent. She caught schooner "R. C. Files" carrying cotton out of Mobile 21 April and took British sloop "Annie" on the 29th between Ship Island and Mobile headed for Cuba. On 17 November near Mobile she and "Kennebec" chased an unidentified schooner ashore where she was set afire by her crew. Then the guns of the Union ships assured her complete destruction by preventing Confederate coast guards from boarding her to extinguish the flames.

On 25 March 1863 "Kanawha", then commanded by Lt. Comdr. William K. Mayo, took schooner "Clara" attempting to run the blockade at Mobile. Schooner "Dart" attempted to slip into Mobile from Havana, Cuba, 1 May but fell prey to this vigilant blockader. A fortnight later the same fate befell British brig "Comet" some 20 miles east of Fort Morgan on Mobile Point. On 17 May "Kanawha" snared schooner "Hunter", laden with cotton for Havana, running out of Mobile. The next day she caught schooner "Ripple" attempting the same feat.

"Kanawha" is hulled by a cannonball from Fort Morgan, and smartly backs off

Dawn of 12 October disclosed steamer "Alice" aground under the guns of Fort Morgan and an unidentified Confederate tug attempting to pull her free. "Kanawha", accompanied by tender "Eugenie", steamed boldly toward the strongly defended Confederate shore to destroy the Southern vessels; but Fort Morgan's batteries, outranging the guns of the Union ships, hulled "Kanawha", forcing the Union ships to retire. "Lackawanna" and "Genesee" then headed in to finish the task with their 150-pounders; but, before they got in range, the daring tug managed to refloat "Alice" and escaped with her into Mobile Bay.

Undermining the South’s financial structure

On 29 November "Kanawha" took schooner "Albert", also called "Wenona", attempting to carry cotton, naval stores, and tobacco out of Mobile. The toll collected by relentless Northern blockaders like "Kanawha" in capturing Southern blockade runners steadily drained away the life blood of the Confederacy. The loss of ships carrying the products of Southern fields and forests to foreign markets undermined the South's financial structure and increased her difficulty in purchasing war material abroad. The loss of incoming ships deprived Southern armies of a growing proportion of the shrinking supplies and equipment persuasive Confederate agents did manage to procure.

Reassigned to patrolling the Texas coast

In the spring of 1864 "Kanawha" was transferred to the Texas coast. On 8 July, now under Lt. Comdr. Bushrod B. Taylor, she forced steamer "Matagorda" aground near Galveston, Texas. On 9 September, after Union troops had been withdrawn from the area, "Kanawha" reinstituted the blockade of Brownsville, Texas, which had been lifted by Presidential proclamation in mid-February. On 28 December she forced an unidentified sloop ashore near Caney Creek, Texas, and destroyed her. She captured "Mary Ellen" of Montreal, Canada, 3 January 1865 as the schooner tried to run into Velasco, Texas. She remained on blockade duty until after the end of the war and was ordered north 27 May.

Post-war decommissioning and sale

"Kanawha" decommissioned 5 July and was sold at New York 13 June 1866.

References

See also

* United States Navy
* American Civil War
* Confederate States Navy

External links

* [http://www.history.navy.mil/photos/sh-usn/usnsh-k/kanawha.htm USS Kanawha]