USS De Soto (1861)

USS "De Soto" (1861) was a large 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.

"De Soto", a side wheel steamer, was purchased 21 August 1861 at New York City from Livingston & Co., and outfitted by New York Navy Yard, Commander William M. Walker in command.

Assigned to the Gulf Blockading Squadron, "De Soto" collides with "Milan"

After fitting out, the steamer put to sea on 19 November with ordnance stores for Fort Pickens, Florida, and vessels in the Gulf of Mexico, arriving off Southwest Pass, Mississippi River, after 11 December. Joining the Gulf Blockading Squadron at that time, "De Soto" patrolled for Confederate blockade runners near Barataria Bay. Given the sometimes light airs of the Gulf and inshore waters, the vessels shallow draft and steam power gave "De Soto" an advantage over her mainly sail-powered prey. Cmdr. Walker's first month in the region began poorly, however, when his ship collided with the French war steamer "Milan", then adrift off South West Pass, Mississippi River. Although damage to "De Soto" was slight, the "Milan" was disabled and thus needed a tow into the Union anchorage.

Despite the poor start, the steamers' first capture did not take long, as she and a bluejacket-crewed lugger took schooner "Major Barbour" off Isle Derniere, Louisiana, on 28 January 1862. Cmdr. Walker's crew discovered 8 barrels of gunpowder and 198 cases of gunpowder, nitrates, sulfur, and percussion caps in the blockade runner. On 8 February, the steamer caught the small schooner "Star" out of Bayou La Fourche, taking her four-man crew prisoner.

"De Soto" reassigned to the Western Gulf Blockade

Upon Admiral David G. Farragut's arrival at Key West, Florida, in steam sloop-of-war "Hartford" in late February, the Gulf Blockading Squadron was split into parts, the Eastern and Western Gulf Blockading Squadrons. "De Soto" came under the command of the Western Blockading Squadron at that time, although she did not change her patrol station at Barataria, Louisiana. As the steamer continued blockade operations through the spring, "De Soto" also served as a mobile storeship, carrying extra bread and ordnance supplies. She remained there until early July, when the warship made a quick run up the Mississippi River, carrying letters and passengers to the warships participating in the siege of Vicksburg, Mississippi. Returning down river, "De Soto" sailed southeast along the coast of Texas, patrolling off Sabine Pass, the Brazos River and Brazos Santiago at the mouth of the Rio Grande River.

Sent to Philadelphia for repairs to her boilers

Three months of hot weather and lack of maintenance facilities took a toll on "De Soto's" boilers and she returned to New Orleans, Louisiana, for temporary repairs in early October. A backlog of work and lack of funds forced Rear Adm. David Farragut to send "De Soto" north, however, and the steamer arrived at the Philadelphia Navy Yard only on 18 November. Two months of repair work followed, during which time Cmdr. Walker was promoted to Captain. "De Soto" stood down the Delaware River on 3 February 1863 and, after stops at Havana, Cuba, and Santo Domingo, arrived back at Key West, Florida. After repairs at Philadelphia Navy Yard from November to January 1863, "De Soto" arrived at Key West the 15th.

Assigned to the Eastern Gulf Blockade

Assigned to the Eastern Gulf Blockading Squadron under Rear Admiral Theodorus Bailey, "De Soto" spent March and April fruitlessly cruising for "CSS Alabama" in the Gulf of Mexico. As one of the few fast steamers in Bailey's command, "De Soto" possessed a speed advantage over most of her blockade running prey. This was demonstrated on 24 April, when "De Soto" sailors boarded and seized two sloops, "Jane Adelie" and "Bright", sixteen hours out of Mobile, Alabama, and each laden with cotton. Two schooners, "General Prim" and "Rapid", were then taken the very next day, and they too carried cotton. All four prizes were sent to Key West for adjudication. On 27 April, "De Soto" continued the run of good luck, seizing the British schooner "Clarita" enroute from Havana, Cuba, to Matamoras.

Patrolling north and west of the Tortugas, the warship then captured the schooner "Sea Bird" on 14 May. Three days later, "De Soto" pursued the smoke of an unknown steamer and, after an 18-hour chase, forced her to stop in open water well south of Mobile Bay. Before "De Soto's" boats could board, however, the enemy steamer's crew set fires and abandoned ship, sinking what turned out to be Confederate steamer "Cuba" beneath the waves. "De Soto" continued her fast pace of operations the next day, capturing schooner "Mississippian" on 19 May before finally returning to Key West for repairs.

Dispute over who won the prize

Returning to sea in mid-June, "De Soto's" luck held and she captured schooner "Lady Maria" north of Tampa Bay on 6 July, laden with 104 bales of cotton. On the 18th, while cruising near Mobile Bay, "De Soto" spotted a steamer and closed and took the steamer "James Battle", laden with rosin and cotton. At that point, two screw steamers from the West Gulf Blockading Squadron, "Aroostook" and "Ossipee", closed with some disappointment, as they had been chasing the blockade runner. Later that same evening, as "De Soto" and "Ossipee" independently chased a second steamer, Capt. Walker closed and took "William Bagley" before the other Union ship could do so. Those actions by "De Soto", which put Capt. Jonathan P. Gillis of the "Ossipee" in mind of "a voracious aquatic bird," led to a dispute over prize claims. The controversy was resolved later in the month when Rear Adm. Bailey and Rear Admiral David G. Farragut, commander of the Western Gulf Blockading Squadron agreed to split prize shares.

"De Soto" continued her patrols in the Gulf of Mexico into the month of August, braving the sweltering heat to board and inspect coastal and seaborne traffic. The steamer "Alice Vivian" was seized on 16 August, as she had no papers, and the steamer "Nita" was taken the next day for the same reason. During this month, wear and tear on the steamer's boilers began to show and, despite attempts at repair, "De Soto" steadily lost speed. On 12 September, following a nine hour chase under steam and sail, the Union ship finally took the blockade runner "Montgomery", a chase Capt. Walker claimed should have taken one fourth the time if the boilers were in good order. Tinkering helped build up steam pressure to a point, and "De Soto" managed to chase down the screw-steamer "Leviathan" on 22 September.

Minor repairs to her boilers which had been slowing her down

Returning to Key West in late October, "De Soto" received minor repairs and re-coaled. Capt. Walker was relieved of command in early November by Capt. Gustavus H. Scott, before spending the next six weeks patrolling off N. E. Providence Channel. After coaling at Key West in early January 1864, "De Soto" patrolled off Mobile Bay, where she chased and captured steamer "Cumberland" on 5 February. The "Anglo-rebel" steamer had loaded arms, ammunition and 100 barrels of gunpowder at Havana in late 1863 and was trying to slip into Mobile when taken. "De Soto" proceeded to Havana in late February, for dry docking and repairs to her hull, before taking up a patrol station off the east coast of Florida in mid-March. A month later, she was back in Key West for coaling and repairs before returning to her familiar hunting grounds southeast of Mobile Bay.

Yellow fever forces the ship to return to New Hampshire

Sometime in April or May, "De Soto's" crew began coming down with yellow fever and the steamer was sent north in early June, arriving at Portsmouth, New Hampshire, on 16 June. As was normal practice, the warship decommissioned that same day and the crew quarantined until the fever burned out.

Reassigned to the North Atlantic Squadron

Sent to Baltimore, Maryland, 12 January 1865, for the installation of new boilers, "De Soto" was recommissioned there 12 August 1865 with Capt. Walker back in command. The steamer stood out for Norfolk, Virginia, on 7 September and "De Soto" joined the newly organized North Atlantic Squadron, whose cruising ground covered the Atlantic Ocean south to the West Indies and the Gulf of Mexico.

Steaming to Haiti to protect American citizens

At that time, "revolutionists" in Haiti were fighting the government of President Gerrard from a base at Cape Haiten and "De Soto" steamed to that port to safeguard Americans residing in that area. On 19 October, following a confrontation between the rebel steamer "Providence" and "HMS Bulldog", revolutionaries in the port seized refugees out of the British Consulate, which was viewed as a "gross outrage against the British flag." On 23 October, despite Capt. Walker's attempts at mediation, "HMS Bulldog" attacked both the fort guarding the harbor and batteries in town. While so doing, the Royal Navy steamer ran hard aground inside the harbor. She continued to fire, however, and her cannon sank "Providence" and destroyed many buildings ashore. Being in cold iron, "De Soto" could not immediately move, but Capt. Walker did send his boats ashore to take off foreigners. A short while later, Captain Wake in "HMS Bulldog" asked for towing assistance, which Capt. Walker denied, though "De Soto's" boats did take off the sick and wounded. Following a boiler explosion, and unable to get off the reef, the British blew up their warship and withdrew from the harbor in their boats.

"De Soto" departs Haiti after "HMS Bulldog" blows up, then returns to Haiti

"De Soto" withdrew the next day as well, carrying the wounded British sailors to Jamaica before putting in to Port-au-Prince, Haiti, to debark the many foreign refugees picked up at Cape Haiten. After consultations with the American Consul, Capt. Walker took "De Soto" back to Cape Haiten on 7 November. There, he negotiated with a British squadron under Captain Macguire in "HMS Galatea" in the hopes of averting a retaliatory bombardment of the town, particularly as the Americans feared such an act would provoke widespread unrest and attacks on foreigners throughout Haiti. These talks failed and on 9 November, the British squadron bombarded the town in conjunction with an attack by President Geffard's forces. With the defensive works destroyed and the town falling to government forces, the rebel leaders took refuge on "De Soto". Capt. Walker then carried them to Monte Christo in the Dominican Republic. "De Soto" returned to Cape Haiten to keep an eye on events until 13 December when she sailed for home, arriving in Hampton Roads on 19 December.

Return to Washington for further orders

Three days later, "De Soto" stood up the Chesapeake Bay and the Potomac River to the Washington Navy Yard, where she picked up letters for delivery to the West Indies. Steaming south on 1 January 1866, the warship stopped at Santo Domingo, Port-au-Prince and Havana before returning to Washington, D.C., on the 28th. She remained there until 19 March when she proceeded down river and into the Bay, reaching Hampton Roads on the 23d. On 10 April the warship was placed under the command of Captain Charles S. Boggs.

"De Soto" returns to the West Indies

As the revolutionary disturbances in, and friction between, Haiti and the Dominican Republic continued apace, "De Soto" returned to the West Indies in June, arriving at Port-au-Prince on the 19th. The steamer also patrolled in the Gulf of Mexico, with an eye on the unsettled conditions in Mexico, where a guerilla war raged against the French occupation of the country. "De Soto" remained in the region through the rest of the year before returning to Hampton Roads in the spring of 1867.

"De Soto" encounters an earthquake and a tsunami

Following a repair period at the Norfolk Navy Yard , "De Soto" conducted a cruise to New Orleans, Louisiana, in May and June, putting in at the Philadelphia Navy Yard on the 21st. She stood down the Delaware River five weeks later, this time sailing to Mexico. Off Vera Cruz, Mexico, on 17 September, the steamer watched the last of the French occupation end before sailing to Pensacola, Florida, for repairs in mid-October. "De Soto" proceeded south along the Florida coast on 22 October, stopping at Tampa Bay and Key West before arriving at St. Thomas, Virgin Islands, on 17 November. The ship, in company with side-wheel steamer "Susquehanna" and screw sloop-of-war "Monongahela", were there as part of Secretary of State William H. Seward's plan to purchase the Danish West Indies. The day after "De Soto's" arrival, however, a magnitude 7.5 earthquake struck the region and a tsunami swept the steamer from her moorings and threw the ship onto a wharf. Luckily, the next wave lifted the ship and carried her back to deep water. With her bottom damaged and leaking badly, "De Soto's" sailors and carpenters spent the next ten days pumping water and repairing the hull. On 5 December, the steamer sailed north with the Danish Commissioner on board and the ship arrived at Norfolk, Virginia, on the 17th.

After tsunami damage repair, "De Soto" is ordered to South America

After completing more substantial repairs over the winter, "De Soto" sailed to Venezuela on 3 March 1868, to secure the release of crewmen from the whaling schooner "Hannah Grant", who had been captured on the peninsula of Paraguano. At Curaçao, Cdr. Boggs learned that the crew had already been released but he remained in Venezuelan waters in support of the American minister during interviews with the Venezuelan vice-president and other officials of the republic.

Final decommissioning and sale

The steamer steamed to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on 28 August, and then proceeded to the New York Navy Yard in early September. "De Soto" was decommissioned there 11 September 1868 and sold 30 September 1868.

References

*DANFS|http://www.history.navy.mil/danfs/d2/de_soto-i.htm