USS Massachusetts (1860)

USS "Massachusetts" (1860) was a large steamer acquired by the U.S. Navy prior to the American Civil War.

She was used by the Union Navy as a gunship in the blockade of Confederate ports. At war's end, she was outfitted as a cargo ship and served in that capacity until finally decommissioned.

"Massachusetts", an iron screw steamer built at Boston, Massachusetts, in 1860, was purchased by the Union Navy 3 May 1861 from the Boston & Southern Steamship Co., and commissioned 24 May 1861 at Boston, Commander Melancton Smith in command.

Civil War service

Assigned to the Gulf Blockading Squadron, "Massachusetts" steamed south 10 May 1861 to anchor off Key West, Florida, departing there 8 June for Pensacola, Florida.

The next day she took her first prize, British ship "Perthshire", near Pensacola. She captured "Achilles" 17 June and 2 days later took "Naham Stetson" off Pass a l’0utre, Louisiana, and on the 23d captured Mexican schooner "Brilliant" and the Confederate blockade running schooners "Trois Freres", "Olive Branch", "Fanny", and "Basile" in the Gulf of Mexico.

While "Massachusetts" was absent, the South had fortified Ship Island, and the batteries fired on her when she returned from Pensacola. She engaged the Confederate guns until she ran out of ammunition.

On 13 July she seized schooner "Hiland" near Ship Island, and next day engaged steamers "Arrow" and "Oregon" off Chandeleur Islands, forcing them to withdraw. "Massachusetts" captured blockade-running sloop "Charles Henry" near Ship Island 7 August and gained information on Fort Pike, which guarded the entrance to Lake Pontchartrain for the South.

After repairs in early September, "Massachusetts" fortified Chandeleur Island and set up a light there 13 September. A landing party from the ship took possession of Ship Island 17 September, thereby providing the Union Navy with a valuable shelter during storms and the base from which Admiral David Farragut would launch his attack on New Orleans, Louisiana. Returning to Ship Island 20 September, "Massachusetts" attacked, causing the South to burn the barracks and desert Ship Island passage. "Massachusetts" operated near strategically important Ship Island through the remainder of the year. She thwarted Confederate efforts to transport freight through the passage 2 December, captured a small fishing boat 12 December, and turned back "Oregon", "Pamlico", "Gray Cloud", and "Florida" at Mississippi Sound 19 December.

Early in 1862 "Massachusetts" steamed northward to decommission at New York City 28 February. Pitted out as a transport and supply ship, she recommissioned 16 April and operated along the Atlantic coast until decommissioning at New York City 3 December.

"Massachusetts" recommissioned 10 March 1863 and but for a brief period in ordinary late that summer served the South Atlantic Blockading Squadron through the end of the war. She captured sloop "Parsis" in Wassaw Sound 12 March and with "Commodore Perry" captured blockade runner "Caledonia" 30 May 1864 south of Cape Fear after a 2 hour chase. In August she aided steamers "Gettysburg" and "Keystone State" in the capture of Confederate steamer "Lilian".

On 19 March 1865 "Massachusetts" struck a torpedo (mine), which failed to explode, in Charleston Harbor.

Post-war decommissioning

She decommissioned 22 September 1865 at New York City and was sold there at public auction 1 October 1867. Documented 11 February 1868 as "Crescent City", she served American commerce until 1872.

References

*DANFS|http://www.history.navy.mil/danfs/m6/massachusetts-ii.htm