- USS Mendota (1863)
USS "Mendota" (1863) was a steamer purchased by the
Union Navy during theAmerican Civil War . With her heavy guns, she was planned by the Union Navy for use as a bombardment gunboat, but also as a gunboat stationed off Confederate waterways to prevent their trading with foreign countries."Mendota", a sidewheel "gunboat", was launched
13 January 1863 by F. Z. Tucker,Brooklyn, New York ; acquired by the Navy1 February 1864 ; and commissioned2 May 1864 , Comdr. E. T. Nichols in command.Assigned to the North Atlantic Blockade on the James River
From the day of her commissioning in
1864 , "Mendota" was assigned to the James River Division,North Atlantic Blockading Squadron . The first 10 months she served as a picket ship near Four Mile Creek. Her guns were used to prevent the establishment of Confederate batteries or entrenchments which would threaten river communications or imperil a smallUnion Army base camp.Action on
28 July was particularly intense. During her last 2 months of service she directed ship movements atHampton Roads, Virginia , and also at the mouth of theDelaware River .Post-war decommissioning and disposal
After the war "Mendota" decommissioned
12 May 1865 and was laid up atLeague Island ,Philadelphia, Pennsylvania , until sold7 December 1867 .References
See also
*
United States Navy
*American Civil War External links
* [http://www.history.navy.mil/danfs/m8/mendota-i.htm USS Mendota]
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