USS Adirondack (1861)

USS "Adirondack" (1861) was a large and powerful screw-assisted sloop of war with heavy guns, acquired by the Union Navy early in the American Civil War. She was intended for use by the Union Navy as a warship in support of the Union Navy blockade of Confederate waterways. Her career with the Navy proved to be short, yet active and historically important.

"Adirondack" constructed at the New York Navy Yard in 1862

"Adirondack" was laid down in 1861 by the New York Navy Yard; launched on 22 February 1862; sponsored by Miss Mary Paulding, a daughter of Flag Officer Hiram Paulding, the Commandant of that navy yard; and commissioned on 30 June 1862, Comdr. Guert Gansevoort in command.

Confederate raider "Oreto" rumored to be in the Bahamas

Although "Adirondack" was originally slated for duty in the West Gulf Blockading Squadron, events in the Bahamas changed her fate. Before she sailed for the Gulf of Mexico, news reached Washington, D.C. that the British-built screw steamer "Oreto" – later known as the "CSS Florida" --had arrived at the island of New Providence and, although constructed under the pretext of being a merchantman destined for service under the Italian Government, was in reality a cruiser which was then being fitted out as a Confederate commerce raider. Thus, on 11 July, Secretary of the Navy Gideon Welles ordered Gansevoort to proceed in "Adirondack" to the West Indies to investigate the report.

"Adirondack" sails for the Bahamas, captures "Emma"

The new Union screw-sloop of war departed New York City on 17 July and headed for the Bahamas. Six days out, she chanced upon a schooner and, after a two-hour chase, boarded the stranger which proved to be a Baltimore, Maryland-built vessel named "Emma" which was operating out of Nassau, Bahamas, under a British colonial register. Since the schooner's master had only recently arrived in the West Indies in command of the blockade runner "Ann E. Barry", and since "Emma" was laden with ". . . articles of great need in the so-called Confederate States," Gansevoort sent her to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, under a prize crew. Two days later, on the morning of the 25th, when in sight of Nassau but still". . . beyond the territorial jurisdiction of . . . the British Empire," Gansevoort ". . . discovered shortly after daylight a steamer standing in for Nassau." He again gave chase and fired upon the fleeing ship; but, this time, his quarry's speed enabled her to reach the neutral port safely.

British authorities protest chase of "Herald"

Some two hours later, a boat from the Royal Navy sloop of war HMS "Greyhound" pulled alongside "Adirondack" as she approached Nassau and delivered a letter to the American steamer protesting her role in the recent chase and informing Gansevoort that the elusive steamer was named "Herald" and had been". . . struck two or three times with shot ..." during the action.

Shortly thereafter, "Adirondack" anchored in the roadstead off Nassau harbor, and Gansevoort sent "Greyhound's", commanding officer a written reply to the protest, justifying his course of action.

He then went ashore where he learned that "Herald" -- commanded by ". . . the notorious rebel Coxetter, formerly captain of the rebel privateer "Jeff. Davis" -- had returned from Charleston, South Carolina, laden with cotton after delivering a cargo of ammunition to that Confederate port.

"Adirondack" reports on legal status of the raider

Since "Adirondack" had encountered extremely severe weather during her passage out from New York, she remained at Nassau for three days undergoing voyage repairs and replenishing her coal bunkers. Gansevoort took advantage of his ship's stay in port to learn of conditions there before sailing for the Virginia Capes on 28 July. Upon arriving at Hampton Roads, Virginia, on 4 August, he reported that "Oreto" was indeed a Confederate cruiser, but that she was then”

:". . . in charge of a prize crew from the "Greyhound", and proceedings have been instituted in the admiralty court of the Bahamas for her condemnation for a violation of the foreign enlistment act of Great Britain . . . ."

His dispatch to Washington also stated that sentiment in the Bahamas was strongly in favor of the South. Thus the outcome of the judicial action against the warship -- which would later be freed and win fame as the Southern raider "Florida" -- was in doubt.

"Adirondack" sailed to Bahamas again to investigate further rumors

On 12 August, Secretary of the Navy Gideon Welles ordered "Adirondack" to proceed to Port Royal, South Carolina, to report to Rear Admiral Samuel Francis Du Pont for duty in the South Atlantic Blockading Squadron. The next day, a report reached Washington, D.C., that another British built cruiser -- which would later prey on Union shipping as CSS "Alabama" -- had slipped out of England and was heading for Nassau. Anxiety over this new threat prompted Welles to send "Adirondack" back to the Bahamas to investigate. Nevertheless, before this message reached Hampton Roads, the steamer had sailed for Port Royal in compliance with her orders of the 12th. Word of her new mission finally caught up with her there on the 18th and she got underway for Nassau that afternoon.

"Adirondack" strikes a reef in the Bahamas, and sinks

All went well until the morning of the 23d when "Adirondack" struck a reef off the northeast point of Man of War Cay of the Little Bahama Bank group. The shock immediately disabled her engine, and daylong efforts by the ship's crew, with the aid of local wreckers, proved futile.

That evening, with her back broken and her keel forced up through the engine room, the ship bilged. Fortunately, she suffered no personnel casualties.

References

See also

* United States Navy
* American Civil War

External links

* [http://www.history.navy.mil/danfs/a3/adirondack-i.htm USS Adirondack]