- USS Howell Cobb (1861)
USS "Howell Cobb" (1861) was a
schooner acquired on an emergency temporary basis by theUnion Navy from theU.S. Coast Survey during the start of theAmerican Civil War .She was placed into service as a
cargo ship assigned to support the Union NavyPotomac River fleet protectingWashington, D.C. , from military forces of the newly-formed rebelliousConfederate States of America located across the river inVirginia ."Howell Cobb" borrowed by the Union Navy
"Howell Cobb", a
U.S. Coast Survey schooner , was taken over by the Union Navy10 June 1861 by Comdr. J. H. Ward, commanding Potomac Flotilla. Her firstcommanding officer was Acting Master's Mate A. J. Frank.Assigned to supply runs on the Potomac River
"Howell Cobb" was actively employed on the
Potomac River as aconvoy ship, assisting theUnion Army to insure smooth movement of supplies. This was vital service at a time when rail traffic north of Washington had been cut off by riots inBaltimore, Maryland .Her role in suppressing illegal trade
She was also engaged, in Breton's Bay and vicinity, in suppressing illegal trade on the shores of the waters controlled by the Union.
Deactivated in Philadelphia and returned to the Coast Survey
Sent to
Philadelphia Navy Yard for repairs, she arrivedPhiladelphia, Pennsylvania ,9 July 1862 , and did not return to active service in the Civil War. She was later returned to the U.S. Coast Survey.References
See also
*
American Civil War
*Union Navy
*Confederate States Navy External links
* [http://www.history.navy.mil/danfs/h8/howell_cobb.htm USS Howell Cobb]
Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.