- USS Ossipee (1861)
The first USS "Ossipee" was a wooden, screw
sloop of war in theUnited States Navy during theAmerican Civil War . She was named for theOssipee River ofNew Hampshire andMaine ."Ossipee" was laid down in June 1861 by the
Portsmouth Navy Yard ,Kittery, Maine ; launched16 November 1861 ; sponsored by Mrs. McFarland, wife of the editor of theConcord Statesman ; and commissioned6 November 1862 Lieutenant CommanderRobert Boyd in command.Ten days later Captain
John P. Gillis took command of the ship and she got underway forHampton Roads to join theNorth Atlantic Blockading Squadron in which she served until departingNewport News, Virginia ,18 May 1863 to join theWest Gulf Blockading Squadron offMobile, Alabama . She capturedschooner "Helena" there30 June and with "Kennebec" seized steamers "James Battle" and "William Bagley" in theGulf of Mexico 18 July . The former, “the finest packet on the Alabama River...altered to suit her for a blockade runner,” was laden with cotton and rosin while the latter carried cotton which they hoped to sell abroad.In September "Ossipee" steamed to the coast of
Texas for blockade duty until returning to station off Mobile in mid March 1864 as AdmiralDavid Farragut built up his forces for the invasion of Mobile Bay. On5 August , with "Itasca" alongside, she passed the forts and entered Mobile Bay with Farragut and participated in the ensuing naval battle, playing a large role in the struggle with "Tennessee" which finally forced the well fought, heavy southern ironclad ram to surrender.In September "Ossipee" returned to blockade duty off the Texas coast and, but for repairs at
Pensacola, Florida late in 1864, served there until moving toNew Orleans, Louisiana in April 1865. She was one of the Federal ships to pursue CSS "Welb" during the Confederate steamer’s daring attempt to race down theMississippi River and escape to sea.Following duty off Mobile, "Ossipee" sailed North late in June and decommissioned at
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 3 July .Recommissioned
27 October 1866 , CaptainGeorge F. Emmons in command, "Ossipee" served in the north Pacific protecting American interests along the coasts ofMexico andCentral America . She departedSan Francisco, California 27 September 1867 forSitka, Alaska , carryingRussia n Commissioners for the ceremony transferring that valuable and strategic territory to the United States18 October .After serving in the Pacific into spring 1872, "Ossipee" headed home
6 June , arrived New York18 November , and decommissioned there on the 30th.Recommissioned
10 October 1873 , the veteran sloop of war served in the North Atlantic. She departedKey West 15 December forTortugas to await filibustering steamer "Virginius" which had been seized on the high seas by Spanishcruiser "Tornado" under fraudulent American registry. To help ease tension caused by the "Virginius" Affair, Spain had turned the prize over to the United States, represented by Captain Whiting, commander of "Despatch" atBahia Honda, Cuba . "Despatch" took "Virginius" to Tortugas. "Ossipee" departed Tortugas19 December towing "Virginius" north, but the notorious prize foundered offCape Hatteras a week later. "Ossipee" continued operations in the North Atlantic until decommissioning at Boston25 May 1878 .Recommissioned
28 January 1884 , "Ossipee" departed Hampton Roads30 April for the Far East viaGibraltar and theSuez Canal and served on theAsiatic station until returning to New York15 February 1887 . She then served along the Atlantic coast and in theWest Indies until decommissioning atNorfolk, Virginia 12 November 1889 . She was sold there25 March 1891 toHerbert H. Ives .See USS|Ossipee for other ships of this name.
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