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NavSource Online: "Old Navy" Ship Photo Archive

USS Thomas Freeborn

Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons

Civil War Medal

Sidewheel Gunboat:

The sidewheel steamer SS Thomas Freeborn was built in 1861 at Brooklyn, N.Y.

Chartered by the Navy in April 1861 for use in the unsuccessful Fort Sumter relief expedition

Purchased by the Union Navy, 7 May 1861,

Commissioned, USS Thomas Freeborn, 7 May 1861, CDR. James H. Ward, USN, in command

During the Civil War USS Thomas Freeborn was assigned to:

Hampton Roads and the Chesapeake Bay

Engaged Confederate batteries at Sewell's Point, VA., May 1861

Potomac Squadron

Union occupation of Alexandria, Va., on the 24 May 1861, blockade and patrol duty in the Potomac River on 27 May 1861

Assisted in silencing Confederate batteries at Aquia Creek, VA., 31 May 1861

Engaged Confederate installations at Mathias Point, Va., 24 June 1861, CDR. Ward KIA, 27 June 1861

Captured sloop A. B. Leon off White House Point, VA., 26 July 1861

Captured schooner Pocahantas and sloop Mary Grey in Pohick Creek, VA., 4 August 1861

Captured schooner Mail and her cargo of salt in Coan River, VA., 1 August 1862

Seized and burned schooner Arctic in Maryland's Great Wicomico River, 15 September 1862

Captured sloop Thomas Reilly, 1 October 1862, at the mouth of Quantico Creek, VA.

Ship's landing party cut telegraph lines from Occoquan and Fredericksburg, VA., to Richmond, VA., 4 October 1862

Engaged Confederate batteries, 21 February 1863

Patrolled the Potomac for the remained of 1863 and all of 1864

Captured blockade runner William Smith, 3 March 1865 in the Piankatank River, VA.

Reassigned to patrol the Chesapeake Bay, 17 April 1865, in the search for the assassins of President Lincoln

Decommissioned, 17 June 1865, at Washington Navy Yard

Sold at public auction, 20 July 1865, to Anthony Raybold

Redocumented as SS Philip, 14 September 1865

Final Disposition, disposed of in 1887

Specifications:
Displacement 269 t.
Length 143' 4"
Beam 25' 6"
Depth unknown
Draft unknown
Speed unknown
Complement unknown
Armament two 32-pdrs
Propulsion steam

Size	Image Description	Contributed By
203k	The attack upon the batteries at the entrance of Aquia Creek, Potomac River, by the United States vessels USS Pawnee, USS Yankee, USS Thomas Freeborn, USS Anacostia, and USS Resolute, June 1st, 1861. On May 31st Captain Ward, in command on board of the *Thomas Freeborn, and assisted by two more of his gunboats, the Resolute* and the *Anacostia, began the attack on the Confederate batteries, and after a two hours' fight, succeeded in silencing the batteries at the landing; but, for want of long-range ammunition, could not effectually respond to the heavy fire from the heights, and so had to withdraw. The following day, however, with additional aid from the Pawnee* and *Yankee, the attack was resumed, and the batteries were at last silenced and the Confederates compelled to retreat."— Frank Leslie, 1896. US Navy photo # NH 73736* of an engraving from Frank Leslie's Illustrated Newspaper, 1861.	Tommy Trampp
90k	"Action at Aquia Creek between United States Vessels and Rebel Batteries." An engraving, after a sketch by LT. Cash, published in "Harper's Weekly", 1861. It depicts USS Pawnee (at right), what appears to be USS Thomas Freeborn (left center), and another warship engaging the Confederate batteries at Aquia Creek, on the Potomac River, probably on 31 May - 1 June 1861. US Naval History and Heritage Command photo #: NH 59234	Tommy Trampp
126k	Some of USS Thomas Freeborn's officers and men demonstrate how her late Commanding Officer, CDR. James H. Ward, was sighting her bow gun when he was mortally wounded, 27 June 1861, during an action with Confederate forces at Mathias Point, VA. The gun is a 32 pounder smoothbore, of 60 hundredweight, on a "Novelty Carriage". This mounting was developed by Commander Ward before the Civil War. Location appears to be the Washington Navy Yard, D.C. US Naval History and Heritage Command photo #: NH 60990	Tommy Trampp
1510k	"Engagement between the Gunboat Flotilla, Freeborn and Reliance, under the Command of Captain James H. Ward, and a Secession Force at Mathias Point, Va., on the Potomac River -- Death of Captain Ward." 27 June 1861. A line engraving, based on a sketch by an Officer of the Expedition, published in Frank Leslie's Illustrated Newspaper, 1861, depicting USS Thomas Freeborn, Ward's flagship, in the left foreground with USS Reliance to her right. US Navy History and Heritage Command photo # NH 59242	US Navy History and Heritage Command
132k	Sketch by A. Waud from a photograph by James F. Gibson, 1861, of "Infernal machines discovered in the Potomac near Aquia Creek by the flotilla for whose destruction they were intended' It depicts a boat approaching a cask-type floating mine, with USS Thomas Freeborn nearby. A detailed view of the mine is in the foreground and USS Pawnee is in the center distance. Library of Congress Photo #: LC-USZ62-15652	Robert Hurst

USS Thomas Freeborn
Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships (DANFS)

Commanding Officers
01	CDR. Ward, James Harmon, USN	7 May 1861 - 27 June 1861 (KIA)
02	LCDR. Lowry, Reigart Bolivar	28 June 1861 - 3 August 1861
03	LT. Eastman, Thomas Henderson	4 August 1861 - September 1861
04	LT. Harrell, Abram Davis	September 1861 - 14 October 1861
05	LCDR. Magaw, Samuel	15 October 1861 - 25 September 1864
06	Act. Master Arthur, William A.	25 September 1864 - 17 June 1865


Courtesy Bill Gonyo

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Last Updated 7 January 2017