Please report any broken links or trouble you might come across to the Webmaster. Please take a moment to let us know so that we can correct any problems and make your visit as enjoyable and as informative as possible.

NavSource Online: "Old Navy" Ship Photo Archive

USS Sonoma (I)

Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons

Civil War Medal

Octorara Class Sidewheel Gunboat:

Laid down, date unknown, at Portsmouth N.H. Navy Yard

Launched, 15 April 1862

Commissioned, USS Sonoma, 8 July 1862, CDR. Thomas H. Stevens in command

Sonoma sailed, 17 July for the West Indies for operations against Confederate blockade runners and raiders

Assigned to the "flying" West India Squadron, 8 September, created to seek out and destroy Southern raiders

8 January 1863, USS Sonoma and USS Wachusett seized Virginia off Mugeres Island, Mexico

3 February, Sonoma captured British bark Springbok

15 February, she took brig Atlantic

14 April, Sonoma took schooner Clyde in the Gulf of Mexico

Decommissioned, 20 June, at New York for repairs

Re-recommissioned, 28 September 1863 and assigned to the South Atlantic Blockading Squadron

Captured sidewheel steamer Ida, 8 July 1864 near Sapelp Sound, GA.

In early-1865 Sonoma was a member of squadron clearing the way for General Sherman in his march north from Savannah

9 February, USS Sonoma, USS Pawnee, and USS Daffodil engaged Confederate batteries at Togodo Creek, near the North Edisto, S.C.

16 and 17 February Sonoma joined in the naval support of the Army's attack on Bull's Bay, S.C.

After the Confederacy collapsed, Sonoma decommissioned at New York, 13 June 1865

Sold at New York, 1 October 1867

Final Disposition, fate unknown

Specifications:
Displacement 955 t.
Length 233'9"
Beam 34'10"
Depth of Hold 12'3"
Draft 8'7"
Speed 7 kts
Complement unknown

Armament

one 100-pdr Parrott rifle

one 11" Dahlgren smoothbore

six 24-pdr howitzers

two 12-pdr rifles

Propulsion steam

Click On Image For Full Size Image	Size	Image Description		Source or Contributed By
	54k	Sketch signed W.T. Smith, Havana, March 1863, depicting USS Sonoma in Bermuda harbor during late 1862 or early 1863. The British sloop *Desperate* is in the left distance, and the British merchantman (possibly blockade runner?) *Gladiator* is in the left center. The original sketch was in colors. US Naval History and Heritage Command photo # 65693. Courtesy of Frederick S. Hicks, 1968		Robert Hurst

USS Sonoma (I)
Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships (DANFS)

Back To The Navsource Photo Archives Main Page

Back To The Old Navy" Steam and Sail Index

Comments, Suggestions, E-mail Webmaster.

This page is created and maintained by Gary P. Priolo

Last Updated 3 March 2017