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NavSource Online: "Old Navy" Ship Photo Archive
USS Amaranthus
Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons
Civil War Medal
Screw Tug:
Hull built in 1864 by unknown builder at Wilminton, DE. as the wooden-hulled screw tug Christiana for Bishop, Son, & Co., Philadelphia, PA. Engines built by Pusey & Jones, Wilmington, DE.
Launched, date unknown
Purchased for the Navy at Philadelphia, 1 July 1864 by COMO C.K. Stribling, Renamed Amaranthus
Fitted out at the Philadelphia Navy Yard
Commissioned USS Amaranthus, 12 July 1864, Acting Master Enos O. Adams in command
Amaranthus was initially kept in the Delaware River performing towing duties..
She joined the South Atlantic Blockading Squadron, 6 August 1864, at Port Royal, S.C. where she was assigned to the inner cordon of forces blockading Charleston, S.C. where she
remained, (with occasional trips to Port Royal for repairs, etc.) until the end of the War
On the night of 9 and 10 September 1864, Amaranthus sighted a steamer attempting to run out of Charleston and fired repeatedly at the blockade runner which,
nevertheless, escaped to sea
About two-and-one-half months later, she fired upon two incoming steamers which entered the harbor about two hours apart
On both occasions, Confederate shore batteries at Fort Moultrie fired upon the Union blockaders
A spent 10-inch shell struck Amaranthus’ starboard counter, damaging the tug sufficiently to require her to enter a nearby inlet for repairs
The patching was quickly completed, and the steamer was back on station three days later
On 1 February 1865, Acting Ensign William R. Cox, the tug’s executive officer, assumed command
Following the collapse of the Confederacy early in the spring of 1865, Amaranthus remained off Charleston into the summer
She departed Charleston, 10 August 1865, and entered New York Navy Yard, Brooklyn, N.Y., 18 August
Decommissioned, 19 August, at New York Navy Yard.
Sold at pulic auction in November 1866, to John Mahoney, Jr., J.W. Sly and A. Lawrence, Charleston, S.C..
Re-documented under her original name Christiana, 28 December 1866
Re-sold circa 1872-1876 to new owners in Albany, N.Y.
Final Disposition, abandoned in 1900
Specifications:
Displacement 182 t.
Length 117'
Beam 21'
Depth of Hold 8'
Draft 9'
Speed 9.5 kts
Complement 40
Armament
three 24-pdr smoothbores
Propulsion
Engines - one vertical low pressure. Diameter of cylinder 30", stroke 30"
Boiler - one return, tubular, diameter 9', length 16', 2 furnaces; 4 flues, two 11" diameter and 2 18" tubes, 3½" diameter
single screw
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Amaranthus
Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships (DANFS)
This page is created and maintained by Gary P. Priolo
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Last Updated 3 June 2022