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USS Wamsutta
Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons
Civil War Campaign Medal
Screw Gunboat:
Laid down in 1853 as the wooden screw steamer Wamsutta by Capes & Allison, Hoboken, N.J.; engines by Hogg & Delamater, N.Y.C.
Launched, 13 August 1853
Purchased for the Navy by George D. Morgan, 20 September 1861, at New York City from H. Haldrege for $27,000
Commissioned USS Wamsutta, 14 March 1862, at New York, Acting Volunteer LT. William L. Stone in command
USS Wamsutta was assigned to the South Atlantic Blockading Squadron and arrived on station in Port Royal harbor, 14 April 1862
The next day, she received orders to report to CDR. Edmund Lanier, in Alabama, for blockade and reconnaissance duty in St. Simon's Sound, GA.
On 27 April, while on an expedition to destroy a brig believed to be near Dorchester, GA., Wamsutta and USS Potomska engaged a company of
dismounted Confederate cavalry on Woodville Island in the Riceboro River. During this 40 minute battle Wamsutta suffered two casualties and received superficial damage to her
port side.
On 8 May, again accompanied by Potomska, Wamsutta proceeded to Darien, GA., to capture stored lighthouse machinery. However, a search of the town on the 9th found
nothing, and the two gunboats withdrew that evening
USS Wamsutta remained off Darien, blockading Doboy Sound, GA.
On 4 August 1862, Wamsutta departed Doboy Sound to blockade St. Catherine's Sound, GA. There, she and USS Braziliera captured the schooner
Defiance, 19 September
On 8 November, a broken air pump forced Wamsutta to Port Royal for repairs
Ultimately, she proceeded to the New York Navy Yard where she was decommissioned, 3 December 1862
Recommissioned, 2 February 1863, Wamsutta returned to the South Atlantic Blockading Squadron, arriving off Port Royal on the 13th
Five days later, she proceeded to Doboy Sound to tow USS Fernandina into position to blockade the entrance to the sound
On the 28th, Wamsutta was ordered to Sapelo Sound, GA., to relieve Potomska and remained until ordered to Wassaw Sound, GA., on 29 March to relieve
USS Marblehead
By 1 May, Wamsutta lay off Charleston, S.C., but spent the remainder of May and the first two weeks of June repairing and reprovisioning in Port Royal
Wamsutta arrived back off Sapelo Sound, 15 June 1863
Four days later, she was relieved by USS Midnight and ordered to proceed to Doboy Sound to relieve Fernandina.
After serving there for most of the summer, Wamsutta headed north, 5 September for repairs in Philadelphia Navy Yard, decommissioned there, 14 September 1863.
Recommissioned, 24 April 1864 at Philadelphia and was ordered back to the South Atlantic Blockading Squadron
She arrived in Port Royal, 6 May and was assigned to blockade duty off Georgetown, S.C.
On 3 June, she chased the British steamer Rose aground there and burned the blockade runner
On 9 June, while reconnoitering Confederate island batteries scattered about Winjah Bay, S.C., she drew sporadic fire from shore batteries
On 14 July, Wamsutta returned to duty in Charleston and carried out frequent operations against Confederate vessels from her anchorage off Morris Island, S.C.
On 22 October, she helped chase the blockade runner Flora aground near Fort Moultrie, S.C
On 5 December 1864, she drove off an unidentified blockade runner attempting to slip into port.
On 4 February 1865, Wamsutta and Potomska ran another schooner aground, but the crew of the potential prize burned the ship before the Federals could take
possession of her.
Finally, two days later, Wamsutta turned back a blockade runner attempting to reach Charleston.
Late in April, Wamsutta was reassigned to duty off St. Simon's Island, GA. She remained there through May and sailed for the Portsmouth, N.H.. Navy Yard early in June
She was decommissioned at Portsmouth, 29 June 1865,
Sold at public auction, 20 July 1865 to Otis Seabury for $14,000
Sold in 1879 to New Brunswick, New York & Providence SS Co., New Bedford, MA.
Reduced to barge, date unknown, owned by East Providence Land Co., Providence, R.I.
Final Disposition, broken up in 1895 at Amboy N.J.
Specifications:
Displacement 270t.
Length 129'3"
Beam 26'8"
Depth of Hold unknown
Draft 11'
Speed 9kts
Complement 35
Armament
15 March 1862 - one 20-pdr Parrott rifle, four 32-pdrs 57cwt
4 May 1863 - one 20-pdr Parrott rifle, four 32-pdrs 57cwt, one 12-pdr rifle
1 July 1864 - one 20-pdr Parrott rifle, four 32-pdrs 57cwt
1 January 1865 - one 20-pdr Parrott rifle, four 32-pdrs 57cwt, one 12-pdr rifle
Propulsion
one direct condensing, 34" x 30" steam engine
boiler(s)
screw(s)
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Wamsutta
Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships
Last Updated 19 August 2022