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NavSource Online: "Old Navy" Ship Photo Archive

USS Princess Royal

Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons

Civil War Medal

Iron-clad Screw Steamer Gunboat:

Built 1861 as SS Princess Royal, at Glasgow, Scotland

Employed as a blockade runner until captured off Charleston S.C. 29 January 1863, by USS Unadilla, USS Housatonic, USS Augusta, USS America and USS G.W. Blunt

Purchased by the Federal Navy at Philadelphia, 18 March 1863

Fitted out for naval service at Philadelphia Navy Yard

Commissioned, USS Princess Royal , 29 May 1863, CDR, Melancton B. Woolsey, in command

During the Civil War USS Princess Royal was assigned to the West Gulf Blockading Squadron;

Participated in the engagement with Confederate forces at Donalsonville, LA., 28 June 1863

Off the Texas coast USS Princess Royal captured the British schooner Flying Scud, near Matamoros, 12 August 1863

Assisted in seizing schooner Wave, 22 August 1863

Took Nepture off Brazoa de Santigo, 19 November 1864

Captured the schooner Flash, 25 November 1864

Seized schooner Alabama, 7 December 1864

Captured Cora off Galveston, 19 December 1864

Captured schooner Anna Sophia in Galveston Bay, 7 February 1865

Participated in the boat expedition to destroy the wreck of the grounded blockade runner Will-o-the-Wisp

Decommissioned, date unknown, at Philadelphia, PA.

Sold at public auction, 17 August 1865, subsequently renamed SS General Sherman

Final Disposition, sunk 10 January 1874, off Cape Fear, N.C.

Specifications:
Displacement 774 t.(lt) 828 t.(fl)
Length 196' 9"
Beam 27' 3"
Depth-of-hold 16'
Draft 11'
Speed 11 kts
Complement unknown

Armament

two 30-pdr Parrott rifles

one 9" Dahlgren smoothbore

four 24-pdr howitzers

Propulsion steam and sail

Click On Image For Full Size Image	Size	Image Description		Contributed By
	56k	Watercolor of USS Princess Royal Erik Heyl, 1960, painted for use in his book "Early American Steamers", Volume I. Courtesy of Erik Heyl. US Naval History and Heritage Command photo # NH 63848		Bill Gonyo

USS Princess Royal
Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships (DANFS)

Commanding Officers
01	LT. Woolsey, Melancton B.	29 May 1863 - 11 April 1865
02	Acting Vol. LT. Behm, Charles F. W. (Died in Andersonville Prison)	11 April 1865 - 21 July 1865


Courtesy Bill Gonyo

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Last Updated 3 January 2014