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NavSource Online: "Old Navy" Ship Photo Archive

USS Keystone State

Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons

Civil War Medal

Sidewheel Steamer:

Built in 1853 as wooden sidewheel steamer SS Keystone State at Philadelphia by J. W. Lynn

Chartered by the Navy 19 April 1861 from the Ocean Steam Navigation Co. at Philadelphia

Purchased 10 June 1861

Commissioned USS Keystone State, 19 July 1861, at Philadelphia Navy Yard, CDR. G. H. Scott in command

While under charter Keystone State shared in the capture of Hiawatha at Hampton Roads 20 May 1861

After commissioning USS Keystone State left the Delaware Capes 21 July and cruised in the West Indies seeking Confederate blockade runners in Caribbean ports, capturing Saloon on the high seas, 10 October 1861

Assigned to the South Atlantic Blockading Squadron at Charleston, joining, 13 January 1862

Engaged Confederate batteries at Amelia Island on 18 January 1862

Captured blockade runner schooner Mars, 5 February 1862

Chased schooner Liverpool ashore where she was burned to the waters edge, 10 April 1862

Captured schooner Dixie, 15 April 1862

Captured SS Elizabeth, 29 May 1862

Captured schooner Cora, 31 May 1862

Took blockade runner Sarah off Charleston, 20 June 1862

Captured schooner Fanny attempting to slip into Charleston, 22 August 1862.

31 January 1863 USS Keystone State engaged Confederate ironclads CSS Chicora and CSS Palmetto State off Charleston the return fire from the Confederates hit Keystone State's steam drum, scalding 1 officer and 19 men to death and wounding another twelve

Decommissioned, 10 June 1863, at Philadelphia Navy Yard for repairs

Recommissioned, 3 October 1863, CDR. Edward Donaldson in command

USS Keystone State was reassigned to the North Atlantic Blockading Squadron at Wilmington, N.C.

Captured SS Margaret and Jessie, 5 November 1863

Captured SS Caledonia, 30 May 1864

Took SS Suez, 5 June 1864, off Beaufort, N.C.

Captured SS Rouen at sea 2 July 1864

Chased and captured SS Lilian, 24 August 1864, with USS Gettysburg

With USS Quaker City USS Keystone State chased and captured blockade runner SS Elsie, 5 September 1864

Participated in the attacks on Fort Fisher in December 1864 and January 1865

Decommissioned, 25 March 1865, at Baltimore, MD.

Sold at auction, 15 September 1865, at Washington D.C. to M. O. Roberts

Redocumented SS San Francisco, 22 December 1865, and operated in merchant service until 1879

Final Disposition, fate unknown

Specifications:
Displacement 1,364 t.
Length 220'
Beam 35'
Depth unknown
Draft 14' 6"
Speed 9.5 kts
Complement 163

Armament

two 12-pdrs (light)

two 12-pdrs (heavy)

Propulsion steam

Size	Image Description	Source
67k	Colored pencil sketch by Xanthus Smith of USS Keystone State, depicting the ship at Port Royal, South Carolina, 15 December 1862. US Naval History and Heritage Command photo # NH 60640-KN (Color)	Bill Gonyo
61k	"The Rebel Rams engaging our Blockading Fleet off Charleston, South Carolina, January 31, 1863" Line engraving published in "Harper's Weekly", January-June 1863, page 117, depicting CSS Chicora and CSS Palmetto State attacking USS Mercedita, with USS Keystone State at right US Naval History and Heritage Command photo # NH 59304	US Naval History and Heritage Command
34k	The British Steamer and Blockade runner *Jupiter, formerly a British Mail Packet on the Clyde, Scotland, said to run 16 miles an hour, is caught off New Inlet in 1863 by USS Keystone State* and USS Wauchusett and brought into Philadelphia in 1864. Water color by D.J.Kennedy (1816-1898). Image courtesy of Historical Society of Pennsylvania.	Robert Hurst
30k	USS Keystone State riding a large wave in a gale, on the blockade, in 1863. Water color by D.J.Kennedy (1816-1898). Image courtesy of Historical Society of Pennsylvania.	Robert Hurst
64k	Watercolor by Erik Heyl, 1949, painted for use in his book "Early American Steamers", Volume I. This steamer served as USS Keystone State in 1861-65. After the Civil War she returned to civilian use as SS San Francisco. Courtesy of Erik Heyl. US Naval History and Heritage Command photo # NH 63857	Bill Gonyo

USS Keystone State
Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships (DANFS)

Commanding Officers
01	LT. Woodhull, Maxwell	19 April -1861 - 22 April 1861 (Chartered)
02	LT. Trenchard, Stephen D.	23 April 1861 - 18 July 1861(Chartered)
03	CDR. Scott, Gustavus H.	19 July 1861 - 11 November 1861
04	CDR. Le Roy, William Edgar	12 November 1861 - 10 June 1863
	Decommissioned	10 June 1863 - 3 October 1863
05	CDR. Donaldson, Edward	3 October 1863 - 18 February 1864
06	CDR. Crosby, Pierce	18 February 1864 - 18 October 1864
07	CDR. Rolando, Henry	18 October 1864 - 25 March 1865 (Decomm)


Courtesy Bill Gonyo

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Last Updated 7 April 2017