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NavSource Online: "Old Navy" Ship Photo Archive

USS South Carolina (III)

Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons

Civil War Medal

Screw Steamer:

Built in 1860 at Boston, MA.

Purchased by the Navy, 3 May 1861

Commissioned, USS South Carolina, 22 May 1861, at Boston Navy Yard, CAPT. James Alden in command

During the Civil War USS South Carolina was assigned to the Gulf Blockading Squadron off Galveston, TX.

Captured ten small schooner between, 4 and 7 July including Shark

Engaged Confederate batteries at Galveston, 3 August

Captured prize steamer Anna Taylor, 11 September

Captured schooners, Ezlida and Joseph H. Toone off Southwest Pass, 4 October

Captured British schooner Edward Barnard, 16 October off Mobile

Captured sloop Florida, 11 December

With USS Brooklyn took Confederate steamer CSS Magnolia, 19 February 1862

Decommissioned, at Boston, 8 April 1862, for repairs

Recommissioned, 16 June 1862

Reassigned to the South Atlantic Blockading Squadron off Charleston

Destroyed abandoned schooner Patriot aground near Mosquito Inlet, FL., 27 August

Captured schooner Nellie off Port Royal, S.C., 27 March 1863

Decommissioned, 25 March 1865, at Philadelphia Navy Yard, to be fitted out as a store ship

Recommissioned, 17 June 1865, assigned to resupply to Port Royal, Key West and Pensacola

Decommissioned, 17 August 1866, at New York Navy Yard

Sold at Public auction, at New York, 5 October 1866

Redocumented SS Juniata, 24 December 1866

Final Disposition, reduced to a schooner barge, 8 April 1893, and soon after vanished from maritime records

Specifications:
Displacement 1,165 t.
Length 217' 11½"
Beam 33' 6"
Depth 25'
Draft 14' 6"
Speed 12kts
Complement 115
Armament

four 8" guns

one 32-pdr

Propulsion steam and sail

single propeller

Size	Image Description	Source
71k	Watercolor by Erik Heyl, 1948, of SS South Carolina, in 1860, painted for use in his book "Early American Steamers", Volume I. Renamed SS Juniata upon returning to commercial employment in 1866. US Naval History and Heritage Command photo # NH 63842, courtesy of Erik Heyl.	Bill Gonyo
186k	"Merchant Steamers Converted into Gun-boats." Engraving published in "Harper's Weekly", July-December 1861 volume. Depicts thirteen merchant steamships acquired by the U.S. Navy between April and August 1861 and subsequently converted into warships, plus the steamer *Nashville* (far left), which became a Confederate cruiser. US Navy ships as identified below the image bottom, are (from left to right: USS Alabama, USS Quaker City, USS Santiago de Cuba, (listed as "St. Jago de Cuba") USS Mount Vernon, USS Massachusetts, USS South Carolina, USS Florida, USS De Soto, USS Augusta, USS James Adger, USS Monticello, USS Bienville and USS R.R. Cuyler. US Naval History and Heritage Command photo # NH 59366.	Robert Hurst
120k	Line engraving published in "Frank Leslie's Illustrated Newspaper", 1861, depicting USS South Carolina in action against Confederate shore batteries at Galveston, Texas, in August 1861. US Naval History and Heritage Command photo # NH 59135	Bill Gonyo
85k	Line engraving published in "Harper's Weekly", January-June 1863, page 76, of the US Navy Blockading Fleet off North Channel, Charleston Harbor, South Carolina. US Navy ships depicted are (from left to right): USS South Carolina, USS G.W. Blunt, USS Daylight and USS Stars and Stripes. US Naval History and Heritage Command photo # NH 59135	Bill Gonyo

USS South Carolina (III)
Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships (DANFS)

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This page is created and maintained by Gary P. Priolo

Last Updated 7 January 2017