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NavSource Online: "Old Navy" Ship Photo Archive

USS Shamrock

Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons

Civil War Medal
Sassacus Class Sidewheel Steamer:
  • A double-ended wooden sidewheel gunboat laid down, date unknown, at the New York Navy Yard
  • Launched, 17 March 1863
  • Commissioned USS Shamrock, 13 June 1864, CDR. William H. Macomb in command
  • During the Civil War USS Shamrock was assigned to the North Atlantic Blockading Squadron in Albemarle Sound
    Shamrock served as mother ship for the steam launch Picket Boat Number One that attacked and sunk CSS Albemarle, 28 October 1864
    Shamrock, lashed to tug Bazely, led the naval force that retook Plymouth, N.C., 30 October 1864
  • Decommissioned, 15 August 1865, at Philadelphia Navy Yard
  • Recommissioned, 17 October 1865, assigned to the West Indies Squadron
  • Reassigned to the European Squadron in 1866
  • Decommissioned, 10 August 1868, at Philadelphia Navy Yard
  • Sold, 1 September 1868, to Mr. E. Stannard
  • Final Disposition, fate unknown
    Specifications:
    Displacement 974 t.(lt) 1,173 t.(fl)
    Length 205'
    Beam 35'
    Depth 12'
    Draft 8' 10"
    Speed 13 kts
    Complement 160
    Armament
    two 100-pdr Parrott rifles
    four 9" Dahlgren smoothbores
    two 20-pdr Parrott rifles
    two 24-pdr howitzers
    one heavy 12-pdr smoothbore
    Propulsion steam
    two sidewheels
    Click On Image
    For Full Size Image    		 Size Image Description Source
    Comfort
    09120332    		 15k
    Namesake
    Shamrock - is a young sprig, used as a symbol of Ireland. Saint Patrick, Ireland's patron saint, is said to have used it as a metaphor for the Christian Holy Trinity. The name shamrock comes from Irish seamróg), which is the diminutive of the Irish word seamair and simply means "young clover".
    Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license, George McFinnigan    		 Tommy Trampp
    Sassacus (I)
    098635505    		 85k Generic lithograph representing the Sassacus-class gunboats.
    Wikipedia    		 John Spivey
    Tacony 91k 19th Century photograph of a painting by Acting Second Engineer Alexander C. Stuart, USN, 1864. Depicting USS Commodore Hull (at left) leading the "Double-Ender" gunboats USS Tacony, USS Shamrock, USS Otsego and USS Wyalusing in engaging Confederate batteries at Plymouth, North Carolina, 31 October 1864. Small vessels lashed to the gunboats' unengaged sides include USS Whitehead (beside Tacony), Bazely (beside Shamrock) and USS Belle (beside Otsego).
    US Naval History and Heritage Command photo # NH 58943 from the collection of Surgeon H.P. Babcock, USN. Donated by his son, George R. Babcock, 1939.    		 Bill Gonyo
    Commodore Hull 129k Line engraving published in "Harper's Weekly", December 1864 of the bombardment of Plymouth, N. C. by U.S. Navy gunboats, immediately before the capture of the city. Ships shown include (from center to right): USS Shamrock, USS Otsego, USS Commodore Hull and Bazely.
    US Naval History and Heritage Command photo # NH 59163    		 US Naval History and Heritage Command
    USS Shamrock
    Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships (DANFS)
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    This page is created and maintained by Gary P. Priolo
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    Last Updated 23 SEptember 2022