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NavSource Online: "Old Navy" Ship Photo Archive

USS Seminole (I)

Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons

Civil War Medal

Seminole-class Screw Sloop-of-War:

Laid down, date unknown, at Pensacola Navy Yard

Launched, 25 June 1859

Commissioned, USS Seminole, 25 April 1860, CDR. Edward R. Thomson, in command

Seminole's first assignment was on the Brazil station until 23 May 1861

Refitted for blockade duty at Philadelphia Navy Yard

Assigned to the Atlantic Blockading Squadron for duty off Savannah, GA.

Sailed for the Potomac to check the threat of Confederate forces near Alexandria, capturing sloop Maryland and engaging Confederate batteries at Freestone Point, VA.

Reassigned to the South Atlantic Blockading Squadron

Participated in the capture of Port Royal, S.C., 7 November 1861, bombarding forts Walker and Beauregard

Seized sloop Lida, 1 December 1861, off St. Simon's Sound, GA., while attempting to slip into the South laden with coffee, lead, and sugar from Havana, Cuba

Participated in the expedition which captured Fernandia, FL.

Reassigned to Hampton Roads, 25 March 1862, to strengthen Union naval forces there which were threatened by the Confederate ironclad, CSS Virginia

Seminole joined USS Monitor, USS Dacotah, USS Naugatuck, and USS Susquehanna in shelling Confederate batteries at Sewell's Point, VA. In response, Virginia came out, but not far enough to be rammed

After Norfolk was abandoned by Southern troops in late June, Seminole was ordered to the New York Navy Yard for repairs.

Recommissioned, 8 June 1863, and assigned to the West Gulf Blockading Squadron. En route south, she captured Confederate steamer, Charleston, 11 July 1863

Took steamer, Sir William Peel, 11 September 1863 off the mouth of the Rio Grande. This British merchantman was carrying 1,000 bales of cotton at the time of her capture.

Seminole participated in the Battle of Mobile Bay, 5 August 1864, passing the forts guarding the entrance to the bay lashed to USS Lackawanna but, as the action became general, cast off from her consort

After repairs at Pensacola, Seminole was sent to Galveston, remaining active along the coast of Texas through the end of the war, taking schooner, Josephine, 14 January 1865

Seminole's final action of the war came on 23 May, when she sent a party on board Denbigh and helped to set the blockade runner aflame

Decommissioned at the Boston Navy Yard, 11 August 1865 and was laid up there until sold, 20 July 1870, to Mullen and Winchester.

Final Disposition, fate unknown.

Specifications:
Displacement 801 t.
Length 188'
Beam 30' 6"
Draft unknown
Speed unknown
Complement 120

Armament

one 11" Dahlgren smoothbore

one 30-pdr Parrott Rifle

six 32-pdrs

one light 12-pdr

Propulsion steam

Click On Image For Full Size Image	Size	Image Description	Contributed By
	112k	A Civil War line engravings from Frank Leslie's Illustrated, 1861. The upper engraving depicts the U.S. Potomac Flotilla in the Potomac between Freestone Point, VA., and Indian Head, MD., to prevent the passage of Confederates from Virginia to Maryland. Features seen include (from left to right): tugboat *Murray; USS Jacob Bell; Indian Head, Maryland; USS Yankee; USS Penguin; USS Satellite; USS Seminole; Confederate battery at Freestone Point; and the mouth of the Occoquan River. The lower engraving depicts a scene in Falls Village, Virginia, which was occupied by Federal troops. It shows Taylor's Tavern and the northern extremity of the town. US Naval History and Heritage Command Photo # NH NH 59240*	Robert Hurst
098668102	152k	The Expedition in Warsaw Sound Line engraving, probably published in "Harper's Weekly", January-June 1862 volume. It depicts USS Seminole and USS Ellen with several transports, and probably represents the expedition to Wassau Sound, Georgia, in late January 1862. Transports (all steamships) present are (from left to right): SS Belvidere, SS McClellan, SS Boston, SS Delaware, and SS Cosmopolitan. US Naval History and Heritage Command Photo #:NH 59332	Robert Hurst
	130k	Bombardment of Sewell's Point, Virginia, 8 May 1862. Print published in Fiveash, "Virginia-Monitor Engagement", Norfolk, Virginia, 1907. It depicts USS Monitor (at left) accompanied by the Federal war ships USS Naugatuck, USS Dacotah, USS Seminole and USS Susquehanna (listed in no particular order, and depicted rather inaccurately), firing on the Confederate batteries at Sewell's point, near Norfolk VA. US Naval History and Heritage Command Photo # NH 58756.	Robert Hurst
	118k	Published in Fiveash, "Virginia-Monitor Engagement, Norfolk, Virginia, 1907". It depicts CSS Virginia (at left) making her appearance near Craney Island as USS Monitor (left center) and other Federal warships withdraw after bombarding Sewell's Point, near Norfolk. The other U.S. Navy ships presented included USS Naugatuck, USS Dacotah, USS Seminole and USS Susquehanna. US Naval History and Heritage Command Photo # NH 59213.	Robert Hurst
	223k	"The Great Expedition -- The Vessels at Anchor at Hampton Roads Previous to the Departure". Line engraving published in Harper's Weekly, July-December 1861 volume, page 725. It consists of two views of Flag Officer DuPont's squadron at Hampton Roads, VA., prior to leaving, 29 October 1861 to capture Port Royal, S.C. Ships and geographical features, as identified below the images, are (upper engraving, from left to right): ferry boats, store ship, steamer SS Marion, USS Seminole, steamer SS Ben Deford, tug *Grapeshot, Fort Monroe, USS Narragansett, USS Alabama, USS Pawnee, and new ("90-Day") gunboats. (lower engraving, from left to right): store ship, USS Vanderbilt, steam tug (foreground), store ship, steamer Winfield Scott, steamer Atlantic, USS Minnesota, steamer SS Baltic, USS Relief, USS Wabash, USS R.B. Forbes, steamer SS Oriental, steamer SS Matanzas, steamer SS Philadelphia, and the Rip Raps. US Naval History and Heritage Command Photo #: NH 59317*	Robert Hurst
	75k	"Bombardment and Capture of Port Royal, South Carolina, 7 November 1861" Engraving published in "Harper's Weekly", July-December 1861 volume, pages 760-761. It depicts Federal warships, under Flag Officer Samuel F. DuPont, USN, bombarding Fort Beauregard (at right) and Fort Walker (at left). The Confederate squadron commanded by Commodore Josiah Tattnall is in the left center distance. Subjects identified below the image bottom are (from left): tug *Mercury, Fort Walker, USS Wabash* (DuPont's flagship), steamer *Screamer (?), USS Susquehanna, CSS Huntsville, Commo. Tattnall, (probably misidentified as no record exists that CSS Huntsville served in the defenses of Port Royal, S.C. USS Bienville, USS Pembina, USS Seneca, USS Ottawa, USS Unadilla, USS Pawnee, USS Mohican, USS Isaac Smith, USS Curlew; (probably misidentified as no record exists that USS Curlew served with South Atlantic Blockading Squadron), USS Vandalia, USS Penguin, USS Pocahontas, USS Seminole, Fort Beauregard, USS R.B. Forbes* and "Rebel Camp". US Navy photo # NH 59256	US Naval History and Heritage Command
	156k	Flag Officer Farragut ship's passing Fort Morgan during the Battle of Mobile Bay, 5 August 1864. Drawing from the book "Under Both Flags" Veteran Publishing Co., © 1896. From left to right: USS Manhattan USS Tecumseh USS Brooklyn USS Octorara USS Hartford USS Metacomet USS Richmond USS Port Royal USS Lackawanna USS Seminole USS Monongahela and USS Kennebec	Tommy Trampp

USS Seminole (I)
Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships (DANFS)

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Last Updated 19 March 2021