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NavSource Online: "Old Navy" Ship Photo Archive

USS Silver Lake

Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons

Civil War Medal

Stern-wheel Steamer (Tinclad No.23)

Built in 1862 as the steamer Silver Lake No. 30 at California, PA.

Purchased by the Navy, 15 November 1862, at Cincinnati, Ohio, for service in the Mississippi Squadron

Commissioned USS Silver Lake, 24 December 1862, Acting Volunteer Lieutenant Robert K. Riley in command

USS Silver Lake along with USS Lexington USS Fairplay, USS St. Clair, USS Brilliant, and Robb, under the command of LCDR. Leroy Fitch were dispatched, 24 January 1863, to the Cumberland River to support Union forces being besieged by Confederate forces at Fort Donelson

Arriving after dark, 3 February 1863, the Union ships caught the enemy by surprise, routing them from their positions breaking the siege and inflicting heavy casualties among the Confeder3ate forces

Silver Lake, Lexington, and Robb shelled enemy forces from the town of Florence, TN., 31 March 1863, destroying the cotton works

Still under the command of LCDR Fitch, Silver Lake, Lexington, Brilliant, Robb, and USS Springfield destroyed the city of Palmyra, TN., 3 April 1863 in retaliation for Confederate guerrilla forces firing upon a Union convoy

On the evening of 2 December 1864 the LCDR. Fitch's expedition surprised Southern batteries near Bell's Mills, TN. silencing the batteries and recapturing three transports taken by the Confederates

On 6 December, Silver Lake, USS Moose, Fairplay, and the ironclad USS Neosho engaged enemy batteries near Bell's Mills. Seeing that the lighter armed vessels would be destroyed by enemy fire, Fitch ordered the gunboats to return to Nashville

USS Silver Lake was decommissioned, 11 August 1865, at Mound City, IL.

Sold at public auction at Mound City to J. H. Kenniston, 17 August 1865

Redocumented as Mary Hein and had her rig changed to sidewheels by 28 September 1865

Final Disposition, destroyed by fire while in the Red River, 27 February 1866

Specifications:
Displacement 236 t.
Length 157'
Beam 32'5"
Depth of Hull unknown
Draft 4'5"
Speed 6 kts
Complement unknown

Armament

six 24-pdr guns

Propulsion

steam engines 15-s-5 ft. stroke

stern-wheel

Click On Image For Full Size Image	Size	Image Description		Contributed By
098690901	136k	USS Silver Lake at anchor on a western river during the Civil War, date and location unknown. Library of Congress catalog No. LCCN2018645330		Robert Hurst
098690902	165k	USS Silver Lake at anchor on a western river during the Civil War, date and location unknown. Way’s Packet Directory		John Spivey

USS Silver Lake
Dictionary of American Navy Fighting Ships (DANFS)

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Last Updated 26 November 2021