USS Buckthorn (1863)

USS Buckthorne (1863) was a steamer acquired by the Union Navy during the American Civil War. She was used as a fleet tender and dispatch vessel in support of the Union Navy blockade along Confederate coastal waters.

History
United States
Ordered: as Signal
Laid down: date unknown
Launched: 1863
Acquired: December 22, 1863
Commissioned: April 7, 1864
Decommissioned: 1868
Stricken: 1868 (est.)
Homeport: Pensacola Navy Yard
Fate: sold, September 7, 1869
General characteristics
Displacement: 128 tons
Length: 87 ft (27 m)
Beam: 22 ft (6.7 m)
Depth of hold: 7 ft 7 in (2.31 m)
Propulsion:
Speed: 8.5 knots
Complement: not known
Armament:
  • one 30-pounder gun
  • two 12-pounder smoothbores

Service in the Navy

Buckthorn, was a wooden hull, screw steamer, 87 feet in length and outfitted with one mast. She was built in 1863 at East Haddam, Connecticut, as Signal; purchased by Rear Admiral Gregory for the Navy from George W. Jewett for the sum of $26,500 on December 22, 1863; and commissioned at New York City April 7, 1864, acting Volunteer Lieutenant W. Godfrey in Command.[1] Buckthorn was a strongly built vessel and was well adapted for service as a tug.[1] Buckthorn served with the West Gulf Blockading Squadron during the American Civil War and participated in the Battle of Mobile Bay (August 5, 1864). She acted as a tender for the fleet and was also used as a dispatch vessel throughout her career.[2]

Post-Civil War service

After the Civil War she served at Pensacola Navy Yard until laid up in 1868.[1] After a brief service at Pensacola Buckthorn was sold for $3,000 at Pensacola, Florida, September 7, 1869.[1]

gollark: 5 *years*?
gollark: Try holding the power button for 5 years.
gollark: Batteries not replaceable with just a screwdriver have got to stop.
gollark: Or Duck Duck Go.
gollark: Like I said, mine isn't a Thinkpad or anything. Try Google.

References
  1. Maarsh, 1921 p.48
  2. Wyllie, 2007 p.113

Bibliography
  • This article incorporates text from the public domain Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. The entry can be found here.
  • Marsh, Captain C.C. (1921). Official records of the Union and Confederate navies in the war of the rebellion. Josephus Daniels, Secretary of the Navy. p. 252. Url
  • Wyllie, Arthur (2007). The Union Navy. Lulu.com. p. 668. ISBN 978-1-4303-2117-0. Url1

See also


This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.