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USS Calhoun

April 10, 2024

USS Calhoun was a captured Confederate steamer and blockade runner acquired by the Union Navy from the prize court during the American Civil War.

USS Calhoun
History
United States
NameUSS Calhoun
Laid downdate unknown
Launched1851 at New York City
CommissionedMarch 19, 1862
DecommissionedMay 6, 1864
Renamed
  • Cuba (yard name)
  • Calhoun (1851)
  • CSS Calhoun (1861)
  • USS Calhoun (1862)
  • USAT General Sedgewick (1864)
  • Calhoun (1866)
Stricken1864 (est.)
Capturedby Union Navy forces, January 23, 1862
FateSold on June 4, 1864 to the Union Army
General characteristics
TypeGunboat
Displacement508 long tons (516 t)
LengthUnknown
BeamUnknown
DraftUnknown
Propulsion
SpeedUnknown
ComplementUnknown
Armament2 × 32-pounder guns, 1 × 30-pounder rifled gun

Calhoun was put into service as a gunboat by the Union Navy to patrol navigable waterways of the Confederacy to prevent the South from trading with other countries.

Service history edit

 
Calhoun in merchant service, 1850s

Calhoun was built in New York in 1851. Her yard name was Cuba, but this was changed to Calhoun before the vessel entered service. Prior to the Civil War, the steamer was employed in merchant service along the United States East Coast.

Confederate service edit

With the outbreak of the Civil War in 1861, Calhoun was commissioned by the Confederate Government as a privateer on 15 May 1861; Capt. John Wilson and his 150 men. During the next five months, the vessel captured and sent in six prizes. She was then chartered by the Confederate States Navy and placed under the command of Lt. J. H. Carter, CSN. As CSS Calhoun, she served as flagship for Commodore G. N. Hollins, CSN, during a successful engagement between his fleet and five Union ships at the Head of the Passes into the Mississippi River, 12 October 1861. Calhoun was captured off South West Pass, Louisiana, on 23 January 1862 by the schooner USS Samuel Rotan, a tender to the steam frigate USS Colorado.[1]

Union Navy service edit

Commissioned as USS Calhoun for Federal service under Lieutenant J. E. De-Haven, she joined the West Gulf Blockading Squadron on March 19, 1862.

In her service on patrol off the Passes of the Mississippi River, Calhoun established herself as one of the most successful blockading ships, taking part in the capture of 13 ships before May 5, 1862, when she steamed up the Mississippi River for duty in Lake Pontchartrain.

Here she continued to add to her score, chasing and capturing a steamer, a gunboat, two schooners, and a sloop. Later in the year, she sought out and captured another sloop in Atchafalaya Bay.

In early November, Calhoun stood up Berwick Bay and Bayou Teche with two other steamers to engage Confederate shore batteries and the steamer CSS Cotton, barricaded on the Teche. Remaining in the Berwick Bay area on patrol, Calhoun and her consorts climaxed their extremely successful operations on April 14, 1863, when they attacked the cotton-clad steamer CSS Queen of the West. One shot at long range from Calhoun turned the Confederate ship into a torch, and a major threat to Union forces in the area was destroyed.

Calhoun continued to add to her distinguished record with her participation in the attack on Fort Butte-a-la-Rose on April 20, and in August was ordered to base on Ship Island, Mississippi, from which she continued her active and aggressive bombardments of shore positions, and took four more prizes.

In the furious assault on Fort Powell the last two weeks of February 1864, Calhoun flew the flag of Admiral David G. Farragut.

Later service edit

Turned over to the United States Marshal at New Orleans, Louisiana, on May 6, 1864, Calhoun was sold on June 4 to the Union Army. She served as the Army steamer General Sedgewick for the rest of the Civil War. Sold in 1865, she regained her old name and had a long subsequent career as the SS Calhoun.

See also edit

References edit

  1. ^ "Calhoun". Naval History and Heritage Command. United States Navy.

This article incorporates text from the public domain Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. The entry can be found here.

External links edit

  • Online Library of Selected Images:U.S. Navy ships-USS Calhoun (1862-1864).

April 10, 2024
calhoun, captured, confederate, steamer, blockade, runner, acquired, union, navy, from, prize, court, during, american, civil, historyunited, statesnamelaid, downdate, unknownlaunched1851, york, citycommissionedmarch, 1862decommissionedmay, 1864renamedcuba, ya. USS Calhoun was a captured Confederate steamer and blockade runner acquired by the Union Navy from the prize court during the American Civil War USS CalhounHistoryUnited StatesNameUSS CalhounLaid downdate unknownLaunched1851 at New York CityCommissionedMarch 19 1862DecommissionedMay 6 1864RenamedCuba yard name Calhoun 1851 CSS Calhoun 1861 USS Calhoun 1862 USAT General Sedgewick 1864 Calhoun 1866 Stricken1864 est Capturedby Union Navy forces January 23 1862FateSold on June 4 1864 to the Union ArmyGeneral characteristicsTypeGunboatDisplacement508 long tons 516 t LengthUnknownBeamUnknownDraftUnknownPropulsionSteam engine side paddleSpeedUnknownComplementUnknownArmament2 32 pounder guns 1 30 pounder rifled gunCalhoun was put into service as a gunboat by the Union Navy to patrol navigable waterways of the Confederacy to prevent the South from trading with other countries Contents 1 Service history 1 1 Confederate service 1 2 Union Navy service 1 3 Later service 2 See also 3 References 4 External linksService history edit nbsp Calhoun in merchant service 1850sCalhoun was built in New York in 1851 Her yard name was Cuba but this was changed to Calhoun before the vessel entered service Prior to the Civil War the steamer was employed in merchant service along the United States East Coast Confederate service edit With the outbreak of the Civil War in 1861 Calhoun was commissioned by the Confederate Government as a privateer on 15 May 1861 Capt John Wilson and his 150 men During the next five months the vessel captured and sent in six prizes She was then chartered by the Confederate States Navy and placed under the command of Lt J H Carter CSN As CSS Calhoun she served as flagship for Commodore G N Hollins CSN during a successful engagement between his fleet and five Union ships at the Head of the Passes into the Mississippi River 12 October 1861 Calhoun was captured off South West Pass Louisiana on 23 January 1862 by the schooner USS Samuel Rotan a tender to the steam frigate USS Colorado 1 Union Navy service edit Commissioned as USS Calhoun for Federal service under Lieutenant J E De Haven she joined the West Gulf Blockading Squadron on March 19 1862 In her service on patrol off the Passes of the Mississippi River Calhoun established herself as one of the most successful blockading ships taking part in the capture of 13 ships before May 5 1862 when she steamed up the Mississippi River for duty in Lake Pontchartrain Here she continued to add to her score chasing and capturing a steamer a gunboat two schooners and a sloop Later in the year she sought out and captured another sloop in Atchafalaya Bay In early November Calhoun stood up Berwick Bay and Bayou Teche with two other steamers to engage Confederate shore batteries and the steamer CSS Cotton barricaded on the Teche Remaining in the Berwick Bay area on patrol Calhoun and her consorts climaxed their extremely successful operations on April 14 1863 when they attacked the cotton clad steamer CSS Queen of the West One shot at long range from Calhoun turned the Confederate ship into a torch and a major threat to Union forces in the area was destroyed Calhoun continued to add to her distinguished record with her participation in the attack on Fort Butte a la Rose on April 20 and in August was ordered to base on Ship Island Mississippi from which she continued her active and aggressive bombardments of shore positions and took four more prizes In the furious assault on Fort Powell the last two weeks of February 1864 Calhoun flew the flag of Admiral David G Farragut Later service edit Turned over to the United States Marshal at New Orleans Louisiana on May 6 1864 Calhoun was sold on June 4 to the Union Army She served as the Army steamer General Sedgewick for the rest of the Civil War Sold in 1865 she regained her old name and had a long subsequent career as the SS Calhoun See also edit nbsp American Civil War portalConfederate States Navy Ships captured in the American Civil War Bibliography of American Civil War naval historyReferences edit Calhoun Naval History and Heritage Command United States Navy This article incorporates text from the public domainDictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships The entry can be found here External links editOnline Library of Selected Images U S Navy ships USS Calhoun 1862 1864 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title USS Calhoun amp oldid 1180096907, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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