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USS E. B. Hale (1861)
Encyclopedia
The USS E. B. Hale was a steamer
acquired by the Union Navy
during the American Civil War
. She was used as a gunboat
by the Navy to patrol navigable waterways of the Confederacy
to prevent the South from trading with other countries.
E: B. Hale, a screw steamer, was purchased in July 1861, and commissioned 4 September 1861, Acting Master W. J. Foster in command.
, and from her arrival 1 October patrolled the Potomac River
. On 14 November she sailed to deliver six heavy guns to the New York Navy Yard.
20 December 1861 to join the South Atlantic Blockading Squadron, and arrived at Port Royal, South Carolina
, New Year's Eve. She combed the inland waters of South Carolina
, Georgia
, and Florida
, including reconnaissance in Wright's and Mud River
s and up the Ashepoo
and Combahee
in South Carolina
.
She participated in attacks on the enemy at Port Royal Ferry, in the Coosaw River and the North Edisto River
, and took part in the expeditions up to St. Johns River Bluff. On 14 November 1862 E. B. Hale captured the schooner Wave with a cargo of cotton
and turpentine
, and on 11 December sailed for New York where she was decommissioned for repairs.
Recommissioned 18 February 1863, E. B. Hale stood out for Port Royal 9 March and during the next 2 years served on patrol and picket duty, having frequent encounters with the Confederates.
Steamboat
A steamboat or steamship, sometimes called a steamer, is a ship in which the primary method of propulsion is steam power, typically driving propellers or paddlewheels...
acquired by the Union Navy
Union Navy
The Union Navy is the label applied to the United States Navy during the American Civil War, to contrast it from its direct opponent, the Confederate States Navy...
during the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
. She was used as a gunboat
Gunboat
A gunboat is a naval watercraft designed for the express purpose of carrying one or more guns to bombard coastal targets, as opposed to those military craft designed for naval warfare, or for ferrying troops or supplies.-History:...
by the Navy to patrol navigable waterways of the Confederacy
Confederate States of America
The Confederate States of America was a government set up from 1861 to 1865 by 11 Southern slave states of the United States of America that had declared their secession from the U.S...
to prevent the South from trading with other countries.
E: B. Hale, a screw steamer, was purchased in July 1861, and commissioned 4 September 1861, Acting Master W. J. Foster in command.
Assigned to patrol the Potomac River
She sailed 28 September for Washington, D.C.Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
, and from her arrival 1 October patrolled the Potomac River
Potomac River
The Potomac River flows into the Chesapeake Bay, located along the mid-Atlantic coast of the United States. The river is approximately long, with a drainage area of about 14,700 square miles...
. On 14 November she sailed to deliver six heavy guns to the New York Navy Yard.
Assigned to the South Atlantic Blockade
E. B. Hale left New York CityNew York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
20 December 1861 to join the South Atlantic Blockading Squadron, and arrived at Port Royal, South Carolina
Port Royal, South Carolina
Port Royal is a town in Beaufort County, South Carolina, United States. Largely because of annexation of surrounding areas , the population of Port Royal rose from 3,950 in 2000 to 10,678 in 2010, a 170% increase. As defined by the U.S...
, New Year's Eve. She combed the inland waters of South Carolina
South Carolina
South Carolina is a state in the Deep South of the United States that borders Georgia to the south, North Carolina to the north, and the Atlantic Ocean to the east. Originally part of the Province of Carolina, the Province of South Carolina was one of the 13 colonies that declared independence...
, Georgia
Georgia (U.S. state)
Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
, and Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
, including reconnaissance in Wright's and Mud River
Mud River (Georgia)
The Mud River is a tidal arm of the Sapelo River in McIntosh County, Georgia, in the United States. It forms the northern part of the channel separating Sapelo Island from the mainland.- References :*USGS Hydrologic Unit Map - State of Georgia...
s and up the Ashepoo
Ashepoo River
Ashepoo River is a short blackwater river in South Carolina. It rises in a confluence of swamps south of Walterboro, flows in southeast direction and then empties into Saint Helena Sound at . The entire course of the river lies within the boundaries of Colleton County...
and Combahee
Combahee River
The Combahee River is a short blackwater river in the southern Lowcountry region of South Carolina formed at the confluence of the Salkehatchie and Little Salkehatchie rivers near the Islandton community of Colleton County, South Carolina...
in South Carolina
South Carolina
South Carolina is a state in the Deep South of the United States that borders Georgia to the south, North Carolina to the north, and the Atlantic Ocean to the east. Originally part of the Province of Carolina, the Province of South Carolina was one of the 13 colonies that declared independence...
.
She participated in attacks on the enemy at Port Royal Ferry, in the Coosaw River and the North Edisto River
Edisto River
The Edisto River is the longest completely undammed / unleveed blackwater river in North America, flowing 206 meandering miles from its sources in Saluda and Edgefield counties, to its Atlantic Ocean mouth at Edisto Beach, SC...
, and took part in the expeditions up to St. Johns River Bluff. On 14 November 1862 E. B. Hale captured the schooner Wave with a cargo of cotton
Cotton
Cotton is a soft, fluffy staple fiber that grows in a boll, or protective capsule, around the seeds of cotton plants of the genus Gossypium. The fiber is almost pure cellulose. The botanical purpose of cotton fiber is to aid in seed dispersal....
and turpentine
Turpentine
Turpentine is a fluid obtained by the distillation of resin obtained from trees, mainly pine trees. It is composed of terpenes, mainly the monoterpenes alpha-pinene and beta-pinene...
, and on 11 December sailed for New York where she was decommissioned for repairs.
Recommissioned 18 February 1863, E. B. Hale stood out for Port Royal 9 March and during the next 2 years served on patrol and picket duty, having frequent encounters with the Confederates.