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USS General Pillow (1862)
Encyclopedia
USS General Pillow (1862) was a gunboat
captured by the Union Navy
during the American Civil War
and placed into service with the Union Navy. She served the Union cause from 1862 until the end of war in 1865.
steamer B. M. Moore and served the South as a gunboat until she was captured on the Hatchee River, Tennessee
, by 9 June 1862. She was transferred to the Union Navy by the War Department
; and after outfitting and repairs at Cairo, Illinois
., General Pillow departed Cairo 23 August for duty with the Mississippi Squadron, Lt. LeRoy Fitch in command.
and the Cumberland River
, and for the next several months convoyed troop transports and fought guerrillas on the riverbanks. February 1863 saw her again at Cairo guarding mortar ships and ammunition barges, in addition to making occasional visits to Mound City, Illinois
, and the mouth of the Tennessee River. She continued this duty until July 1865 when she was turned over to the Commandant of the Naval Station, Mound City, for disposal.
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:...
captured 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...
and placed into service with the Union Navy. She served the Union cause from 1862 until the end of war in 1865.
Captured and transferred to the Mississippi Squadron
General Pillow (Gunboat No. 20) was originally ConfederateConfederate 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...
steamer B. M. Moore and served the South as a gunboat until she was captured on the Hatchee River, Tennessee
Tennessee
Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...
, by 9 June 1862. She was transferred to the Union Navy by the War Department
United States Department of War
The United States Department of War, also called the War Department , was the United States Cabinet department originally responsible for the operation and maintenance of the United States Army...
; and after outfitting and repairs at Cairo, Illinois
Cairo, Illinois
Cairo is the southernmost city in the U.S. state of Illinois. It is the county seat of Alexander County. Cairo is located at the confluence of the Mississippi and Ohio rivers. The rivers converge at Fort Defiance State Park, an American Civil War fort that was commanded by General Ulysses S. Grant...
., General Pillow departed Cairo 23 August for duty with the Mississippi Squadron, Lt. LeRoy Fitch in command.
Operations along the Tennessee and Cumberland
General Pillow became part of the light draft squadron on the Tennessee RiverTennessee River
The Tennessee River is the largest tributary of the Ohio River. It is approximately 652 miles long and is located in the southeastern United States in the Tennessee Valley. The river was once popularly known as the Cherokee River, among other names...
and the Cumberland River
Cumberland River
The Cumberland River is a waterway in the Southern United States. It is long. It starts in Harlan County in far southeastern Kentucky between Pine and Cumberland mountains, flows through southern Kentucky, crosses into northern Tennessee, and then curves back up into western Kentucky before...
, and for the next several months convoyed troop transports and fought guerrillas on the riverbanks. February 1863 saw her again at Cairo guarding mortar ships and ammunition barges, in addition to making occasional visits to Mound City, Illinois
Mound City, Illinois
Mound City is a city located along the Ohio River in Pulaski County, Illinois, in the United States. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 692. It is the county seat of Pulaski County.-Geography:Mound City is located at ....
, and the mouth of the Tennessee River. She continued this duty until July 1865 when she was turned over to the Commandant of the Naval Station, Mound City, for disposal.