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USS Kennebec (1861)
Encyclopedia
USS Kennebec was a built for the U.S. Navy
following the outbreak of the American Civil War
. She was named for the Kennebec River
.
Kennebec was launched 5 October 1861 by G. W. Lawrence, Thomaston, Maine
; and commissioned at Boston Navy Yard
8 February 1862, Lieutenant John Henry Russell
in command.
's newly created West Gulf Blockading Squadron and stood out to sea 12 February 1862. She reached Ship Island, Mississippi, 5 March and 3 days later crossed the bar at Pass a l'Outre and entered the Mississippi River
. In the ensuing weeks she did reconnaissance and patrol duty, occasionally engaging Confederate
ships chasing them upstream.
steamed up the river within sight of Fort Jackson and found the cable-linked line of hulks which the South had placed across the river to bar Farragut's invaders. After Southern batteries at the Fort opened a rapid fire on the gunboats, they retired down the river; but, from time to time thereafter, they steamed up to learn more about the Southern defenses while Farragut made ready to attack.
On 18 April a flotilla of schooner
s under Commander David Dixon Porter
opened a steady fire on Forts Jackson and St. Philip
, and maintained the barrage until it reached a crescendo on the night of 24 April as Farragut in Hartford
led his fleet past the forts. Kennebec, in the gunboat division commanded by Captain Henry H. Bell
, became entangled in the line of rafts which obstructed the river and struck one of the Confederate schooners. This delayed her until Admiral Farragut had completed his dash, enabling the Confederate guns fire to concentrate their fire on Kennebec, Itasca
and Winona
. As dawn had made their ships even more vulnerable targets, their commanders ordered the crews to lie flat on the decks while the gunboats drifted down stream out of action. However, Kennebec's disappointment was softened 4 days later when she was on hand to see the Stars and Bars at Fort Jackson lowered and the Stars and Stripes raised in their place.
25 June, and began a bombardment of the Confederate batteries there the next day. She remained below with Brooklyn continuing the shelling until Farragut had safely run by the Southern guns on the 28th and joined Flag Officer Charles Henry Davis
above Vicksburg. The gunboat engaged batteries and snipers ashore for 2 days before heading down stream to resume escort and patrol duty. The tricky waters of the Mississippi ever threatened to fling the gunboat hard aground in hostile territory; and Confederate cannon and riflemen lay hidden ashore waiting to harass' the Union ships and their men.
. From time she exchanged fire with shore batteries and shelled targets ashore. She helped capture schooner Jupiter 4 May 1863 and took schooner Hunter on the 17th. Steamer William Bayley fell prey to her 18 July. She shared in the capture of schooner Winona off Mobile, Alabama
29 November and she took schooner Marshall J. Smith laden with 260 bales of cotton 9 December. On the last day of 1863, she made a prize of steamer Grey Jacket after the blockade runner had slipped out of Mobile laden with cotton, rosin, and turpentine for Havana. She then took schooner John Scott after an 8-hour chase 7 January 1864.
The conquest of Mobile was Farragut's next major objective. Kennebec helped blockade the port during the spring and summer of 1864. On 30 June Glasgow
had forced blockade-running steamer Ivanhoe to run aground near Fort Morgan 30 June. Because the steamer was protected by the fort's guns, Rear Admiral Farragut attempted at first to destroy her by long range fire from Metacomet
and Monongahela
. When this proved unsuccessful, Farragut authorized his Flag Lieutenant, J. Crittenden Watson, to lead a boat expedition to burn Ivanhoe. Under the cover of darkness and the ready guns on board Metacomet and Kennebec, Watson led four boats directly to the grounded steamer and fired her in two places shortly after midnight 6 July. Farragut wrote: "The admiral commanding has much pleasure in announcing to the fleet, what was anxiously looked for last night by hundreds, the destruction of the blockade runner ashore under the rebel batteries by an expedition of boats... the entire conduct of the expedition was marked by a promptness and energy which shows what may be expected of such officers and men on similar occasions."
On the morning of 5 August Admiral Farragut was ready to attack Mobile. Kennebec was lashed alongside Monongahela when the Union ships got underway shortly after 6 A.M. An hour later the guns at Fort Morgan opened fire and Confederate steamers Morgan and Games soon joined them. Undaunted Farragut's ships steamed steadily ahead and answered as they came within range. After an hour of fighting, the South's ironclad ram Tennessee passed across Monongahela's bow and struck Kennebec's bow; glanced off; and fired into the gunboat's berth deck as she pulled away, wounding four members of Kennebec's crew but doing little damage to the ship. Kennebec then cast off from Monongahela and steamed up the bay. By mid-morning all major Confederate opposition afloat had been destroyed or captured; and the rest of the day was spent rounding up Southern merchant ships. Kennebec chased several and captured schooner Corina.
On 8 August Fort Gaines surrendered; and Kennebec turned her attention to shelling Fort Morgan until that valiantly-defended southern stronghold surrendered on the 23d. After repairs at Pensacola, Florida
, Kennebec sailed for the Texas
coast 10 March 1865 and remained on blockade there until the Confederacy collapsed. Off Galveston, Texas
she engaged in one of the last actions of the war. On 24 May blockade runner Denbigh, once described by Admiral Farragut as "too quick for us," was found aground at daylight on Bird Key Spit, near Galveston. She had attempted to run into the Texas port once again under cover of darkness. She was destroyed during the day by gunfire from Cornubia and Princess Royal
, and later boarding parties from Kennebec and Seminole
set her aflame. Prior to the capture of Mobile Bay, Denbigh had plagued Farragut by running regularly from Mobile to Havana
.
, where French
intervention had violated the Monroe Doctrine
. She headed eastward 6 July, stopped at Pensacola a week, and reached Hampton Roads
on the 23rd. Five days later she sailed North and reached Boston 1 August.
Kennebec decommissioned at Boston Navy Yard 9 August 1865 and was sold at New York
30 November 1865.
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...
following the outbreak of 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 named for the Kennebec River
Kennebec River
The Kennebec River is a river that is entirely within the U.S. state of Maine. It rises in Moosehead Lake in west-central Maine. The East and West Outlets join at Indian Pond and the river then flows southward...
.
Kennebec was launched 5 October 1861 by G. W. Lawrence, Thomaston, Maine
Thomaston, Maine
Thomaston, Maine is a town on the coast of Maine the United States. The name may also refer to:*Thomaston , Maine, a census-designated place comprising the center of the town*South Thomaston, Maine, an adjacent town...
; and commissioned at Boston Navy Yard
Boston Navy Yard
The Boston Navy Yard, originally called the Charlestown Navy Yard and later Boston Naval Shipyard, was one of the oldest shipbuilding facilities in the United States Navy. Established in 1801, it was officially closed as an active naval installation on July 1, 1974, and the property was...
8 February 1862, Lieutenant John Henry Russell
John Henry Russell
Rear Admiral John Henry Russell was an officer of the United States Navy during the Mexican-American War and the American Civil War.-Biography:...
in command.
Blockade duty
The new gunboat was assigned to Admiral David FarragutDavid Farragut
David Glasgow Farragut was a flag officer of the United States Navy during the American Civil War. He was the first rear admiral, vice admiral, and admiral in the United States Navy. He is remembered in popular culture for his order at the Battle of Mobile Bay, usually paraphrased: "Damn the...
's newly created West Gulf Blockading Squadron and stood out to sea 12 February 1862. She reached Ship Island, Mississippi, 5 March and 3 days later crossed the bar at Pass a l'Outre and entered the Mississippi River
Mississippi River
The Mississippi River is the largest river system in North America. Flowing entirely in the United States, this river rises in western Minnesota and meanders slowly southwards for to the Mississippi River Delta at the Gulf of Mexico. With its many tributaries, the Mississippi's watershed drains...
. In the ensuing weeks she did reconnaissance and patrol duty, occasionally engaging Confederate
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...
ships chasing them upstream.
Attack on Forts Jackson and St. Phillip
On 28 March she and WissahickonUSS Wissahickon (1861)
USS Wissahickon was a that was built for service with the United States Navy during the American Civil War.-History:Wissahickon was built at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania...
steamed up the river within sight of Fort Jackson and found the cable-linked line of hulks which the South had placed across the river to bar Farragut's invaders. After Southern batteries at the Fort opened a rapid fire on the gunboats, they retired down the river; but, from time to time thereafter, they steamed up to learn more about the Southern defenses while Farragut made ready to attack.
On 18 April a flotilla of schooner
Mortar (weapon)
A mortar is an indirect fire weapon that fires explosive projectiles known as bombs at low velocities, short ranges, and high-arcing ballistic trajectories. It is typically muzzle-loading and has a barrel length less than 15 times its caliber....
s under Commander David Dixon Porter
David Dixon Porter
David Dixon Porter was a member of one of the most distinguished families in the history of the United States Navy. Promoted as the second man to the rank of admiral, after his adoptive brother David G...
opened a steady fire on Forts Jackson and St. Philip
Fort St. Philip
Fort St. Philip is a decommissioned masonry fort located on the eastern bank of the Mississippi River, about up river from its mouth in Plaquemines Parish, Louisiana...
, and maintained the barrage until it reached a crescendo on the night of 24 April as Farragut in Hartford
USS Hartford (1858)
USS Hartford, a sloop-of-war, was the first ship of the United States Navy named for Hartford, the capital of Connecticut.Hartford was launched 22 November 1858 at the Boston Navy Yard; sponsored by Miss Carrie Downes, Miss Lizzie Stringham, and Lieutenant G. J. H...
led his fleet past the forts. Kennebec, in the gunboat division commanded by Captain Henry H. Bell
Henry H. Bell
Henry Haywood Bell was an admiral in the United States Navy during the American Civil War.-Biography:Bell was born in Orange County, North Carolina. Appointed a Midshipman on 4 August 1823, during the next two decades he served afloat in U.S...
, became entangled in the line of rafts which obstructed the river and struck one of the Confederate schooners. This delayed her until Admiral Farragut had completed his dash, enabling the Confederate guns fire to concentrate their fire on Kennebec, Itasca
USS Itasca (1861)
USS Itasca was a built for the U.S. Navy during the American Civil War. She was used by the Navy to patrol navigable waterways of the Confederacy to prevent the South from trading with other countries....
and Winona
USS Winona (1861)
USS Winona was a built for service with the United States Navy during the American Civil War. Winona was heavily armed, with large guns for duels at sea, and 24-pounder howitzers for shore bombardment...
. As dawn had made their ships even more vulnerable targets, their commanders ordered the crews to lie flat on the decks while the gunboats drifted down stream out of action. However, Kennebec's disappointment was softened 4 days later when she was on hand to see the Stars and Bars at Fort Jackson lowered and the Stars and Stripes raised in their place.
Mississippi
Patrol and convoy duty up and down the Mississippi occupied Kennebec for the next 2 months. She was with Farragut below Vicksburg, MississippiVicksburg, Mississippi
Vicksburg is a city in Warren County, Mississippi, United States. It is the only city in Warren County. It is located northwest of New Orleans on the Mississippi and Yazoo rivers, and due west of Jackson, the state capital. In 1900, 14,834 people lived in Vicksburg; in 1910, 20,814; in 1920,...
25 June, and began a bombardment of the Confederate batteries there the next day. She remained below with Brooklyn continuing the shelling until Farragut had safely run by the Southern guns on the 28th and joined Flag Officer Charles Henry Davis
Charles Henry Davis
Charles Henry Davis was a Rear Admiral in the United States Navy, serving primarily during the American Civil War, and with the United States Coast Survey.-Early life and career:...
above Vicksburg. The gunboat engaged batteries and snipers ashore for 2 days before heading down stream to resume escort and patrol duty. The tricky waters of the Mississippi ever threatened to fling the gunboat hard aground in hostile territory; and Confederate cannon and riflemen lay hidden ashore waiting to harass' the Union ships and their men.
Gulf of Mexico
On 9 August Kennebec headed for the open sea for blockade and cruising duty in the Gulf of MexicoGulf of Mexico
The Gulf of Mexico is a partially landlocked ocean basin largely surrounded by the North American continent and the island of Cuba. It is bounded on the northeast, north and northwest by the Gulf Coast of the United States, on the southwest and south by Mexico, and on the southeast by Cuba. In...
. From time she exchanged fire with shore batteries and shelled targets ashore. She helped capture schooner Jupiter 4 May 1863 and took schooner Hunter on the 17th. Steamer William Bayley fell prey to her 18 July. She shared in the capture of schooner Winona off Mobile, Alabama
Mobile, Alabama
Mobile is the third most populous city in the Southern US state of Alabama and is the county seat of Mobile County. It is located on the Mobile River and the central Gulf Coast of the United States. The population within the city limits was 195,111 during the 2010 census. It is the largest...
29 November and she took schooner Marshall J. Smith laden with 260 bales of cotton 9 December. On the last day of 1863, she made a prize of steamer Grey Jacket after the blockade runner had slipped out of Mobile laden with cotton, rosin, and turpentine for Havana. She then took schooner John Scott after an 8-hour chase 7 January 1864.
The conquest of Mobile was Farragut's next major objective. Kennebec helped blockade the port during the spring and summer of 1864. On 30 June Glasgow
USS Glasgow (1863)
USS Glasgow was a blockade runner captured by the Union Navy during the American Civil War. She was used by the Union Navy principally as a dispatch boat and storeship in support of the blockade of the ports of the rebellious Confederate States of America.-Blockade runner Eugenie:Glasgow was...
had forced blockade-running steamer Ivanhoe to run aground near Fort Morgan 30 June. Because the steamer was protected by the fort's guns, Rear Admiral Farragut attempted at first to destroy her by long range fire from Metacomet
USS Metacomet (1863)
The second USS Metacomet was a wooden sidewheel steamer in the United States Navy during the American Civil War. The ship was named for Metacomet, a war chief of the Wampanoag Indians....
and Monongahela
USS Monongahela (1862)
USS Monongahela was a barkentine–rigged screw sloop-of-war that served in the Union Navy during the American Civil War. Her task was to participate in the Union blockade of the Confederate States of America...
. When this proved unsuccessful, Farragut authorized his Flag Lieutenant, J. Crittenden Watson, to lead a boat expedition to burn Ivanhoe. Under the cover of darkness and the ready guns on board Metacomet and Kennebec, Watson led four boats directly to the grounded steamer and fired her in two places shortly after midnight 6 July. Farragut wrote: "The admiral commanding has much pleasure in announcing to the fleet, what was anxiously looked for last night by hundreds, the destruction of the blockade runner ashore under the rebel batteries by an expedition of boats... the entire conduct of the expedition was marked by a promptness and energy which shows what may be expected of such officers and men on similar occasions."
On the morning of 5 August Admiral Farragut was ready to attack Mobile. Kennebec was lashed alongside Monongahela when the Union ships got underway shortly after 6 A.M. An hour later the guns at Fort Morgan opened fire and Confederate steamers Morgan and Games soon joined them. Undaunted Farragut's ships steamed steadily ahead and answered as they came within range. After an hour of fighting, the South's ironclad ram Tennessee passed across Monongahela's bow and struck Kennebec's bow; glanced off; and fired into the gunboat's berth deck as she pulled away, wounding four members of Kennebec's crew but doing little damage to the ship. Kennebec then cast off from Monongahela and steamed up the bay. By mid-morning all major Confederate opposition afloat had been destroyed or captured; and the rest of the day was spent rounding up Southern merchant ships. Kennebec chased several and captured schooner Corina.
On 8 August Fort Gaines surrendered; and Kennebec turned her attention to shelling Fort Morgan until that valiantly-defended southern stronghold surrendered on the 23d. After repairs at Pensacola, Florida
Pensacola, Florida
Pensacola is the westernmost city in the Florida Panhandle and the county seat of Escambia County, Florida, United States of America. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 56,255 and as of 2009, the estimated population was 53,752...
, Kennebec sailed for the Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
coast 10 March 1865 and remained on blockade there until the Confederacy collapsed. Off Galveston, Texas
Galveston, Texas
Galveston is a coastal city located on Galveston Island in the U.S. state of Texas. , the city had a total population of 47,743 within an area of...
she engaged in one of the last actions of the war. On 24 May blockade runner Denbigh, once described by Admiral Farragut as "too quick for us," was found aground at daylight on Bird Key Spit, near Galveston. She had attempted to run into the Texas port once again under cover of darkness. She was destroyed during the day by gunfire from Cornubia and Princess Royal
USS Princess Royal (1863)
Princess Royal was a cruiser in the United States Navy during the American Civil War.-Service:Princess Royal was a British blockade runner captured at Charleston, South Carolina on 29 January 1863. She was purchased by the Navy Department from the Philadelphia Prize court 18 March 1863; fitted out...
, and later boarding parties from Kennebec and Seminole
USS Seminole (1859)
The first USS Seminole was a steam sloop in the United States Navy during the American Civil War.Seminole was launched by the Pensacola Navy Yard on 25 June 1859; sponsored by Ms. Mary Dallas; and was commissioned there on 25 April 1860, Commander Edward R...
set her aflame. Prior to the capture of Mobile Bay, Denbigh had plagued Farragut by running regularly from Mobile to Havana
Havana
Havana is the capital city, province, major port, and leading commercial centre of Cuba. The city proper has a population of 2.1 million inhabitants, and it spans a total of — making it the largest city in the Caribbean region, and the most populous...
.
Post war
After the war ended, Kennebec remained off the Texas coast providing stability as Union authority was restored and keeping an eye on events in MexicoMexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
, where French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
intervention had violated the Monroe Doctrine
Monroe Doctrine
The Monroe Doctrine is a policy of the United States introduced on December 2, 1823. It stated that further efforts by European nations to colonize land or interfere with states in North or South America would be viewed as acts of aggression requiring U.S. intervention...
. She headed eastward 6 July, stopped at Pensacola a week, and reached Hampton Roads
Hampton Roads
Hampton Roads is the name for both a body of water and the Norfolk–Virginia Beach metropolitan area which surrounds it in southeastern Virginia, United States...
on the 23rd. Five days later she sailed North and reached Boston 1 August.
Kennebec decommissioned at Boston Navy Yard 9 August 1865 and was sold at New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
30 November 1865.