USS Marigold (1863)
Encyclopedia
USS Marigold (1863) was a steamer
acquired by the Union Navy
during the American Civil War
. She was used by the Union Navy as a tugboat, dispatch boat and also as a gunboat
in the blockade
of the Confederacy
.
Marigold, a screw tug built at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
, in 1863 was purchased by the Navy at Philadelphia 13 June 1863; and commissioned there the same day, Acting Master L. H. Partridge in command.
, Last Trial, which was attempting to slip through the Union cordon of warships with salt for the South.
, to Havana, Cuba, she fired on English merchantman Belle, coming from Matamoros, Mexico
; but the British ship reached safety in the neutral port. On 25 February 1865, the steam tug captured British schooner Salvadora in the Straits of Florida
heading for the Confederate coast with an assorted cargo.
at New York City
6 October 1866, and redocumented as William A. Hennessey 30 December 1868. The tug caught fire and was destroyed at New York City on 30 November 1875.
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 by the Union Navy as a tugboat, dispatch boat and also 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:...
in the blockade
Anaconda Plan
The Anaconda Plan or Scott's Great Snake is the name widely applied to an outline strategy for subduing the seceding states in the American Civil War. Proposed by General-in-Chief Winfield Scott, the plan emphasized the blockade of the Southern ports, and called for an advance down the Mississippi...
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...
.
Marigold, a screw tug built at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Philadelphia County, with which it is coterminous. The city is located in the Northeastern United States along the Delaware and Schuylkill rivers. It is the fifth-most-populous city in the United States,...
, in 1863 was purchased by the Navy at Philadelphia 13 June 1863; and commissioned there the same day, Acting Master L. H. Partridge in command.
Assigned to the East Gulf Blockade
Assigned to the East Gulf Blockading Squadron she served as a tug, dispatch boat, and blockader through the end of the Civil War. On 6 October Marigold shared in the capture of blockade runnerBlockade runner
A blockade runner is usually a lighter weight ship used for evading a naval blockade of a port or strait, as opposed to confronting the blockaders to break the blockade. Very often blockade running is done in order to transport cargo, for example to bring food or arms to a blockaded city...
, Last Trial, which was attempting to slip through the Union cordon of warships with salt for the South.
Capturing blockade runners in Southern waters
On 9 April 1864 while bringing mail from Key West, FloridaKey West, Florida
Key West is a city in Monroe County, Florida, United States. The city encompasses the island of Key West, the part of Stock Island north of U.S. 1 , Sigsbee Park , Fleming Key , and Sunset Key...
, to Havana, Cuba, she fired on English merchantman Belle, coming from Matamoros, Mexico
Matamoros, Tamaulipas
Matamoros, officially known as Heroica Matamoros, is a city in the northeastern part of Tamaulipas, in the country of Mexico. It is located on the southern bank of the Rio Grande, directly across the border from Brownsville, Texas, in the United States. Matamoros is the second largest and second...
; but the British ship reached safety in the neutral port. On 25 February 1865, the steam tug captured British schooner Salvadora in the Straits of Florida
Straits of Florida
The Straits of Florida, Florida Straits, or Florida Strait is a strait located south-southeast of the North American mainland, generally accepted to be between the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic Ocean, and between the Florida Keys and Cuba. The strait carries the Florida Current, the beginning of...
heading for the Confederate coast with an assorted cargo.
Post-war operations, decommissioning and civilian career
After the Confederacy collapsed, Marigold continued to serve in Key West Harbor through the summer. She was sold at public auctionPublic auction
A public auction is an auction held on behalf of a government in which the property to be auctioned is either property owned by the government, or property which is sold under the authority of a court of law or a government agency with similar authority....
at New York City
New 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...
6 October 1866, and redocumented as William A. Hennessey 30 December 1868. The tug caught fire and was destroyed at New York City on 30 November 1875.