The first USS
Miami was a side-wheel, double-ender gunboatA gunboat is literally a boat carrying one or more guns. The term is rather broad, and the usual connotation has changed over the years .- Age of sail :...
in the United States NavyThe United States Navy is the sea branch of the U.S. Armed Forces. It is one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. As of 31 December 2008, the U.S. Navy had about 331,682 personnel on active duty and 124,000 in the Navy Reserve. It operates 283 ships in active service and more than...
during the American Civil WarThe American Civil War , also known as the War Between the States and several other names, was a civil war in the United States of America. Eleven Southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America...
.
Miami was launched by Philadelphia Navy Yard on November 16, 1861, and commissioned there on January 29, 1862,
LieutenantLieutenant is a military, naval, paramilitary, fire service, emergency medical services or police officer rank....
Abram Davis Harrell in command.
The wooden-hulled gunboat was ordered February 5, 1862, to proceed to
Ship IslandShip Island is the collective name for two barrier islands off the Gulf Coast of Mississippi, part of Gulf Islands National Seashore: East Ship Island and West Ship Island...
,
MississippiMississippi is a state located in the Southern United States. Jackson is the state capital and largest city. The state's name comes from the Mississippi River, which flows along its western boundary, and takes its name from the Ojibwe word misi-ziibi . The state is heavily forested outside of the...
for duty in the Mortar Flotilla organized to neutralize Confederate riverside forts during
AdmiralAdmiral is the rank, or part of the name of the ranks, of the highest naval officers. It is usually considered a full admiral and above Vice Admiral and below Admiral of the Fleet/Fleet Admiral. It is usually abbreviated to "Adm." or "ADM"...
David FarragutDavid 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 full admiral of the Navy. He is remembered in popular culture for his order at the Battle of Mobile Bay, usually paraphrased: "Damn the torpedoes,...
's impending attack on New Orleans,
LouisianaThe State of Louisiana is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans. Louisiana is the only state divided into parishes, which are local governments equivalent to counties...
.
The first USS
Miami was a side-wheel, double-ender gunboatA gunboat is literally a boat carrying one or more guns. The term is rather broad, and the usual connotation has changed over the years .- Age of sail :...
in the United States NavyThe United States Navy is the sea branch of the U.S. Armed Forces. It is one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. As of 31 December 2008, the U.S. Navy had about 331,682 personnel on active duty and 124,000 in the Navy Reserve. It operates 283 ships in active service and more than...
during the American Civil WarThe American Civil War , also known as the War Between the States and several other names, was a civil war in the United States of America. Eleven Southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America...
.
Miami was launched by Philadelphia Navy Yard on November 16, 1861, and commissioned there on January 29, 1862,
LieutenantLieutenant is a military, naval, paramilitary, fire service, emergency medical services or police officer rank....
Abram Davis Harrell in command.
Battle of New Orleans
The wooden-hulled gunboat was ordered February 5, 1862, to proceed to
Ship IslandShip Island is the collective name for two barrier islands off the Gulf Coast of Mississippi, part of Gulf Islands National Seashore: East Ship Island and West Ship Island...
,
MississippiMississippi is a state located in the Southern United States. Jackson is the state capital and largest city. The state's name comes from the Mississippi River, which flows along its western boundary, and takes its name from the Ojibwe word misi-ziibi . The state is heavily forested outside of the...
for duty in the Mortar Flotilla organized to neutralize Confederate riverside forts during
AdmiralAdmiral is the rank, or part of the name of the ranks, of the highest naval officers. It is usually considered a full admiral and above Vice Admiral and below Admiral of the Fleet/Fleet Admiral. It is usually abbreviated to "Adm." or "ADM"...
David FarragutDavid 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 full admiral of the Navy. He is remembered in popular culture for his order at the Battle of Mobile Bay, usually paraphrased: "Damn the torpedoes,...
's impending attack on New Orleans,
LouisianaThe State of Louisiana is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans. Louisiana is the only state divided into parishes, which are local governments equivalent to counties...
. Miami
reached Ship Island on March 19 and headed for Pass a l'Outre where she entered the Mississippi RiverThe Mississippi River is the second longest river in the United States, with a length of from its source in Lake Itasca in Minnesota to its mouth in the Gulf of Mexico....
to join CommanderCommander is a military rank which is also sometimes used as a military title depending on the individual customs of a given military service...
David Dixon PorterDavid Dixon Porter was a United States admiral who became one of the most noted naval heroes of the Civil War.Porter was one of the first U.S...
's flotilla.
During the next few weeks she was busy preparing for the assault. On April 13, Miami
joined , , , and and steamed upstream. A Confederate steamerA 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....
exchanged fire with UnionThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
ships before scurrying upriver to safety. Early in the morning, five days later, Miami towed three mortar schooners to predesignated positions below
Fort St. PhilipFort 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 Fort Jackson when the Union ships bombarded the Confederate works which guarded the approach to New Orleans. The shelling continued intermittently until it reached crescendo before dawn on April 24 as Admiral Farragut led his deep draft, salt water fleet up the Mississippi in a daring dash past the forts.
Miami
remained below with the mortar schooners providing covering fire for Farragut's ships as they ran the gauntlet. When the Federal vessels had reached safety, Miami turned to transporting U.S. Army troops to positions for launching an attack on the forts by land, and continued the task until the forts surrendered to the Navy on April 28.
Farragut ordered the Mortar Flotilla to Ship Island on May 1 to prepare for action against
MobileMobile is the third most populous city in the Southern U.S. 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 198,915 during the 2000 census...
,
AlabamaAlabama is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States of America. It is bordered by Tennessee to the north, Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gulf of Mexico to the south, and Mississippi to the west. Alabama ranks 30th in total land area and ranks second in the size of its...
. Porter left Ship Island with his steamers and
on May 7 for
Mobile BayMobile Bay is an inlet of the Gulf of Mexico, lying within the state of Alabama in the United States. Its mouth is formed by the Fort Morgan Peninsula on the eastern side and Dauphin Island, a barrier island on the western side. The Mobile River and Tensaw River empty into the northern end of the...
to prepare for an attack. After planting buoys to mark safe channels for Farragut's deep-draft ships, the steamers returned to Ship Island. On May 10 Porter, who had remained off Mobile on blockade duty, reoccupied
PensacolaPensacola is the westernmost city in the Florida Panhandle and the county seat of Escambia County. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 56,255 and as of 2007, the estimated population was 54,283....
,
FloridaFlorida is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States, bordering Alabama to the northwest and Georgia to the north. It was the 27th state admitted to the United States...
after it bad been burned and abandoned by Confederate troops. Although most military and naval installations in the area had been destroyed or severely damaged by thorough Southern demolition work, Porter recognized the strategic advantages of Pensacola as a naval base and shifted his flotilla there from Ship Island.
Vicksburg Campaign
Meanwhile, Farragut, upon returning from a daring expedition up the Mississippi River to
VicksburgVicksburg is a city in Warren County, Mississippi, United States. It is the only city in Warren County. It is located 234 miles northwest of New Orleans on the Mississippi and Yazoo rivers, and 40 miles due west of Jackson, the state capital. In 1900, 14,834 people lived in Vicksburg; in 1910,...
,
MississippiMississippi is a state located in the Southern United States. Jackson is the state capital and largest city. The state's name comes from the Mississippi River, which flows along its western boundary, and takes its name from the Ojibwe word misi-ziibi . The state is heavily forested outside of the...
had received "stringent orders to send a large force up the river" to join forces with Admiral
Charles Henry DavisCharles 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:...
' western flotilla in clearing the entire Mississippi Valley. He accordingly sent for Porter's mortar schooners to shell the heights of Vicksburg and
MemphisMemphis is a city in the southwest corner of the U.S. state of Tennessee, and the county seat of Shelby County. Memphis rises above the Mississippi River on the 4
th Chickasaw Bluff just south of the mouth of the Wolf River....
,
TennesseeTennessee is a state located in the Southeastern United States. According to the 2008 census, it has a population of 6,214,888, an increase of nearly 9.5% since 2000. Tennessee is the 14th fastest growing state in the US and is ranked 17th by population. It is ranked 36th by total land area. In...
which could not be reached by his flotilla's guns.
Miami reached New Orleans on June 7 and spent the following fortnight towing schooners upriver. She reached Vicksburg on June 21 for a week's service moving schooners in and out of firing positions and shelling the cliffside batteries herself. On June 28 her guns engaged the Confederate cannon at rapid fire while Farragut's ships ran by the Vicksburg batteries to join the armed riverboats of Admiral Davis' Western Flotilla. The joining of the salt water and fresh water squadrons buoyed morale throughout the North, but the strategic potential of the feat was largely nullified by a lack of ground forces to take and hold key points along the river. Farragut returned to the lower river on July 15.
Miami
departed Ship Island on September 1 and arrived at Fort MonroeFort Monroe is a Hampton, Virginia, military installation located at Old Point Comfort, which is on the tip of the Virginia Peninsula...
on September 9. After two months devoted to reconnaissance duty up the James RiverThe James River in the U.S. state of Virginia is a long river, including its Jackson River source. It drains a catchment comprising . The watershed includes about 4% open water and an area with a population of 2.5 million people...
, blockade duty in Hampton RoadsHampton Roads is the name of both a body of water and the region of land areas which surround it in southeastern Virginia. Hampton Roads is notable for its year-round ice-free harbor, for United States Navy, Coast Guard, Air Force, NASA, Marines, and Army facilities, shipyards, coal piers, and...
, and refitting, Miami
got underway from NorfolkNorfolk is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. With a population of 234,403 as of the 2000 census, it is Virginia's second-largest incorporated city behind its eastern neighbor, Virginia Beach....
, VirginiaThe Commonwealth of Virginia is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" because it is the birthplace of eight U.S. presidents. The geography and climate of the state are shaped by the Blue...
on November 9 and entered the North CarolinaNorth Carolina is a state located on the Atlantic Seaboard in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties...
sounds the following day. There she helped enforce the blockade, deterred Confederate military activity and gathered intelligence.
Action against CSS
Albemarle
In an effort to counter the effect of Union naval superiority in the sounds, the Confederacy constructed a number of ironclads in North Carolina. One, CSS Albemarle
CSS Albemarle was an ironclad ram of the Confederate Navy , named for a town and a sound in North Carolina and a county in Virginia...
, built at Scotland Neck, North CarolinaScotland Neck is a town in Halifax County, North Carolina, in the United States. As of the 2000 census, the town population was 2,362. It is part of the Roanoke Rapids, North Carolina Micropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:...
, afforded Miami
the highlight of her service in the sounds. On April 17, 1864, Confederate troops launched a sustained attack on Plymouth, North CarolinaPlymouth is the largest town in Washington County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 4,107 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Washington County...
. Union gunboats moved to support their troops ashore and were promptly taken under fire by the Southern batteries. Next day, the fighting at Plymouth intensified as the Confederates pressed the assault. Union Army steamer USS Bombshell
CSS Bombshell — believed to have been an Erie Canal steamer — was a U.S. Army transport. Bombshell was sunk by the Confederate batteries in Albemarle Sound, North Carolina on April 18, 1864. She was raised by the Confederate forces and taken into the Confederate States Navy under the...
was sunk during the engagement, but by 9:00 PM, the Southern advance had been halted.
Lieutenant CommanderLieutenant Commander
is a commissioned officer rank in many navies. The rank is superior to a Lieutenant and subordinate to a Commander...
Charles W. FlusserCharles Williamson Flusser was an officer in the United States Navy during the American Civil War.-Biography:...
reported: "The and Miami
took part and the general says our firing was admirable." The southern attack required naval support in order to achieve success, and Flusser added meaningfully: "The ram will be down tonight or tomorrow."
Confederate ironclad Albemarle
had departed Hamilton, North CarolinaHamilton is a town in Martin County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 516 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Hamilton is located at ....
on the evening of April 17, and anchored above Plymouth the following night. Shortly after midnight on April 19, Albermarle
weighed anchor and stood down to engage. Meanwhile, anticipating an attack by the ram, Lieutenant Commander Flusser lashed Miami
and Southfield
together for mutual protection and concentration of firepower. As Albemarle
appeared, he gallantly headed the two light wooden ships directly at the southern ram, firing as they approached. Albemarle
struck Southfield
a devastating blow with her ram. It was reported that she "tore a hole clear through to the boiler" and Albemarles captain stated that his ship plunged 10 feet into the side of the wooden gunboat. Though backing immediately after the impact,
Albemarle could not at once wrench herself free from the sinking
Southfield, and thus could not reply effectively to the fire poured into her by
Miami. At last her prow was freed as
Southfield sank, and
Albemarle forced Flusser's ship to withdraw under a heavy cannonade. Small steamer and tinclad moved downriver also. The shot of the Union ships had been ineffective against the heavily plated, sloping sides of the ram.
Early in the engagement, Lieutenant Commander Flusser had been killed.
Brigadier GeneralBrigadier General is the lowest ranking General Officer in some countries, usually sitting between the ranks of Colonel and Major General.The rank can be traced back to the militaries of Europe where a brigadier general, or simply a brigadier, would command a brigade in the field...
Henry Walton Wessels, commanding Union troops at Plymouth, noted: "In the death of this accomplished sailor the Navy has lost one of its brightest ornaments...."
Albemarle now controlled the water approaches to Plymouth and rendered invaluable support to
Confederate States ArmyThe Confederate States Army was the army of the Confederate States of America during its brief existence from 1861 to 1865. It was established in two phases with provisional and permanent organizations, which existed concurrently....
moves ashore, giving the South a taste of the priceless advantage Union armies enjoyed in all theaters throughout the war. On April 20, Plymouth fell to the southern attack.
Albemarles threat to Union naval supremacy in North Carolina waters was ended October 27 when Lieutenant William B. CushingWilliam Barker Cushing was an officer in the United States Navy, best known for sinking the Confederate ironclad CSS Albemarle during a daring nighttime raid on October 27, 1864, a feat for which he received the Thanks of Congress.-Early life and career:Cushing was born in Delafield, Wisconsin,...
exploded a spar torpedo under the ironclad's overhanging armor, tearing a hole in her wooden hull.
The drive on Richmond
Shifting to the James River to support General Ulysses S. GrantUlysses S. Grant was general-in-chief of the Union Army from 1864 to 1869 during the American Civil War and the 18th President of the United States from 1869 to 1877....
's drive on Richmond, VirginiaRichmond is the capital of the Commonwealth of Virginia, in the United States. Like all Virginia municipalities incorporated as cities, it is an independent city and not part of any county. Richmond is the center of the Richmond Metropolitan Statistical Area and the Greater Richmond area...
, Miami
engaged Confederate batteries at Wilcox's Landing, Virginia. Proceeding toward heavy firing, Miami
had discovered batteries at Wilcox's Landing firing on Union transports. She immediately open a brisk cannonade, and after an hour the Confederates withdrew. Next day, Miami
, accompanied by , drove off batteries which were firing on another group of transports near Harrison's Landing, Virginia on the James River. Throughout the embattled South, Union gunboats kept communications and supply lines open despite the dogged determination of the Confederates to sever them.
For the remainder of the war, Miami operated in the James River, playing an important role in the naval effort, assisting Grant's unrelenting pressures on the Confederate capitol which finally forced the gallant Lee to surrender at
Appomattox Courthouse, VirginiaThe Appomattox Court House is a courthouse in Appomattox, Virginia built in 1892. It is located in the middle of the state about three miles northwest of the Appomattox Court House National Historical Park, once known as Clover Hill - home of the original Old Appomattox Court House...
on April 9, 1865.
The double-ender decommissioned at Philadelphia,
PennsylvaniaThe Commonwealth of Pennsylvania , often colloquially referred to as PA by natives and Northeasterners, is a state located in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States...
on May 22, 1865, and was sold at auction in Philadelphia on August 10, 1865. Miami served American commerce until 1869.