USS Rachel Seaman (1861)
Encyclopedia
USS Rachel Seaman was a wooden schooner
purchased by the Union Navy
during the American Civil War
.
Rachel Seaman was armed as a gunboat
and assigned to the Union blockade of the ports and waterways of the Confederate States of America
. She also served as a storeship as the war came to an end.
at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
, 21 September 1861, and was commissioned at Philadelphia Navy Yard 16 November 1861, Acting Master Quincey A. Hooper in command.
sailed for the Gulf of Mexico
between 4 and 10 November and reported to Flag Officer McKean off Fort Pickens
, Florida
on the 29th for duty in the Gulf Blockading Squadron. After briefly serving in Mississippi River
Sound
and the Mississippi passes, Rachel Seaman arrived off Galveston, Texas
on 30 December and patrolled the Texas
coast. On 11 January 1862, with gunboat Midnight
, the schooner shelled Confederate batteries at Pass Cavallo
and a week later engaged Confederate cannon at Velasco, Texas
.
In the summer she performed blockade duty off Mobile Bay
, Alabama
, but in September returned to the Texas
coast. On the 25th, with the Kensington
and Henry Janes
, she bombarded
Sabine Pass, Texas
, forcing the Confederate garrison to spike their guns and abandon the works there. The next day, landing parties took possession of the fort.
from holding the area. On 6 October, Rachel Seaman captured British schooner
Dart attempting to run the blockade at Sabine Pass. On 15 October boat crews from Rachel Seaman and Kensington destroyed a railroad bridge at Taylor's Bayou, Texas, preventing Confederate reinforcement of Sabine Pass with heavy guns. They also burned schooners Stonewall and Lone Star and Southern barracks.
Rachel Seaman took schooner Nymph off Pass Cavallo, Texas, 21 April 1863. Almost a year later, while steaming east en route north, on 13 April 1864, she captured her last prize British schooner
Maria Alfred off Mermentau River
, Louisiana
. The schooner arrived at New York City
21 May and for the remainder of the Civil War
served as a supply ship along the Atlantic coast.
22 May 1865 and was sold at public auction
there 30 May 1865 to a Mr. Wiggins.
Schooner
A schooner is a type of sailing vessel characterized by the use of fore-and-aft sails on two or more masts with the forward mast being no taller than the rear masts....
purchased 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...
.
Rachel Seaman was armed 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:...
and assigned to the Union blockade of the ports and waterways of the Confederate States of America
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...
. She also served as a storeship as the war came to an end.
Purchased in Philadelphia in 1861
Rachel Seaman was purchased by the Union NavyUnion 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...
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,...
, 21 September 1861, and was commissioned at Philadelphia Navy Yard 16 November 1861, Acting Master Quincey A. Hooper in command.
Blockade operations
The schoonerSchooner
A schooner is a type of sailing vessel characterized by the use of fore-and-aft sails on two or more masts with the forward mast being no taller than the rear masts....
sailed for the Gulf of Mexico
Gulf 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...
between 4 and 10 November and reported to Flag Officer McKean off Fort Pickens
Fort Pickens
Fort Pickens is a pentagonal historic United States military fort on Santa Rosa Island in the Pensacola, Florida, area. It is named after American Revolutionary War hero Andrew Pickens. The fort was completed in 1834 and remained in use until 1947...
, 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...
on the 29th for duty in the Gulf Blockading Squadron. After briefly serving in 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...
Sound
Sound (geography)
In geography a sound or seaway is a large sea or ocean inlet larger than a bay, deeper than a bight and wider than a fjord; or it may be defined as a narrow sea or ocean channel between two bodies of land ....
and the Mississippi passes, Rachel Seaman arrived 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...
on 30 December and patrolled 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. On 11 January 1862, with gunboat Midnight
USS Midnight (1861)
USS Midnight was a steamer purchased by the Union Navy during the American Civil War. She was planned by the Union Navy for use as a gunboat stationed off Confederate waterways to prevent their trading with foreign countries....
, the schooner shelled Confederate batteries at Pass Cavallo
Pass Cavallo (Texas)
Pass Cavallo, alternately known as Cavallo Pass, is one of five natural water inlets which separate the Gulf of Mexico and Matagorda Bay, in the U.S. state of Texas. René-Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle came ashore in Texas at this point. Matagorda Island Lighthouse was originally built on...
and a week later engaged Confederate cannon at Velasco, Texas
Velasco, Texas
Velasco was a town in Texas, United States, that was later annexed by the city of Freeport. Founded in 1831, Velasco is situated on the east side of the Brazos River in southeast Texas. It is sixteen miles south of Angleton, Texas, and four miles from the Gulf of Mexico.The town's early history is...
.
In the summer she performed blockade duty off Mobile Bay
Mobile Bay
Mobile 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...
, Alabama
Alabama
Alabama is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States. 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 inland...
, but in September returned to 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. On the 25th, with the Kensington
USS Kensington (1862)
The second USS Kensington was a steamship in the United States Navy.Kensington was built at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, by J. W. Lynn in 1858 and was purchased by the Union Navy at Boston, Massachusetts, 27 January 1862...
and Henry Janes
USS Henry Janes (1861)
USS Henry Janes was a motor schooner acquired by the United States Navy during the American Civil War. She was used as a gunboat and assigned to the blockade of ports of the Confederate States of America.- Purchased in New York City in 1861 :...
, she bombarded
First Battle of Sabine Pass
The First Battle of Sabine Pass or the Bombardment of Fort Sabine was a naval and land battle during the American Civil War in Sabine Pass, Texas...
Sabine Pass, Texas
Sabine Pass, Texas
Sabine Pass is a neighborhood of Port Arthur, Texas, United States. It lies on the west bank of Sabine Pass, near the Louisiana border.Originally known as Sabine City, the original date of settlement of Sabine Pass is unknown, but is estimated at 1836...
, forcing the Confederate garrison to spike their guns and abandon the works there. The next day, landing parties took possession of the fort.
Captured Prizes
However, want of occupation troops prevented the Union NavyUnion 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...
from holding the area. On 6 October, Rachel Seaman captured British schooner
Schooner
A schooner is a type of sailing vessel characterized by the use of fore-and-aft sails on two or more masts with the forward mast being no taller than the rear masts....
Dart attempting to run the blockade at Sabine Pass. On 15 October boat crews from Rachel Seaman and Kensington destroyed a railroad bridge at Taylor's Bayou, Texas, preventing Confederate reinforcement of Sabine Pass with heavy guns. They also burned schooners Stonewall and Lone Star and Southern barracks.
Rachel Seaman took schooner Nymph off Pass Cavallo, Texas, 21 April 1863. Almost a year later, while steaming east en route north, on 13 April 1864, she captured her last prize British schooner
Schooner
A schooner is a type of sailing vessel characterized by the use of fore-and-aft sails on two or more masts with the forward mast being no taller than the rear masts....
Maria Alfred off Mermentau River
Mermentau River
The Mermentau River is a river in southern Louisiana in the United States. It enters the Gulf of Mexico between Calcasieu Lake and Vermilion Bay on the Chenier Coastal Plain.The Mermentau River supplies freshwater for the Mermentau Basin...
, Louisiana
Louisiana
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 in the U.S. with political subdivisions termed parishes, which are local governments equivalent to counties...
. The schooner arrived 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...
21 May and for the remainder of the 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...
served as a supply ship along the Atlantic coast.
Decommissioning
She decommissioned at 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...
22 May 1865 and was sold at public auction
Public 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....
there 30 May 1865 to a Mr. Wiggins.