USS Verbena (1864)
Encyclopedia
USS Verbena (1864) was a small 104-ton steamer purchased by the Union Navy
towards the end of the American Civil War
.
Verbena, outfitted with a 20-pounder Parrott rifle
by the Navy, was placed in service as a gunboat
and assigned to the blockade of the Confederate States of America
. However, most of her service was as a tugboat
and as a ship’s tender.
on 7 June 1864 and commissioned at the New York Navy Yard on 11 July 1864.
for duty as a tugboat. Two days later, she deployed in the Potomac River
off Point Lookout, Maryland
.; and she served for most of the duration of the Civil War as a tender to the ironclad Roanoke
.
, where she was decommissioned on 13 June.
there to W. E. Gladwick on 20 July; redocumented as Game Cock on 9 September; renamed Edward G. Burgess on 7 July 1885; and dropped from the registry in 1900.
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...
towards the end 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...
.
Verbena, outfitted with a 20-pounder Parrott rifle
Parrott rifle
The Parrott rifle was a type of muzzle loading rifled artillery weapon used extensively in the American Civil War.-Parrott Rifle:The gun was invented by Robert Parker Parrott, a West Point graduate. He resigned from the service in 1836 and became the superintendent of the West Point Foundry in Cold...
by the Navy, was placed in service 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 blockade 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...
. However, most of her service was as a tugboat
Tugboat
A tugboat is a boat that maneuvers vessels by pushing or towing them. Tugs move vessels that either should not move themselves, such as ships in a crowded harbor or a narrow canal,or those that cannot move by themselves, such as barges, disabled ships, or oil platforms. Tugboats are powerful for...
and as a ship’s tender.
Commissioned in New York City in 1864
Verbena -- originally the wooden steamer Ino built at Brooklyn, New York, in 1864—was purchased by the Navy 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...
on 7 June 1864 and commissioned at the New York Navy Yard on 11 July 1864.
Civil War operations
On 19 July, the vessel was attached to the Potomac FlotillaPotomac Flotilla
The Potomac Flotilla, or the Potomac Squadron was a unit of the United States Navy created in the early days of the American Civil War to secure Union communications in the Chesapeake Bay, the Potomac River and their tributaries, and to disrupt Confederate communications and shipping in the...
for duty as a tugboat. Two days later, she deployed in the Potomac River
Potomac River
The Potomac River flows into the Chesapeake Bay, located along the mid-Atlantic coast of the United States. The river is approximately long, with a drainage area of about 14,700 square miles...
off Point Lookout, Maryland
Point Lookout, Maryland
Point Lookout is a Maryland state park at the southern tip of St. Mary's County, Maryland. It is a peninsula formed by the confluence of the Chesapeake Bay and the Potomac River....
.; and she served for most of the duration of the Civil War as a tender to the ironclad Roanoke
USS Roanoke (1855)
|- External links :**...
.
Post-war decommissioning
After the collapse of the Confederacy, Verbena received orders on 5 May 1865 to proceed to the Washington Navy YardWashington Navy Yard
The Washington Navy Yard is the former shipyard and ordnance plant of the United States Navy in Southeast Washington, D.C. It is the oldest shore establishment of the U.S. Navy...
, where she was decommissioned on 13 June.
Commercial service
Verbena 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....
there to W. E. Gladwick on 20 July; redocumented as Game Cock on 9 September; renamed Edward G. Burgess on 7 July 1885; and dropped from the registry in 1900.