USS Wabash (1855) was a steam screw
frigateA frigate is a warship. The term has been used for warships of many sizes and roles over the past few centuries.In the 17th century, the term was used for any warship built for speed and manoeuvrability, the description often used being "frigate-built"...
of 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...
that served 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...
. She was based on the same plans as
ColoradoThe first USS Colorado, a 3400-ton class three-masted steam screw frigate, was launched 19 June 1856 by the Norfolk Navy Yard. It was sponsored by Miss N. S. Dornin, and commissioned 13 March 1858, Captain W. H...
. Post-war she continued to serve her country in
EuropeEurope is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally divided from Asia to its east by the water divide of the Ural Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian Sea, the Caucasus Mountains , and the Black Sea to the southeast...
an operations and eventually served as a
barracks shipBarracks ship is a term used to indicate a non-self-propelled barge containing superstructure of a type suitable for use as a temporary barracks for sailors. A barracks ship may also be used as a "Receiving Unit" for sailors who need temporary residence prior to being assigned to their ship...
in Boston, Massachusetts, and was sold in 1912.
Pre-Civil War service
Wabash – the first U.S. Navy ship to bear that name -- was laid down on 16 May 1854 by the Philadelphia Navy Yard; launched on 24 October 1855, sponsored by Miss Pennsylvania Grice; and commissioned there on 18 August 1856, Captain
Frederick K. EngleFrederick K. Engle was a United States, naval officer, from Delaware County, Pennsylvania.-Early life and career:...
in command.
Wabash departed
Philadelphia, PennsylvaniaPhiladelphia is the largest city in Pennsylvania and the sixth-most-populous city in the United States.In 2008, the population of the city proper was estimated to be over 1.4 million, while the metropolitan area's population of 5.8 million made it the country's fifth-largest...
on 7 September 1856, stopping at
Portsmouth, New HampshirePortsmouth is a city in Rockingham County, New Hampshire in the United States. It is the fourth-largest community in the county, with a population of 20,784 at the 2000 census...
, to embark
PresidentThe President of the United States is the head of state and head of government of the United States and is the highest political official in the United States by influence and recognition...
Franklin PierceFranklin Pierce was the 14th President of the United States, serving from 1853 to 1857, an American politician and lawyer. To date, he is the only President from New Hampshire....
for passage to
Annapolis, MarylandAnnapolis is the capital of the U.S. state of Maryland, as well as the county seat of Anne Arundel County. It has a population of 36,524 , and is situated on the Chesapeake Bay at the mouth of the Severn River, south of Baltimore and about east of Washington D.C. Annapolis is part of the...
. She arrived at New York on 23 October 1856, sailing on 28 November 1856 to become
flagshipA flagship is the lead ship in a fleet of vessels, a designation given on account of being either the largest, fastest, newest, most heavily armed or, for publicity purposes, the best known. In military terms, it is a ship used by the commanding officer of a group of naval ships...
of Commodore
Hiram PauldingHiram Paulding was a Rear Admiral in the United States Navy, who served from the War of 1812 until after the Civil War....
's
Home SquadronThe Home Squadron was part of the United States Navy in the mid-1800s.Organized as early as 1838, ships were assigned to protect coastal commerce, aid ships in distress, suppress piracy and the slave trade, make coastal surveys, and train ships to relieve others on distant stations...
. The squadron was instrumental in foiling the expedition against
NicaraguaNicaragua officially the Republic of Nicaragua , is a representative democratic republic. It is the largest country in Central America with an area of 130,373 km
2. The country is bordered by Honduras to the north and Costa Rica to the south. The Pacific Ocean lies to the west of...
underway by American
filibusterA filibuster is someone who engages in an unauthorized military expedition into a foreign country to foment or support a revolution. The term is usually used to describe United States citizens who attempted to foment insurrections in Latin America in the mid-19th century.Filibusters were irregular...
,
William WalkerWilliam Walker was an American filibuster or pirate who attempted to conquer several Latin American countries in the mid-19th century. He appointed himself President of the Republic of Nicaragua in 1856 and ruled from that year to 1857...
, who had dreamed of uniting the nations of
Central AmericaManagua
Guatemala City
San Salvador
San Pedro Sula
Panama City
San José, Costa Rica
Santa Ana, El Salvador
León
San Miguel|-|}...
into a vast military empire led by himself. Through insurrection, he became president of Nicaragua in 1855 only to have
Cornelius VanderbiltCornelius Vanderbilt , also known by the sobriquet Commodore, was an American entrepreneur who built his wealth in shipping and railroads and was the patriarch of the Vanderbilt family.-Ancestry:...
—who controlled the country's shipping lifelines—shut off supplies and aid. A revolt toppled Walker from power, and he was trying for a military comeback before he was captured in 1857 by the Home Squadron. Stateside controversy over the questionable legality of seizing American nationals in foreign, neutral lands prompted President
James BuchananJames Buchanan, Jr. was the 15th President of the United States from 1857–1861 and the last to be born in the 18th century...
to relieve Commodore Paulding of his command.
Wabash was decommissioned on 1 March 1858 at the New York Navy Yard.
First recommissioning, 1858-1859
Wabash was recommissioned on 25 May 1858, Captain
Samuel BarronSamuel Barron was a United States, and later Confederate naval officer, acting as a representative in Europe for the Confederacy during the American Civil War.-Early life and career:...
in command, and became the flagship of Commodore
Elie A. F. La ValletteElie Augustus Frederick La Vallette was one of the first rear admirals appointed in the United States Navy when President Abraham Lincoln created the rank in July 1862.-Biography:...
's
Mediterranean SquadronThe Mediterranean Squadron, also known as the Mediterranean Station, was part of the United States Navy in the 19th century.As early as 1801, prior to the First Barbary War, ships serving in the Mediterranean Sea were organized into a squadron commanded by a captain who carried the title of Commodore...
. The future naval hero of the
Battle of Manila BayThe Battle of Manila Bay took place on 1 May 1898, during the Spanish-American War. The American Asiatic Squadron under Commodore George Dewey engaged the Spanish Pacific Squadron under Admiral Patricio Montojo y Pasarón and destroyed the Spanish squadron....
during the
Spanish-American WarThe Spanish–American War was an armed military conflict between Spain and the United States that took place between April and August 1898, over the issues of the liberation of Cuba. The war began after American demands for the resolution of the Cuban fight for independence were rejected by Spain...
,
George DeweyGeorge Dewey was an admiral of the United States Navy. Many historians called him the "hero of Manila." He is best known for his victory at the Battle of Manila Bay during the Spanish-American War...
—then a
midshipmanA midshipman is an officer cadet, or alternatively a commissioned officer of the lowest rank, in the Royal Navy, United States Navy, and many Commonwealth navies.The word derives from the area aboard a ship, amidships, where these officers were berthed...
—served aboard the
Wabash when she touched at her first port of call,
GibraltarGibraltar is a self-governing British overseas territory located on the southern end of the Iberian Peninsula and Europe at the entrance of the Mediterranean overlooking the Strait of Gibraltar. The territory covers and shares a land border with Spain to the north...
, on 17 August 1858. Dewey would later write in his autobiography that “The Wabash was quite the finest ship of the foreign fleet and also the largest.”
Wabash returned to the New York Navy Yard on 16 December 1859 and decommissioned there on 20 December 1859.
Civil War service, 1861-1865
With the outbreak of 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...
,
Wabash was recommissioned on 16 May 1861, Captain
Samuel Mercer“Samuel Mercer” entering the United States Navy at a young age he became a Midshipman in 1815. He served his country during the Mexican-American and US Civil war’s, He is also the father of Marine Corps Captain “Samuel Mercer”....
in command, and departed New York on 30 May 1861 as flagship of the
Atlantic Blockading SquadronThe Atlantic Blockading Squadron was a unit of the United States Navy created in the early days of the American Civil War to enforce a blockade of the ports of the Confederate States.-History:...
under Rear Admiral
Silas H. StringhamSilas Horton Stringham was an admiral in the United States Navy.-Biography:Born in Middletown, New York, Stringham served in the United States Navy from the War of 1812 through the American Civil War...
.
Wabash captured the
brigantineIn sailing, a brigantine is a vessel with two masts, only the forward of which is square rigged.Originally the brigantine was a small ship carrying both oars and sails. It was a favorite of Mediterranean pirates and its name comes from the Italian word "brigantino" which meant brigand's ship...
Sarah Starr off
Charleston, South CarolinaCharleston is a city in Charleston County, South Carolina in the U.S. state of South Carolina. It is the largest city and county seat of Charleston County. The city was founded as Charlestown or Charles Towne, Carolina in 1670, and moved to its present location from a location on the west bank of...
, on 3 August 1861, and recaptured the American
schoonerA 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 shorter or the same height as the rear masts...
Mary Alice, taken earlier by CSS
Dixie. By this date, she had also captured the brigantines
Hannah,
Balch, and
Solferino, along with 22
ConfederateThe Confederate States of America was a separatist political entity existing between 1861 to 1865, established by eleven southern slave states of the United States of America, each of which had previously declared their secession from the United States...
prisoners from the four vessels.
On 26 August 1861,
Wabash departed
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...
, bound for
Hatteras InletHatteras Inlet is a estuary in North Carolina, located along the Outer Banks, separating Hatteras Island and Ocracoke Island. It connects the Atlantic Ocean to the Pamlico Sound. Hatteras Inlet is located entirely within Hyde County.- History :...
,
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...
, to take part in the first combined amphibious assault of the war.
Wabash accompanied
MonticelloThe first USS Monticello was a wooden screw-steamer in the United States Navy during the American Civil War. She was named for the home of Thomas Jefferson. She was briefly named Star in May 1861....
,
PawneeThe first USS Pawnee was a sloop-of-war in the United States Navy during the American Civil War. She was named for the Pawnee Indian tribe....
, revenue cutter
Harriet LaneHarriet Lane was a revenue cutter of the United States Revenue Cutter Service and, on the outbreak of the American Civil War, a ship of the United States Navy and later Confederate States Navy. She was named after the niece of senator and later United States President, James Buchanan...
, the tug
Fanny, and two transports, carrying over 900 troops under Major General
Benjamin ButlerBenjamin Franklin Butler was an American lawyer and politician who represented Massachusetts in the United States House of Representatives and later served as governor of Massachusetts....
. Union forces secured Hatteras Inlet with the capture of Forts
HatterasThe Battle of Hatteras Inlet Batteries, sometimes known as the Battle of Forts Hatteras and Clark, was a small but significant engagement in the early days of the American Civil War. Two Confederate forts on the North Carolina Outer Banks were subjected to an amphibious assault by Union forces that...
and
ClarkFort Clark can refer to:*Fort Clark Trading Post State Historic Site - one of the largest Mandan Villages where George Catlin and Karl Bodmer visited*Fort Clark, Illinois near Peoria, Illinois...
on 29 August 1861. The attacking force suffered no casualties and took over 700 prisoners. Among these was Captain
Samuel BarronSamuel Barron was a United States, and later Confederate naval officer, acting as a representative in Europe for the Confederacy during the American Civil War.-Early life and career:...
of the Confederate Navy, the former commander in the United States Navy of
Wabash when she served under Rear Admiral La Vallette.
Wabash was later designated the flagship of Flag Officer
Samuel Francis du PontSamuel Francis Du Pont was an American naval officer who achieved the rank of Rear Admiral in the United States Navy, and a member of the prominent Du Pont family; he was the only member of his generation to use a capital D...
, the new commander of the South Atlantic Blockading Squadron, and was sent to the New York Navy Yard for repairs on 21 September 1861.
After refit,
Wabash departed
Fort MonroeFort Monroe is a Hampton, Virginia, military installation located at Old Point Comfort, which is on the tip of the Virginia Peninsula...
on 29 October 1861 to spearhead the Federal assault on
Port Royal, South CarolinaPort Royal is a town in Beaufort County, South Carolina, United States. The population was 3,950 at the 2000 census. Largely because of annexation, the population of the Port Royal town limits has more than doubled since 2000 . As defined by the U.S...
. The assembled invasion fleet was the largest yet organized by the Navy, containing 77 vessels and 16,000 Army troops under Brigadier General
Thomas W. ShermanThomas West Sherman was a United States Army officer with service during the Mexican-American War and the American Civil War....
. The combined force secured Port Royal Sound on 7 November 1861 after a furious four-hour battle.
Wabash led the battle line in this major strategic Union victory.
Wabash now took up permanent station on the Charleston blockade, operating out of Port Royal. On 11 March 1862, a landing party led by ship's commanding officer, Commander
C. R. P. RodgersChristopher Raymond Perry Rodgers was an officer in the United States Navy. He served in the Mexican-American War, the American Civil War, as Superintendent of the Naval Academy, and Commander-in-Chief of the Pacific Squadron.-Biography:Born in Brooklyn, New York, Rodgers was the son of George...
, occupied
St. Augustine, FloridaSt. Augustine is the county seat of St. Johns County, Florida, in the United States. Founded in 1565, it is the oldest continuously occupied European established city, and the oldest port, in the continental United States. St. Augustine lies in a region of Florida known as The First Coast, which...
. A detachment of seamen and officers from
Wabash landed and manned a battery which bombarded Fort Pulaski,
GeorgiaGeorgia is a state in the United States. One of the original Thirteen Colonies that revolted against British rule in the American Revolution, it had been the last of the Thirteen Colonies to be established, in 1733. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January...
, on 10 April and 11 April 1862 and was instrumental in forcing that Southern fort to surrender. A naval battery of three 12 pounder howitzers from
Wabash supported Union troops at the Battle of Pocotaligo, on 22 October 1862.
Confederate vessels twice harassed
Wabash while on duty in Port Royal Sound. On 5 August 1863, CSS
Juno, a small steamer on picket duty below
Fort SumterFort Sumter is a Third System masonry coastal fortification located in Charleston harbor, South Carolina. The fort is best known as the site upon which the shots initiating the American Civil War were fired, at the Battle of Fort Sumter.- Construction :...
, fired upon and ran down a launch from
Wabash, capturing 10 sailors and drowning two. The
CSS DavidCSS David was built as a private venture by T. Stoney at Charleston, South Carolina in 1863, and put under the control of the Confederate States Navy. The cigar-shaped boat carried a 60- or 70-pound explosive charge on the end of a spar projecting forward from her bow...
submarine torpedo boat also attacked
Wabash on 18 April 1864. Ensign Charles H. Craven, officer of the deck, spotted the cigar-shaped vessel in time for
Wabash to get underway. The
CSS DavidCSS David was built as a private venture by T. Stoney at Charleston, South Carolina in 1863, and put under the control of the Confederate States Navy. The cigar-shaped boat carried a 60- or 70-pound explosive charge on the end of a spar projecting forward from her bow...
disengaged from the attack in the face of musket fire and round shot discharged from
Wabash.
Wabash departed her station on 1 October, bound for the Norfolk Navy Yard and an overhaul. En route, she grounded briefly on
Frying Pan ShoalsThe Frying Pan Shoals are a long, shifting area of shoals off the coast of Cape Fear in North Carolina, United States. The shoals have been a hazard to ships in the area since the beginning of European exploration of the area; the area is littered with shipwrecks...
, suffering minor damage to her rudder. Repairs and overhaul were completed by 16 December, in time for
Wabash to join the North Atlantic Blockading Squadron and to participate in the first attack on Fort Fisher, North Carolina, on 24 December and 25 December 1864. The failure of this initial attempt to take the fort necessitated a second, successful combined operation between 13 January and 15 January 1865. It was during this second attack on
Fort FisherFort Fisher was a Confederate fort during the American Civil War. It protected the vital trading routes of the port at Wilmington, North Carolina, from 1861 until its capture by the Union in 1865....
, that corporal
Andrew J. TomlinAndrew Jackson Tomlin was a United States Marine and a recipient of the American military's highest award - the Medal of Honor - for his actions during the Second Battle of Fort Fisher during the Civil War....
and ordinary seamen
Louis C. ShepardLewis Capet Shepard was born in Ashtabula County, Ohio and was a Union Navy sailor during the American Civil War who received America's highest military decoration the Medal of Honor for his actions at the Second Battle of Fort Fisher...
earned the Medal of Honor.
Wabash returned to
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...
on 17 January 1865, receiving orders on 25 January 1865 to proceed to the
Boston Navy YardThe Boston Navy Yard, originally called the Charlestown Navy Yard and after 1945 called Boston Naval Shipyard, was one of the oldest shipbuilding facilities of the United States Navy. Established in 1801, it was officially closed July 1, 1974, and the property was transferred to the National Park...
.
Wabash was decommissioned at Boston on 14 February 1865.
Officers during Fort Fisher Siege
- Captain, Melancton Smith
Melancton Smith was a United States Navy officer who served during the Seminole Wars and the American Civil War.-Early life:...
- Lieutenant Commander
Lieutenant Commander
is a commissioned officer rank in many navies. The rank is superior to a Lieutenant and subordinate to a Commander...
, C. H. Cushman.
- Lieutenants, Ellicot C. V. Blake – H. C. Tallman
- Surgeon
In medicine, a surgeon is a person who performs surgery. Surgery is a broad category of invasive medical treatment that involves the cutting of a body, whether human or animal, for a specific reason such to remove a diseased organ or to repair a tear or breakage. Surgeons may be medical doctors,...
, H. F. McSherry.
- Passed Ass't Surgeon, James H. Tinkham.
- Acting Ass't Surgeon, N. L. Campbell.
- Paymaster
A paymaster is, and must be, a lawyer A paymaster is, and must be, a lawyer A paymaster is, and must be, a lawyer (also known as a 'lawyer paymaster'. When dealing with commission payments on contracts dealing with large amounts of money (such as Oil, Gas, Steel, Iron, Gold, MTN's, VG's, T-Strips,...
, George CochranGeorge Cochran or Cochrane may refer to:*George Cochran , Major League Baseball player*George M. Cochran , Virginia State Supreme Court Justice*George Cochrane, ice hockey player...
.
- Chaplain
A chaplain is typically a priest, pastor, ordained deacon, rabbi, imam or other member of the clergy serving a group of people who are not organised as a mission or church, or who are unable to attend church for various reasons; such as health, confinement, or military or civil duties; lay...
, Charles A. Davis.
- Marine Second Lieutenant
Second Lieutenant is the lowest commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces.In British English the rank is pronounced second /lɛf'tɛnənt/ , while in American English it is pronounced second /lu'tɛnənt/ ....
, L. E. Fagan.
- Acting Masters, W. U. Grozier – S. J. White.
- Acting Ensigns
Ensign is a junior rank of commissioned officer in the militaries of some countries, normally in the infantry or navy. As the junior officer in an infantry regiment was traditionally the carrier of the ensign flag, the rank itself acquired the name....
, George T. DavisGeorge Thomas Davis was a U.S. Representative from Massachusetts.-Early life and education:George Davis was born in Sandwich, Massachusetts...
, Whitman Chase, E. A. Small – Joseph F. Brown.
Notable Crew
- Samuel Barron
Samuel Barron was a United States, and later Confederate naval officer, acting as a representative in Europe for the Confederacy during the American Civil War.-Early life and career:...
, CaptainThe Captain or Master of a merchant vessel is a licensed mariner in ultimate command of the vessel. A Ship's Captain, also called Shipmaster or Skipper, is responsible for its safe and efficient operation, including cargo operations, navigation, crew management and ensuring that the vessel...
1858, United StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, and later Confederate naval officer, Confederacy representative to EuropeEurope is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally divided from Asia to its east by the water divide of the Ural Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian Sea, the Caucasus Mountains , and the Black Sea to the southeast...
.
- George Dewey
George Dewey was an admiral of the United States Navy. Many historians called him the "hero of Manila." He is best known for his victory at the Battle of Manila Bay during the Spanish-American War...
, MidshipmanA midshipman is an officer cadet, or alternatively a commissioned officer of the lowest rank, in the Royal Navy, United States Navy, and many Commonwealth navies.The word derives from the area aboard a ship, amidships, where these officers were berthed...
1858, future Admiral of the Navy and Presidential candidate 1900.
- Samuel Francis Du Pont
Samuel Francis Du Pont was an American naval officer who achieved the rank of Rear Admiral in the United States Navy, and a member of the prominent Du Pont family; he was the only member of his generation to use a capital D...
, flag officer 1861 - 1862
- Frederick K. Engle
Frederick K. Engle was a United States, naval officer, from Delaware County, Pennsylvania.-Early life and career:...
CaptainThe Captain or Master of a merchant vessel is a licensed mariner in ultimate command of the vessel. A Ship's Captain, also called Shipmaster or Skipper, is responsible for its safe and efficient operation, including cargo operations, navigation, crew management and ensuring that the vessel...
1856,
- Oscar Walter Farenholt Ordinary Seaman
An Ordinary Seaman is an unlicensed member of the deck department of a merchant ship. The position is an apprenticeship to become an Able Seaman, and has been for centuries...
1861, first enlisted man in the Navy to reach flag rank
- Samuel Mercer
“Samuel Mercer” entering the United States Navy at a young age he became a Midshipman in 1815. He served his country during the Mexican-American and US Civil war’s, He is also the father of Marine Corps Captain “Samuel Mercer”....
CaptainThe Captain or Master of a merchant vessel is a licensed mariner in ultimate command of the vessel. A Ship's Captain, also called Shipmaster or Skipper, is responsible for its safe and efficient operation, including cargo operations, navigation, crew management and ensuring that the vessel...
1861,
- Edward D. Robie
Edward Dunham Robie , was a naval engineer, inventor, and Union naval officer during the American Civil War.-Early life and career:Robie was born in Burlington, Vermont, the son of Jacob and Louisa Robie...
, Naval engineerNaval architecture is an engineering discipline dealing with the design, construction and repair of marine vehicles. Naval architecture involves basic and applied research, design, development, design evaluation and calculations during all stages of the life of a marine vehicle...
1871, inventor, Union naval officer during the American Civil Waran future Rear Admiral.
- Christopher Raymond Perry Rodgers
Christopher Raymond Perry Rodgers was an officer in the United States Navy. He served in the Mexican-American War, the American Civil War, as Superintendent of the Naval Academy, and Commander-in-Chief of the Pacific Squadron.-Biography:Born in Brooklyn, New York, Rodgers was the son of George...
CaptainThe Captain or Master of a merchant vessel is a licensed mariner in ultimate command of the vessel. A Ship's Captain, also called Shipmaster or Skipper, is responsible for its safe and efficient operation, including cargo operations, navigation, crew management and ensuring that the vessel...
1861 , Superintendent of the United States Naval Academy, and Commander-in-Chief of the Pacific SquadronThe Pacific Squadron, also known as the Pacific Station, was part of the United States Navy squadron stationed in the Pacific Ocean in the 1800s and early 1900s. Initially with no U.S. ports in the Pacific they operated out of storeships which provided naval supplies and purchased food and...
.
- Melancton Smith
Melancton Smith was a United States Navy officer who served during the Seminole Wars and the American Civil War.-Early life:...
CaptainThe Captain or Master of a merchant vessel is a licensed mariner in ultimate command of the vessel. A Ship's Captain, also called Shipmaster or Skipper, is responsible for its safe and efficient operation, including cargo operations, navigation, crew management and ensuring that the vessel...
1865, Commander during the Siege of Fort fisherFort Fisher was a Confederate fort during the American Civil War. It protected the vital trading routes of the port at Wilmington, North Carolina, from 1861 until its capture by the Union in 1865....
.
- John Henry Upshur
John Henry Upshur was an admiral in the United States Navy who served during the Mexican-American War and the American Civil War.-Early life:...
, Executive officerAn executive officer is generally a person responsible for running an organization, although the exact nature of the role varies depending on the organization.-Administrative Law:...
1862 during the Battle of Port RoyalThe Battle of Port Royal was one of the earliest amphibious operations of the American Civil War, in which a United States Navy fleet and United States Army expeditionary force captured Port Royal Sound, South Carolina, between Savannah, Georgia and Charleston, South Carolina, on November 7 1861...
, Port Royal, South CarolinaPort Royal is a town in Beaufort County, South Carolina, United States. The population was 3,950 at the 2000 census. Largely because of annexation, the population of the Port Royal town limits has more than doubled since 2000 . As defined by the U.S...
.
Honored Crew
- Edward Ringold
Edward Ringold was a United States Navy coxswain and a Medal of Honor recipient for his actions in the American Civil War.-Biography:...
, CoxswainThe coxswain is the person in charge of a boat, particularly its navigation and steering. The etymology of the word gives us a literal meaning of "boat servant" since it comes from cox, a coxboat or other small vessel kept aboard a ship, and swain, which can be rendered as boy, in authority.-...
1862, Medal of HonorThe Medal of Honor is the highest military decoration awarded by the United States government. It is bestowed on a member of the United States armed forces who distinguishes themselves "conspicuously by gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty while...
recipient from Baltimore, MarylandBaltimore is an independent city and the largest city in the state of Maryland. The city is located in central Maryland along the tidal portion of the Patapsco River, an arm of the Chesapeake Bay. Baltimore is sometimes referred to as Baltimore City in order to distinguish it from surrounding...
- Louis C. Shepard
Lewis Capet Shepard was born in Ashtabula County, Ohio and was a Union Navy sailor during the American Civil War who received America's highest military decoration the Medal of Honor for his actions at the Second Battle of Fort Fisher...
, Ordinary SeamanAn Ordinary Seaman is an unlicensed member of the deck department of a merchant ship. The position is an apprenticeship to become an Able Seaman, and has been for centuries...
1865, Medal of HonorThe Medal of Honor is the highest military decoration awarded by the United States government. It is bestowed on a member of the United States armed forces who distinguishes themselves "conspicuously by gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty while...
recipient from Ashtabula County, buried in Lakeview cemetery, Port ClintonPort Clinton is a city in and the county seat of Ottawa County, Ohio, United States. The population was 6,391 at the 2000 census. The city has been nicknamed the "Walleye Capital of the World."- Geography :...
, Ottawa County, OhioOttawa County is a county located in the state of Ohio, United States. As of the 2000 census, the population was 40,985. Its county seat is Port Clinton and is named either for the Ottawa Indians who lived there, or for an Indian word meaning "trader"....
.
- Andrew J. Tomlin
Andrew Jackson Tomlin was a United States Marine and a recipient of the American military's highest award - the Medal of Honor - for his actions during the Second Battle of Fort Fisher during the Civil War....
, CorporalCorporal is a rank in use in some form by most militaries and also by some police forces or other uniformed organizations. It is usually equivalent to NATO Rank Code OR-4. The word is probably derived from a medieval Italian phrase capo corporale, meaning "head of a body "...
1865, Medal of HonorThe Medal of Honor is the highest military decoration awarded by the United States government. It is bestowed on a member of the United States armed forces who distinguishes themselves "conspicuously by gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty while...
recipient from Goshen, New JerseyGoshen is an unincorporated community in Cape May County, New Jersey, United States . Route 47, also known as Delsea Drive, runs directly through the center of the community....
, buried in Goshen Methodist cemetery, Goshen, New JerseyGoshen is an unincorporated community in Cape May County, New Jersey, United States . Route 47, also known as Delsea Drive, runs directly through the center of the community....
.
Post-Civil War service, 1866-1912
Wabash was placed in ordinary from 1866 to 1869; overhauled during 1870 to 1871; and recommissioned on 24 October 1871, Captain Robert W. Shufeldt commanding.
Wabash departed the Boston Navy Yard on 17 November 1871 and served as the flagship of Rear Admiral James Alden, commanding the Mediterranean Squadron. She arrived at Cadiz, Spain, on 14 December 1871 and cruised throughout the Mediterranean until 30 November 1873 when she departed Gibraltar, bound for
Key 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...
.
Wabash arrived in Key West on 3 January 1874. She was decommissioned on 25 April 1874 at the Boston Navy Yard. In 1875, she was placed in ordinary and served as a housed-over
receiving shipA receiving ship is a ship that is used in harbor to house newly recruited sailors before they are assigned to a crew.In the Royal Navy, the use of impressment to collect sailors resulted in the problem of preventing escape of the unwilling "recruits." The receiving ship was part of the solution;...
from 1876 to 1912.
Wabash was struck from the Navy list on 15 November 1912 and sold that same day to the Boston Iron and Metal Company, Boston, Massachusetts.
See also
- List of United States Navy ships
- American Civil War
The 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...
- USS Wabash
Four ships of the United States Navy have been named USS Wabash, after the Wabash River of Ohio and Indiana.* The first was a screw frigate in commission from 1856 to 1874, then in use as a receiving ship until 1912....
for other ships of this name.
External links