CSS ''Sampson'', sometimes spelled ''Samson'', was employed as a

tugboat A tugboat or tug is a marine vessel that manoeuvres other vessels by pushing or pulling them, with direct contact or a tow line. These boats typically tug ships in circumstances where they cannot or should not move under their own power, su ...

, prior to her purchase by the Confederate Government in 1861. On 7 November 1861 this ship, ''Sampson'', Lt. J. S. Kenard, CSN, stood out with other gunboats of Commodore Josiah Tattnall III's squadron to engage the heavy ships of Rear Admiral

DuPont DuPont de Nemours, Inc., commonly shortened to DuPont, is an American multinational chemical company first formed in 1802 by French-American chemist and industrialist Éleuthère Irénée du Pont de Nemours. The company played a major role in ...

at the

battle A battle is an occurrence of combat in warfare between opposing military units of any number or size. A war usually consists of multiple battles. In general, a battle is a military engagement that is well defined in duration, area, and force ...

of Port Royal, South Carolina. The Confederates finally were forced to withdraw to Skull Creek. After the naval bombardment and evacuation of Port Royal's defensive works, ''Sampson'' helped transport a number of the retreating garrison to Savannah. Later in the month she exchanged shots with Federal forces off Fort Pulaski, Ga., and in January 1862, with two others of Tattnall's squadron, ran past the Federal ships in the Savannah River to provision Fort Pulaski. ''Sampson'' received considerable damage in this encounter. Thereafter she served as receiving ship at Savannah and on 16 November 1863 returned to combat duty, patrolling the Savannah River with the defense force of Flag Officer W. W. Hunter, CSN. In early December 1864 she joined with and in an expedition to destroy the Charleston and Savannah Railway bridge spanning the Savannah River, and sustained considerable damage. Prior to the capture of Savannah by General Sherman on 21 December 1864 ''Sampson'' was taken up the river to Augusta, remaining there until the end of the war.

Commanders

*Lieutenant Thomas B. Mills (1862, 1864) *Lieutenant William. W. Carnes (November 29, 1864)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Sampson Gunboats of the Confederate States Navy