__NOTOC__ USS ''Amaranthus'' was a screw steamer acquired by the Union Navy during the American Civil War. She was used by the Union Navy as a tugboat in support of the Union Navy blockade of

Confederate Confederacy or confederate may refer to: States or communities * Confederate state or confederation, a union of sovereign groups or communities * Confederate States of America, a confederation of secessionist American states that existed between ...

waterways.

Commissioning

''Amaranthus'' a wooden-hulled screw tug built at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in 1864 by Bishop, Son, and Company—was purchased by the Navy there as ''Christiana'' on 1 July 1864. Renamed ''Amaranthus'' and fitted out at the Philadelphia Navy Yard, she was commissioned on 12 July 1864.

South Atlantic Blockade

The Secretary of the Navy assigned the tug to the South Atlantic Blockading Squadron; but she was kept in the

Delaware River The Delaware River is a major river in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. From the meeting of its branches in Hancock (village), New York, Hancock, New York, the river flows for along the borders of N ...

performing towing duties, and did not join her squadron until she reached Port Royal, South Carolina, on 6 August. She was assigned to the inner cordon of the forces blockading

Charleston, South Carolina Charleston is the largest city in the U.S. state of South Carolina, the county seat of Charleston County, and the principal city in the Charleston–North Charleston metropolitan area. The city lies just south of the geographical midpoint o ...

; but for occasional runs back to Port Royal to carry passengers and dispatches and to receive repairs, she served off that port through the end of the Civil War. On the night of 9 and 10 September, she sighted a steamer attempting to run out of Charleston and fired repeatedly at the

blockade runner A blockade runner is a merchant vessel used for evading a naval blockade of a port or strait. It is usually light and fast, using stealth and speed rather than confronting the blockaders in order to break the blockade. Blockade runners usuall ...

which, nevertheless, escaped to sea. Some two-and-one-half months later, she fired upon two incoming steamers which entered the harbor about two hours apart. On both occasions, Confederate shore batteries at Fort Moultrie fired upon the Union blockaders; a spent 10-inch shell struck ''Amaranthus ''starboard'' counter, damaging the tug sufficiently to require her to enter a nearby inlet for repairs. The patching was quickly completed, and the steamer was back on station three days later. On 1 February 1865, Acting Ensign William R. Cox, the tug's

executive officer An executive officer is a person who is principally responsible for leading all or part of an organization, although the exact nature of the role varies depending on the organization. In many militaries and police forces, an executive officer, o ...

, assumed command. Following the collapse of the Confederacy early in the spring of 1865, ''Amaranthus'' remained off Charleston into the summer.

Post-war

She departed that port on 10 August and entered the

New York Navy Yard The Brooklyn Navy Yard (originally known as the New York Navy Yard) is a shipyard and industrial complex located in northwest Brooklyn in New York City, New York (state), New York. The Navy Yard is located on the East River in Wallabout Bay, a ...

on 18 August. Decommissioned there the following day, the tug was sold at

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on 5 September. She was documented under her original name on 28 December 1865 and served as the merchant tug ''Christiana'' until 1900.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Amaranthus Ships of the Union Navy Ships built in Philadelphia Steamships of the United States Navy Tugs of the United States Navy 1864 ships