USS ''Commodore McDonough'' was a ferryboat acquired by the Union Navy during the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states th ...

. Ferryboats were of great value, since – because of their flat bottom and shallow draft — they could navigate streams and shallow waters that other ships could not.

Purchased in New York City in 1862

''Commodore McDonough'' — an armed, side-wheel ferry — was purchased on 5 August 1862 in

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...

; fitted out at

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 ...

; and commissioned on 24 November 1862,

Lieutenant Commander Lieutenant commander (also hyphenated lieutenant-commander and abbreviated Lt Cdr, LtCdr. or LCDR) is a commissioned officer rank in many navies. The rank is superior to a lieutenant and subordinate to a commander. The corresponding rank i ...

G. Bacon in command.

Civil War service

Assigned to the South Atlantic Blockade

''Commodore McDonough'' joined the South Atlantic Blockading Squadron at Port Royal, South Carolina on 11 December 1862. Throughout her service, she operated in

South Carolina )''Animis opibusque parati'' ( for, , Latin, Prepared in mind and resources, links=no) , anthem = " Carolina";" South Carolina On My Mind" , Former = Province of South Carolina , seat = Columbia , LargestCity = Charleston , LargestMetro = ...

waters, primarily off

Charleston Charleston most commonly refers to: * Charleston, South Carolina * Charleston, West Virginia, the state capital * Charleston (dance) Charleston may also refer to: Places Australia * Charleston, South Australia Canada * Charleston, Newfoundlan ...

, but often cruising up the many rivers of that coast to bombard shore installations, cover the landing of troops, engage

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 1 ...

batteries, and perform

reconnaissance In military operations, reconnaissance or scouting is the exploration of an area by military forces to obtain information about enemy forces, terrain, and other activities. Examples of reconnaissance include patrolling by troops (skirmisher ...

. In the continuing operations in Charleston Harbor, she frequently bombarded the forts protecting the city.

Foundered while under tow at war’s end

At the close of the war, she assisted in harbor clearance at Port Royal, South Carolina, and on 23 August 1865 — while under tow for New York — she foundered.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Commodore McDonough Ships of the Union Navy Steamships of the United States Navy Gunboats of the United States Navy American Civil War patrol vessels of the United States Maritime incidents in August 1865 Shipwrecks in the Atlantic Ocean