USS ''Connecticut'' was a large steamer acquired by the

Union Navy ), (official) , colors = Blue and gold , colors_label = Colors , march = , mascot = , equipment = , equipment_label ...

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 ...

. Her primary task was to prevent ships from penetrating the Union

blockade A blockade is the act of actively preventing a country or region from receiving or sending out food, supplies, weapons, or communications, and sometimes people, by military force. A blockade differs from an embargo or sanction, which are le ...

of Southern ports.

Service history

''Connecticut'', a side wheel steamer, was built in 1861 by William Webb,

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 ...

; purchased by the Navy 18 July 1861; and commissioned 23 August 1861, Commander M. Woodhull in command. ''Connecticut'' sailed on her first voyage 25 August 1861, delivered men and supplies to ships on the

along the Atlantic and Gulf coasts as far as

Galveston, Texas Galveston ( ) is a coastal resort city and port off the Southeast Texas coast on Galveston Island and Pelican Island in the U.S. state of Texas. The community of , with a population of 47,743 in 2010, is the county seat of surrounding Galvesto ...

, and returned to New York 29 September. Following two patrols, from 16 to 24 October and from 10 November to 17 December in search of CS cruiser '' CSS Nashville'', ''Connecticut'' returned to cargo duty, making five voyages similar to her first between 7 January and 15 November 1862. She also captured four

schooners A schooner () is a type of sailing vessel defined by its rig: fore-and-aft rigged on all of two or more masts and, in the case of a two-masted schooner, the foremast generally being shorter than the mainmast. A common variant, the topsail schoon ...

with valuable cargo during this period. Out of commission for repairs at New York from 24 November to 15 December 1862, ''Connecticut'' left in tow of 24 December for duty as

convoy A convoy is a group of vehicles, typically motor vehicles or ships, traveling together for mutual support and protection. Often, a convoy is organized with armed defensive support and can help maintain cohesion within a unit. It may also be used ...

and tow ship off Aspinwall, Panama, until returning to New York 6 June 1863. During ''Connecticut's'' next cruise, from 10 August 1863 to 25 July 1864, she operated most successfully with the

North Atlantic Blockading Squadron The Union blockade in the American Civil War was a naval strategy by the United States to prevent the Confederacy from trading. The blockade was proclaimed by President Abraham Lincoln in April 1861, and required the monitoring of of Atlantic ...

off

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and

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. She captured five vessels and drove a sixth ashore, abandoned and burned by its crew. Included were the English steamer ''Minnie'', captured 9 May 1864 with a cargo of

cotton Cotton is a soft, fluffy staple fiber that grows in a boll, or protective case, around the seeds of the cotton plants of the genus ''Gossypium'' in the mallow family Malvaceae. The fiber is almost pure cellulose, and can contain minor perce ...

tobacco Tobacco is the common name of several plants in the genus '' Nicotiana'' of the family Solanaceae, and the general term for any product prepared from the cured leaves of these plants. More than 70 species of tobacco are known, but the ...

turpentine Turpentine (which is also called spirit of turpentine, oil of turpentine, terebenthene, terebinthine and (colloquially) turps) is a fluid obtained by the distillation of resin harvested from living trees, mainly pines. Mainly used as a special ...

, and

gold Gold is a chemical element with the symbol Au (from la, aurum) and atomic number 79. This makes it one of the higher atomic number elements that occur naturally. It is a bright, slightly orange-yellow, dense, soft, malleable, and ductile met ...

, one of the most valuable prizes taken during the war; and the British steamer ''Greyhound'', taken on 10 May, which carried in addition to her cargo of cotton, tobacco, and turpentine, the famous Confederate spy

Belle Boyd Isabella Maria Boyd (May 9, 1844The date in the Boyd Family Bible is May 4, 1844 (), but Boyd insisted that it was 1844 and that the entry was in error. () See also . Despite Boyd's assertion, many sources give the year of birth as 1844 and the ...

. Following another cruise carrying men to the fleet between 30 July and 5 October 1864, ''Connecticut'' was placed out of commission at Boston, Massachusetts, from 7 October 1864 to 17 February 1865. Her last cruise from 21 February to 3 August 1865 was in the

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and on the

U.S. East Coast The East Coast of the United States, also known as the Eastern Seaboard, the Atlantic Coast, and the Atlantic Seaboard, is the coastline along which the Eastern United States meets the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean. The eastern seaboard ...

, searching for Confederate privateers and towing monitors from

Port Royal, South Carolina Port Royal is a List of cities and towns in South Carolina, town on Port Royal Island in Beaufort County, South Carolina, Beaufort County, South Carolina, United States. The population was 14,220 at the 2020 census. It is part of the Hilton Head Is ...

, to

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. ''Connecticut'' was decommissioned 11 August 1865 at

Philadelphia Navy Yard The Philadelphia Naval Shipyard was an important naval shipyard of the United States for almost two centuries. Philadelphia's original navy yard, begun in 1776 on Front Street and Federal Street in what is now the Pennsport section of the cit ...

and sold 21 September 1865.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Connecticut Ships of the Union Navy Ships built by William H. Webb Gunboats of the United States Navy American Civil War patrol vessels of the United States 1861 ships Military in Connecticut