USS ''Corypheus'' was a

schooner 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 ...

captured 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 ...

. ''Corypheus'' was used by the Union Navy primarily as a

gunboat A gunboat is a naval watercraft designed for the express purpose of carrying one or more guns to bombard coastal targets, as opposed to those military craft designed for naval warfare, or for ferrying troops or supplies. History Pre-steam ...

to patrol navigable waterways of the Confederacy in order to prevent the South from trading with other countries. She carried a 30-pounder rifled gun, powerful enough to stop a blockade runner, and a howitzer for riverside bombardment.

Captured by the Union Navy and placed into service

The Confederate

yacht A yacht is a sailing or power vessel used for pleasure, cruising, or racing. There is no standard definition, though the term generally applies to vessels with a cabin intended for overnight use. To be termed a , as opposed to a , such a pleasu ...

''Corypheus'' was captured by 13 May 1862 in Bayou Bonfuca,

Louisiana Louisiana , group=pronunciation (French: ''La Louisiane'') is a state in the Deep South and South Central regions of the United States. It is the 20th-smallest by area and the 25th most populous of the 50 U.S. states. Louisiana is borde ...

. Taken by the Navy she was assigned to tender duty for the bark off

Aransas Pass, Texas Aransas Pass ( ) is a city in Aransas, Nueces, and San Patricio Counties in the U.S. state of Texas. The population was 7,941 at the 2020 Census. Geography Aransas Pass is located at (27.9019, –97.1395),F on the shore of Redfish Bay, a t ...

, 12 June 1862, commanded by Acting Master A. T. Spear.

Civil War service

Assigned to the Gulf Blockade

Operating off

Corpus Christi, Texas Corpus Christi (; Ecclesiastical Latin: "'' Body of Christ"'') is a coastal city in the South Texas region of the U.S. state of Texas and the county seat and largest city of Nueces County, it also extends into Aransas, Kleberg, and San Patrici ...

, on 12 August 1862 ''Corypheus'' participated in the capture of the armed schooner ''Breaker'' and destruction of ''Hannah'' and ''Elma'' by their own men. She took part in the engagements at Corpus Christi on 16 and 18 August, and while returning to

Aransas Bay Aransas Bay is a bay on the Texas Gulf Coast, approximately northeast of Corpus Christi, and south of San Antonio. It is separated from the Gulf of Mexico by San José Island (also referred to as St. Joseph Island). Aransas Pass is the most ...

, captured 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 ...

Participating in the Battle of Sabine Pass

Arriving at

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 ...

, 28 December 1862, ''Corypheus'' fired in the Battle of Sabine Pass on 1 January 1863. ''Corypheus'' fought valiantly and cleared amid a rain of fire from the enemy when the Union force withdrew. Admiral

David G. Farragut David Glasgow Farragut (; also spelled Glascoe; July 5, 1801 – August 14, 1870) was a flag officer of the United States Navy during the American Civil War. He was the first rear admiral, vice admiral, and admiral in the United States Navy. ...

wrote of her officers and crew that they acted with uncommon coolness and great courage, keeping up their fire for the protection of the soldiers on shore, and, when ordered to abandon their vessel, preserved and safely extricated their ship although left entirely by themselves except for .

Lake Pontchartrain assignment

Her next duty was on

Lake Pontchartrain Lake Pontchartrain ( ) is an estuary located in southeastern Louisiana in the United States. It covers an area of with an average depth of . Some shipping channels are kept deeper through dredging. It is roughly oval in shape, about from west ...

where she was stationed to break up the small-craft traffic crossing between

New Orleans, Louisiana New Orleans ( , ,New Orleans
Merriam-Webster. ; french: La Nouvelle-Orléans , es, Nuev ...

, and coastal waters. She remained on this duty until November 1864 when ordered to

Pensacola, Florida Pensacola () is the westernmost city in the Florida Panhandle, and the county seat and only incorporated city of Escambia County, Florida, United States. As of the 2020 United States census, the population was 54,312. Pensacola is the principal ...

. Following repairs, she was stationed around

Mobile, Alabama Mobile ( , ) is a city and the county seat of Mobile County, Alabama, United States. The population within the city limits was 187,041 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, down from 195,111 at the 2010 United States census, 2010 cens ...

Post war decommissioning and sale

After the war’s end, ''Corypheus'' was sold 15 September 1865.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Corypheus Ships of the Union Navy Schooners of the United States Navy Gunboats of the United States Navy Tenders of the United States Navy American Civil War patrol vessels of the United States Captured ships 1862 ships