USS ''Covington'' was an ironclad gunboat purchased 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 ...

. She was assigned as a simple

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 ...

with powerful rifled guns to intercept

blockade runners 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 ...

attempting to run the

Union blockade 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 ...

of the

Confederate States of America The Confederate States of America (CSA), commonly referred to as the Confederate States or the Confederacy was an unrecognized breakaway republic in the Southern United States that existed from February 8, 1861, to May 9, 1865. The Confeder ...

. ''Covington'' did not carry mortars or

howitzers A howitzer () is a long-ranged weapon, falling between a cannon (also known as an artillery gun in the United States), which fires shells at flat trajectories, and a mortar, which fires at high angles of ascent and descent. Howitzers, like oth ...

, which placed her at a disadvantage when attacked riverside in 1864 by Confederate troops. Losing the battle, she was set on fire. Most of the crew escaped.

Service history

''Covington'', a side wheel steamer, was purchased in February 1863 from Samuel Wiggins at

Cincinnati, Ohio Cincinnati ( ) is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Hamilton County. Settled in 1788, the city is located at the northern side of the confluence of the Licking and Ohio rivers, the latter of which marks the state line wit ...

; fitted for service at

Cairo, Illinois Cairo ( ) is the southernmost city in Illinois and the county seat of Alexander County. The city is located at the confluence of the Ohio and Mississippi rivers. Fort Defiance, a Civil War camp, was built here in 1862 by Union General Ulysses ...

; and assigned to the

Mississippi Squadron The Mississippi River Squadron was the Union brown-water naval squadron that operated on the western rivers during the American Civil War. It was initially created as a part of the Union Army, although it was commanded by naval officers, and was ...

, Acting Volunteer Lieutenant George P. Lord in command. Serving in the

Tennessee River The Tennessee River is the largest tributary of the Ohio River. It is approximately long and is located in the southeastern United States in the Tennessee Valley. The river was once popularly known as the Cherokee River, among other names, ...

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 ...

Union Army During the American Civil War, the Union Army, also known as the Federal Army and the Northern Army, referring to the United States Army, was the land force that fought to preserve the Union (American Civil War), Union of the collective U.S. st ...

transports and other ships, ''Covington'' had frequent encounters with Confederates along the banks. On 18 June, she was transferred to the

Mississippi River The Mississippi River is the second-longest river and chief river of the second-largest drainage system in North America, second only to the Hudson Bay drainage system. From its traditional source of Lake Itasca in northern Minnesota, it f ...

for similar duty on that river and the

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Black Black is a color which results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without hue, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness. Black and white have o ...

, and Red Rivers. Arriving at

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, on 20 June 1863, she sailed the following day convoying and . She seized the steamer ''Eureka'' at

Commerce, Missouri Commerce is a Mississippi River village in Scott County, Missouri, United States. The population was 67 at the time of the 2010 census. History In 1788, the present site of Commerce was first occupied by French settlers, making Commerce apparen ...

, on 2 July for violation of the river blockade and sent her into Cairo. On 6 August she aided , sunk by a snag. Ordered to report to

Alexandria, Louisiana Alexandria is the ninth-largest city in the state of Louisiana and is the parish seat of Rapides Parish, Louisiana, United States. It lies on the south bank of the Red River in almost the exact geographic center of the state. It is the prin ...

, on 27 April 1864, ''Covington'' sailed with protecting the Army transport ''Warner'' down the Red River. About 25 miles below Alexandria, they were attacked by Confederate infantry in force. After five hours of bitter fighting, the transport was captured and the two escorts (''Covington'' and ''Signal'') were so badly damaged that they had to be abandoned and set afire. After ''Covington'' was set on fire by her crew, Lieutenant Lord and 32 of ''Covington''s crew escaped to Alexandria. ''Signal''s crew, however, was not so fortunate. After setting their ship on fire, they were captured by Confederate forces and made

prisoners-of-war A prisoner of war (POW) is a person who is held captive by a belligerent power during or immediately after an armed conflict. The earliest recorded usage of the phrase "prisoner of war" dates back to 1610. Belligerents hold prisoners of war ...

References

External links

USS Covington (1863–1864, "Tinclad" # 25)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Covington 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 Shipwrecks of the Red River of the South Shipwrecks of the American Civil War 1863 ships Ship fires Maritime incidents in May 1864