USS ''Exchange'' was a steamer 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 ...

. She was used by the Union Navy as a gunboat 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. After the war's end, she was assigned as an

ammunition ship An ammunition ship is an auxiliary ship specially configured to carry ammunition, usually for naval ships and aircraft. An ammunition ship's cargo handling systems, designed with extreme safety in mind, include ammunition hoists with airlocks bet ...

, to carry ordnance where needed.

Built in Pennsylvania in 1862

''Exchange'', a stern wheel gunboat, was built in 1862 at Brownsville, Pennsylvania; purchased by the Navy on 6 April 1863; and early in June 1863 joined 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 J. S. Kurd in command.

Civil War service

Patrolling the Tennessee and Mississippi Rivers

Through the summer of 1863, ''Exchange'' patrolled 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, ...

, harassing the enemy by destroying boats and sending landing parties ashore, frequently taking prisoners. Early in September, she stood down 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 ...

Memphis, Tennessee Memphis is a city in the U.S. state of Tennessee. It is the seat of Shelby County in the southwest part of the state; it is situated along the Mississippi River. With a population of 633,104 at the 2020 U.S. census, Memphis is the second-mos ...

, and through the remainder of the war, patrolled the Mississippi River and its tributaries, convoying

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, shelling enemy shore batteries, and bringing her firepower to bear in repelling guerrilla attacks on Union camps.

Commended by Admiral Porter for gallant conduct in battle

''Exchange'' joined in the expedition up the

Yazoo River The Yazoo River is a river in the U.S. states of Louisiana and Mississippi. It is considered by some to mark the southern boundary of what is called the Mississippi Delta, a broad floodplain that was cultivated for cotton plantations before the ...

in February 1864 to facilitate the march on

Meridian, Mississippi Meridian is the List of municipalities in Mississippi, seventh largest city in the U.S. state of Mississippi, with a population of 41,148 at the 2010 United States Census, 2010 census and an estimated population in 2018 of 36,347. It is the count ...

, and captured 632 bales of cotton belonging to the

Confederate Army The Confederate States Army, also called the Confederate Army or the Southern Army, was the military land force of the Confederate States of America (commonly referred to as the Confederacy) during the American Civil War (1861–1865), fighting ...

. On 1 June, during a 45-minute engagement with a masked battery at

Columbia, Arkansas Columbia, Arkansas was a 19th-century boat landing and human settlement along the Mississippi River located in Chicot County, Arkansas, Chicot County near Helena, Arkansas. Columbia lay in a section of the River known as the Greenville Bends, be ...

, the gunboat was struck 35 times, with 8 shots piercing her hull. One man was killed, and her

commanding officer The commanding officer (CO) or sometimes, if the incumbent is a general officer, commanding general (CG), is the officer in command of a military unit. The commanding officer has ultimate authority over the unit, and is usually given wide latitu ...

wounded. The gallant conduct of her crew in this action won commendation from Rear Admiral

David Dixon Porter David Dixon Porter (June 8, 1813 – February 13, 1891) was a United States Navy admiral and a member of one of the most distinguished families in the history of the U.S. Navy. Promoted as the second U.S. Navy officer ever to attain the rank o ...

Post-war service and disposal

''Exchange'' towed and carried ordnance stores to

Jefferson Barracks, Missouri The Jefferson Barracks Military Post is located on the Mississippi River at Lemay, Missouri, south of St. Louis. It was an important and active U.S. Army installation from 1826 through 1946. It is the oldest operating U.S. military installation w ...

, after the war, until decommissioned at Mound City, Illinois, on 6 August 1865. She was sold on 17 August 1865.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Exchange Ships built in Brownsville, Pennsylvania Ships of the Union Navy Gunboats of the United States Navy Steamships of the United States Navy American Civil War patrol vessels of the United States Ammunition ships of the United States Navy 1862 ships