was a 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 ...

. She was used as a towboat and dispatch boat by the Navy, and she provided her services to ships in the

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 ...

squadrons. Ida was chartered by the Navy in New Orleans, Louisiana, 3 February 1863 and purchased 6 March.

Assignment

She was assigned to the mortar flotilla for use as a dispatch vessel and for towing the motor boats in the swift and tricky currents of 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 ...

. She operated primarily below

Port Hudson, Louisiana Port Hudson is an unincorporated community in East Baton Rouge Parish, Louisiana, United States. Located about northwest of Baton Rouge, it is known primarily as the location of an American Civil War battle, the siege of Port Hudson, in 1863. ...

, maintaining communication between the

flotilla A flotilla (from Spanish, meaning a small ''flota'' (fleet) of ships), or naval flotilla, is a formation of small warships that may be part of a larger fleet. Composition A flotilla is usually composed of a homogeneous group of the same class ...

and the squadron

flagship A flagship is a vessel used by the commanding officer of a group of naval ships, characteristically a flag officer entitled by custom to fly a distinguishing flag. Used more loosely, it is the lead ship in a fleet of vessels, typically the fi ...

. She was also used commandeering and towing off any boats suitable for military use found in the river. She came under fire while assisting ''Iberville'' 3 July but avoided damage. After Port Hudson fell 9 July clearing the entire

for Union shipping, ''Ida'' continued to operate in the lower river towing oceangoing vessels between the mouth of the river and New Orleans. Early in 1865, she was ordered to

Mobile Bay Mobile Bay ( ) is a shallow inlet of the Gulf of Mexico, lying within the state of Alabama in the United States. Its mouth is formed by the Fort Morgan Peninsula on the eastern side and Dauphin Island, a barrier island on the western side. The ...

, where she arrived 1 February. Two weeks later she took on board two smoothbore

howitzer 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 ot ...

s in preparation for picket duty.

Sinking

While clearing the main channel of

, ''Ida'' struck a

torpedo A modern torpedo is an underwater ranged weapon launched above or below the water surface, self-propelled towards a target, and with an explosive warhead designed to detonate either on contact with or in proximity to the target. Historically, su ...

which crushed the timbers on her

starboard Port and starboard are nautical terms for watercraft and aircraft, referring respectively to the left and right sides of the vessel, when aboard and facing the bow (front). Vessels with bilateral symmetry have left and right halves which are ...

side, burst her

boilers A boiler is a closed vessel in which fluid (generally water) is heated. The fluid does not necessarily boil. The heated or vaporized fluid exits the boiler for use in various processes or heating applications, including water heating, central h ...

, and tore up her decks on 13 April 1865. In a few moments, she flooded and sank in mid-channel. Three members of her crew were killed and two were wounded. Her wrecked hull was sold 11 September 1865.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ida Ships of the Union Navy Gunboats of the United States Navy Tugs of the United States Navy Dispatch boats of the United States Navy Steamships of the United States Navy American Civil War auxiliary ships of the United States Ships sunk by mines Shipwrecks of the American Civil War Shipwrecks of the Alabama coast Maritime incidents in April 1865