The first USS ''Nansemond'', a side wheel steamer built at Williamsburg, N.Y. in 1862, as ''James F. Freeborn'', was purchased by the

Union Navy The Union Navy was the United States Navy (USN) during the American Civil War, when it fought the Confederate States Navy (CSN). The term is sometimes used carelessly to include vessels of war used on the rivers of the interior while they were un ...

at New York City on 18 August 1863 from Richard Squires; it was renamed ''Nansemond'' and commissioned at Baltimore on 19 August, with

Lieutenant A lieutenant ( , ; abbreviated Lt., Lt, LT, Lieut and similar) is a commissioned officer rank in the armed forces of many nations. The meaning of lieutenant differs in different militaries (see comparative military ranks), but it is often ...

Roswell H. Lamson in command.

Civil War service

After joining 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 Wilmington on 24 August 1863, the sidewheeler chased blockade runner ''Douro'' ashore near New Inlet, North Carolina on 11 October, and destroyed her and her 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 pe ...

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 spec ...

, and

rosin Rosin (), also called colophony or Greek pitch ( la, links=no, pix graeca), is a solid form of resin obtained from pines and some other plants, mostly conifers, produced by heating fresh liquid resin to vaporize the volatile liquid terpene comp ...

. had previously captured the steamer, but, after being condemned and sold, ''Douro'' had reverted to running Confederate contraband. However, after her encounter with ''Nansemond'', ''Douro'' was "''...a perfect wreck...and past ever being bought and sold again.''" Squadron Commander Rear Admiral Samuel Phillips Lee reported, "''Nansemond has done well off Wilmington. She discovered followed and destroyed (sic.) the ''Douro'' at night, the first instance of the kind, I believe.''" Ten days later four shots from ''Nansemond'' caused blockade running steamer ''Venus'' to take on water, forcing her ashore near the mouth of the

Cape Fear River The Cape Fear River is a long blackwater river in east central North Carolina. It flows into the Atlantic Ocean near Cape Fear, from which it takes its name. The river is formed at the confluence of the Haw River and the Deep River (North Carol ...

. After vainly trying to refloat her the next morning, Lt. Lamson set fire to the hulk. On the evening of 4 November, sighted blockade runner ''Margaret and Jessie'' and pursued her through the night. The next morning, ''Nansemond'' and Army transport ''Fulton'' — who had joined in the chase — captured the notorious runner at sea, east of Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. ''Margaret and Jessie'' had previously succeeded in running the blockade 15 times. On the evening of 6 May 1864, steamed over the bar at

New Inlet New Inlet was an inlet along the Outer Banks of North Carolina joining Pamlico Sound with the Atlantic Ocean. It had not existed since 1945 before Hurricane Irene temporarily re-opened the inlet in 2011. History New Inlet first opened around 1738 ...

and attacked blockaders and ''Nansemond'' while a Confederate steamer raced to sea. The following morning, ''Nansemond'', ''Howquah'', , and repulsed a renewed attack by the Southern ram. ''Raleigh'', while attempting to withdraw over the bar at the mouth of Cape Fear River, grounded, suffered severe damage and was destroyed by her Commander,

Flag Officer A flag officer is a commissioned officer in a nation's armed forces senior enough to be entitled to fly a flag to mark the position from which the officer exercises command. The term is used differently in different countries: *In many countries ...

William F. Lynch Captain William Francis Lynch (1 April 1801 – 17 October 1865) was a naval officer who served first in the United States Navy and later in the Confederate States Navy. Personal life William F. Lynch was born in Virginia. On 2 June 1828, on ...

, to prevent her falling into Union hands. On 20 June, ''Nansemond'' and embarked Army troops for an expedition to New River, N.C. to cut the

Wilmington and Weldon Railroad The Wilmington and Weldon Railroad (W&W) name began use in 1855, having been originally chartered as the Wilmington and Raleigh Railroad in 1834. At the time of its completion in 1840, the line was the longest railroad in the world with of track ...

. However, word of the raid reached Confederate ears, and strong Southern defensive forces compelled the Union troops to withdraw under cover of the ships' guns. The Union was determined, however, to have Wilmington. A joint Army-Navy attack on

Fort Fisher Fort Fisher was a Confederate fort during the American Civil War. It protected the vital trading routes of the port at Wilmington, North Carolina, from 1861 until its capture by the Union in 1865. The fort was located on one of Cape Fear Rive ...

— which protected the vital Southern port — was launched on Christmas Eve, only to be repulsed the next day by determined defenders. The Union struck again on 13 January 1865 and finally conquered the bitterly contested Confederate stronghold three days later. After supporting the Union's final drive on Richmond, ''Nansemond'' decommissioned at

Washington Navy Yard The Washington Navy Yard (WNY) is the former shipyard and Weapon, ordnance plant of the United States Navy in Southeast, Washington, D.C., Southeast Washington, D.C. It is the oldest shore establishment of the U.S. Navy. The Yard currently serv ...

on 8 August. She was transferred to the

US Treasury Department The Department of the Treasury (USDT) is the national treasury and finance department of the federal government of the United States, where it serves as an executive department. The department oversees the Bureau of Engraving and Printing and ...

on 22 August and served the

Revenue Cutter Service ) , colors= , colors_label= , march= , mascot= , equipment= , equipment_label= , battles= , anniversaries=4 August , decorations= , battle_honours= , battle_honours_label= , disbanded=28 January 1915 , flying_hours= , website= , commander1= , co ...

as ''W. H. Crawford'', operating primarily along the Atlantic coast from Baltimore to Key West. She was sold at Baltimore to Edward D. Booz on 24 April 1897.

References

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Nansemond 1862 ships Ships built in Brooklyn Ships built by Lawrence & Foulks 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