USS ''Prairie Bird'' was a

steamship A steamship, often referred to as a steamer, is a type of steam-powered vessel, typically ocean-faring and seaworthy, that is propelled by one or more steam engines that typically move (turn) propellers or paddlewheels. The first steamships ...

commissioned 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 served the Union navy fleet 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 ...

during operations on

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 ...

and its tributaries.

Service history

''Prairie Bird'', a "tinclad" wooden steamer purchased as ''Mary Miller'' 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 ...

, 19 December 1862, was fitted out 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 ...

, renamed ''Prairie Bird'' and commissioned in January 1863, Acting Master J. C. Moore in command. ''Prairie Bird'' steamed down the

in mid-February 1863, to assist , grounded 20 miles below

Island No. 10 Island Number Ten was an island in the Mississippi River near Tiptonville, Tennessee and the site of a major eponymous battle in the American Civil War. In the mid-19th century the United States Government began to adopt a uniform numbering plan ...

. She then continued on to

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 ...

, whence she escorted a provision ship to 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 ...

, where she joined the Mississippi Squadron. At the end of the month she took up station above the White River to protect a coal depot. In mid-March she shifted to Greenville; in April, she operated at the mouth of the White River; and in May, she returned to Memphis. Remaining in the Arkansas-White River area into the following spring, she reconnoitered the

Sunflower River The Sunflower River (also known as the Big Sunflower River) is one of the main tributaries of the Yazoo River in the U.S. state of Mississippi. It is navigable by barge for 50 miles. It rises in De Soto County, Mississippi near the Tennessee border ...

, as far as Lake George and Silver Creek, with in March 1864. In April she steamed with ''Petrel'' and ''Freestone'' up the Yazoo River to fire on and pass

Yazoo City, Mississippi Yazoo City is a U.S. city in Yazoo County, Mississippi. It was named after the Yazoo River, which, in turn was named by the French explorer Robert La Salle in 1682 as "Rivière des Yazous" in reference to the Yazoo tribe living near the river's m ...

, in support of

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 ...

operation against that city. On the 22nd ''Prairie Bird'', having received engine damage, rescued survivors from ''Petrel'', then retired to Vicksburg for repairs. Assigned to the 6th District,

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 ...

, for most of the remainder of the war, ''Prairie Bird'' operated between

Vicksburg, Mississippi Vicksburg is a historic city in Warren County, Mississippi, United States. It is the county seat, and the population at the 2010 census was 23,856. Located on a high bluff on the east bank of the Mississippi River across from Louisiana, Vic ...

, and the

Arkansas River The Arkansas River is a major tributary of the Mississippi River. It generally flows to the east and southeast as it traverses the U.S. states of Colorado, Kansas, Oklahoma, and Arkansas. The river's source basin lies in the western United Stat ...

. On 21 July she seized the steamer ''Union'' for violation of revenue laws and giving "aid and comfort to the enemy." On the 23rd she rescued 350 of 500 passengers aboard'' B. M. Runyan'', sunk off Skipwith's Landing, and on 11 August she engaged the enemy battery at Gaines Landing, Arkansas, in support of operations there. The following December she joined with other vessels and Union Army units to cut the rebel communications in

Mississippi Mississippi () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States, bordered to the north by Tennessee; to the east by Alabama; to the south by the Gulf of Mexico; to the southwest by Louisiana; and to the northwest by Arkansas. Miss ...

and on the 31st assisted blowing the railway bridge over the Big Black River. ''Prairie Bird'' remained in the 6th District until March 1865. Then sent to

Mound City, Illinois Mound City is a city and the county seat of Pulaski County, Illinois, United States. It is located along the Ohio River just north of its confluence with the Mississippi River. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 588. History Mound Ci ...

, she remained a unit of the Mississippi Squadron until ordered decommissioned in July. On 17 August 1865 she was sold by public auction to Henry Morton.

References

Civil War Biographies from the Western Waters {{DEFAULTSORT:Prairie Bird 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

Service history

See also

References