The first USS ''Resolute'' 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 purchased by the Union Navy to be part of the fleet of ships stationed in coastal waterways to prevent blockade runners from entering or departing ports of the Confederacy. She served 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-ste ...

and, at times, as a

ship's tender A ship's tender, usually referred to as a tender, is a boat, or a larger ship, used to service or support other boats or ships. This is generally done by transporting people or supplies to and from shore or another ship. A second and distinctl ...

and, at war's end, was sold at auction.

Service history

''Resolute'', a wooden, screw tug built in 1860 at

Keyport, New Jersey Keyport is a borough in Monmouth County, New Jersey, United States. At the 2010 United States Census, the borough's population was 7,240,New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...

; and commissioned 12 May 1861, Acting Master William Budd in command. Assigned to the Union Navy's

Potomac Flotilla The Potomac Flotilla, also called the Potomac Squadron, was a unit of the United States Navy created in the early days of the American Civil War to secure Union communications in the Chesapeake Bay, the Potomac River and their tributaries, and to ...

, ''Resolute'' went into action 29 May 1861 in company with , , and Navy landing parties against Confederate shore batteries at Aquia Creek,

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth ar ...

. While returning from a voyage up the

Potomac River The Potomac River () drains the Mid-Atlantic United States, flowing from the Potomac Highlands into Chesapeake Bay. It is long,U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map. Retrieved Augus ...

to make

topographical Topography is the study of the forms and features of land surfaces. The topography of an area may refer to the land forms and features themselves, or a description or depiction in maps. Topography is a field of geoscience and planetary sc ...

observations with Capt. W. R. Palmer, USA, on board, ''Resolute'' captured and burned the schooner ''Somerset'' 8 June 1861 in Breton Bay. While patrolling upriver 7 July, she encountered and successfully swept two Confederate moored mines, among the first of their kind used in the Civil War. The enterprising tug captured the coaster ''Ocean Wave'' 18 July 1861 after a long chase off the mouth of the

Great Wicomico River The Great Wicomico River is a U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map , accessed April 1, 2011 river in the U.S. state of Virginia, located approximately northeast of Richmond. In 1864, du ...

but lost three killed and one wounded 15 August when her boat unsuccessfully attempted to capture a Confederate boat at Lower Cedar Point, Virginia. ''Resolute'' destroyed four boats 31 August 1861 inshore at Ferry Landing, Virginia; captured the

schooner A schooner () is a type of sailing vessel defined by its rig: fore-and-aft rigged on all of two or more masts and, in the case of a two-masted schooner, the foremast generally being shorter than the mainmast. A common variant, the topsail schoon ...

''Jones'' 11 August 1862 and the sloop ''Capitola'' 8 November 1862; and during mid-July 1863, operated close inshore in company with and under fire of Confederate shore batteries at Mathias Point to protect unloading operations from the grounded Army transport ''George Peabody''. Resolute patrolled St. Inigoes Creek, St. Mary's River, St. George's Creek, and the mouth of the

Rappahannock River The Rappahannock River is a river in eastern Virginia, in the United States, approximately in length.U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map accessed April 1, 2011 It traverses the entir ...

, into 1864. From August to October 1864, she acted as

to the coast defense monitor anchored off

Point Lookout, Maryland Point Lookout State Park is a public recreation area and historic preserve occupying Point Lookout, the southernmost tip of a peninsula formed by the confluence of Chesapeake Bay and the Potomac River in St. Mary's County, Maryland. The state pa ...

. Subsequently under major overhaul 12 October 1864 to 11 January 1865 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 ...

, ''Resolute'' returned to the Potomac Flotilla to resume cruising duty. Steaming largely off Cockpit Point, Liverpool Point, and between Sandy Point and

Indian Head Indian Head can refer to: Coins * Indian Head cent, U.S. one cent coin (1859–1909) *Indian Head eagle, U.S. $10 gold piece issued between 1907 and 1933 *Indian Head gold pieces, U.S. coins issued between 1908 and 1929 *Indian Head nickel, U.S. f ...

, ''Resolute'' returned to

at war's end and was decommissioned 26 May 1865. ''Resolute'' was sold 24 June 1865 at

Washington, D.C. ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...

, to T. J. Southard. Redocumented 8 July 1865, she remained in merchant service until abandoned in 1899.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Resolute Ships of the Union Navy Ships built in Keyport, New Jersey Steamships of the United States Navy Gunboats of the United States Navy American Civil War patrol vessels of the United States Tenders of the United States Navy American Civil War auxiliary ships of the United States 1860 ships

Service history

See also

References