USS ''Stettin'' was a 600-ton iron screw steamship, was built at

Sunderland Sunderland () is a port city in Tyne and Wear, England. It is the City of Sunderland's administrative centre and in the Historic counties of England, historic county of County of Durham, Durham. The city is from Newcastle-upon-Tyne and is on t ...

, England, in 1861 and later served as a gunboat in the

United States Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage ...

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 ...

British Vessels captured while trying to run the Blockade

Capture of the English steamship ''Stettin''

The ''Stettin'' was captured by the Union side wheel steamer on 24 May 1862 northeast of

Charleston Bar Charleston Bar is a series of submerged shoals lying about eight miles southeast of Charleston, South Carolina, United States. See also * Battle of Sullivan's Island {{coord, 32.730, -79.851, display=title Bar Bar or BAR may refer to: Food ...

while attempting to break through the Federal blockade of

Charleston, South Carolina Charleston is the largest city in the U.S. state of South Carolina, the county seat of Charleston County, and the principal city in the Charleston–North Charleston metropolitan area. The city lies just south of the geographical midpoint o ...

. The

blockade runner A blockade runner is a merchant vessel used for evading a naval blockade of a port or strait. It is usually light and fast, using stealth and speed rather than confronting the blockaders in order to break the blockade. Blockade runners usuall ...

had been attempting to slip into Charleston with saltpeter, lead, quinine, and assorted cargo from the

Bahamas The Bahamas (), officially the Commonwealth of The Bahamas, is an island country within the Lucayan Archipelago of the West Indies in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic. It takes up 97% of the Lucayan Archipelago's land area and is home to ...

. Condemned by the New York Prize Court, the steamer was purchased by the United States Navy on 4 September, and placed in commission as USS ''Stettin'' in November. Acting Master Edward F. Devens was in command. USS Stettin captures the anglo-rebel steamer Aries

USS Stettin captures the anglo-rebel steamer Aries

Union blockade enforcement

Assigned to the South Atlantic Blockading Squadron, Stettin arrived at Port Royal, South Carolina, on 24 November 1862, and was sent back to the waters off Charleston to help enforce the blockade. While so assigned, she captured, or had a role in capturing or destroying, four would be blockade runners. On 28 March 1863, she captured , and shelled steamer ''Havelock'' as the blockade runner raced past them off Charleston on 11 June. Their guns damaged ''Havelock'' so severely that she ran aground on

Folly Island Folly Island is a barrier island in the Atlantic Ocean near Charleston, South Carolina. It is one of the Sea Islands and is within the boundaries of Charleston County, South Carolina. During the American Civil War, the island served as a majo ...

where she was seen at daybreak ablaze. She was later reported to be a total wreck. The ''Stettin'' operated successfully against the steamer ''Diamond'' on 23 September 1863 to achieve a fourth victory.

Decommissioning

USS ''Stettin'' left the war zone late in the conflict and was decommissioned at the Boston Navy Yard on 6 April 1865. She was sold at a public auction on 22 June to Richard Baker Jr, and renamed ''Sheridan''. She was stranded on 24 September 1866.

References

External links

Stettin (English Steamship, 1861) - Served as USS Stettin in 1862-1865
{{DEFAULTSORT:Stettin 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 Shipwrecks Maritime incidents in September 1866 1861 ships