USS ''Sumpter'' 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 ...

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 ...

. ''Sumpter'' or ''Sumter'', ex-''Atlanta'', ex-''Parker Vein'', was built in 1853 by Hillman and Streaker,

Philadelphia Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Sinc ...

. The merchant steamer ''Atlanta'' was chartered by the Navy on 13 September 1858, to take part in the expedition against Paraguay; purchased outright on 26 May 1859, and renamed ''Sumpter''.

Service history

Under the command of Commander Daniel R. Ridgely, ''Atlanta'' and 18 other warships arrived at

Asunción Asunción (, , , Guarani: Paraguay) is the capital and the largest city of Paraguay. The city stands on the eastern bank of the Paraguay River, almost at the confluence of this river with the Pilcomayo River. The Paraguay River and the Bay of ...

, on 25 January 1859, to take action against that country for firing on in 1855. However, the government of Paraguay offered an apology and paid an indemnity which settled the affair without resorting to violence. When the squadron returned to the United States, the ship was purchased outright and renamed ''Sumpter''. ''Sumpter'' and four other screw steamers were assigned to cruise the coasts of Cuba and Africa to suppress the

slave trade Slavery and enslavement are both the state and the condition of being a slave—someone forbidden to quit one's service for an enslaver, and who is treated by the enslaver as property. Slavery typically involves slaves being made to perf ...

. ''Sumpter'' sailed from the west coast of Africa, on 10 August 1861, and returned to the United States on 15 September. On 6 January 1862, ''Sumpter'' was ordered to report to Port Royal, South Carolina, and join the South Atlantic Blockading Squadron and on 2 February was reported to have joined the squadron, and the next day sailed to Charleston. On 18 March, she participated in the capture of the British blockade runner ''Emil St. Pierre'' off that port. The ship returned to Port Royal, on 23 April, for repairs and departed on the 29th to take station off Wassaw Inlet, Georgia. ''Sumpter'' rejoined the blockade off Charleston in early May and remained there until August. In mid-May, she sent a boat to Port Pulaski to gain information regarding

Confederate Confederacy or confederate may refer to: States or communities * Confederate state or confederation, a union of sovereign groups or communities * Confederate States of America, a confederation of secessionist American states that existed between 1 ...

gunboats; but the boat wandered into St. Augustine Creek, near Fort Jackson, and was captured. She was then ordered to

Fernandina, Florida Fernandina Beach is a city in northeastern Florida and the county seat of Nassau County, Florida, United States. It is the northernmost city on Florida's Atlantic coast, situated on Amelia Island, and is one of the principal municipalities comp ...

, to join the blockade there. The steamer sailed from there on 6 October en route to New York City for repairs, via Port Royal. After her repairs were completed, ''Sumpter'' was assigned to the North Atlantic Blockading Squadron at

Hampton Roads Hampton Roads is the name of both a body of water in the United States that serves as a wide channel for the James River, James, Nansemond River, Nansemond and Elizabeth River (Virginia), Elizabeth rivers between Old Point Comfort and Sewell's ...

. Her duty was to search for Confederate

cruiser A cruiser is a type of warship. Modern cruisers are generally the largest ships in a fleet after aircraft carriers and amphibious assault ships, and can usually perform several roles. The term "cruiser", which has been in use for several hu ...

s and blockade runners. She was stationed off Hampton Bar in May 1863 but, the following month, was sent to the Yorktown, Virginia area to search for the Confederate

privateer A privateer is a private person or ship that engages in maritime warfare under a commission of war. Since robbery under arms was a common aspect of seaborne trade, until the early 19th century all merchant ships carried arms. A sovereign or deleg ...

, ''Clarence''. On the morning of 24 June, she collided with the Union transport, eight or nine miles from the Smith Island lighthouse and sank in seven fathoms ( of water. The officers and crew were rescued by and taken to

Newport News, Virginia Newport News () is an independent city in the U.S. state of Virginia. At the 2020 census, the population was 186,247. Located in the Hampton Roads region, it is the 5th most populous city in Virginia and 140th most populous city in the Uni ...

. As of 2005, no other ship in the United States Navy has borne the name ''Sumpter'', although there was a , an attack transport which served with the U.S. Navy during

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

, and a , a tank landing ship decommissioned in 1993.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Sumpter, USS Ships of the Union Navy Ships built in Philadelphia Steamships of the United States Navy Gunboats of the United States Navy American Civil War patrol vessels of the United States Shipwrecks of the Virginia coast Shipwrecks of the American Civil War 1853 ships Maritime incidents in June 1863 Ships sunk in collisions

Service history

See also

References