USS ''Gertrude'' was the British blockade-running

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 ...

''Gertrude'' captured 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 placed in service by the Navy 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 ...

and assigned to patrol the southern coast of the

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for ships attempting to run the Union blockade of Southern ports. She was later the American merchant ship ''Gussie Telfair'' until wrecked in 1880.

Service history

The iron-hulled steamer ''Gertrude'' was built in

Whiteinch Whiteinch ( gd, Innis Bhàn) is an area in the city of Glasgow, Scotland. It is situated directly north of the River Clyde, between the Partick and Scotstoun areas of the city. Whiteinch was at one stage part of the burgh of Partick, until that ...

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as Yard No.100 at the Clydeholm yard of Barclay, Curle & Company as an American Civil War

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 ...

and launched on 25 November 1862. Along with her sistership '' Emma'', she was built for Thomas Stirling Begbie, a London shipowner and merchant. ''Gertrude'' was measured as 278 grt and 191 nrt, with dimensions 164.4 feet length overall, 21.2 feet beam and 12.2 feet depth. She was powered by 2-cylinder

oscillating engine An oscillating cylinder steam engine (also known as a wobbler in the US) is a simple steam-engine design (proposed by William Murdoch at the end of 18th century) that requires no valve gear. Instead the cylinder rocks, or oscillates, as the c ...

of 100

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, made by John Scott's Greenock Foundry Company,

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. ''Gertrude'' made her first run of the blockade from

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, arriving 16 March 1863, and returned safely with 820 bales of cotton. On her next trip, ''Gertrude'' had barely left Nassau when she was chased and captured on 16 April 1863 by the

off Eleuthera Island, Bahamas. Purchased from the

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by the United States Navy on 4 June 1863, ''Gertrude'' was fitted out at

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and commissioned there on 22 July 1863, Acting Master Walter K. Cressy in command. Assigned to the

West Gulf Blockading Squadron The Union blockade in the American Civil War was a naval strategy by the United States to prevent the Confederate States of America, Confederacy from trading. The blockade was proclaimed by President Abraham Lincoln in April 1861, and required ...

under Rear Admiral

David Farragut David Glasgow Farragut (; also spelled Glascoe; July 5, 1801 – August 14, 1870) was a flag officer of the United States Navy during the American Civil War. He was the first rear admiral, vice admiral, and admiral in the United States Navy. Fa ...

, ''Gertrude'' arrived off

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, in early August and on 16 August captured the Confederate blockade runner ''Warrior'' following a 9-hour chase. After taking her prize to

New Orleans, Louisiana New Orleans ( , ,New Orleans
Merriam-Webster. ; french: La Nouvelle-Orléans , es, Nuev ...

, ''Gertrude'' was assigned to blockade duty off that port. She served as a blockading ship, alternating between New Orleans and Mobile, until May 1864, and was credited with the capture of schooner ''Ellen'' on 16 January 1864. During this period she also spent short periods at

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, and New Orleans for repairs. Beginning in May 1864, ''Gertrude'' was assigned to blockade the

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coast, and spent most of the next year off

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. She visited blockading stations off

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and

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, and took blockade runner ''Eco'' off Galveston 19 February 1865. ''Gertrude'' also captured over 50 bales of cotton 19 April 1865 which were thrown overboard by famous Confederate blockade runner ''Denbigh'' during her escape from the blockading fleet. ''Gertrude'' decommissioned 11 August 1865 at the

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and was sold 30 November at New York City to George Wright. She was redocumented ''Gussie Telfair'' in ''1866'' and sailed as a merchantman until 1878.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Gertrude Ships of the Union Navy Ships built on the River Clyde Steamships of the United States Navy Gunboats of the United States Navy American Civil War patrol vessels of the United States 1862 ships