USS ''Isaac Smith'' was a

screw steamer A screw steamer or screw steamship is an old term for a steamship or steamboat powered by a steam engine, using one or more propellers (also known as ''screws'') to propel it through the water. Such a ship was also known as an "iron screw steam shi ...

acquired by 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 ...

. She was used by the

Union Navy The Union Navy was the United States Navy (USN) during the American Civil War, when it fought the Confederate States Navy (CSN). The term is sometimes used carelessly to include vessels of war used on the rivers of the interior while they were un ...

to patrol navigable waterways of the

Confederate States of America The Confederate States of America (CSA), commonly referred to as the Confederate States or the Confederacy was an unrecognized breakaway republic in the Southern United States that existed from February 8, 1861, to May 9, 1865. The Confeder ...

to prevent the Confederacy from trading with other countries. In 1863, she became the only warship in the American Civil War to be captured by enemy land forces. She then served in the

Confederate States Navy The Confederate States Navy (CSN) was the Navy, naval branch of the Confederate States Armed Forces, established by an act of the Confederate States Congress on February 21, 1861. It was responsible for Confederate naval operations during the Amer ...

as CSS ''Stono'' until she was wrecked.

Construction and acquisition

''Isaac Smith'' was built by Lawrence & Foulks in 1861 for passenger-cargo service on the

Hudson River The Hudson River is a river that flows from north to south primarily through eastern New York. It originates in the Adirondack Mountains of Upstate New York and flows southward through the Hudson Valley to the New York Harbor between N ...

in New York. She was purchased by the U.S. Navy in

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the Un ...

from E. J. Hamilton 9 September 1861. She was armed and on 17 October 1861 was commissioned as USS ''Isaac Smith''.

United States Navy service

South Atlantic Blockading Squadron

On 16 October 1861, ''Isaac Smith'' was assigned to the

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

in time to join

Flag Officer A flag officer is a commissioned officer in a nation's armed forces senior enough to be entitled to fly a flag to mark the position from which the officer exercises command. The term is used differently in different countries: *In many countries ...

Samuel F. Du Pont Samuel Francis Du Pont (September 27, 1803 – June 23, 1865) was a rear admiral in the United States Navy, and a member of the prominent Du Pont family. In the Mexican–American War, Du Pont captured San Diego, and was made commander of the Ca ...

′s assault against Port Royal,

South Carolina )'' Animis opibusque parati'' ( for, , Latin, Prepared in mind and resources, links=no) , anthem = " Carolina";" South Carolina On My Mind" , Former = Province of South Carolina , seat = Columbia , LargestCity = Charleston , LargestMetro = ...

. An intense

hurricane A tropical cyclone is a rapidly rotating storm system characterized by a low-pressure center, a closed low-level atmospheric circulation, strong winds, and a spiral arrangement of thunderstorms that produce heavy rain and squalls. Depend ...

occurred during the voyage south compelling the ship to jettison her guns. Nevertheless, she assisted the

United States Marine Corps The United States Marine Corps (USMC), also referred to as the United States Marines, is the maritime land force service branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for conducting expeditionary and amphibious operations through combi ...

transport ''Governor'' – a sidewheel

paddle steamer A paddle steamer is a steamship or steamboat powered by a steam engine that drives paddle wheels to propel the craft through the water. In antiquity, paddle wheelers followed the development of poles, oars and sails, where the first uses we ...

bound for Port Royal carrying 650 passengers, including a

battalion A battalion is a military unit, typically consisting of 300 to 1,200 soldiers commanded by a lieutenant colonel, and subdivided into a number of companies (usually each commanded by a major or a captain). In some countries, battalions a ...

of 385

United States Marines The United States Marine Corps (USMC), also referred to as the United States Marines, is the maritime land force service branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for conducting expeditionary and amphibious operations through com ...

, and a cargo of 19,000 rounds of ammunition – taking ''Governor'' under tow after ''Governor'' became disabled during the storm. Despite her efforts, ''Governor'' foundered off

Cape Hatteras Cape Hatteras is a cape located at a pronounced bend in Hatteras Island, one of the barrier islands of North Carolina. Long stretches of beach, sand dunes, marshes, and maritime forests create a unique environment where wind and waves shap ...

North Carolina North Carolina () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States. The state is the 28th largest and 9th-most populous of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, Georgia and ...

, during the storm on 3 November 1861 with the loss of six lives.usnlp.org Navy Chronology of the Civil War, July-December 1861
/ref> During a reconnaissance in force on 4 and 5 November 1861, ''Isaac Smith'' engaged and repelled three attacking Confederate steamers and silenced batteries at

Hilton Head Hilton Head Island, sometimes referred to as simply Hilton Head, is a Lowcountry resort town and barrier island in Beaufort County, South Carolina, United States. It is northeast of Savannah, Georgia, and southwest of Charleston. The island is ...

and Bay Point, South Carolina. Two days later she towed sailing sloop-of-war into action during the landings which wrested Port Royal from Confederate hands providing the

Union Union commonly refers to: * Trade union, an organization of workers * Union (set theory), in mathematics, a fundamental operation on sets Union may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Music * Union (band), an American rock group ** ''Un ...

a base for the fleet and for combined U.S. Navy-

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 of the collective states. It proved essential to th ...

operations against the Confederacy.

Georgia and Florida operations

''Isaac Smith'' participated in operations against the coast of South Carolina until 21 January 1862 when she left to join the expedition to Savannah,

Georgia Georgia most commonly refers to: * Georgia (country), a country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia * Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the Southeast United States Georgia may also refer to: Places Historical states and entities * Related to the ...

, led by Captain Charles H. Davis,

USN 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 o ...

, and

Brigadier General Brigadier general or Brigade general is a military rank used in many countries. It is the lowest ranking general officer in some countries. The rank is usually above a colonel, and below a major general or divisional general. When appointed ...

Horatio G. Wright Horatio Gouverneur Wright (March 6, 1820 – July 2, 1899) was an engineer and general in the Union Army during the American Civil War. He took command of the VI Corps in May 1864 following the death of General John Sedgwick. In this capacity, he ...

of the

United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the land warfare, land military branch, service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight Uniformed services of the United States, U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army o ...

. This operation was primarily a diversionary effort to cover up a projected attack on Fernandina,

Florida Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and to ...

, but it also provided valuable information about Confederate defenses of the water approaches to Savannah, and it interrupted communications between

Fort Pulaski A fortification is a military construction or building designed for the defense of territories in warfare, and is also used to establish rule in a region during peacetime. The term is derived from Latin ''fortis'' ("strong") and ''facere'' ...

and Savannah. During the latter half of March and all of April 1862, ''Isaac Smith'' was active in the vicinity of St. Augustine, Florida. She took possession of the post office there on 18 March 1862 and two days later mounted a gun on the ramparts of Fort Marion in a position to command the main road to the city. She also enforced the

Union blockade The Union blockade in the American Civil War was a naval strategy by the United States to prevent the Confederacy from trading. The blockade was proclaimed by President Abraham Lincoln in April 1861, and required the monitoring of of Atlanti ...

of the Confederacy, and her boats captured the blockade runner ''British Empire'' 3 April 1862. ''Isaac Smith'' stood out of St. Augustine and entered the St. Johns River on 4 May 1862 to begin a period of three months' service in the vicinity of

Jacksonville Jacksonville is a city located on the Atlantic coast of northeast Florida, the most populous city proper in the state and is the List of United States cities by area, largest city by area in the contiguous United States as of 2020. It is the co ...

, Florida. Her presence there helped tighten the

blockade A blockade is the act of actively preventing a country or region from receiving or sending out food, supplies, weapons, or communications, and sometimes people, by military force. A blockade differs from an embargo or sanction, which are leg ...

, provided sanctuary for refugees, drew Confederate troops away from more active fronts, and facilitated Union intelligence activity. In need of repair, ''Isaac Smith'' sailed for New York City on 10 August 1862 for "beaching, breeming, and improvements."

Capture by Confederate forces

''Isaac Smith'' returned to her squadron on 11 October 1862. Then Rear Admiral Du Pont ordered her to the Stono River, where she served until 30 January 1863. That day she was caught in a crossfire from masked shore batteries. with ''Isaac Smith'' disabled by accurate fire and with her deck covered with wounded men, her captain surrendered the ship rather than risk their lives. Eight men were dead and 17 were wounded.

Confederate States Navy service

After her capture, the ship served in the Confederate States Navy in the waters around Charleston, South Carolina, under the name CSS ''Stono'' until she was wrecked on the breakwater near

Fort Moultrie Fort Moultrie is a series of fortifications on Sullivan's Island, South Carolina, built to protect the city of Charleston, South Carolina. The first fort, formerly named Fort Sullivan, built of palmetto logs, inspired the flag and n ...

, South Carolina, while attempting to run the blockade with a load of

cotton Cotton is a soft, fluffy staple fiber that grows in a boll, or protective case, around the seeds of the cotton plants of the genus '' Gossypium'' in the mallow family Malvaceae. The fiber is almost pure cellulose, and can contain minor pe ...

on 5 June 1863.Gaines, pp. 155-156. No data on salvage operations for ''Stono'' has been found, but the ''Official Records of the Union and Confederate Navies in the War of the Rebellion'' state that she was "burned by the Confederates at the evacuation of Charleston in 1865."

Footnotes

References

*
Gaines, W. Craig, ''Encyclopedia of Civil War Shipwrecks'', Louisiana State University Press, 2008
, .

External links

at Naval Historical Center {{DEFAULTSORT:Isaac Smith 1851 ships Ships built by Lawrence & Foulks Ships of the Union Navy Steamships of the United States Navy Ships of the Confederate States Navy Blockade runners of the Confederate States Navy Shipwrecks of the American Civil War Shipwrecks of the Carolina coast Shipwrecks in rivers Captured ships Maritime incidents in January 1863 Maritime incidents in June 1863 Ship fires