USS Stars And Stripes (1861)
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USS ''Stars and Stripes'' was a 407-ton steamer acquired by the
U.S. 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 o ...
and put to use by the Union 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 ...
. ''Stars and Stripes '' served 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 ...
primarily as a screw
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 as a
tugboat A tugboat or tug is a marine vessel that manoeuvres other vessels by pushing or pulling them, with direct contact or a tow line. These boats typically tug ships in circumstances where they cannot or should not move under their own power, su ...
when necessary, in the blockade of the rivers and ports 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 ...
.


Service history


Civil War operations

''Stars and Stripes''—a screw steamer built at
Mystic, Connecticut Mystic is a village and census-designated place (CDP) in Groton, Connecticut, Groton and Stonington, Connecticut, United States. Historically, Mystic was a significant Connecticut seaport with more than 600 ships built over 135 years starting in ...
, by Charles Mallory as a speculation for C. S. Bushnell—was purchased by the Navy at
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 C. S. Bushnell on 27 July 1861; was fitted out for naval service at the New York Navy Yard and was commissioned there on 19 September 1861, Lt. Reed Werden in command. Assigned to the
Atlantic Blockading Squadron The Atlantic Blockading Squadron was a unit of the United States Navy created in the early days of the American Civil War to enforce the Union blockade of the ports of the Confederate States. It was formed in 1861 and split up the same year for th ...
, ''Stars and Stripes'' reached
Hampton Roads, Virginia Hampton Roads is the name of both a body of water in the United States that serves as a wide channel for the James, Nansemond and Elizabeth rivers between Old Point Comfort and Sewell's Point where the Chesapeake Bay flows into the Atlantic O ...
, on 26 September. Two days later, she was ordered to tow schooners of the
Stone Fleet The Stone Fleet consisted of a fleet of aging ships (mostly whaleships) purchased in New Bedford and other New England ports, loaded with stone, and sailed south during the American Civil War by the Union Navy for use as blockships. They were to ...
to
Hatteras Inlet Hatteras Inlet is an estuary in North Carolina, located along the Outer Banks, separating Hatteras Island and Ocracoke Island. It connects the Atlantic Ocean to the Pamlico Sound. Hatteras Inlet is located entirely within Hyde County. History ...
,
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 ...
. She arrived off Hatteras Inlet on 1 October and operated in that vicinity for the next few months. While there, the , , and were subordinate to the orders of her captain. Because of the draft of the ''Stars and Stripes'' and the ''Underwriter'', Lt. Werden was unwilling to have them enter
Pamlico Sound Pamlico Sound ( ) is a lagoon in North Carolina which is the largest lagoon along the North American East Coast, extending long and 15 to 20 miles (24 to 32 km) wide. It is part of a large, interconnected network of lagoon estuaries that i ...
due to shallowness of Hatteras Inlet. On 2 November, a Confederate vessel engaged the ''Stars and Stripes'' at long range briefly before retiring. The exchange was ineffectual since neither ship came within range of the other's guns. On 5 and 6 November, the ships under Lt. Werden's command attempted to provide assistance to the French corvette ''Prony'' which had run aground, but between concern for the weather and Rebel activity, proved unable to do so. On 15 December, she captured schooner ''Charity'' and sent her to
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 ...
for adjudication. On 7 February 1862, the screw gunboat was in the squadron which attacked Roanoke Island and the next day captured that base which controlled communication between
Pamlico Sound Pamlico Sound ( ) is a lagoon in North Carolina which is the largest lagoon along the North American East Coast, extending long and 15 to 20 miles (24 to 32 km) wide. It is part of a large, interconnected network of lagoon estuaries that i ...
and
Albemarle Sound Albemarle Sound () is a large estuary on the coast of North Carolina in the United States located at the confluence of a group of rivers, including the Chowan and Roanoke. It is separated from the Atlantic Ocean by the Currituck Banks, a bar ...
. On 20 February while transferring ammunition to the , that ship struck the submerged anchor of the and was sunk, with most of her crew brought aboard the ''Stars and Stripes''. She operated in the inland waters of North Carolina and helped capture New Bern, North Carolina, in mid-March. ''Stars and Stripes'' returned to Norfolk, Virginia, on 4 June for repairs and sailed on the evening of the 10th for blockading duty off
Wilmington, North Carolina Wilmington is a port city in and the county seat of New Hanover County in coastal southeastern North Carolina, United States. With a population of 115,451 at the 2020 census, it is the eighth most populous city in the state. Wilmington is t ...
. Shortly before dawn on the 27th, she helped destroy blockade-running steamer ''Modem Greece'' which that Union blockader had run aground. On 24 August, ''Stars and Stripes'' captured British ship ''Mary Elizabeth'' attempting to slip into Wilmington with a cargo of salt and fruit. The wear and tear of hard duty forced ''Stars and Stripes'' to sail, via Norfolk, Virginia, to
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, for repairs. She was decommissioned at the
Norfolk Navy Yard The Norfolk Naval Shipyard, often called the Norfolk Navy Yard and abbreviated as NNSY, is a U.S. Navy facility in Portsmouth, Virginia, for building, remodeling and repairing the Navy's ships. It is the oldest and largest industrial facility tha ...
on 14 September. Quickly restored to a serviceable condition, the ship was recommissioned on 29 September and was assigned to the
East Gulf 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 ...
. The steamer reached Key West, Florida, and spent the remainder of the Civil War operating off the gulf coast of
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. Highlights of her service in 1863 included capturing sloop ''Florida'' at St. Marks Bay, Florida, laden with cotton and
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on 3 June; the expedition of boat crews from the steamer and to Marsh Island, Florida, to destroy salt and salt works on 15 July; and the destruction under heavy fire of blockade-running schooner ''Caroline Gertrude'' aground on the bar at the mouth of the
Ochlockonee River The Ochlockonee River ( ) is a fast running river, except where it has been dammed to form Lake Talquin in Florida, originating in Georgia and flowing for before terminating in Florida. Background The name is from the Hitchiti language words ...
on 29 December. In 1864, she captured blockade-running steamer ''Laura'' off the Ochlockonee on 18 January; she destroyed an extensive Confederate fishery at Marsh Island on 19 and 20 October and captured the troops stationed there as guards; and she joined three other gunboats in an expedition on 3 December which destroyed extensive salt works at Rocky Point in
Tampa Bay Tampa Bay is a large natural harbor and shallow estuary connected to the Gulf of Mexico on the west-central coast of Florida, comprising Hillsborough Bay, McKay Bay, Old Tampa Bay, Middle Tampa Bay, and Lower Tampa Bay. The largest freshwater ...
. After the end of the Civil War, ''Stars and Stripes'' sailed north and was decommissioned at Philadelphia on 30 June 1865. She was sold at public auction there on 10 August 1865 to Thomas Watson and Sons of New York City.


Later career

''Stars and Stripes'' was redocumented on 18 September 1865 as ''Metropolis''. The ship operated in merchant service until, while steaming from Philadelphia to
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,
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, she was wrecked on the outer bar of Currituck Beach, North Carolina, on the evening of 31 January 1878. Both the ship and her cargo were a total loss. 85 persons lost their lives.


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Stars and Stripes Ships of the Union Navy Ships built in Mystic, Connecticut Steamships of the United States Navy Gunboats of the United States Navy American Civil War patrol vessels of the United States Shipwrecks of the Carolina coast Maritime incidents in January 1878