CSS ''Patrick Henry'' was a ship built 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 ...

in 1859 by the renowned

William H. Webb William Henry Webb (June 19, 1816 – October 30, 1899) was a 19th-century New York City shipbuilder and philanthropist, who has been called America's first true naval architect. Early life William Henry Webb was born in New York on June ...

for the Old Dominion Steam Ship Line as the civilian steamer ''Yorktown'', a brigantine-rigged side-wheel steamer. She carried passengers and freight between Richmond,

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth ar ...

and

. ''Yorktown'' was anchored in the James River when

seceded from the Union on 17 April 1861 and was seized by the

Virginia Navy A Virginia State Navy (or Virginia Navy) existed twice. During the American Revolutionary War, the provisional government of the Virginia Colony authorized the purchase, outfitting, and manning of armed vessels to protect the colony's waters fro ...

and later turned over to the

Confederate Navy The Confederate States Navy (CSN) was the 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 American ...

on 8 June 1861. Commander John Randolph Tucker, who commanded the ship, directed that ''Yorktown'' be converted into a gunboat and renamed ''Patrick Henry'' in honor of

Patrick Henry Patrick Henry (May 29, 1736June 6, 1799) was an American attorney, planter, politician and orator known for declaring to the Second Virginia Convention (1775): " Give me liberty, or give me death!" A Founding Father, he served as the first a ...

, the revolutionary patriot and

Founding Father The following list of national founding figures is a record, by country, of people who were credited with establishing a state. National founders are typically those who played an influential role in setting up the systems of governance, (i.e. ...

. She also served as the first flagship of the

James River Squadron The James River Squadron was formed shortly after the secession of Virginia during the American Civil War. The squadron was part of the Virginia Navy before being transferred to the Confederate States Navy. The squadron is most notable for its ...

.Historical Information
Library of Virginia. Retrieved 27 December 2016

Career

Still commonly referred to as ''Yorktown'', she was assigned to a position near Mulberry Island in the James River to protect the right flank of the Confederate

Army of the Peninsula The Army of the Peninsula or Magruder's Army Boatner, Mark Mayo, III. ''The Civil War Dictionary.'' page 501 was a Confederate army early in the American Civil War. In May 1861, Colonel John B. Magruder was assigned to command operations on th ...

. On 13 September 1861 and again on 2 December, Commander Tucker took ''Patrick Henry'' down the river to a point about above Newport News, Virginia, and opened fire on the Federal squadron at long range hoping to draw out some of the gunboats. The gambit was refused, but Tucker inflicted some minor damage. During the Battle of Hampton Roads on 8 March 1862 in which CSS ''Virginia'' destroyed the Federal warships USS ''Cumberland'' and USS ''Congress'', ''Patrick Henry'' attempted to take the latter's surrender but was fired upon by shore batteries, and took a shell in her steam chest that killed four men. Towed out of action long enough to make repairs, she soon resumed her former position. During the historic 9 March 1862 action between ''Virginia'' and USS ''Monitor'', ''Patrick Henry'' fired long range at ''Monitor''. The Confederate Congress later accorded special thanks to all officers and men for their gallant conduct during the two-day battle. CSS Patrick Henry JT Sharf

''Patrick Henry'' was also present during some of ''Virginias other actions. In a daring night operation on 5 May 1862, she helped remove Confederate property from 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 ...

before it was abandoned to the Federals. After the surrender of Norfolk, Virginia on 10 May 1862, the James River Squadron, including ''Patrick Henry'', retired up the river to Drewry's Bluff where pursuing Federal ships were repulsed on 15 May. ''Patrick Henry'' was designated an academy ship in May 1862 and underwent appropriate alterations. In October 1863, ''Patrick Henry'' housed the floating Confederate States Naval Academy at Drewry's Bluff, where instruction for 52 midshipmen began under the superintendency of

Lieutenant A lieutenant ( , ; abbreviated Lt., Lt, LT, Lieut and similar) is a commissioned officer rank in the armed forces of many nations. The meaning of lieutenant differs in different militaries (see comparative military ranks), but it is often ...

William Harwar Parker William Harwar Parker (October 8, 1826 – December 30, 1896) was an officer in the United States Navy and later in the Confederate States Navy. His autobiography, entitled ''Recollections of a Naval Officer 1841–1865'', provides a unique insigh ...

. Numbers later increased to sixty, with thirteen teachers in attendance. Sometimes she took part in action with the midshipmen on board. RemnantofthePatrickHenrybeforeFtDarlingJamesRiver

RemnantofthePatrickHenrybeforeFtDarlingJamesRiver

When Richmond was evacuated on 3 April 1865, ''Patrick Henry'' was burned to prevent capture. Her midshipmen were charged with the delivery of a treasury of some CS$500,000 to the new government seat of

Danville, Virginia Danville is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States, located in the Southside Virginia region and on the fall line of the Dan River. It was a center of tobacco production and was an area of Confederate activity ...

. When they were disbanded each were given $40 in gold to help them reach their homes.

Commanders

The commanders of the CSS ''Patrick Henry'' were:Coski (1996), John M. ''Capital Navy: The Men, Ships and Operations of the James River Squadron'', Campbell, CA: Savas Woodbury Publishers. . *Captain John Randolph Tucker (1861 – June 1862) *Lieutenant

(1863-end of war)

Notes and references

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Patrick Henry Gunboats of the Confederate States Navy Shipwrecks of the American Civil War Shipwrecks of the James River Ship fires Maritime incidents in April 1865 Virginia in the American Civil War Ships built in New York City 1853 ships Ships built by William H. Webb Patrick Henry Ships named for Founding Fathers of the United States

Career

Commanders

See also

Further reading

Notes and references

External links