USS ''Key West'' was a steamer acquired by the Union Navy during the American Civil War. She was used by the Union Navy as a convoy and patrol vessel on

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 ...

waterways, only to be sunk, along with ''Elfin'' and ''Tawah'' by Confederate shore batteries.

Service history

''Key West'' was built in 1862 at

California, Pennsylvania California is a borough on the Monongahela River in Washington County, Pennsylvania, United States, and part of the Pittsburgh metropolitan area since 1950. The population was 5,479 as of the 2020 census and was estimated at 5,453 in 2021. Cali ...

, as ''Key West No. 8''; purchased by the Navy from W. S. Evans et al. at

Cairo, Illinois Cairo ( ) is the southernmost city in Illinois and the county seat of Alexander County. The city is located at the confluence of the Ohio and Mississippi rivers. Fort Defiance, a Civil War camp, was built here in 1862 by Union General Ulysses ...

, 16 April 1863; and commissioned 26 May, Acting Master E. M. King in command. The wooden stern-wheel steamer departed Cairo that day for patrol duty in the Tennessee River, supporting Union Army efforts and protecting Federal positions in the Tennessee Valley from Confederate Cavalry raids. Frequently, as she patrolled the river and escorted transports and supply ships, her guns engaged hit-and-run batteries and bands of riflemen. On 10 October 1864, as troops debarked at

Eastport, Mississippi Eastport is an unincorporated community in Tishomingo County, Mississippi, United States. During the 1840s and 1850s, Eastport became an important river port and boasted a population of 2,000 and many businesses. In 1857, the railroad missed Eastp ...

, from three transports ''Key West'' and ''Undine'' had escorted from

Clifton, Tennessee Clifton is a city in Wayne County, Tennessee, Wayne County, Tennessee, on the state's south central border with Alabama. It developed as a river port along the Tennessee River in the 19th century. Its historic districts listed on the National Regis ...

, a hidden Confederate 6-gun battery at Eastport and a 3-gun battery near Chickasaw opened fire on the Union ships. After the Southern guns had set two of the transports on fire and damaged ''Key West'' with two rifle shots, the Union ships reluctantly retired downstream out-of-range. On 2 November at

Johnsonville, Tennessee New Johnsonville is a city in Humphreys County, Tennessee, United States. The population was 1,951 at the 2010 census. History The history of New Johnsonville is rooted in the town of Johnsonville, which was once situated on the Tennessee Rive ...

, ''Key West'' assisted '' Tawah'' in recapturing transport ''Venus'', taken along with ''Undine'' and ''Cheeseman'' by the Confederates there 30 October. On 4 November ''Key West'', ''Tawah'', and were caught in a narrow, shallow section of the river near Johnsonville by a Confederate force under General

Nathan B. Forrest Nathan Bedford Forrest (July 13, 1821October 29, 1877) was a prominent Confederate Army general during the American Civil War and the first Grand Wizard of the Ku Klux Klan from 1867 to 1869. Before the war, Forrest amassed substantial wealth ...

. After a vigorous action in which ''Key West'' was hit 19 times by rifled artillery, the three Union gunboats, riddled and almost out of ammunition, were set afire and scuttled.

References

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Key West Ships of the Union Navy Ships built in California, Pennsylvania Gunboats of the United States Navy Steamships of the United States Navy American Civil War patrol vessels of the United States 1862 ships Shipwrecks of the American Civil War Shipwrecks in rivers Maritime incidents in November 1864