USS Louisiana (1861)
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The second USS ''Louisiana'' was a propeller-driven iron-hull steamer in the United States Navy during the American Civil War.


Steamboat origins

''Louisiana'' was built at Wilmington, Delaware, in 1860 by the
Harlan & Hollingsworth Harlan & Hollingsworth was a Wilmington, Delaware, firm that constructed ships and railroad cars during the 19th century and into the 20th century. Founding Mahlon Betts, a carpenter, arrived in Wilmington in 1812. After helping construct man ...
Iron Shipbuilding Company. Its first owners were S & J.M. Flanagan of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It was purchased by the Navy at Philadelphia 10 July 1861; and commissioned in August 1861, Lieutenant Alexander Murray in command.


Combat service

Assigned to the North Atlantic Blockading Squadron, until January 1862 ''Louisiana'' operated along the Virginia coast, blocking the passage of
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 ...
blockade runners, and attacking them at their bases. The ''Louisiana'' also participated in operations like the battle for Roanoke Island on 7–8 February 1862 and the
Battle of Elizabeth City The Battle of Elizabeth City of the American Civil War was fought in the immediate aftermath of the Battle of Roanoke Island. It took place on 10 February 1862, on the Pasquotank River near Elizabeth City, North Carolina. The participants were v ...
on 10 February, which denied the use of coastal inlets and seaboard towns to the blockade runners and tied down Confederate troops to guard those bases which could be held. On 13 September 1861, with , ''Louisiana'' engaged CSS ''Patrick Henry'' off
Newport News, Virginia Newport News () is an independent city in the U.S. state of Virginia. At the 2020 census, the population was 186,247. Located in the Hampton Roads region, it is the 5th most populous city in Virginia and 140th most populous city in the Uni ...
, but shot from both sides fell short. Two of her boats destroyed a schooner fitting out as a Confederate privateer in the
Battle of Cockle Creek The Battle of Cockle Creek, October 5, 1861, was a minor naval engagement off Chincoteague, Virginia early in the American Civil War. Background In 1861 the citizens of Chincoteague voted 138-2 to remain loyal to the Union, despite Virginia's ...
near Chincoteague Inlet 5 October, and two days later she captured
schooner A schooner () is a type of sailing vessel defined by its rig: fore-and-aft rigged on all of two or more masts and, in the case of a two-masted schooner, the foremast generally being shorter than the mainmast. A common variant, the topsail schoon ...
''S. T. Carrison'' with a cargo of wood near Wallops Island.
Chincoteague Island Chincoteague may refer to: Geography in the United States * Chincoteague Bay, a bay on the coast of Maryland and Virginia * Chincoteague Channel, a channel in Virginia connecting Chincoteague Bay and Chincoteague Inlet *Chincoteague Inlet, an inlet ...
was lost to the Confederacy as a base when on 14 October ''Louisiana's'' Lt. Murray witnessed the administration of the oath of allegiance to the United States to Chincoteague's citizens. Her boats, led by Lt. Alfred Hopkins, surprised and burned three Confederate vessels at Chincoteague Inlet 28 and 29 October.


Service in North Carolina

On 2 January 1862, ''Louisiana'' was ordered to Hatteras Inlet to prepare for the invasion of the
Carolina Sounds Carolina may refer to: Geography * The Carolinas, the U.S. states of North and South Carolina ** North Carolina, a U.S. state ** South Carolina, a U.S. state * Province of Carolina, a British province until 1712 * Carolina, Alabama, a town in th ...
. For the next three years, she patrolled, supported Army troops and made raids along the many miles of the intricate water system whose eventual capture would be a mortal blow to the Confederacy. Typical of such actions was that of 6 September 1862, when she tried to aid Union troops repelling Confederate attacks on Washington, North Carolina. Their commander, Major General
John G. Foster John Gray Foster (May 27, 1823 – September 2, 1874) was an American soldier. A career military officer in the United States Army and a Union Army, Union general during the American Civil War, he served in North Carolina, North and South Caroli ...
, reported that ''Louisiana'' "had rendered most efficient aid, throwing her shells with great precision, and clearing the streets, through which her guns had range." She captured schooner ''Alice L. Webb'' at Rose Bay, North Carolina, 5 November 1862, then joined in the Army–Navy expedition which captured
Greenville, North Carolina Greenville is the county seat of and the most populous city in Pitt County, North Carolina, Pitt County, North Carolina, United States; the principal city of the Greenville, North Carolina metropolitan area, Greenville metropolitan area; and th ...
, four days later. On 20 May 1863, one of her boatcrews under Acting Master's Mate Charles W. Fisher, captured a still unrigged schooner in the
Tar River The Tar River is a river that is approximately long, in northeast North Carolina flowing generally southeast to an estuary of Pamlico Sound. The Tar River becomes the tidal Pamlico River once it underpasses the U.S. Highway 17 Bridge in Washin ...
north of Washington, N.C. The prize was named for ''Louisiana's'' captain,
Richard T. Renshaw Richard T. Renshaw (March 22, 1822 – March 22, 1879) was an officer in the United States Navy during the American Civil War. Biography Renshaw entered the Navy as a midshipman on January 26, 1838, and was commissioned acting master September 10, ...
, and taken into the Navy as an ordnance hulk.


The "Powder Ship"

Fort Fisher, guarding Wilmington, North Carolina, was the key to the base which northern commanders foresaw the South employing after the fall of Charleston, and Commodore
David Dixon Porter David Dixon Porter (June 8, 1813 – February 13, 1891) was a United States Navy admiral and a member of one of the most distinguished families in the history of the U.S. Navy. Promoted as the second U.S. Navy officer ever to attain the rank o ...
and Maj. Gen. Benjamin Butler, knowing that an assault on so powerful a defense would be long and costly, hoped to reduce it by blowing up an explosive laden ship under its walls. On 26 November 1864 contrary to naval ordnance experts' advice, ''Louisiana'' was designated for this assignment, and early in December she proceeded to
Hampton Roads Hampton Roads is the name of both a body of water in the United States that serves as a wide channel for the James River, James, Nansemond River, Nansemond and Elizabeth River (Virginia), Elizabeth rivers between Old Point Comfort and Sewell's ...
to be partially stripped and laden with explosives. She left Hampton Roads 13 December in tow of for
Beaufort, North Carolina Beaufort ( ) is a town in and the county seat of Carteret County, North Carolina, Carteret County, North Carolina, United States. Established in 1713 and incorporated in 1723, Beaufort is the fourth oldest town in North Carolina (after Bath, Nor ...
, where the loading of powder was completed, and five days later arrived off Fort Fisher. Here took up the tow, and Commander
Alexander Rhind Alexander Colden Rhind (October 31, 1821 – November 8, 1897) was a rear admiral in the United States Navy, who served during the Mexican–American War and American Civil War. Biography Early career Rhind was born in New York City, New Yo ...
with a volunteer crew prepared for the attack. ''Wilderness'' and ''Louisiana'' continued toward Fort Fisher, but were turned back by the heavy swells which with worsening weather delayed the entire amphibious attack in leaving its base at Beaufort. The final attempt was made on 23 December, when ''Wilderness'' brought ''Louisiana'' into position under Fort Fisher late in the evening. Rhind and his crew lit the fuses and kindled a fire aft, then escaped in small boats to ''Wilderness''. waiting anxiously for 01:18 24 December, when the fuses were timed to explode. They failed, but the fire set aft worked its way from the stern to the powder and blew ''Louisiana'' up as planned, but with little effect. Several weeks later, the massed gunfire of the fleet and amphibious assault reduced the last great bastion of the Carolina Sounds.


The wreck

In 1994 state underwater archaeologists and students from
East Carolina University East Carolina University (ECU) is a public university, public research university in Greenville, North Carolina. It is the fourth largest university in North Carolina. Founded on March 8, 1907, as a Normal school, teacher training school, East ...
conducted a survey of the area off Fort Fisher. Though many Civil War-era wrecks were mapped, no remains were found that could be associated with that of the ''Louisiana''.


References

* ''Journal of the Franklin Institute'' (Philadelphia, PA; 1860) * Alexander Crosby Brown, ''Notes on the Origins of Iron Shipbuilding in the United States, 1825-1861'', Masters Thesis, College of William and Mary, Williamsburg, Virginia, 1951.


External links


Storming the Ramparts
{{DEFAULTSORT:Louisiana Steamships of the United States Navy Steamships Ships of the Union Navy Gunboats of the United States Navy Ships built by Harlan and Hollingsworth 1861 ships Shipwrecks of the Carolina coast Shipwrecks of the American Civil War Maritime incidents in December 1864