USS Buckthorn (1863)
USS Buckthorne (1863) was a steamer acquired by the Union Navy during the American Civil War. She was used as a fleet tender and dispatch vessel in support of the Union Navy blockade along Confederate coastal waters.
| History | |
|---|---|
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| Ordered: | as Signal |
| Laid down: | date unknown |
| Launched: | 1863 |
| Acquired: | December 22, 1863 |
| Commissioned: | April 7, 1864 |
| Decommissioned: | 1868 |
| Stricken: | 1868 (est.) |
| Homeport: | Pensacola Navy Yard |
| Fate: | sold, September 7, 1869 |
| General characteristics | |
| Displacement: | 128 tons |
| Length: | 87 ft (27 m) |
| Beam: | 22 ft (6.7 m) |
| Depth of hold: | 7 ft 7 in (2.31 m) |
| Propulsion: |
|
| Speed: | 8.5 knots |
| Complement: | not known |
| Armament: |
|
Service in the Navy
Buckthorn, was a wooden hull, screw steamer, 87 feet in length and outfitted with one mast. She was built in 1863 at East Haddam, Connecticut, as Signal; purchased by Rear Admiral Gregory for the Navy from George W. Jewett for the sum of $26,500 on December 22, 1863; and commissioned at New York City April 7, 1864, acting Volunteer Lieutenant W. Godfrey in Command.[1] Buckthorn was a strongly built vessel and was well adapted for service as a tug.[1] Buckthorn served with the West Gulf Blockading Squadron during the American Civil War and participated in the Battle of Mobile Bay (August 5, 1864). She acted as a tender for the fleet and was also used as a dispatch vessel throughout her career.[2]
Post-Civil War service
After the Civil War she served at Pensacola Navy Yard until laid up in 1868.[1] After a brief service at Pensacola Buckthorn was sold for $3,000 at Pensacola, Florida, September 7, 1869.[1]
References
- Maarsh, 1921 p.48
- Wyllie, 2007 p.113
Bibliography
- This article incorporates text from the public domain Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. The entry can be found here.
- Marsh, Captain C.C. (1921). Official records of the Union and Confederate navies in the war of the rebellion. Josephus Daniels, Secretary of the Navy. p. 252. Url
- Wyllie, Arthur (2007). The Union Navy. Lulu.com. p. 668. ISBN 978-1-4303-2117-0. Url1