USS General Pillow (1862)
USS General Pillow (1862) was a gunboat captured by the Union Navy during the American Civil War and placed into service with the Union Navy. She served the Union cause from 1862 until the end of war in 1865. It was named for General Gideon Pillow.
| History | |
|---|---|
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| Laid down: | date unknown |
| Launched: | date unknown |
| Commissioned: | 23 August 1862 |
| Decommissioned: | July 1865 |
| Stricken: | 1865 |
| Captured: |
|
| Fate: | sold, 26 November 1865 |
| General characteristics | |
| Displacement: | 38 tons |
| Length: | 81 ft 5 in (24.82 m) |
| Beam: | 17 ft 1 in (5.21 m) |
| Draught: | 3 ft 8 in (1.12 m) |
| Propulsion: |
|
| Speed: | not known |
| Complement: | not known |
| Armament: | two 12-pounder howitzers |
Captured and transferred to the Mississippi Squadron
General Pillow (Gunboat No. 20) was originally Confederate steamer B. M. Moore and served the South as a gunboat until she was captured on the Hatchee River, Tennessee, by USS Pittsburgh 9 June 1862. She was transferred to the Union Navy by the War Department; and after outfitting and repairs at Cairo, Illinois., General Pillow departed Cairo 23 August for duty with the Mississippi Squadron, Lt. LeRoy Fitch in command.
Operations along the Tennessee and Cumberland
General Pillow became part of the light draft squadron on the Tennessee River and the Cumberland River, and for the next several months convoyed troop transports and fought guerrillas on the riverbanks. February 1863 saw her again at Cairo guarding mortar ships and ammunition barges, in addition to making occasional visits to Mound City, Illinois, and the mouth of the Tennessee River. She continued this duty until July 1865 when she was turned over to the Commandant of the Naval Station, Mound City, for disposal.
End-of-war decommissioning and sale
General Pillow was sold at Mound City 26 November 1865 to Wetzel and Hallerburg.
References
This article incorporates text from the public domain Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. The entry can be found here.