USS Mist (1864)
The first USS Mist was a steamer purchased by the Union Navy during the American Civil War. She was planned by the Union Navy for use as a gunboat stationed off Confederate waterways to prevent their trading with foreign countries.
| History | |
|---|---|
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| Laid down: | date unknown |
| Launched: | 1864 |
| Acquired: | 23 December 1864 |
| Commissioned: | 3 March 1865 |
| Decommissioned: | August 1865 |
| Stricken: | 1865 (est.) |
| Fate: | sold, 17 August 1865 |
| General characteristics | |
| Displacement: | 232 tons |
| Length: | 157 ft 3 in (47.93 m) |
| Beam: | 30 ft 4 in (9.25 m) |
| Draught: | not known |
| Propulsion: |
|
| Speed: | 5.5 knots |
| Complement: | not known |
| Armament: |
|
| Armour: | tinclad |
Mist, a stern wheel steamer built at Allegheny, Pennsylvania, in 1864, was purchased at Cincinnati, Ohio, 23 December 1864, and commissioned at Mound City, Illinois, 3 March 1865, Acting Master W. E. H. Fontress in command.
Assigned to the Mississippi Squadron
Mist was converted into a gunboat during the first 4 months of 1865. The new tinclad was assigned to the 8th District, Mississippi Squadron and patrolled the river protecting steamers and river settlements from desperadoes.
End-of-war decommissioning, sale, and subsequent civilian career
Mist was removed from naval duty 4 August; decommissioned at Mound City and was sold at public auction to C. C. Hutchinson 17 August 1865. Documented as a merchant ship, she served American commerce on the Mississippi River and its tributaries until 1874.
References
This article incorporates text from the public domain Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. The entry can be found here.