George W. Blunt (1856)

Last updated
G. W. Blunt (pilot boat).png
George W. Blunt pilot boat (1860).
History
US flag 37 stars.svgUnited States
Name
  • George W. Blunt (1856 — 1861)
  • G. W. Blunt (1861 — 1865)
Namesake George W. Blunt, nautical publisher
Owner
  • New York pilots Joseph Henderson, James Callahan (1856 — 1861)
  • U.S. government (1861 — 1865)
Operator
  • Joseph Henderson and James Callahan (1856 — 1861)
  • U.S. Navy (1861 — 1865)
BuilderDaniel Westervelt of New York City [1]
Launched6 September 1856
Acquiredby Navy 23 November 1861
Commissioned4 December 1861
Decommissioned16 August 1865
In servicecirca 1856 – 1865
Out of service16 August 1865
HomeportNew York
Nickname(s)Blunt
FateSold, Port Royal, S.C., 20 October 1865
General characteristics 1st Blunt
Class and typeSchooner
Displacement122 tons
Length85 feet
Beam21 feet
Propulsionsails
Sail plan Schooner-rigged
History
US flag 37 stars.svgUnited States
NameGeorge W. Blunt (2nd pilot schooner)
OwnerNew York Pilots
OperatorJohn Phelan
Port of registryNew York
BuilderBrown & Lovell, Boston, Massachusetts
Cost$8,000
Completed1861
Acquired1861
Identification Official Number 10423
Fatewrecked in 1875
General characteristics 2nd George W. Blunt
Class and typeSchooner
Tonnage52 tons
Length75.4 feet
Beam20.4 feet
Depth8.6 feet
Propulsionsails
Sail plan Schooner-rigged

George W. Blunt, completed in 1856, was a schooner built in New York that operated as a New York Sandy Hook pilot boat designated Pilot Boat No. 11. [note 1] The schooner was used to pilot vessels to and from the Port of New York and New Jersey. That schooner was sold to the United States Navy in 1861, renamed and commissioned as the USS G. W. Blunt (1856), serving in the South Atlantic Blockading Squadron in the South. A second schooner, also named George W. Blunt, was built in East Boston in 1861 and purchased to replace the first schooner as a pilot boat. [2] [3]

Contents

First George W. Blunt pilot boat

Construction and service

Business card, George W. Blunt. GWBcard.png
Business card, George W. Blunt.

The original George W. Blunt was a two-masted, 85-foot long, 122-ton schooner, 20 tons larger than any other boat in the Sandy Hook fleet. [1] [4] The cabin was finished with bird's eye maple, mirrors, and velvet brocade cushions. The stern was ornamented with a scroll and shield which displayed the national flags of America, England and France. [1] According to American Lloyd's Register of American and Foreign Shipping, the George W. Blunt was built in New York, in 1856 for the New York Pilots. James Callahan was master of the boat. [5]

As the original pilot-boat, the George W. Blunt, was in service with the N.Y. Pilots and rescued boats off the coast of New York. [6] On October 10, 1860, New York Sandy Hook Pilot A. C. Malcom, of the pilot boat G. W. Blunt, No. 11, signed a statement along with other pilots, that they were satisfied with the representation of the New York Board of Commissioners of Pilots. [7]

Civil War

On November 23, 1861, during the Civil War, the George W. Blunt was purchased by the United States Navy as a gunboat and dispatch boat in support of the Union Navy blockade of Confederate waterways. The schooner was renamed G. W. Blunt and commissioned 4 December 1861. [2] [3] [8] [9]

On April 19, 1862, the 60-ton Confederate schooner Wave under Captain Ryan, was captured by the pilot-boat George W. Blunt off the coast of South Carolina. [10] [11]

Second George W. Blunt pilot boat

A replacement pilot boat, built in July 1861, was purchased from Boston builders Brown & Lovell [12] to take the place of the original George W. Blunt, which was sold to the government during the Civil War. [2] [3] [13] [14] The 75-foot vessel (tonnage variously given as 120t and 52t, but types of measure unspecified) was purchased by Henderson & Callahan of New York for $8,000 was described as a fast sailer, and registered at New York to the New York Pilots with Official Number 10423. [2] [15]

In 1874, this George W. Blunt, rescued the bark Alfred at sea during a storm that brought the boat safely into New York port. [16] [17]

In February 1875, the pilot boat George W. Blunt sprang a leak off Gay Head and was run ashore at Jones Inlet, twenty-eight miles from Sandy Hook and was reported to have become a total loss. She had on board the following pilots: John Handran, Thomas Murphy, Robert Yates, Edward Kelly, James Heines, and Michael O'Shaughnessy. Her value was estimated at $10,000, which only $1,400 was covered by insurance. [18] [14]

See also

Footnotes

  1. For an illustration of how the number was used see Mary Taylor pilot boat illustration.

Related Research Articles

USS G. W. Blunt was a Sandy Hook pilot boat acquired by the Union Navy during the American Civil War in 1861. See George W. Blunt (1856) for more details. She was used by the Union Navy as a gunboat as well as a dispatch boat in support of the Union Navy blockade of Confederate waterways.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Richard Brown (pilot)</span> American pilot

Richard "Dick" Brown was a 19th-century Sandy Hook pilot. Brown was captain for the 19th-century Sandy Hook pilot boat Mary Taylor. At the time of his death he was the oldest of the Sandy Hook pilots having served for 50 years. He was the captain of the racing yacht America, which won the inaugural America's Cup in 1851.

Alexander M. Lawrence Sandy Hook Pilot boat

Alexander M. Lawrence was the last of the 19th-century sailing schooners to be in the New York pilot boat service as a station boat. She was one of the largest and fastest in the Sandy Hook fleet. She was built to take the place of the New York pilot-boat Abraham Leggett, No. 4, that was hit by the steamship Naples, in 1879. Her boat model won a medal at the 1893 Chicago World's Fair illustrating the perils of the pilot-boat service. In the age of steam, the Lawrence was sold by the Pilots' Association to the Pacific Mining and Trading Company in 1897.

<i>Moses H. Grinnell</i> (pilot boat) Sandy Hook Pilot boat

The Moses H. Grinnell was a 19th-century pilot boat built in 1850 for the New York maritime pilots. She was designed by the yacht designer George Steers. The Grinnell was the first pilot boat to feature a fully developed concave clipper-bow, which was to become the New York schooner-rigged pilot boat's trade mark. This new design was the basis for the celebrated yacht America.

<i>Phantom</i> (pilot boat) Sandy Hook Pilot boat

The Phantom was a 19th-century Sandy Hook pilot boat built in 1867 from the designs by Dennison J. Lawlor. The schooner was considered a model for her type with a reputation for being very fast. She helped rescue the passengers on the steamship SS Oregon when it sank in 1886. She was one of the pilot-boats that was lost in the Great Blizzard of 1888. The Phantom was replaced by the pilot-boat William H. Bateman.

<i>Joseph Pulitzer</i> (pilot boat) Boston Pilot boat

The Joseph Pulitzer was a 19th-century Sandy Hook pilot boat, built by Moses Adams in 1894 at Essex, Massachusetts for New York Pilots. She was a replacement for the Pilot Boat Edward Cooper, that sank off Sandy Hook in 1892. The Joseph Pulitzer was one of the finest and best equipped boats in the service. She was named in honor of Joseph Pulitzer, a New York newspaper publisher. In 1896, when New York pilot boats were moving to steamboats, she was sold to the Oregon Pilots Association.

<i>Widgeon</i> (pilot boat) New York Pilot boat

The Widgeon was a 19th-century yacht and Sandy Hook pilot boat, built in 1855 by James R. & George Steers for Daniel Edgar of the New York Yacht Club and designed by George Steers. She came in 17th in an unsuccessful America’s Cup defense in 1870. Widgeon was sold in 1871 to a group of New York pilots to replace the John D. Jones, which sank in a collision with the steamer City of Washington. New York pilots condemned the Widgeon as unseaworthy in 1879, which sparked a fight for steam pilot-boat service. In 1883 a decision was affirmed by the Supreme Court and the Board of Commissioners of Pilots that pilot boats could be "propelled" by steam.

<i>Charles H. Marshall</i> (pilot boat) Sandy Hook Pilot boat

The Charles H. Marshall was a 19th-century Sandy Hook pilot boat built by Henry Steers in 1860 for a group of New York pilots. She was in the Great Blizzard of 1888, the same year the National Geographic came out with an article about the successful struggle made by the crew of the Marshall. The boat was named in honor of the American businessman Charles Henry Marshall. In the age of steam she was sold in 1896.

<i>Edward F. Williams</i> (pilot boat) New York Pilot boat

The Edward F. Williams was a 19th-century Sandy Hook pilot boat, built in 1863 at the Edward F. Williams shipyard in Greenpoint, Brooklyn for a group of New York Pilots. She survived the Great Blizzard of 1888. In the age of steam, the Williams was sold in 1896.

Mary A. Williams New York Pilot boat

The Mary A. Williams was a 19th-century Sandy Hook pilot boat, built in 1861 by the shipbuilder Edward F. Williams in Greenpoint, Brooklyn, for a group of New York pilots. She was named Mary Ann Williams after the wife of the builder. The boat was considered one of the finest connected with the pilot service. She survived the Great Blizzard of 1888. In the age of steam, the Mary A. Williams was sold in 1896.

Ezra Nye New York Pilot boat

The Ezra Nye was a 19th-century pilot boat, built in 1859 by the Wells & Webb shipyard in Greenpoint, Brooklyn for a group of New Jersey and Sandy Hook Pilots. She was one of the pilot-boats that was in the Great Blizzard of 1888, that was one of the most severe blizzards in American history. In 1896, in the age of steam, the Ezra Nye along with other pilot boats, were replaced with steamboats.

Jesse Carll New York Pilot boat

The Jesse Carll was a 19th-century pilot boat, built in 1885 by Jesse Carll at Northport, New York, for George H. Sisco. She was one of the largest vessels ever built in the Sandy Hook service. She was named in honor of Jesse Carll, a well-known Northport shipbuilder. In 1896, in the age of steam, the Ezra Nye, along with other pilot boats, were replaced with steamboats.

<i>Nettle</i> (pilot boat) New York Pilot boat

The Nettle was a 19th-century Sandy Hook pilot boat built in 1844 by S. Hall of East Boston, Massachusetts for the New York Pilots. She helped transport maritime pilots between inbound or outbound ships coming into the New York Harbor. In 1868, she found the wreck of the bark Henry Trowbridge, and towed her to Sandy Hook. The Nettle, sank in 1876 in the Pensacola Bay. The sunken wreck was removed in 1878 to improve the Pensacola harbor.

<i>David Carll</i> (pilot boat) New York Pilot boat

The David Carll was a 19th-century pilot boat, built in 1885 at the David Carll shipyard in City Island, New York. She was named in honor of David Carll, a well-known City Island shipbuilder. The David Carll was considered to be among the fastest schooners in the fleet. She was built to replace the Mary E. Fish that was run down and sank by the schooner Frank Harrington in 1885. She was one of the pilot boats that survived the Great Blizzard of 1888. The David Carll was lost at sea in 1893.

<i>Edmund Blunt</i> (pilot boat) New York Pilot boat

Edmund Blunt was a 19th-century New York pilot boat built in 1858 by Edward F. Williams for the New York Pilots. She helped transport New York City maritime pilots between inbound or outbound ships coming into the New York Harbor. She survived the Great Blizzard of 1888. In the age of steam, the Blunt along with other pilot boats, were replaced with steamboats. She was built to replace the Jacob L. Westervelt, which sank in 1857.

<i>William H. Aspinwall</i> (pilot boat) Sandy Hook Pilot boat

The William H. Aspinwall was a 19th-century Sandy Hook pilot boat built in 1861 and launched from the J.B & J.D. Van Deusen shipyard at East River for New York Pilots. She was a replacement for the former pilot boat Virginia. In 1880, the Aspinwall was caught in a thick fog and went ashore at the Long Island bar and became a total loss. She was replaced by a new pilot boat, the America, No. 21.

Mary E. Fish Boston Pilot boat

The Mary E. Fish was a 19th-century Sandy Hook pilot boat, built at the Edward F. Williams shipyard of Greenpoint, Brooklyn in 1861 for Richard Brown and the New York Pilots. She was built to replace the Mary Taylor. The Fish was hit and sank by the schooner Frank Harrington in 1885 and replaced by the David Carll.

The Mary and Catherine was a 19th-century New York pilot boat built in 1848 by the Jacob Aaron Westervelt shipyard. She was hit and sunk by the steamship Haverton in 1885. The collision was the subject of a court case that went to the Supreme Court of the United States as Devere v. The Haverton. The Mary and Catherine was replaced by the pilot boat William H. Starbuck.

<i>George H. Warren</i> (pilot boat) Boston Pilot boat

The George H. Warren was a 19th-century pilot boat built in 1882 by Porter Keene at Weymouth, Massachusetts, to replace the Edwin Forrest, No. 4, which was sold to the Pensacola, Florida pilots. The George H. Warren, originally belonged to the Boston pilot fleet but in 1889, she was purchase by a group of New York pilots. She and her crew were lost in the great blizzard of 1895.

References

  1. 1 2 3 "New Pilot Boat". New-York Daily Times. 17 December 1856. Archived from the original on 2 September 2020. Retrieved 2 September 2020.
  2. 1 2 3 4 "Shipping News — Miscellaneous". The New York Herald: 8. December 2, 1861. Retrieved 1 September 2020.
  3. 1 2 3 Naval History And Heritage Command (July 9, 2015). "G. W. Blunt". Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. Naval History And Heritage Command. Retrieved 31 August 2020. G. W. Blunt, formerly Blunt, was a wooden two-masted schooner acquired by the Navy in New York 23 November 1861.
  4. "Marine Items". timesmachine.nytimes.com. Retrieved 2020-09-07.
  5. "American Lloyd's Register of American and Foreign Shipping". Mysticseaport.org. 1859. Retrieved January 20, 2020.
  6. "Maritime Intelligence, Arrived". New York Herald. 1859-12-08. p. 8. Retrieved 2020-09-07. Brig Jacob Dock...was taken in tow by pilot boat Geo W Blunt, No 11... and towed to the city.
  7. "The New York Pilots. To The Editor Of The Herald". New York Daily Herald. New York, New York. 10 Oct 1860. p. 2. Retrieved 2021-01-28.
  8. "Miscellaneous Items". New England Farmer. Boston, Massachusetts. 1861-11-30. Retrieved 2020-08-30.
  9. "American Lloyd's Register of American and Foreign Shipping, 1869". Mysticseaport.org. 1869. Retrieved August 30, 2020.
  10. "April-Fifty Years Ago". The Weekly Independent. Coffeyville, Kansas. 1912-05-09. Retrieved 2020-08-27.
  11. Cunliffe, Tom, Pilots: Pilot, The World Of Pilotage Under Sail and Oar Wooden Boat Publications. Brooklin, Maine. 2001
  12. "The American Yacht List: Containing a Complete Register of the Yacht Clubs, List of Pilot Boats, Port of New York". 1874. Retrieved 2020-09-01.
  13. "Record of American and Foreign Shipping, 1877" . Retrieved 2020-08-27.
  14. 1 2 "Total Wreck Of A Pilot Boat". New York Daily Herald. New York, New York. 1875-02-04. Retrieved 2020-08-27.
  15. Record of American and Foreign Shipping. New York: American Shipmasters' Association. 1876. p. 360. Retrieved 3 September 2020.
  16. Charles Edward Russell, From Sandy Hook to 62, The Century Co., New York, 1929, page 150. OCLC   640130103
  17. "The New York Pilots". New York Daily Herald. New York, New York. 1874-05-11. Retrieved 2020-08-23.
  18. "Loss Of A Pilot-Boat". The New York Times. New York, New York. 1875-02-04. Retrieved 2020-08-27.