USS Carrabasset (1864)

Last updated
History
US Naval Jack 36 stars.svg US flag 35 stars.svgUnited States
Acquired23 January 1864
Commissioned12 May 1864
Decommissioned25 July 1865
FateSold, 12 August 1865
General characteristics
Displacement202 tons
Length155 ft (47 m)
Beam31 ft 7 in (9.63 m)
Draft4 ft 7 in (1.40 m)
Propulsion
Complement45
Armament
  • two 32-pounder guns
  • four 24-pounder smoothbores

USS Carrabasset was a steamer acquired by the Union Navy during the American Civil War.

She supported the blockade of the Confederate States of America in a variety of ways: as a tugboat, a gunboat, and as a transport, depending on the need at the time.

Service history

Carrabasset, a side-wheel steamer, was purchased at Cincinnati, Ohio, 23 January 1864; commissioned at New Orleans, Louisiana, 12 May 1864 and reported to the West Gulf Blockading Squadron. With the Squadron, Carrabasset operated as transport, picket boat, and tugboat at the mouth of the Mississippi River, in Berwick Bay and the Atchafalaya River, and in the neighboring lakes and bayous. On several occasions she landed Union Army forces or her own landing party to engage Confederate forces ashore, capturing men, horses, and bales of cotton. One such incident occurred 21 March 1865, when she landed 40 infantrymen, then was attacked herself by a party of Confederates. Putting a party of her own men ashore, Carrabasset succeeded in capturing the equipment of a Confederate picket and several pirogues.

On 17 June 1865, one of her landing party expeditions penetrated to St. Martinville, Louisiana, where the equipment of three lighthouses, stored there since the taking of the lighthouses by the Confederates early in the war, was recaptured. Carrabasset was decommissioned 25 July 1865 at New Orleans, and sold there 12 August 1865.

Related Research Articles

USS <i>Katahdin</i> (1861) Gunboat of the United States Navy

USS Katahdin was a Unadilla-class gunboat built for the U.S. Navy during the American Civil War.

USS New London was a screw steamer of the Union Navy during the American Civil War. She was outfitted with a Parrott rifle and 32-pounders, and was assigned as a gunboat in the Union blockade of the Confederate States of America.

CSS <i>Oregon</i> Sidewheel steamer

CSS Oregon was a wooden sidewheel steamer that served as a gunboat in the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War. Built in 1846 for the Mobile Mail Line, she transported mail between New Orleans, Louisiana, and Mobile, Alabama, before the war. In 1861, she was seized by the Governor of Louisiana, Thomas Overton Moore, and served as a blockade runner before being selected for use by the Confederate Army. After transferring men and supplies to Ship Island, she was formally converted into a gunboat and armed with four cannon. Remaining behind on Lake Pontchartrain when many Confederate warships were transferred up the Mississippi River, Oregon served in the Mississippi Sound and Pass Christian areas. She took part in several minor actions involving USS New London, two of which resulted in the Confederates moving into shallow water to avoid close-range action, and the third ending when the Confederate ships abandoned the Pass Christian area. In April 1862, Union pressure confined her and other Confederate ships to Lake Pontchartrain. Later that month, with Union forces closing in on New Orleans, Oregon was sank as a blockship. Her wreck was removed and destroyed in the early 1870s.

USS <i>Sciota</i> (1861) Gunboat of the United States Navy

USS Sciota was a Unadilla-class gunboat built on behalf of the United States Navy for service during the Civil War. She was outfitted as a gunboat, with both a 20-pounder rifle for horizontal firing, and two howitzers for shore bombardment, and assigned to the Union blockade of the waterways of the Confederate States of America.

USS <i>Wilderness</i> Gunboat of the United States Navy

USS Wilderness was a wooden-hulled, side-wheel steamship in the United States Navy during the American Civil War. After the war, she served as a revenue cutter. In 1873, she was renamed John A. Dix for former Secretary of the Treasury John Adams Dix.

USS John P. Jackson (1860) was a steamship acquired by the United States Navy during the beginning of the American Civil War. She was assigned to the Union blockade of the Confederate States of America. as well as the bombardment of Mississippi River ports.

USS <i>Howquah</i> (1863) Gunboat of the United States Navy

USS Howquah was a screw steamer purchased by the Union Navy in Boston from G. W. Upton on 17 June 1863, for action against Confederate commerce raider CSS Tacony which was then preying upon Northern merchantmen during what Professor Richard S. West has called "the most brilliant daredevil cruise of the war."

USS <i>General Putnam</i> (1857) Gunboat of the United States Navy

USS General Putnam – also known as the USS William G. Putnam – was acquired by the Union Navy during the first year of the American Civil War and outfitted as a gunboat and assigned to the Union blockade of the Confederate States of America. She also served as a tugboat and as a ship's tender when so required.

USS <i>Cricket</i> Gunboat of the United States Navy

USS Cricket was a steamer acquired by the Union Navy during the American Civil War.

USS Mobile was a steamer captured by the Union Navy during the American Civil War. She was used by the Union Navy as part of blockade forces to prevent Confederate forces from trading with other countries.

USS <i>Elk</i> (1863) Gunboat of the United States Navy

USS Elk was a steamer, originally named Countess, which was acquired by the Union Navy during the American Civil War. She was used by the Union Navy as a convoy and patrol vessel on Confederate waterways.

USS Rose was a screw steamer acquired by the Union Navy during the American Civil War.

USS Avenger was a large steamer with powerful guns acquired by the Union Navy during the American Civil War. She was used by the Union Navy as a gunboat in support of the Union Navy blockade of Confederate waterways. Because of her large size, she was also used, at times, as a cargo ship.

USS Granite City was a Confederate blockade runner steamer captured in March 1863 by the Union Navy during the American Civil War. She was armed with cannon and by August 1863 was in service as a gunboat in support of the Navy blockade of Confederate waters. She was recaptured in January 1864 by Confederate forces, again became a blockade runner, and ultimately was abandoned as a wreck after running aground.

USS Pink was a steamer commissioned by the Union Navy during the American Civil War. She served the Union Navy's struggle against the Confederate States of America in various ways: as a tugboat, a gunboat, and as a small transport.

USS Tritonia was a 202-ton steamer commissioned by the Union Navy during the American Civil War.

USS Stockdale was a steamer commissioned by the Union Navy during the American Civil War.

USS T. A. Ward was a 284-ton schooner was purchased by the Union Navy during the Union blockade of the Confederate States of America during the American Civil War.

USS Tallahatchie was a 171-ton steamer acquired by the Union Navy during the American Civil War for service against the Confederate States of America.

USS <i>Virginia</i> (1861) Gunboat of the United States Navy

The third USS Virginia was a 581-ton blockade-running steamer captured by the United States Navy and put to use by the Union Navy during the American Civil War. Virginia served the U.S. Navy primarily as a mortar gunboat. Her ordnance included six 24-pounder howitzers and a 12-pounder rifled gun.

References

This article incorporates text from the public domain Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships .The entry can be found here.