USS Cimarron (1862-1865) Contemporary lithograph, depicting her off Charleston, South Carolina, during the Civil War. | |
History | |
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United States | |
Name | USS Cimarron |
Laid down | date unknown |
Launched |
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Commissioned | 5 July 1862 |
Decommissioned | 17 August 1865 at Philadelphia |
Stricken | 1865 (est.) |
Fate | Sold, 6 November 1865 |
General characteristics | |
Displacement | 860 ton |
Length | 205 ft (62 m) |
Beam | 35 ft (11 m) |
Draught | 9 ft (2.7 m) |
Propulsion |
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Speed | 10 knots |
Complement | not known |
Armament |
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The first USS Cimarron (officially changed from the original spelling Cimerone ) was a sidewheel double-ended steam gunboat of the United States Navy that served during the American Civil War.
Cimarron, a large ship of 860 tons, was outfitted as a gunboat with six howitzers for riverside operations, and as a blockade interceptor gunboat with a powerful 100-pounder rifle.
Cimarron was launched 16 March 1862 by D. S. Merschon, Bordentown, New Jersey; outfitted at Philadelphia Navy Yard; and commissioned 5 July 1862, Commander Maxwell Woodhull in command.
Sailing from the Philadelphia Navy Yard 11 July 1862, Cimarron arrived at Fort Monroe, Virginia, 8 July. Between 11 July and 4 September 1862, she sailed in the James River in active support of Army operations. During this time she engaged Confederate troops at Harrison's Landing (28 July) and exchanged fire with Fort Powhatan (31 July) and Swan Point Battery (4 August).
Cimarron cleared Fort Monroe, 7 September 1862 to join the South Atlantic Blockading Squadron at Port Royal, South Carolina, 13 September. She was constantly employed in the coastal and inland waters of South Carolina, Georgia, and Florida, participating in the engagement with Confederate batteries up the St. Johns River, Florida (17 September 1862), and returning early in October to support army operations there during the battle of St. John's Bluff.
After repairs at the Philadelphia Navy Yard from January to April 1863, Cimarron continued blockade duty until 3 August 1865. During this time she captured three prizes, and fired on Confederate troops ashore on two occasions (23 June and 8 July 1863). She also joined in the attacks on Fort Wagner in Charleston Harbor, (17 August, 20 August and 21 August 1863). During January and February 1864, Cimarron operated in the Stono River, South Carolina.
Cimarron arrived at Philadelphia Navy Yard 8 August 1865; was decommissioned there 17 August 1865; and sold 6 November 1865.
The third USS Chippewa was a Unadilla-class gunboat which saw service with the U.S. Navy during the American Civil War.
The third USS Water Witch was a wooden-hulled, sidewheel gunboat in the United States Navy during the American Civil War. She is best known as the ship fired on by Paraguay in 1855. In 1864 she was captured by the Confederate States Navy, and subsequently was taken into that Navy as CSS Water Witch.
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 Conemaugh was a side-wheel steamer in the United States Navy during the American Civil War. With her large crew of 125 and her powerful guns, she was assigned as a gunboat on the Union blockade of the Confederate States of America.
USS Kansas was a gunboat constructed for the Union Navy during the middle of the American Civil War. She was outfitted with heavy guns and assigned to the Union blockade of the waterways of the Confederate States of America. She was the first U.S. Navy ship to be named Kansas and was the first of a class of 836-ton screw steam gunboats. At war's end, she continued serving her country by performing survey work and defending American interests in Cuba until sold in 1883.
USS Paul Jones was a large 1,210-ton sidewheel, double-ended, steam gunboat of the Union Navy that served during the American Civil War. She carried heavy guns and was assigned to the Union blockade of the waterways of the Confederate States of America.
USS Saugus was a single-turreted Canonicus-class monitor built for the Union Navy during the American Civil War. The vessel was assigned to the James River Flotilla of the North Atlantic Blockading Squadron upon completion in April 1864. The ship spent most of her time stationed up the James River where she could support operations against Richmond and defend against a sortie by the Confederate ironclads of the James River Squadron. She engaged Confederate artillery batteries during the year and later participated in both attacks on Fort Fisher, defending the approaches to Wilmington, North Carolina, in December 1864 – January 1865. Saugus returned to the James River after the capture of Fort Fisher and remained there until Richmond, Virginia, was occupied in early April.
USS Ottawa was a Unadilla-class gunboat built for the Union Navy during the American Civil War. Her wooden hull was built by J. A. Westervelt, and her engines by the Novelty Iron Works of New York. She was commissioned at the New York Navy Yard on 7 October 1861.
USS Unadilla was a Unadilla-class gunboat built for service with the United States Navy during the American Civil War. She was the lead ship in her class.
USS Huron was a Unadilla-class gunboat built for the United States Navy during the American Civil War for blockage duty against the ports and rivers of the Confederate States of America.
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.
The first USS Dawn was a steam-operated vessel acquired by the Union Navy during the American Civil War. She was used by the Navy to patrol navigable waterways of the Confederacy to prevent the South from trading with other countries.
USS Western World was a ship acquired by the Union Navy during the American Civil War. She was used by the Navy to patrol navigable waterways of the Confederacy to prevent the South from trading with other countries.
USS Genesee was a steamer acquired by the Union Navy during the American Civil War. She was used by the Navy to patrol navigable waterways of the Confederacy to prevent the South from trading with other countries.
USS Lodona was a British steamship of the same name captured by the Union Navy during the American Civil War. She had been built in England for shipowner Zachariah Pearson and attempted to break the United States' blockade of Confederate ports. USS Lodona was used by the Navy to patrol waters off those ports. After the war she returned to commercial ownership.
USS Matthew Vassar was a schooner purchased by the Union Navy during the American Civil War. She was used by the Union Navy primarily as a mortar gunboat, but also as a gunboat stationed off Confederate ports to prevent their trading with foreign countries.
USS Wamsutta was a steamer constructed for service with 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.
USS Wyandotte, originally USS Western Port, was a steamer acquired by the Navy as a gunboat for the Paraguay expedition in 1858. When the crisis of the American Civil War occurred, she operated in support of the Union Navy blockade of Confederate waterways.
USS Norfolk Packet was a large schooner purchased by the Union Navy during the American Civil War. She was assigned to gunboat duty in the inland waterways of the Confederate States of America.
John Cummings Howell was an officer in the United States Navy during the American Civil War. He rose to the rank of rear admiral and late in his career was commander-in-chief of the North Atlantic Squadron and then of the European Squadron.
This article incorporates text from the public domain Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships .The entry can be found here.