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USS Commodore Hull | |
History | |
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United States | |
Name | USS Commodore Hull |
Namesake | Commodore Isaac Hull |
Ordered | as Nuestra Senora de Regla |
Launched | 1860 |
Acquired | 1 September 1862 |
Commissioned | 27 November 1862 |
Decommissioned | 8 June 1865 |
Fate | Sold, 27 September 1865 |
General characteristics | |
Type | Gunboat |
Displacement | 376 long tons (382 t) |
Length | 141 ft (43 m) |
Beam | 28 ft 4 in (8.64 m) |
Draft | 9 ft (2.7 m) |
Propulsion |
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Speed | 10 kn (12 mph; 19 km/h) |
Armament |
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USS Commodore Hull was a ferryboat acquired by the Union Navy during the American Civil War. She was outfitted as a gunboat and assigned to the Union blockade of the Confederate States of America.
Commodore Hull – a side-wheel ferryboat – was built at New York City in 1860 (or 1861 [1] ) as the civilian ferryboat Nuestra Señora del Regla, intended for use at Havana, Cuba. Purchased by the Union Navy on 1 September 1862, she was converted to a gunboat and commissioned on 27 November 1862, Acting Master W. G. Saltonstall in command. Commodore Hull was named in honor of Commodore Isaac Hull (1773–1843), a significant U.S. Naval commander during and after the War of 1812. There were four subsequent USS Hulls, all destroyers. Commodore Hull's ferryboat design made her especially useful for operations in sheltered waters, so she was assigned to the North Atlantic Blockading Squadron and operated along the coasts and rivers of Virginia and North Carolina. She took part in the siege of Washington, N.C. from 30 March – 16 April 1863. In Albemarle Sound, she took part in the 5 May 1864 Battle of Albemarle Sound with the Confederate ironclad CSS Albemarle. As a picket, Commodore Hull was the first to sight the formidable ram approaching and fired at her from close quarters in the three-hour engagement.
Commodore Hull joined in the attacks on and the capture of Plymouth, N.C. on 29 October. On 31 October, she was heavily damaged by Confederate batteries, losing four killed and three wounded. Coxswain Patrick Colbert was awarded the Medal of Honor for action on that date. Commodore Hull was repaired and remained active until the end of the Civil War. She was decommissioned on 8 June 1865 at the New York Navy Yard. Commodore Hull was sold at the Yard on 27 September. She was subsequently renamed to Waccamaw in civilian employment, which lasted until sometime prior to 1885. Abandoned on the Cape Fear River across from downtown Wilmington, North Carolina, the steamboat was burned to the waterline in 1886. Some of her remains (consisting of the engine bed, boiler foundation, portions of the lower hull and paddle wheel spokes) are still visible at low tide.
USS Advance, the second United States Navy ship to be so named, was later known as USS Frolic, and was originally the blockade runner Advance captured by the Union Navy during the latter part of the American Civil War. She was purchased by the Union Navy and outfitted as a gunboat and assigned to the blockade of the waterways of the Confederate States of America. She also served as dispatch ship and supply vessel when military action eventually slowed.
The first USS Ellen was a side-wheel steam gunboat in the United States Navy during the American Civil War.
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USS Ceres was a small 150-long-ton (152 t) steamboat acquired by the Union Navy during the beginning of the American Civil War. She was outfitted as a gunboat and used in the Union blockade of the waterways of the Confederate States of America.
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USS Tacony was a double-ended, side-wheel steamboat acquired by the Union Navy during the third year of the American Civil War. She was outfitted as a heavy gunboat with powerful guns and used in the Union blockade of the waterways of the Confederate States of America.
USS Stars and Stripes was a 407-ton steamer acquired by the U.S. Navy and put to use by the Union during the American Civil War.
USS Wyalusing was a double-ended, side-wheel gunboat that served in the United States Navy during the American Civil War. She was named for the borough of Wyalusing in Bradford County, Pennsylvania.
USS Somerset was a wooden-hulled, side-wheel ferryboat built at Brooklyn, N.Y., in 1862, which was purchased by the Navy at Washington, D. C., on 4 March 1862 and was commissioned at the New York Navy Yard on 3 April 1862, Lt. Earl English in command.
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.
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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 Commodore Morris was a ferryboat acquired by the Union Navy during the American Civil War. Ferryboats were of great value, since – because of their flat bottom and shallow draft – they could navigate streams and shallow waters that other ships could not.
USS Commodore McDonough was a ferryboat acquired by the Union Navy during the American Civil War. Ferryboats were of great value, since – because of their flat bottom and shallow draft — they could navigate streams and shallow waters that other ships could not.
USS Shamrock was a large seaworthy 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.
USS Britannia was a steamer captured by the Union Navy during the American Civil War. She was used by the Union Navy as a gunboat and patrol vessel in support of the Union Navy blockade of Confederate waterways.
USS Ascutney 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. Post-war she performed some steamship service for the Navy.
The first USS Wando was a steamer captured by the Union Navy during the American Civil War. In commission from 1864 to 1865, she was used by the United States Navy as a gunboat in support of the Union Navy blockade of Confederate waterways.
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