USS Galatea (1863)

Last updated

Alexandre Petion (1864 gunboat) cropped.jpg
Alexandre Pétion, formerly USS Galatea, bombarding Petit Goave in 1868
History
Flag of the United States (1867-1877).svgUnited States
NameUSS Galatea
Laid downdate unknown
LaunchedAbout late March 1863
Acquired31 July 1863
Commissioned29 January 1864
Decommissioned12 July 1865
Stricken1865 (est.)
Homeport Cap-Haïtien, Haiti
FateSold, 15 August 1865
History
Flag of Haiti (1859-1964).svgHaiti
NameAlexandre Pétion
Namesake Alexandre Pétion
Owner Haitian Navy
Acquired15 August 1865
General characteristics
Displacement1,244 tons
Length209 ft 6 in (63.86 m)
Beam35 ft 6 in (10.82 m)
Draughtdepth of hold 20 ft 8 in (6.30 m)
Propulsion
Speed10 knots
Complementnot known
Armament
  • eight 32-pounder guns
  • one 100-poudner gun
  • two 30-pounder guns

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

Contents

She was used by the Union Navy as an escort gunboat in support of the Union Navy, mostly in various parts of the Caribbean, such as in Haiti, where her role was to protect American citizens. She was sold to the Haitian government in 1865 after becoming unseaworthy because of leaks.

Constructed in New York City, commissioned in 1864

Galatea was built at New York City in 1863 by J. B. and J. D. Van Dusen, Master Builders; she was launched in about late March 1863. Galatea was purchased by the Navy 31 July 1863 from the Neptune Steamship Co.; and commissioned 29 January 1864, Comdr. John Guest in command.

Supporting Union Navy control of the Caribbean

Galatea departed New York 21 February 1864 for service as a unit of the West India Squadron. Based at Cap-Haïtien in Haiti, where she arrived 29 February, she provided convoy protection in the West Indies to California mail steamers plying between New York City and Aspinwall, United States of Colombia.

She had twice returned to New York City for repairs by 10 November 1864 when she was assigned with two other ships to convoy California mail streamers from Cap-Haïtien through the Windward Passage, between the islands of Nacassa and Mariguana.

Developing seawater leaks in her structure

During this cruise leaks developed which made Galatea unfit for arduous convoy duty. Remaining on station at Cape Haitien, she cruised to Key West, Florida, for provisions and dispatches and afforded protection to American citizens in Haiti until convoy service was discontinued in June 1865.

End-of-war decommissioning and sale to Haiti

Galatea arrived New York City from Cap-Haïtien 1 July 1865; decommissioned 12 July; and was sold to the Haitian government 15 August.

Renamed Alexandre Pétion, on 20 September 1868, she attacked the rebel ships Liberté and Sylvain at Petit-Goâve. Liberté was sunk; Sylvain was set afire and abandoned by her crew. [1] On 20 May 1869, she ran aground off Cape Dame Maria. Her guns were taken out and she was refloated. [2]

Related Research Articles

USS <i>Powhatan</i> (1850) Ship

The first USS Powhatan was a sidewheel steam frigate in the United States Navy during the American Civil War. She was named for Powhatan, a Native American chief of eastern Virginia. She was one of the last, and largest, of the United States Navy's paddle frigates.

USS <i>Ticonderoga</i> (1862) Gunboat of the United States Navy

The second USS Ticonderoga was a 2526-ton Lackawanna-class screw sloop-of-war laid down by the New York Navy Yard in 1861; launched on 16 October 1862; sponsored by Miss Katherine Heaton Offley; and commissioned at New York on 12 May 1863, Commodore J. L. Lardner in command.

USS <i>Rhode Island</i> (1860) Gunboat of the United States Navy

The first USS Rhode Island was a side-wheel steamer in the United States Navy, commissioned in 1861.

USS <i>Santiago de Cuba</i> Gunboat of the United States Navy

USS Santiago de Cuba was a side-wheel steamship acquired by the Union Navy during the first year of the American Civil War. She was outfitted as a gunboat with powerful 20-pounder rifled guns and 32-pounder cannon and was assigned to the Union blockade of the Confederate States of America. She was notably successful in this role, capturing several blockade runners. Her last major action of the war was the assault on Fort Fisher, during which seven of her crew won the Medal of Honor.

USS <i>Gettysburg</i> (1858)

The first USS Gettysburg was a steamer in the United States Navy. The ship was built in Glasgow, Scotland, in 1858, named RMS Douglas, and operated by the Isle of Man Steam Packet Company in the United Kingdom between Liverpool, England, and Douglas on the Isle of Man until November 1862. She was then sold to Cunard, Wilson & Company on behalf of the Confederate agents Fraser, Trenholm & Company for use by the Confederate States of America during the American Civil War. Renamed Margaret and Jessie, she operated as a blockade runner until her capture by the Union on 5 November 1863. The ship then was commissioned into the Union Navy on 2 May 1864 as USS Gettysburg.

USS <i>Contoocook</i> (1864) Sloops-of-war of the United States Navy

USS Contoocook was a screw sloop-of-war built for the United States Navy during the American Civil War. She is named after a river and village in New Hampshire. She was launched 3 December 1864 at Portsmouth Navy Yard and commissioned 14 March 1868, commanded by Captain George Balch.

USS <i>Canandaigua</i> (1862) Gunboat of the United States Navy

USS Canandaigua was a sloop-of-war which displaced 1,395 long tons (1,417 t), with steam engine screw, acquired by the Union Navy during the second year of the American Civil War. After the war, Canandaigua was retained and placed in operation in Europe and elsewhere.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stephen Decatur Trenchard</span> United States Navy admiral (1818–1883)

Stephen Decatur Trenchard was a rear admiral in the United States Navy. He was present at the Battle of Taku Forts in 1859, and commanded the supply ship and gunboat Rhode Island throughout the American Civil War, seeing action at both Battles of Fort Fisher. He later commanded the North Atlantic Squadron.

USS <i>Quaker City</i> Gunboat of the United States Navy

USS Quaker City was a heavy, 1,428 long tons (1,451 t) sidewheel steamship leased by the Union Navy at the start of the American Civil War. She was subsequently purchased by the navy, outfitted with a powerful 20-pounder long rifle, and assigned to help enforce the Union blockade of the ports of the Confederate States of America.

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

USS Maratanza was a steamer acquired by the Union Navy during the American Civil War. She was used by the Union Navy as a gunboat to patrol navigable waterways of the Confederacy to prevent the South from trading with other countries.

USS <i>Grand Gulf</i> Gunboat of the United States Navy

USS Grand Gulf was a wooden-hulled, propeller-driven steamer acquired by the Union Navy during the American Civil War. She was effective in performing blockade duty, and captured a number of Confederate blockade runners.

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

USS Connecticut was a large steamer acquired by the Union Navy during the American Civil War. Her primary task was to prevent ships from penetrating the Union blockade of Southern ports.

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

Estrella was a paddle steamship built by Samuda Brothers in London in 1853 for the Magdalena Steam Navigation Company's commercial services in present-day Colombia. In 1862 she was sold to United States owners and briefly used as a Union Army transport before being acquired by the Union Navy. She served as the armed steamship USS Estrella during the remainder of the American Civil War, carrying three heavy guns as well as two howitzers for shore bombardment.

USS <i>De Soto</i> (1859) U.S. gunboat

USS De Soto was a fast wooden-hulled sidewheel steamship that saw service as a U.S. Navy gunboat during the American Civil War.

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

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.

USS Glasgow was originally a British cross-Channel sidewheel steamer named Eugenie owned by the South Eastern Railway that was built during the early 1860s. She was sold for blockade-running duties in 1863 and was captured by the Union Navy later that year during the American Civil War. Incorporated into the Navy, she was principally used as a dispatch boat and storeship in support of the Union blockade of the ports of the Confederate States of America. Renamed Glasgow in 1864, she sank after striking an obstacle the following year, but was refloated and repaired. The ship was sold back into commercial service in 1869 and was scrapped 20 years later.

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

USS Neptune was a large steamer, with powerful guns and a large crew, acquired by the United States Navy for service with the Union Navy during the American Civil War. She served the Navy primarily, as an armed escort vessel in the West Indies for Union Navy and commercial ships traveling through that area on their way to and from California.

USS <i>Galena</i> (1880)

USS Galena was a wooden armed steamer in commission in the United States Navy from 1880 to 1890. She had an active career in which she operated in the North Atlantic Squadron and South Atlantic Squadron, seeing duty in the Mediterranean Sea and Aegean Sea, along the east coast of South America, in the Caribbean, in the waters of Canada, and along the United States East Coast and United States Gulf Coast.

USS Shepherd Knapp was a large (838-ton) ship with eight guns, purchased by the Union Navy during the beginning of the American Civil War.

HMS <i>Galatea</i> (1859) Ariadne class frigate in the Royal Navy

HMS Galatea was a Jason-class 26-gun, sixth-rate, wooden screw frigate in the Royal Navy, launched in 1859 and broken up 1883.

References

  1. "General News". Bradford Observer. Vol. 35, no. 1823. Bradford. 23 October 1868. p. 4.
  2. "The West Indies". Aberdeen Journal. No. 6336. Aberdeen. 16 June 1869.

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