USS Orion (1861), a wooden schooner, was purchased by the Union Navy during the American Civil War at Baltimore, Maryland, on 13 August 1861.
She was purchased to be used in the "Stone Fleet" to be sunk as an obstruction blocking channels leading to Southern ports.
She was sunk in the North Carolina sounds in the fall of 1861.
The second USS Potomac was an old whaler the United States Navy purchased on 1 November 1861. She was a part of the "Stone Fleet," a group of ships used to block the entrances to Confederate harbors during the American Civil War, and was sunk for this purpose on 9 January 1862.
The Stone Fleet consisted of a fleet of aging ships purchased in New Bedford and other New England ports, loaded with stone, and sailed south during the American Civil War by the Union Navy for use as blockships. They were to be deliberately sunk at the entrance of Charleston Harbor, South Carolina in the hope of obstructing blockade runners, then supplying Confederate interests. Although some sank along the way and others were sunk near Tybee Island, Georgia, to serve as breakwaters, wharves for the landing of Union troops, the majority were divided into two lesser fleets. One fleet was sunk to block the south channel off Morris Island, and the other to block the north channel near Rattlesnake Shoals off the present day Isle of Palms in what proved to be failed efforts to block access the main shipping channels into Charleston Harbor.
USS Varuna was a screw steamer acquired by the Union Navy during the American Civil War. Under construction in 1861, she was purchased incomplete on 31 December. After being commissioned in February 1862, she traveled to join the West Gulf Blockading Squadron. Varuna was present when Flag Officer David Glasgow Farragut led an attack against Confederate positions at Fort Jackson and Fort St. Philip on 24 April. During the action, Varuna ran ahead of the other Union ships, and was engaged in a chase with the Louisiana gunboat Governor Moore. After closing in on the Union ship, Governor Moore rammed Varuna twice, with the gunboat CSS Stonewall Jackson adding a third blow. Varuna sank within 15 minutes, but Farragut was able to capture the city of New Orleans, Louisiana.
USS Tenedos, abark of 245 tons, 300 feet (91 m) long, was originally a Pacific whaler, owned by Lawrence and Company of New London, Connecticut. During the American Civil War, the United States Navy purchased her on 16 October 1861 for use in the "Stone Fleet," a group of ships to be sunk as obstructions along the coast of the Confederate States of America. Under the command of Master O. Sisson, she was sunk as blockship in Charleston Harbor off Charleston, South Carolina, on 19 or 20 December 1861.
USS Robin Hood was a 400-foot-long (120 m) ship of 395 tons, purchased by the United States Navy in Mystic, Connecticut, during the American Civil War on 20 October 1861 for use in the "Stone Fleet." In December 1861 she was sunk as an obstruction in Charleston Harbor off Charleston, South Carolina.
USS South America (1861) was a whaler purchased by the Union Navy on 9 November 1861 at New London, Connecticut. She was acquired to be sunk as an obstruction in the channel leading to a Confederate port as part of the Union blockade on ports and waterways of the Confederate States of America.
USS Amazon was a wooden-hulled bark of 318 tons that had previously sailed as a whaler out of Fairhaven, Massachusetts.
USS Peri was one of the ships of the Stone Fleet, sunk in the harbor of Charleston, South Carolina as a blockade during the American Civil War.
The Phoenix was a 404-ton American wooden whaler based in New London, Connecticut. The Union Navy purchased Phoenix at New London on 9 November 1861, at the start of the American Civil War. The Navy wanted her for the Stone Fleet, a group of vessels to be sunk in the channels of important Southern harbors to interrupt Confederate trade. She sailed on the 20th but grounded while crossing Savannah Bar, lost her rudder, and began leaking badly. When refloated she was beached as a breakwater to shelter Union troops landing on Tybee Island, Georgia, on or before 5 December 1861, in preparation for the Battle of Fort Pulaski.
USS Timor was purchased at Sag Harbor, New York on 30 October 1861. She was sunk as part of the Stone Fleet at Maffitts channel in Charleston harbor on 25 or 26 January 1862.
USS Stephen Young was one of the ships of the Stone Fleet, sunk in the harbor of Charleston, South Carolina to be used as a blockade during the American Civil War.
USS Valparaiso was a Navy vessel that was given a "second life" in her nautical career. During the start of the American Civil War, she was destined to be used as a "stone ship" hazard to navigation sunk in a Southern harbor, but the Union Navy reconsidered and put her to work as a stores ship, supporting the blockade of the ports of the Confederate States of America.
USS Maria Denning was a steamer acquired by the Union Navy during the American Civil War. She was used by the Union Navy for various tasks, including carrying supplies, prisoners of war, and acting as a receiving ship for newly enlisted sailors or for sailors whose ship was sunk.
USS Maria J. Carlton was a schooner acquired by the United States Navy on October 15, 1861, during the American Civil War. Built before the war, the vessel was converted into a mortar schooner by the Navy. She was then transferred to the mouth of the Mississippi River in early 1862, as part of a force tasked with neutralizing Confederate forts guarding New Orleans, Louisiana. Maria J. Carlton participated in the Battle of Forts Jackson and St. Philip on April 18, but, the battle continuing, was sunk the next day by a shot from Fort Jackson. She was the only Union warship sunk solely by artillery fire from Confederate forts on the Mississippi River during the war.
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.
USS Hero (1861), a wooden schooner, was purchased by the Union Navy during the American Civil War at Baltimore, Maryland, 13 August 1861 to obstruct inlets to Pamlico Sound, North Carolina, near Cape Hatteras.
USS Noble (1861) was a wooden bark purchased during the American Civil War by the Union Navy 2 December 1861 at Sag Harbor, New York.
USS Sidney C. Jones was a schooner that served in the Union Navy during the American Civil War. Built in East Haddam, Connecticut, and launched in April 1856, Sidney C. Jones was intended to be used on trade routes. In October 1861, she was purchased by the Union Navy for military service. Originally intended for service on the Union blockade, she was later converted into a mortar schooner and was armed with a mortar and four other cannons. In April 1862, she participated in the bombardment of Confederate positions at Fort Jackson and Fort St. Philip. During July, she ran aground while part of a force bombarding Vicksburg, Mississippi, and was blown up by her crew to prevent capture on July 15.
USS Somerfield (1861) was a Chesapeake Bay schooner purchased by the Union Navy at Baltimore, Maryland, on 13 August 1861 for the purpose of obstructing the North Carolina sounds.
USS South Wind (1861) was a schooner purchased by the Union Navy on 13 August 1861 at Baltimore, Maryland, for the "Stone Fleet" of American Civil War fame.
