| History | |
|---|---|
 United States | |
| Acquired | 9 December 1864 |
| Fate | Sold, 1865 |
| General characteristics | |
| Propulsion |
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USS Theta was a steamer purchased by the Union Navy during the latter years of the American Civil War.
Theta was acquired by the Admiral David Dixon Porter, but records of her service are sparse. Since she was a tugboat, she probably served that function, as required, at Norfolk, Virginia.
John T. Jenkins, a screw tug, was purchased for the Navy by Rear Admiral David Dixon Porter on 9 December 1864 at Norfolk, Virginia, and renamed Theta. Acquired late in the Civil War, Theta probably saw little or no service. There are no records of any deck logs for her, and she is mentioned but once in the "Official Records of the Union and Confederate Navies in the War of the Rebellion"—with reference to her purchase. Her service—if she served at all—was brief and probably consisted of some variety of yard tug duty at Norfolk. She was sold late in 1865—one source indicates that the sale occurred on 17 August 1865—but that transaction remains undocumented. In any event, her name had disappeared from the "List of Vessels of the United States Navy" by 20 January 1866 when the 1866 Navy Register was issued.
David Glasgow Farragut was a flag officer of the United States Navy during the American Civil War. He was the first rear admiral, vice admiral, and admiral in the United States Navy. He is remembered for his order at the Battle of Mobile Bay, usually paraphrased as "Damn the torpedoes, full speed ahead" in U.S. Navy tradition.
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 Alert was a 90 long tons (91 t) steamship named A. C. Powell purchased by the Union Navy during the first year of the American Civil War.
USS Wabash was a steam screw frigate of the United States Navy that served during the American Civil War. She was based on the same plans as Colorado. Post-war she continued to serve her country in European operations and eventually served as a barracks ship in Boston, Massachusetts, and was sold in 1912.
David Dixon Porter was a United States Navy admiral and a member of one of the most distinguished families in the history of the U.S. Navy. Promoted as the second U.S. Navy officer ever to attain the rank of admiral, after his adoptive brother David G. Farragut, Porter helped improve the Navy as the Superintendent of the U.S. Naval Academy after significant service in the American Civil War.
USS Black Hawk was a large steamer purchased by the Union Navy during the American Civil War.
USS Dahlia was a paddle-wheel tugboat acquired by the Union Navy during the beginning of the American Civil War. Dahlia was assigned to the Mississippi River area to provide tug and other services to Union ships requiring assistance.
USS Samuel Rotan was a schooner acquired by the Union Navy during the American Civil War. She was outfitted by the Union Navy as a gunboat to patrol navigable waterways of the Confederacy to prevent the South from trading with other countries. Prior to the war, the US Navy had mostly large, deep draft, oceangoing vessels. The establishment of the Union blockade required small, fast, shallow draft vessels like the Samuel Rotan for littoral operations.
USS Ivy was a steamer acquired by the Union Navy during the American Civil War.
USS Lilac was a steamer acquired by the Union Navy during the American Civil War. She was used by the Navy as a tugboat and in other minor roles.
USS Clematis was a steamer acquired by the Union Navy during the American Civil War. She was used by the Union Navy to patrol navigable waterways of the Confederacy to prevent the South from trading with other countries.
USS Massasoit was a steamer purchased by the Union Navy during the American Civil War.
The first USS Myrtle was a steamer purchased by the Union Navy during the American Civil War. It was used as a tugboat and as a dispatch boat assigned to assist Union Navy ships patrolling Confederate waterways.
USS Benefit was a steamer acquired by the Union Navy during the American Civil War. She was used by the Union Navy as a tugboat and general transport in support of the Union Navy blockade of Confederate waterways.
USS Judge Torrence was a steamer acquired by the Union Navy during the American Civil War. She was used by the Union Navy as an ammunition ship in support of the Union Navy.
USS Juliet was a steamer 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 Althea was a screw steamer acquired by the Union Navy during the American Civil War. The Union Navy used her as a tugboat, a torpedo boat, and as a ship's tender in support of the Union Navy blockade of Confederate waterways.
The first USS Anemone was a steamer acquired by the Union Navy during the American Civil War. She was used by the Union Navy as a tugboat in support of the Union Navy blockade of Confederate waterways.
USS Harcourt was a small steamship acquired by the Union Navy during the American Civil War. She was placed into service as a tugboat and assigned to the blockade of ports of the Confederate States of America.
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.
This article incorporates text from the public domain Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships .The entry can be found here.
