USS Massasoit
Gunboat of the United States Navy
USS Massasoit was a steamer purchased by the Union Navy during the American Civil War.
She was used by the Union Navy for anti-raider duty, bombardment duty, dispatch duty, and as a gunboat stationed off Confederate ports to prevent their trading with foreign countries.
01Service history
Massasoit was launched 8 March 1863 by Curtis & Tilden, Boston, Massachusetts; commissioned 8 March 1864, Lt. Comdr. Edward Barrett in command; but did not leave the Navy Yard before decommissioning 31 July 1864. Recommissioned 25 August 1864 in the tense days before General William Tecumseh Sherman's "march to the sea," she first patrolled the New England coast for Confederate raiders. In October Massasoit joined Rear Admiral David Dixon Porter's North Atlantic Blockading Squadron. After several escort voyages from New York City to Hampton Roads, Virginia, she served on picket duty on the James River, in Virginia. She took part in the 24 January 1865 duel with Confederate batteries at Howlett's House, and the following months stood by to prevent any southern rams from reaching the coast. Ordered 6 April to carry dispatches to General William Tecumseh Sherman in North Carolina, she remained on duty in the Sounds of North Carolina in the last days of the Civil War. Entering New York Harbor 18 June, Massasoit decommissioned 27 June 1865 and was sold 15 October 1867.
Sources and credits
This article is adapted from the Wikipedia article “USS Massasoit”, written by its contributors and licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Fathomly has changed the layout, removed citation markers, navigation and maintenance notices, and adjusted punctuation. This adapted version is shared under the same license. For references, see the original article.
Images, from Wikimedia Commons:
- USS Massasoit (1864-1867).jpg by U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph. Courtesy of Louis H. Smaus, 1986. Photo #: NH 100991, Public domain
- USS Massasoit.png by Civil war talk, CC BY-SA 4.0
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