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362:'s guns answered briskly the Southern ship retired out of range. The following day the mortar flotilla opened an intensive bombardment of the forts which continued intermittently for the next six days until it reached a mighty crescendo in the small hours of 24 April as the Union fleet got underway and headed up the river toward the forts.
519:. While the expedition was ashore, the gunboats protected them; and, shortly before the soldiers reembarked, naval gunfire beat back a Southern attack which threatened to cut off the landing party. This support prevented annihilation of the landing party by vastly superior forces and enabled it to retreat to
443:
On 5 August
Confederates attacked the Union encampment at Baton Rouge in force. The gunboats supported the badly outnumbered Northern soldiers enabling them to repulse the attack. Then they fired over the town into the Confederate camp, forcing them to withdraw out of range. The next morning
407:. While moving up stream, she gathered valuable information about conditions in the Mississippi valley; and, throughout Farragut's operations above Vicksburg, she continued to perform reconnaissance missions as she convoyed vessels which supplied the force at Vicksburg from New Orleans.
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In the months that followed, the gunboats constantly patrolled the river to protect Union communications, to gather information on
Confederate activity, and to cut the flow across the Mississippi River of food and men to Confederate armies in the East. With 3 other gunboats
385:. During the morning she collected ordnance surrendered by Confederate troops ashore. The next day she proceeded up the river firing on and silencing Southern batteries on both banks. The afternoon, upon arriving New Orleans, Louisiana, with the fleet, she captured
540:
and loaded them on transports for passage to New
Orleans. The value of this beef to the South can be attested by the fact that, four miles below Donaldsonville, about 3,000 infantrymen supported by nine
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For the next fortnight the threat of an attack kept the ships constantly on the alert to protect the troops which depended upon naval fire support. Finally, upon orders from
545:
struck back at the ships in a desperate attempt to recapture the cattle. The gunboats opened promptly and in about 20 minute drove the
Confederates from their position.
548:
The months that followed were a period of constant stress and peril for the gunboats. "We are constantly under fire ... as we pass up and down the river," Lt. Roe, the
487:, the Union Army evacuated Baton Rouge 21 August. Just before embarking the troops, the gunboats beat off an attack on the Union pickets with rapid and heavy fire.
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steamed steadily ahead, replying with all her guns. Only two rounds struck the gunboat during the dash, one damaging the foremast and the other the smokestack.
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continued to serve in the blockade of the Texas coast, cutting off supplies sorely needed by the
Confederates. On 30 April 1864 she chased the former
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guarding the approaches to New
Orleans with over 100 guns. The next morning a Confederate steamer came down and fired at the fleet; but, when
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operated in the vicinity of New
Orleans until 16 May when she got underway up river to join the squadron, which had proceeded her to
480:, the ram's engines failed leaving her unable to flee or fight; she was set afire by her officers and abandoned before she blew up.
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assisted
Farragut in his unprecedented effort to work the squadron's deep-draft, salt-water ships across the bar into the river.
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Our fighting is a savage Indian warfare. The troops and guns are concealed, and watch for us as we pass along and fire and flee.
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After the
Confederate collapse in April 1865, the veteran gunboat returned north and decommissioned 14 July 1865.
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In July, when
Farragut withdrew from the Mississippi River to attend to his blockaders in the gulf, he left
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After passing the forts and sailing beyond the range of their artillery, the Union ships anchored opposite
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brought up the rear as the ships steamed to New Orleans, where they arrived the following morning.
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was finally outdistanced. She was more successful 31 October when the gunboat overtook
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to protect Army units in the area and to police the river. During much of this time
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as the British schooner tried to slip out of the same port with a cargo of cotton.
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After repairs at New Orleans, the gunboat stood up the river 5 September with
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On 16 April she moved up the river with the fleet to a position below
35:
Contemporary sketch of USS Katahdin operating on the Mississippi River
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as they escaped from Galveston; but, after a brisk and lengthy race,
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The "90-day gunboat" was launched by Larrabee & Allen of
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Half an hour later, when the Confederate guns opened fire,
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after that port had been recaptured by the Confederacy on
595:' chased, captured, and burned blockade running schooner
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she covered the landing of Army troops 22 September at
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American Civil War patrol vessels of the United States
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with cannon and rifled gun for blockade duty and two
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476:. However, as the Union warships were closing on
897:
887:List of steam gunboats of the United States Navy
381:abreast a Confederate encampment which raised a
294:
536:intercepted a drove of some 1,500 cattle from
696:, Naval History and Heritage Command website.
564:
704:
676:Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships
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573:was ordered to reinforce the blockade off
303:, on 12 October 1861, and commissioned at
509:scouring the banks for information. With
495:Supporting Union troops at Donaldsonville
670:This article incorporates text from the
366:Racing past Forts Jackson and St. Philip
331:to bolster its strength as Flag Officer
158:9 ft 6 in (2.90 m) (max.)
19:For other ships with the same name, see
898:
523:for passage to safety in New Orleans.
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307:on 17 February 1862, with Lieutenant
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916:Steamships of the United States Navy
581:. While serving in the Gulf off the
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599:10 May 1863. She captured schooner
335:prepared for his epochal attack on
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396:Lower Mississippi River operations
320:Assigned to the West Gulf blockade
14:
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16:Gunboat of the United States Navy
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527:Capturing a large herd of cattle
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29:
452:guarded the right flank of the
651:30 November and documented as
1:
679:. The entry can be found
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329:West Gulf Blockading Squadron
295:Built in Bath, Maine, in 1861
7:
10:
947:
911:Ships built in Bath, Maine
565:Blockading the Texas coast
209:10 kn (11.5 mph)
18:
884:
715:
517:Donaldsonville, Louisiana
138:158 ft (48 m) (
97:
40:
28:
639:Post-war decommissioning
392:with a cargo of cotton.
71:17 February 1862 at the
921:Unadilla-class gunboats
906:Ships of the Union Navy
466:got underway to engage
291:for shore bombardment.
166:12 ft (3.7 m)
150:28 ft (8.5 m)
98:General characteristics
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405:Vicksburg, Mississippi
93:sold, 30 November 1865
558:
339:. After entering the
239:2 × 24-pdr smoothbore
190:engines; single screw
605:San Luis Pass, Texas
327:was assigned to the
694:USS Katahdin images
309:George Henry Preble
283:was outfitted as a
60:12 October 1861 at
550:commanding officer
414:in the river with
275:American Civil War
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655:20 October 1866.
436:was stationed at
341:Mississippi River
315:Civil War service
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575:Galveston, Texas
569:In January 1863
343:early in April,
305:Boston Navy Yard
82:14 July 1865 at
73:Boston Navy Yard
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620:Harriet Lane
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311:in command.
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127:Tons burthen
119:Displacement
107:
68:Commissioned
21:USS Katahdin
875:Wissahickon
610:Thereafter
521:Laurel Hill
438:Baton Rouge
390:John Gilpin
337:New Orleans
301:Bath, Maine
273:during the
242:2 × 20-pdr
198:Two-masted
188:back-acting
186:horizontal
62:Bath, Maine
931:1861 ships
900:Categories
791:Marblehead
659:References
454:Union Army
383:white flag
379:Quarantine
235:smoothbore
230:1 × 11-in
214:Complement
171:Propulsion
819:Penobscot
721:Aroostook
601:Excelsior
289:howitzers
271:U.S. Navy
227:Original:
195:Sail plan
182:by 18 in
140:waterline
861:Unadilla
833:Sagamore
777:Kennebec
770:Katahdin
735:Chippewa
707:Unadilla
645:Katahdin
629:Katahdin
612:Katahdin
587:Katahdin
571:Katahdin
554:Katahdin
534:Katahdin
489:Katahdin
478:Arkansas
473:Arkansas
450:Katahdin
434:Katahdin
412:Katahdin
401:Katahdin
387:schooner
372:Katahdin
360:Katahdin
345:Katahdin
325:Katahdin
281:Katahdin
262:Unadilla
256:Katahdin
232:Dahlgren
222:Armament
200:schooner
174:2 × 200
122:691 tons
108:Unadilla
57:Launched
812:Pembina
763:Kanawha
742:Chocura
597:Hanover
585:coast,
285:gunboat
267:gunboat
113:gunboat
41:History
868:Winona
854:Tahoma
847:Seneca
840:Sciota
826:Pinola
805:Owasco
798:Ottawa
756:Itasca
728:Cayuga
668:
592:Owasco
512:Itasca
506:Scioto
463:Cayuga
456:while
426:, and
423:Sumter
264:-class
259:was a
184:stroke
178:30-in
135:Length
110:-class
784:Kineo
749:Huron
625:Alice
583:Texas
538:Texas
501:Kineo
458:Essex
446:Kineo
429:Kineo
417:Essex
206:Speed
155:Draft
681:here
653:Juno
589:and
503:and
471:CSS
460:and
448:and
354:and
254:USS
180:bore
147:Beam
90:Fate
552:of
217:114
176:IHP
130:507
902::
607:.
440:.
420:,
277:.
683:.
142:)
23:.
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