USS Black Hawk (1848)

USS Black Hawk (1848) was a large steamer purchased by the Union Navy during the American Civil War.

USS Black Hawk
History
United States
Ordered: as New Uncle Sam
Laid down: date unknown
Launched: 1848
Acquired: November 24, 1862
Commissioned: December 6, 1862
Out of service: April 22, 1865
Stricken: 1867 (est.)
Fate: sold, April 1867
General characteristics
Displacement: 902 tons
Length: 260 ft (79 m)
Beam: 45 ft 6 in (13.87 m)
Draught: depth of hold 8'
Propulsion:
Speed: not known
Complement: not known
Armament:
  • four 32-pounder smoothbores
  • two 30-pounder rifled guns
  • one 12-pounder rifled gun
  • one 12-pounder smoothbore
Armour: tinclad

She was assigned by the Union Navy to gunboat duty in the waterways of the rebellious Confederate States of America.

Built as New Uncle Sam at New Albany, Indiana, in 1848

Black Hawk, a side-wheel river steamer, was built in 1848 as Uncle Sam at New Albany, Indiana; purchased by the Navy at Cairo, Illinois, November 24, 1862 as New Uncle Sam; commissioned December 6, 1862, Lieutenant Commander K. R. Breese in command; and renamed Black Hawk December 13, 1862.

Civil War service

During most of her service Black Hawk served as flagship for Rear Admiral David Dixon Porter, Captain Alexander Mosely Pennock and Rear Admiral Samuel Phillips Lee, successive commanders of the Mississippi Squadron.

She participated in the following operations:

Subsequent patrols and sinking
USS Black Hawk on fire off Cairo.

Thereafter she patrolled in the Mississippi River and its tributaries. On April 22, 1865 she accidentally burned and sank, three miles above Cairo, Illinois. Her wreck was raised and sold at St. Louis, Missouri, in April 1867.

References

See also
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.