The Curlew was built in 1856 as a wooden hulled propeller freight boat for the run between Providence and New York. She served in several capacities during the Civil War.

Merchant Service

The 150 feet (46 m) wooden propeller steamer Curlew, was built in 1856 by Samuel Sneden of Greenpoint, New York for the Commercial Steamboat Company of Providence, Rhode Island

Providence, Rhode Island

Providence is the capital and most populous city of Rhode Island and was one of the first cities established in the United States. Located in Providence County, it is the third largest city in the New England region...

. She was equipped with a direct-acting, two cylinder, vertical engine with a bore of 32 inches and a stroke of 2 feet. The boiler was on the main deck. Curlew was rigged as a three masted schooner as were many of the propeller steamers in this service. She was configured with a full length spar deck which was enclosed above the main deck.

Curlew sank off of Point Judith, R.I. in May 1859 when a steam pipe burst and she began to fill with water. She was salvaged and a new boiler and engine were installed in 1860.

Civil War Service

Curlew was purchased for $44,000 by the U.S.Navy in 1861 for the South Atlantic Blockading Squadron. She was outfitted as a gunboat with armament consisting of a 30 pound rifled gun on the foredeck and six 32 pound smoothbores on the main deck. Curlew participated in the expedition to Port Royal, S.C. under the command of Acting Lieutenant P.G. Watmough. When her machinery proved to be inadequate she was towed to New York by the transport Baltic arriving on 21 November 1861 to be returned to her owners before the sixty day trial period expired.

Curlew was chartered by the Quartermaster's Department in October 1862 and voyaged as far as New Orleans under Captain H.N. Parrish.

In the panic over the commerce raider CSS Tacony

CSS Tacony

CSS Tacony was originally a bark captured by the Confederate cruiser CSS Clarence during the American Civil War and converted into a Confederate cruiser for commerce raiding.The CSS Clarence, commanded by Lt. Charles W...

, Curlew was again chartered in June 1863 for use as a gunboat, this time by the Navy Department. She was returned in October of that year.

Final voyage

Back in commercial service the Curlew inaugurated a freight service between New York and Baltimore. She cleared Baltimore, Md. on 5 November 1863 and proceeded down the Bay for New York with a full cargo. Near midnight on a dark, cloudy night she collided with the northbound steamer Louisiana near Point Lookout, Maryland hitting the Louisiana near midships on the port side. Curlew sank but Captain Parrish and the crew rowed to safety at Point Lookout. Louisiana suffered damage and was towed to Baltimore.

Other vessels

A ferryboat Curlew of 392 tons, which was built in 1853, was purchased by the Quartermaster's Department for use during the Civil War.