USS Belle (1864)
Encyclopedia
USS Belle (1864) was a steamer acquired by the Union Navy
during the American Civil War
.
She was used by the Union Navy for various tasks, including those of a torpedo boat
.
, early in 1864—operated briefly at Boston, Massachusetts, before she was purchased there by the Union Navy on 2 June 1864. Commissioned in the next day or so, the tug headed south on 8 June to join the North Atlantic Blockading Squadron.
so that she might help defend larger Union warships in the North Carolina
Sounds
against attacks by the Confederate ironclad ram CSS Albemarle
that, the previous spring, had emerged from the Roanoke River
and defeated a Union flotilla.
Ready by late July, Belle and three other tugs were towed to Hatteras Inlet
by the sidewheel steamer Nansemond
, entered the sounds, and proceeded under their own power to the mouth of the Roanoke River. There, Belle performed picket duty, ready to sound the alarm should Albemarle reappear and then to attempt to torpedo the Southern ram. She continued this duty until Lt. William B. Cushing sank Albemarle in a daring attack on the night of 27 -28 October 1864.
This victory cleared the way for a Union effort to retake Plymouth, North Carolina
, on the last day of October 1864. Belle, by then commanded by Acting Master James G. Green, took part in the operation lashed to the port and unengaged side of Otsego
so that she might keep her partner in motion should that double-ender’s engines be disabled.
The Northern warships entered the Roanoke River from Middle River above Plymouth and headed downstream toward the Confederate defensive works. About half an hour before noon, they opened fire; and, after almost an hour of bitter fighting, the Southern troops withdrew leaving the Union forces in control of the area.
surrendered at Appomattox, Virginia
,, she had the satisfaction of accompanying the raised Albemarle to Hatteras Inlet
as her former foe began her voyage to Norfolk, Virginia
.
where she was sold at auction on 12 July 1865 to Cozzens and Co. Re-documented on 9 September 1865, the ship operated in private hands until abandoned in 1891.
Union Navy
The Union Navy is the label applied to the United States Navy during the American Civil War, to contrast it from its direct opponent, the Confederate States Navy...
during the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
.
She was used by the Union Navy for various tasks, including those of a torpedo boat
Torpedo boat
A torpedo boat is a relatively small and fast naval vessel designed to carry torpedoes into battle. The first designs rammed enemy ships with explosive spar torpedoes, and later designs launched self-propelled Whitehead torpedoes. They were created to counter battleships and other large, slow and...
.
Built in Philadelphia in 1864
Belle -- a screw tug completed at Philadelphia, PennsylvaniaPhiladelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Philadelphia County, with which it is coterminous. The city is located in the Northeastern United States along the Delaware and Schuylkill rivers. It is the fifth-most-populous city in the United States,...
, early in 1864—operated briefly at Boston, Massachusetts, before she was purchased there by the Union Navy on 2 June 1864. Commissioned in the next day or so, the tug headed south on 8 June to join the North Atlantic Blockading Squadron.
With her torpedo at the ready, Belle assigned to wait for CSS Albemarle
The Norfolk Navy Yard refitted Belle to serve as a torpedo boatTorpedo boat
A torpedo boat is a relatively small and fast naval vessel designed to carry torpedoes into battle. The first designs rammed enemy ships with explosive spar torpedoes, and later designs launched self-propelled Whitehead torpedoes. They were created to counter battleships and other large, slow and...
so that she might help defend larger Union warships in the North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
Sounds
Sound (geography)
In geography a sound or seaway is a large sea or ocean inlet larger than a bay, deeper than a bight and wider than a fjord; or it may be defined as a narrow sea or ocean channel between two bodies of land ....
against attacks by the Confederate ironclad ram CSS Albemarle
CSS Albemarle
CSS Albemarle was an ironclad ram of the Confederate Navy , named for a town and a sound in North Carolina and a county in Virginia...
that, the previous spring, had emerged from the Roanoke River
Roanoke River
The Roanoke River is a river in southern Virginia and northeastern North Carolina in the United States, 410 mi long. A major river of the southeastern United States, it drains a largely rural area of the coastal plain from the eastern edge of the Appalachian Mountains southeast across the Piedmont...
and defeated a Union flotilla.
Ready by late July, Belle and three other tugs were towed to Hatteras Inlet
Hatteras Inlet
Hatteras Inlet is a estuary in North Carolina, located along the Outer Banks, separating Hatteras Island and Ocracoke Island. It connects the Atlantic Ocean to the Pamlico Sound. Hatteras Inlet is located entirely within Hyde County.- History :...
by the sidewheel steamer Nansemond
USS Nansemond (1862)
The first USS Nansemond, a side wheel steamer built at Williamsburg, N.Y. in 1862, as James F. Freeborn, was purchased by the United States Navy at New York City on 18 August 1863 from Richard Squires; it was renamed Nansemond and commissioned at Baltimore on 19 August, with Lieutenant Roswell H...
, entered the sounds, and proceeded under their own power to the mouth of the Roanoke River. There, Belle performed picket duty, ready to sound the alarm should Albemarle reappear and then to attempt to torpedo the Southern ram. She continued this duty until Lt. William B. Cushing sank Albemarle in a daring attack on the night of 27 -28 October 1864.
This victory cleared the way for a Union effort to retake Plymouth, North Carolina
Plymouth, North Carolina
Plymouth is the largest town in Washington County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 4,107 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Washington County...
, on the last day of October 1864. Belle, by then commanded by Acting Master James G. Green, took part in the operation lashed to the port and unengaged side of Otsego
USS Otsego (1863)
USS Otsego was a steamer acquired by the Union Navy during the American Civil War. She was used by the Navy to patrol navigable waterways of the Confederacy to prevent the South from trading with other countries....
so that she might keep her partner in motion should that double-ender’s engines be disabled.
The Northern warships entered the Roanoke River from Middle River above Plymouth and headed downstream toward the Confederate defensive works. About half an hour before noon, they opened fire; and, after almost an hour of bitter fighting, the Southern troops withdrew leaving the Union forces in control of the area.
Accompanying Albemarle to Norfolk, Virginia
Following that action, Belle remained in the sounds until after the collapse of the Confederacy the following spring. On 10 April 1865, the day after General Robert E. LeeRobert E. Lee
Robert Edward Lee was a career military officer who is best known for having commanded the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia in the American Civil War....
surrendered at Appomattox, Virginia
Appomattox, Virginia
Appomattox is a town in Appomattox County, Virginia, United States. The population was 1,761 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Appomattox County.Appomattox is part of the Lynchburg Metropolitan Statistical Area.-History:...
,, she had the satisfaction of accompanying the raised Albemarle to Hatteras Inlet
Hatteras Inlet
Hatteras Inlet is a estuary in North Carolina, located along the Outer Banks, separating Hatteras Island and Ocracoke Island. It connects the Atlantic Ocean to the Pamlico Sound. Hatteras Inlet is located entirely within Hyde County.- History :...
as her former foe began her voyage to Norfolk, Virginia
Norfolk, Virginia
Norfolk is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. With a population of 242,803 as of the 2010 Census, it is Virginia's second-largest city behind neighboring Virginia Beach....
.
Post-war decommissioning, sale, and civilian career
Late in May 1865, Belle left North Carolina waters and headed for New York CityNew York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
where she was sold at auction on 12 July 1865 to Cozzens and Co. Re-documented on 9 September 1865, the ship operated in private hands until abandoned in 1891.