USS Berberry (1864)
Encyclopedia
USS Berberry (1864) was a steam-powered tugboat
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.
On 13 August 1864 at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
, the Navy purchased Columbia, a wooden-hulled screw steamer
built there earlier that year. The Navy renamed her Berberry, and she was placed in commission at the Philadelphia Navy Yard on 12 September 1864, Acting
Ensign
Milton Griffith in command.
’s towing duty that took her to Fort Monroe
and Baltimore, Maryland, Berberry departed Philadelphia on 29 September and reached Beaufort, North Carolina
, on 1 October for duty in the North Atlantic Blockading Squadron. Two days later, she took station off the New Inlet entrance to North Carolina
’s Cape Fear River
where she labored to help tighten the blockade of Wilmington, North Carolina
.
Berberry quickly set a course for New Inlet Bar where she took a hawser
from Aster and attempted to pull the stranded tug free. However, the hawser parted without Asters budging; and Berberry made several more unsuccessful attempts before the falling tide compelled her to abandon the effort. She then tried to go alongside Aster so that she might rescue the tug's crew. It took Berberry some 20 minutes of difficult maneuvering to work into a position suitable for the transfer. She then took on board everyone from Aster with the exception of that vessel's captain, executive officer, and pilot who all remained behind to destroy their ship lest she fall into enemy hands. During the operation, Berberry thumped "...heavily on the bottom...."
Then, as she moved away from Aster, Berberry ran over the hawser that became entangled with her propeller. Griffith then had his men raise all the awnings, blankets, and other large pieces of cloth as jury-rigged "...sails to drift the Berberry off shore." Meanwhile, he burned Coston signal lights to call for help.
was preparing to launch boats to board and to destroy the stranded blockade running steamer Annie that Aster had been chasing. He immediately abandoned that project and headed for Berberry to render aid. About this time, Aster burst into flame, illuminating both Berberry and Niphon and enabling Confederate shore batteries to open fire on both Union ships. Despite the heavy barrage, Niphon pressed on with her rescue operations and pulled Berberry to safety. Unfortunately, the tug was leaking badly from striking the bottom and required repairs at the Norfolk Navy Yard.
on the 23rd and headed back to waters off New Inlet. She arrived there on the morning of the 26th and, that night, her guns persuaded an unidentified blockade runner to give up her attempt to escape to sea and to retire to Wilmington, North Carolina
.
Early in December, illness compelled Ens. Griffith to request relief and Ens. Robert W. Browntree took command of the tug on 4 December. On the 10th, a severe storm battered the tug and forced her to return to Beaufort for repairs.
Mid-month found Berberry still at Beaufort in the Sounds of North Carolina
, and she served there through the end of the year. On 3 January 1865, Acting Ens. Peter C. Asserson took command of the tug that then returned to blockade duty off New Inlet. She operated there until 26 February. She then returned to Beaufort and operated in the sounds until after the collapse of the Confederacy. The tug left North Carolina's inland waters on 29 May and reached Hampton Roads the next day.
on the 2nd. Berberry was decommissioned at the New York Navy Yard on 10 June. Sold at public auction
there on 12 July, she was redocumented as Rescue on 31 July. The tug served through the turn of the century and was sold to a foreign purchaser in 1902.
Tugboat
A tugboat is a boat that maneuvers vessels by pushing or towing them. Tugs move vessels that either should not move themselves, such as ships in a crowded harbor or a narrow canal,or those that cannot move by themselves, such as barges, disabled ships, or oil platforms. Tugboats are powerful for...
acquired by the Union Navy
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 Navy to patrol navigable waterways of the Confederacy
Confederate States of America
The Confederate States of America was a government set up from 1861 to 1865 by 11 Southern slave states of the United States of America that had declared their secession from the U.S...
to prevent the South from trading with other countries.
On 13 August 1864 at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, 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,...
, the Navy purchased Columbia, a wooden-hulled screw steamer
Steamboat
A steamboat or steamship, sometimes called a steamer, is a ship in which the primary method of propulsion is steam power, typically driving propellers or paddlewheels...
built there earlier that year. The Navy renamed her Berberry, and she was placed in commission at the Philadelphia Navy Yard on 12 September 1864, Acting
Brevet (military)
In many of the world's military establishments, brevet referred to a warrant authorizing a commissioned officer to hold a higher rank temporarily, but usually without receiving the pay of that higher rank except when actually serving in that role. An officer so promoted may be referred to as being...
Ensign
Ensign (rank)
Ensign is a junior rank of a commissioned officer in the armed forces of some countries, normally in the infantry or navy. As the junior officer in an infantry regiment was traditionally the carrier of the ensign flag, the rank itself acquired the name....
Milton Griffith in command.
Assigned to the North Atlantic Blockade
After about a fortnightFortnight
The fortnight is a unit of time equal to fourteen days, or two weeks. The word derives from the Old English fēowertyne niht, meaning "fourteen nights"....
’s towing duty that took her to Fort Monroe
Fort Monroe
Fort Monroe was a military installation in Hampton, Virginia—at Old Point Comfort, the southern tip of the Virginia Peninsula...
and Baltimore, Maryland, Berberry departed Philadelphia on 29 September and reached Beaufort, North Carolina
Beaufort, North Carolina
Beaufort is a town in Carteret County, North Carolina, United States. Established in 1709, it is the third-oldest town in North Carolina.The population was 4,189 at the 2008 census and it is the county seat of Carteret County...
, on 1 October for duty in the North Atlantic Blockading Squadron. Two days later, she took station off the New Inlet entrance to 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...
’s Cape Fear River
Cape Fear River
The Cape Fear River is a long blackwater river in east central North Carolina in the United States. It flows into the Atlantic Ocean near Cape Fear, from which it takes its name. The overall water quality of the river is continuously measured and monitored by and conducted by the , , and the...
where she labored to help tighten the blockade of Wilmington, North Carolina
Wilmington, North Carolina
Wilmington is a port city in and is the county seat of New Hanover County, North Carolina, United States. The population is 106,476 according to the 2010 Census, making it the eighth most populous city in the state of North Carolina...
.
Chasing after blockade runners in the dark of night
At 03:00 on the morning of 4 October, while patrolling east of Mount Light, the tug observed a steamer heading for New Inlet and gave chase. Although she fired two shots at the stranger, that blockade runner managed to cross Berberry's bow and escaped into New Inlet. At 21:45 on the following evening, a lookout in the tug sighted a long, low, two stack steamer standing out to sea from New Inlet. Later that night, Griffith reported that the blockade runner "...stood for us within 400 yards; then kept off to the southward." Berberry immediately attempted to cut off the steamer by getting between her and the bar. Meanwhile, she opened fire on the stranger and sent up "...rockets in the direction in which she was steering." Despite the fact that fellow blockaders and joined the chase, the runner's speed enabled her to steam out of sight of her pursuers; and she apparently made her way safely to the open sea.Attempting to free run-aground Aster, Berberry gets stuck
Shortly after midnight on 8 October, while Berberry was on station northeast of Mound Light, observers reported an approaching boat. Griffith hailed the stranger and ordered her alongside. She proved to be from the tug — that had run aground on Caroline Shoals while chasing a blockade runner that was attempting to enter New Inlet — and requested assistance.Berberry quickly set a course for New Inlet Bar where she took a hawser
Hawser
Hawser is a nautical term for a thick cable or rope used in mooring or towing a ship. A hawser passes through a hawsehole, also known as a cat hole, located on the hawse....
from Aster and attempted to pull the stranded tug free. However, the hawser parted without Asters budging; and Berberry made several more unsuccessful attempts before the falling tide compelled her to abandon the effort. She then tried to go alongside Aster so that she might rescue the tug's crew. It took Berberry some 20 minutes of difficult maneuvering to work into a position suitable for the transfer. She then took on board everyone from Aster with the exception of that vessel's captain, executive officer, and pilot who all remained behind to destroy their ship lest she fall into enemy hands. During the operation, Berberry thumped "...heavily on the bottom...."
Then, as she moved away from Aster, Berberry ran over the hawser that became entangled with her propeller. Griffith then had his men raise all the awnings, blankets, and other large pieces of cloth as jury-rigged "...sails to drift the Berberry off shore." Meanwhile, he burned Coston signal lights to call for help.
Niphon comes to the rescue of Berberry while Aster burns
When he saw Berberrys signal, Niphons commanding officerCommanding officer
The commanding officer is the officer in command of a military unit. Typically, the commanding officer has ultimate authority over the unit, and is usually given wide latitude to run the unit as he sees fit, within the bounds of military law...
was preparing to launch boats to board and to destroy the stranded blockade running steamer Annie that Aster had been chasing. He immediately abandoned that project and headed for Berberry to render aid. About this time, Aster burst into flame, illuminating both Berberry and Niphon and enabling Confederate shore batteries to open fire on both Union ships. Despite the heavy barrage, Niphon pressed on with her rescue operations and pulled Berberry to safety. Unfortunately, the tug was leaking badly from striking the bottom and required repairs at the Norfolk Navy Yard.
Continued North Carolina operations
Ready to resume action late in November, Berberry departed Hampton RoadsHampton Roads
Hampton Roads is the name for both a body of water and the Norfolk–Virginia Beach metropolitan area which surrounds it in southeastern Virginia, United States...
on the 23rd and headed back to waters off New Inlet. She arrived there on the morning of the 26th and, that night, her guns persuaded an unidentified blockade runner to give up her attempt to escape to sea and to retire to Wilmington, North Carolina
Wilmington, North Carolina
Wilmington is a port city in and is the county seat of New Hanover County, North Carolina, United States. The population is 106,476 according to the 2010 Census, making it the eighth most populous city in the state of North Carolina...
.
Early in December, illness compelled Ens. Griffith to request relief and Ens. Robert W. Browntree took command of the tug on 4 December. On the 10th, a severe storm battered the tug and forced her to return to Beaufort for repairs.
Mid-month found Berberry still at Beaufort in the Sounds of 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...
, and she served there through the end of the year. On 3 January 1865, Acting Ens. Peter C. Asserson took command of the tug that then returned to blockade duty off New Inlet. She operated there until 26 February. She then returned to Beaufort and operated in the sounds until after the collapse of the Confederacy. The tug left North Carolina's inland waters on 29 May and reached Hampton Roads the next day.
Post-war decommissioning and sale
She sailed north on 1 June and reached New YorkNew York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
on the 2nd. Berberry was decommissioned at the New York Navy Yard on 10 June. Sold at public auction
Public auction
A public auction is an auction held on behalf of a government in which the property to be auctioned is either property owned by the government, or property which is sold under the authority of a court of law or a government agency with similar authority....
there on 12 July, she was redocumented as Rescue on 31 July. The tug served through the turn of the century and was sold to a foreign purchaser in 1902.