.gif)
USS Coeur de Lion (1861)
Encyclopedia
USS Coeur de Lion (1861) (more properly spelled Cœur de lion, but it is unclear which rendering was actually used) was an armed side-wheeled steamer
acquired by the Union Navy
during the American Civil War
. She served as a patrol boat
, capable of engaging the enemy with her powerful guns.
Coeur de Lion, a side wheel steamer, was loaned to the Navy Department by the Lighthouse Board in 1861; outfitted at New York Navy Yard; and sailed 2 October 1861 for Washington, D.C.
, Acting Master Alexander in command. On November 10, 1861 the "Coeur de Lion" towed the barge USS George Washington Parke Custis (1861)
the first de facto
aircraft carrier.
, James River, and other rivers of Virginia
. She burned the schooners Charity, Gazelle, and Flight in the Appomattox River
on 27 May 1862 and the schooners Sarah Margaret and Odd Fellow up the Coan River
1 June 1862.
Enforcing the blockade, Coeur de Lion captured the schooners Emily Murray off Machodoc Creek, Virginia
, 9 February 1863, and Robert Knowles 16 September 1863, and Malinda 3 June 1864, in the Potomac. During a reconnaissance up the Nansemond River
, she exchanged fire with enemy batteries on 17 and 19 April 1863, taking the surrender of one of these on the 19th.
15 May 1865, Coeur de Lion was decommissioned 2 June 1865 and returned to the Lighthouse Board the following day.
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...
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 served as a patrol boat
Patrol boat
A patrol boat is a relatively small naval vessel generally designed for coastal defense duties.There have been many designs for patrol boats. They may be operated by a nation's navy, coast guard, or police force, and may be intended for marine and/or estuarine or river environments...
, capable of engaging the enemy with her powerful guns.
Service with the Union Navy
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
, Acting Master Alexander in command. On November 10, 1861 the "Coeur de Lion" towed the barge USS George Washington Parke Custis (1861)
USS George Washington Parke Custis (1861)
USS George Washington Parke Curtis was a barge acquired by the Union Navy during the American Civil War for the purpose of using her as a balloon-launching platform in order to spy on Confederate defenses a long distance off....
the first de facto
De facto
De facto is a Latin expression that means "concerning fact." In law, it often means "in practice but not necessarily ordained by law" or "in practice or actuality, but not officially established." It is commonly used in contrast to de jure when referring to matters of law, governance, or...
aircraft carrier.
Patrolling the Potomac River and tributaries
Until the end of the war Coeur de Lion patrolled in the Potomac RiverPotomac River
The Potomac River flows into the Chesapeake Bay, located along the mid-Atlantic coast of the United States. The river is approximately long, with a drainage area of about 14,700 square miles...
, James River, and other rivers of Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
. She burned the schooners Charity, Gazelle, and Flight in the Appomattox River
Appomattox River
The Appomattox River is a tributary of the James River, approximately long, in central and eastern Virginia in the United States, named for the Appomattocs Indian tribe who lived along its lower banks in the 17th century...
on 27 May 1862 and the schooners Sarah Margaret and Odd Fellow up the Coan River
Coan River
The Coan River is a river in Virginia's Northern Neck region. It is a tributary of the Potomac River. It flows from its source in Heathsville through Northumberland County and into the Potomac between Lewisetta and Walnut Point....
1 June 1862.
Enforcing the blockade, Coeur de Lion captured the schooners Emily Murray off Machodoc Creek, Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
, 9 February 1863, and Robert Knowles 16 September 1863, and Malinda 3 June 1864, in the Potomac. During a reconnaissance up the Nansemond River
Nansemond River
The Nansemond River is a tributary of the James River in the U.S. state of Virginia. The Nansemond River Bridge crosses the river near its mouth. Both it and the former State Route 125 bridge, demolished in 2008, were once toll bridges. The river begins at the outlet of Lake Meade north of...
, she exchanged fire with enemy batteries on 17 and 19 April 1863, taking the surrender of one of these on the 19th.
Decommissioning
Arriving at Washington Navy YardWashington Navy Yard
The Washington Navy Yard is the former shipyard and ordnance plant of the United States Navy in Southeast Washington, D.C. It is the oldest shore establishment of the U.S. Navy...
15 May 1865, Coeur de Lion was decommissioned 2 June 1865 and returned to the Lighthouse Board the following day.