.gif)
USS Gladiolus (1864)
Encyclopedia
USS Gladiolus (1864) was a steamship acquired by the Union Navy during the American Civil War
.
, a collier
, a dispatch boat
and a picket and patrol boat
in support of the Union blockade of Southern waterways. Once Charleston, South Carolina
, had been captured by Union forces, Gladiolus was employed as a minesweeper
and as a salvage ship, clearing obstructions in the harbor.
, 2 June 1864 by Commodore C. K. Stribling. She commissioned 15 June 1864, Acting Master J. C. Hamlin in command.
's South Atlantic Blockading Squadron, and was assigned to Charleston station, arriving 25 June.
For the next six months she was actively engaged in towing and coaling ships of the squadron, and served as a night picket boat protecting the powerful ironclads from torpedo and boarding attack. During this period she was also assisted in the capture of several blockade runners.
After the capture of Charleston in February 1865, Gladiolus worked in the harbor clearing obstructions and searching for torpedoes (mines). She subsequently served as a dispatch boat
for the squadron between Florida
ports and Port Royal, South Carolina
, until she sailed for Washington, D.C.
from Charleston 17 August 1865.
30 August 1865, and was sold 15 September to S. M. and J. M. Flanagan. Gladiolus returned to merchant service under the same name and was lost in 1887.
Category:Ships of the Union Navy
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...
.
A ship of many capabilities
Gladiolus was employed as a tugboatTugboat
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...
, a collier
Collier (ship type)
Collier is a historical term used to describe a bulk cargo ship designed to carry coal, especially for naval use by coal-fired warships. In the late 18th century a number of wooden-hulled sailing colliers gained fame after being adapted for use in voyages of exploration in the South Pacific, for...
, a dispatch boat
Dispatch boat
Dispatch boats were small boats, and sometimes large ships, tasked to carry military dispatches from ship to ship or from ship to shore or, in some cases from shore to shore...
and a picket and 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...
in support of the Union blockade of Southern waterways. Once Charleston, South Carolina
Charleston, South Carolina
Charleston is the second largest city in the U.S. state of South Carolina. It was made the county seat of Charleston County in 1901 when Charleston County was founded. The city's original name was Charles Towne in 1670, and it moved to its present location from a location on the west bank of the...
, had been captured by Union forces, Gladiolus was employed as a minesweeper
Minesweeper (ship)
A minesweeper is a small naval warship designed to counter the threat posed by naval mines. Minesweepers generally detect then neutralize mines in advance of other naval operations.-History:...
and as a salvage ship, clearing obstructions in the harbor.
Purchased at Philadelphia in 1864
Gladiolus, formerly tug Sallie Bishop, was purchased 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,...
, 2 June 1864 by Commodore C. K. Stribling. She commissioned 15 June 1864, Acting Master J. C. Hamlin in command.
Assigned to the blockade at Charleston, South Carolina
Gladiolus departed Philadelphia 17 June 1864 to join Rear Admiral John A. DahlgrenJohn A. Dahlgren
John Adolphus Bernard Dahlgren was a United States Navy leader. He headed the Union Navy's ordnance department during the American Civil War and designed several different kinds of guns and cannons that were considered part of the reason the Union won the war...
's South Atlantic Blockading Squadron, and was assigned to Charleston station, arriving 25 June.
For the next six months she was actively engaged in towing and coaling ships of the squadron, and served as a night picket boat protecting the powerful ironclads from torpedo and boarding attack. During this period she was also assisted in the capture of several blockade runners.
After the capture of Charleston in February 1865, Gladiolus worked in the harbor clearing obstructions and searching for torpedoes (mines). She subsequently served as a dispatch boat
Dispatch boat
Dispatch boats were small boats, and sometimes large ships, tasked to carry military dispatches from ship to ship or from ship to shore or, in some cases from shore to shore...
for the squadron between Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
ports and Port Royal, South Carolina
Port Royal, South Carolina
Port Royal is a town in Beaufort County, South Carolina, United States. Largely because of annexation of surrounding areas , the population of Port Royal rose from 3,950 in 2000 to 10,678 in 2010, a 170% increase. As defined by the U.S...
, until she sailed for Washington, D.C.
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....
from Charleston 17 August 1865.
Decommissioning, sale, and subsequent career
She decommissioned 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...
30 August 1865, and was sold 15 September to S. M. and J. M. Flanagan. Gladiolus returned to merchant service under the same name and was lost in 1887.
External links
Category:Ships of the Union Navy