USS Isaac Smith (1851)
Encyclopedia
USS Isaac Smith 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. In 1863, she became the only warship in the Civil War to be captured by enemy land forces.
Isaac Smith was built by Lawrence & Foulks
in 1861 for passenger-cargo service on the Hudson River
. She was purchased by the Navy in New York City from E. J. Hamilton 9 September 1861.
. An intense hurricane occurred during the voyage south compelling the ship to jettison her guns. Nevertheless, she gallantly ignored her own distress and attempted to assist Marine Corps transport, Governor, which foundered off Cape Hatteras
.
During a reconnaissance in force on 4 and 5 November, she engaged and repelled three attacking Confederate steamers and silenced batteries at Hilton Head
and Bay Point, South Carolina. Two days later she towed sailing sloop into action during the landings which wrested Port Royal, South Carolina
, from Confederate hands providing the Union a splendid base for the fleet and combined operations that steadily destroyed the Confederacy.
until 21 January 1862 when she sailed to join the expedition to Savannah, Georgia
, led by Captain C. H. Davis, USN, and Brig. Gen. H. G. Wright of the Army. This operation was primarily a diversionary effort to cover up a projected attack on Fernandina, Florida; but it also provided valuable information about Confederate defenses of the water approaches to Savannah, Georgia
, and it interrupted communications between Fort Pulaski and Savannah.
During the latter half of March and all of April, Isaac Smith was active in the vicinity of St. Augustine, Florida
. She took possession of the post office there 18 March and two days later mounted a gun upon the ramparts of in a position to command the main road to the city. Her boats captured blockade runner British Empire 3 April.
Isaac Smith stood out of St. Augustine and entered St. Johns River
4 May to begin a period of 3 months' service in the vicinity of Jacksonville, Florida
. Her presence there helped tighten the blockade
, provided sanctuary for refugees, drew Southern troops away from more active fronts, and facilitated Union intelligence activity.
where she served until 30 January 1863. That day she was caught in a cross fire from masked shore batteries. Disabled by accurate fire and with her deck covered with wounded men, her captain surrendered the ship rather than risk their lives. Eight men were dead and 17 were wounded.
5 June 1863. (q.v. "Confederate Appendix", DANFS II, 569.) No data on salvage operations for Stono has been found, but the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Navies in the War of the Rebellion state that she was "burned by the Confederates at the evacuation of Charleston in 1865.
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 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. In 1863, she became the only warship in the Civil War to be captured by enemy land forces.
Isaac Smith was built by Lawrence & Foulks
Lawrence & Foulks
Lawrence & Foulks was a 19th-century American shipbuilding company based in New York. Established in the early 1850s, the company built 144 vessels of all types over the course of some fifty years, but is best known for its production of high-speed wooden-hulled steamboats and steamships...
in 1861 for passenger-cargo service on the Hudson River
Hudson River
The Hudson is a river that flows from north to south through eastern New York. The highest official source is at Lake Tear of the Clouds, on the slopes of Mount Marcy in the Adirondack Mountains. The river itself officially begins in Henderson Lake in Newcomb, New York...
. She was purchased by the Navy in New York City from E. J. Hamilton 9 September 1861.
Assigned to the South Atlantic Blockade
On 16 October she was assigned to the South Atlantic Blockading Squadron in time to join Flag Officer Samuel F. Du Pont's assault against Port Royal, South CarolinaPort 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...
. An intense hurricane occurred during the voyage south compelling the ship to jettison her guns. Nevertheless, she gallantly ignored her own distress and attempted to assist Marine Corps transport, Governor, which foundered off Cape Hatteras
Cape Hatteras
Cape Hatteras is a cape on the coast of North Carolina. It is the point that protrudes the farthest to the southeast along the northeast-to-southwest line of the Atlantic coast of North America...
.
During a reconnaissance in force on 4 and 5 November, she engaged and repelled three attacking Confederate steamers and silenced batteries at Hilton Head
Hilton Head Island, South Carolina
Hilton Head Island or Hilton Head is a resort town in Beaufort County, South Carolina, United States. It is north of Savannah, Georgia, and south of Charleston. The island gets its name from Captain William Hilton...
and Bay Point, South Carolina. Two days later she towed sailing sloop into action during the landings which wrested 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...
, from Confederate hands providing the Union a splendid base for the fleet and combined operations that steadily destroyed the Confederacy.
Georgia and Florida operations
Isaac Smith participated in operations against the coast of South CarolinaSouth Carolina
South Carolina is a state in the Deep South of the United States that borders Georgia to the south, North Carolina to the north, and the Atlantic Ocean to the east. Originally part of the Province of Carolina, the Province of South Carolina was one of the 13 colonies that declared independence...
until 21 January 1862 when she sailed to join the expedition to Savannah, Georgia
Savannah, Georgia
Savannah is the largest city and the county seat of Chatham County, in the U.S. state of Georgia. Established in 1733, the city of Savannah was the colonial capital of the Province of Georgia and later the first state capital of Georgia. Today Savannah is an industrial center and an important...
, led by Captain C. H. Davis, USN, and Brig. Gen. H. G. Wright of the Army. This operation was primarily a diversionary effort to cover up a projected attack on Fernandina, Florida; but it also provided valuable information about Confederate defenses of the water approaches to Savannah, Georgia
Savannah, Georgia
Savannah is the largest city and the county seat of Chatham County, in the U.S. state of Georgia. Established in 1733, the city of Savannah was the colonial capital of the Province of Georgia and later the first state capital of Georgia. Today Savannah is an industrial center and an important...
, and it interrupted communications between Fort Pulaski and Savannah.
During the latter half of March and all of April, Isaac Smith was active in the vicinity of St. Augustine, Florida
St. Augustine, Florida
St. Augustine is a city in the northeast section of Florida and the county seat of St. Johns County, Florida, United States. Founded in 1565 by Spanish explorer and admiral Pedro Menéndez de Avilés, it is the oldest continuously occupied European-established city and port in the continental United...
. She took possession of the post office there 18 March and two days later mounted a gun upon the ramparts of in a position to command the main road to the city. Her boats captured blockade runner British Empire 3 April.
Isaac Smith stood out of St. Augustine and entered St. Johns River
St. Johns River
The St. Johns River is the longest river in the U.S. state of Florida and its most significant for commercial and recreational use. At long, it winds through or borders twelve counties, three of which are the state's largest. The drop in elevation from the headwaters to the mouth is less than ;...
4 May to begin a period of 3 months' service in the vicinity of Jacksonville, Florida
Jacksonville, Florida
Jacksonville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Florida in terms of both population and land area, and the largest city by area in the contiguous United States. It is the county seat of Duval County, with which the city government consolidated in 1968...
. Her presence there helped tighten the blockade
Blockade
A blockade is an effort to cut off food, supplies, war material or communications from a particular area by force, either in part or totally. A blockade should not be confused with an embargo or sanctions, which are legal barriers to trade, and is distinct from a siege in that a blockade is usually...
, provided sanctuary for refugees, drew Southern troops away from more active fronts, and facilitated Union intelligence activity.
Caught in the cross fire and captured by Confederate forces
In need of repair, Isaac Smith sailed for New York City 10 August for "beaching, breeming, and improvements" which kept her away from her squadron until 11 October. Then Rear Admiral Du Pont ordered her to the Stono RiverStono River
The Stono River is a tidal channel in southeast South Carolina, located southwest of Charleston. The channel runs southwest to northeast between the mainland and Wadmalaw Island and Johns Island, from north Edisto River between Johns and James Island. The Intracoastal Waterway runs through...
where she served until 30 January 1863. That day she was caught in a cross fire from masked shore batteries. Disabled by accurate fire and with her deck covered with wounded men, her captain surrendered the ship rather than risk their lives. Eight men were dead and 17 were wounded.
Service with the Confederate Navy and eventual sinking
Isaac Smith served the Confederate Navy in Charleston waters under the name Stono until she was wrecked on the breakwater near Fort Moultrie, South Carolina, while attempting to run the blockade with a load of cottonCotton
Cotton is a soft, fluffy staple fiber that grows in a boll, or protective capsule, around the seeds of cotton plants of the genus Gossypium. The fiber is almost pure cellulose. The botanical purpose of cotton fiber is to aid in seed dispersal....
5 June 1863. (q.v. "Confederate Appendix", DANFS II, 569.) No data on salvage operations for Stono has been found, but the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Navies in the War of the Rebellion state that she was "burned by the Confederates at the evacuation of Charleston in 1865.
External links
- Isaac Smith
- Photo gallery at Naval Historical Center