USS John L. Lockwood (1854)
Encyclopedia
USS John L. Lockwood (1854) was a steamer
acquired by the Union Navy
during the American Civil War
. She was needed by the Navy to be part of the fleet of ships to prevent blockade
runners from entering ports in the Confederacy
.
John L. Lockwood built at Athens, New York
, in 1854; was purchased at New York City
1 September 1861; and commissioned at Washington, D.C.
, 21 September, Acting Master William F. North in command.
30 September and remained there on blockade duty until ordered to Hampton Roads, Virginia, to guard and . With she shelled Virginia
infantry on Yorktown Road a few miles above Camp Butler 23 November.
. Assisted by , she engaged three Confederate batteries on Sewell's Point
29 December.
2 February 1862 to take part in combined operations which struck the Confederacy with heavy and costly blows wherever water reached within the North Carolina
Sounds. She was with Flag Officer Goldsborough during operations against Roanoke Island
7 February bombarding Confederate positions with deadly effective fire. The next day with eight other ships she cut the chain connecting two vessels which obstructed the channel, thus clearing a passage for the Union ships into Albemarle Sound
. This victory and the follow-up operations in the sounds severed Norfolk's
main supply lines, secured the North Carolina
coast, diverted important strength from the main Confederate Armies, and weakened the South's ability to resist at sea. At the end of the fighting, Captain Alex Murray who commanded Goldborough's second column praised John L. Lockwood for being "conspicuously in the foreground throughout the bombardment."
, to destroy Confederate gunboats and interrupt the South's canal communications to the north of Albemarle Sound
. The next major amphibious operation, the attack on Confederate batteries on the Neuse River
13 March, resulted in Union occupation of New Bern, North Carolina
, on the 14th. On 23 April, with and , John L. Lockwood, blocked the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay
and Albemarle Canal near Elizabeth City, North Carolina, sinking a schooner
and other obstructions inside the waterway.
She remained in North Carolina's inland waters patrolling the innumerable inlets and streams and assisting Army units ashore until sailing from Hatteras Inlet
for repairs at Hampton Roads 3 September 1863. Refitting completed, John L. Lockwood departed Norfolk Navy Yard 8 January 1864 and arrived New Bern 14 January to resume duty in the sounds. She captured sloop Twilight at Elizabeth City, North Carolina
. During most of her further service she was stationed at New Bern where after the war she decommissioned 23 May 1865.
15 September 1865 and redocumented Henry Smith 3 April 1866. The Army purchased and renamed her Chester A. Arthur 30 June 1876.
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 needed by the Navy to be part of the fleet of ships to prevent 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...
runners from entering ports in 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...
.
John L. Lockwood built at Athens, New York
Athens, New York
Athens, New York can refer to:* Athens , New York* Athens , New York...
, in 1854; was purchased at New York City
New 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...
1 September 1861; and commissioned at 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....
, 21 September, Acting Master William F. North in command.
Assigned to the North Atlantic Blockade
John L. Lockwood was assigned to the North Atlantic Blockading Squadron 25 September with whom she steadfastly served throughout the war. She took station off the New York RiverYork River (Virginia)
The York River is a navigable estuary, approximately long, in eastern Virginia in the United States. It ranges in width from at its head to near its mouth on the west side of Chesapeake Bay. Its watershed drains an area including portions of 17 counties of the coastal plain of Virginia north...
30 September and remained there on blockade duty until ordered to Hampton Roads, Virginia, to guard and . With she shelled 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...
infantry on Yorktown Road a few miles above Camp Butler 23 November.
Repaired and recommissioned at Baltimore
The following day John L. Lockwood departed Hampton Roads for repairs at Baltimore, Maryland, and she decommissioned upon arrival 25 November. Back in fighting trim, she recommissioned 6 December and returned to 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...
. Assisted by , she engaged three Confederate batteries on Sewell's Point
Sewell's Point
Sewells Point is a peninsula of land in the independent city of Norfolk, Virginia in the United States, located at the mouth of the salt-water port of Hampton Roads. Sewells Point is bordered by water on three sides, with Willoughby Bay to the north, Hampton Roads to the west, and the Lafayette...
29 December.
Operations against Roanoke Island
John L. Lockwood was ordered to Hatteras InletHatteras 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 :...
2 February 1862 to take part in combined operations which struck the Confederacy with heavy and costly blows wherever water reached within 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. She was with Flag Officer Goldsborough during operations against Roanoke Island
Roanoke Island
Roanoke Island is an island in Dare County near the coast of North Carolina, United States. It was named after the historical Roanoke Carolina Algonquian people who inhabited the area in the 16th century at the time of English exploration....
7 February bombarding Confederate positions with deadly effective fire. The next day with eight other ships she cut the chain connecting two vessels which obstructed the channel, thus clearing a passage for the Union ships into Albemarle Sound
Albemarle Sound
Albemarle Sound is a large estuary on the coast of North Carolina in the United States located at the confluence of a group of rivers, including the Chowan and Roanoke. It is separated from the Atlantic Ocean by the Outer Banks, a long barrier peninsula upon which the town of Kitty Hawk is located,...
. This victory and the follow-up operations in the sounds severed Norfolk's
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....
main supply lines, secured 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...
coast, diverted important strength from the main Confederate Armies, and weakened the South's ability to resist at sea. At the end of the fighting, Captain Alex Murray who commanded Goldborough's second column praised John L. Lockwood for being "conspicuously in the foreground throughout the bombardment."
North Carolina coastal operations
With Roanoak Island secure, the fleet moved on to Elizabeth City, North CarolinaElizabeth City, North Carolina
Elizabeth City is a city in Pasquotank County and Camden County in the State of North Carolina. With a population of 18,683 at the 2010 census, Elizabeth City is the county seat of Pasquotank County....
, to destroy Confederate gunboats and interrupt the South's canal communications to the north of Albemarle Sound
Albemarle Sound
Albemarle Sound is a large estuary on the coast of North Carolina in the United States located at the confluence of a group of rivers, including the Chowan and Roanoke. It is separated from the Atlantic Ocean by the Outer Banks, a long barrier peninsula upon which the town of Kitty Hawk is located,...
. The next major amphibious operation, the attack on Confederate batteries on the Neuse River
Neuse River
The Neuse River is a river rising in the Piedmont of North Carolina and emptying into Pamlico Sound below New Bern. Its total length is approximately , making it the longest river entirely contained in North Carolina. The Trent River joins it at New Bern. Its drainage basin, measuring in area,...
13 March, resulted in Union occupation of New Bern, North Carolina
New Bern, North Carolina
New Bern is a city in Craven County, North Carolina with a population of 29,524 as of the 2010 census.. It is located at the confluence of the Trent and the Neuse rivers...
, on the 14th. On 23 April, with and , John L. Lockwood, blocked the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay
Chesapeake Bay
The Chesapeake Bay is the largest estuary in the United States. It lies off the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by Maryland and Virginia. The Chesapeake Bay's drainage basin covers in the District of Columbia and parts of six states: New York, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, and West...
and Albemarle Canal near Elizabeth City, North Carolina, sinking a schooner
Schooner
A schooner is a type of sailing vessel characterized by the use of fore-and-aft sails on two or more masts with the forward mast being no taller than the rear masts....
and other obstructions inside the waterway.
She remained in North Carolina's inland waters patrolling the innumerable inlets and streams and assisting Army units ashore until sailing from 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 :...
for repairs at Hampton Roads 3 September 1863. Refitting completed, John L. Lockwood departed Norfolk Navy Yard 8 January 1864 and arrived New Bern 14 January to resume duty in the sounds. She captured sloop Twilight at Elizabeth City, North Carolina
Elizabeth City, North Carolina
Elizabeth City is a city in Pasquotank County and Camden County in the State of North Carolina. With a population of 18,683 at the 2010 census, Elizabeth City is the county seat of Pasquotank County....
. During most of her further service she was stationed at New Bern where after the war she decommissioned 23 May 1865.
Post-war decommissioning and sale
She was towed to Baltimore late in May and thence taken to Washington 27 July. John L. Lockwood was sold at Washington to Mr. Cresset of 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...
15 September 1865 and redocumented Henry Smith 3 April 1866. The Army purchased and renamed her Chester A. Arthur 30 June 1876.