USS Juliet (1862)
Encyclopedia
USS Juliet (1862) was a steamer acquired by the Union Navy
during the American Civil War
. She was used by the Union Navy as a gunboat
in support of the Union Navy blockade of Confederate
waterways.
, in 1862 and purchased by the Navy at Cincinnati, Ohio
, 1 November 1862. After receiving armorplate protection, she commissioned 14 December, Acting Volunteer Lieutenant Edward Shaw in command.
, Juliet helped clear the Yazoo River
of torpedoes (mines) 23 December in preparation for General William Tecumseh Sherman
's valiant but unsuccessful attack on the Chickasaw Bluff
s, which protected Vicksburg. She remained in the Yazoo River until 2 January 1863 when she followed the transports and other gunboats downstream, covering their withdrawal to the Mississippi River
.
assigned Juliet to 1st Division of Light Draft Gunboats where she served the Mississippi Squadron as an escort vessel maintaining communications along the river and protecting the vital flow of shipping which sustained military and naval strength throughout the campaigns and cut the Confederacy in two with the fall of Vicksburg and Port Hudson.
. Admiral Porter's gunboats, in cooperation with General Banks, had ascended the Red River
in an effort to replant the United States flag on Texas
soil as a check against French interference in Mexico
and to encourage the re-establishment of loyal state governments in Louisiana
and Arkansas
.
While the Union ships were at Springfield Landing making preparations to clear away the sunken hulk of an old steamer which had stopped their progress toward Shreveport, Louisiana
, a messenger arrived with word that General Banks had suffered a severe defeat near Mansfield and was falling back to Grand Ecore. Reluctantly Porter ordered the gunboats to reverse course.
, Juliet recommissioned 6 September and returned to duty with the Mississippi squadron, serving as an escort and patrol vessel.
, 30 June 1865, and was sold at public auction there to Philip Wallach 17 August 1865. Redocumented Goldina that day, she was stranded 31 December and abandoned.
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 Union Navy as a gunboat
Gunboat
A gunboat is a naval watercraft designed for the express purpose of carrying one or more guns to bombard coastal targets, as opposed to those military craft designed for naval warfare, or for ferrying troops or supplies.-History:...
in support of the Union Navy blockade of Confederate
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...
waterways.
Built in Pennsylvania and purchased in Ohio
Juliet was built at Brownsville, PennsylvaniaBrownsville, Pennsylvania
Brownsville is a borough in Fayette County, Pennsylvania, United States, officially founded in 1785 located 35 miles south of Pittsburgh along the Monongahela River...
, in 1862 and purchased by the Navy at Cincinnati, Ohio
Cincinnati, Ohio
Cincinnati is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio. Cincinnati is the county seat of Hamilton County. Settled in 1788, the city is located to north of the Ohio River at the Ohio-Kentucky border, near Indiana. The population within city limits is 296,943 according to the 2010 census, making it Ohio's...
, 1 November 1862. After receiving armorplate protection, she commissioned 14 December, Acting Volunteer Lieutenant Edward Shaw in command.
Assigned to the Mississippi Squadron
Assigned to the Mississippi Squadron and ordered to the vicinity of Vicksburg, MississippiVicksburg, Mississippi
Vicksburg is a city in Warren County, Mississippi, United States. It is the only city in Warren County. It is located northwest of New Orleans on the Mississippi and Yazoo rivers, and due west of Jackson, the state capital. In 1900, 14,834 people lived in Vicksburg; in 1910, 20,814; in 1920,...
, Juliet helped clear the Yazoo River
Yazoo River
The Yazoo River is a river in the U.S. state of Mississippi.The Yazoo River was named by French explorer La Salle in 1682 as "Rivière des Yazous" in reference to the Yazoo tribe living near the river's mouth. The exact meaning of the term is unclear...
of torpedoes (mines) 23 December in preparation for General William Tecumseh Sherman
William Tecumseh Sherman
William Tecumseh Sherman was an American soldier, businessman, educator and author. He served as a General in the Union Army during the American Civil War , for which he received recognition for his outstanding command of military strategy as well as criticism for the harshness of the "scorched...
's valiant but unsuccessful attack on the Chickasaw Bluff
Chickasaw Bluff
The term Chickasaw Bluff refers to high ground rising about above the flood plain between Fulton in Lauderdale County, Tennessee and Memphis in Shelby County, Tennessee. Composed of eroded Pleistocene loess over Pliocene glacial gravel, they are slide prone...
s, which protected Vicksburg. She remained in the Yazoo River until 2 January 1863 when she followed the transports and other gunboats downstream, covering their withdrawal to the Mississippi River
Mississippi River
The Mississippi River is the largest river system in North America. Flowing entirely in the United States, this river rises in western Minnesota and meanders slowly southwards for to the Mississippi River Delta at the Gulf of Mexico. With its many tributaries, the Mississippi's watershed drains...
.
Assigned by Admiral Porter as an escort vessel
On 6 January Rear Admiral David Dixon PorterDavid Dixon Porter
David Dixon Porter was a member of one of the most distinguished families in the history of the United States Navy. Promoted as the second man to the rank of admiral, after his adoptive brother David G...
assigned Juliet to 1st Division of Light Draft Gunboats where she served the Mississippi Squadron as an escort vessel maintaining communications along the river and protecting the vital flow of shipping which sustained military and naval strength throughout the campaigns and cut the Confederacy in two with the fall of Vicksburg and Port Hudson.
Participating in the Red River expedition
The most dangerous service during the faithful tinclads’ career came during the Red River ExpeditionRed River Expedition
Red River Expedition can refer to different historical events:* Wolseley Expedition, in Canada *Red River Expedition , by the United States to explore the American West*Red River Expedition, during the American Civil War...
. Admiral Porter's gunboats, in cooperation with General Banks, had ascended the Red River
Red River (Mississippi watershed)
The Red River, or sometimes the Red River of the South, is a major tributary of the Mississippi and Atchafalaya Rivers in the southern United States of America. The river gains its name from the red-bed country of its watershed. It is one of several rivers with that name...
in an effort to replant the United States flag on Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
soil as a check against French interference in Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
and to encourage the re-establishment of loyal state governments in Louisiana
Louisiana
Louisiana is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans. Louisiana is the only state in the U.S. with political subdivisions termed parishes, which are local governments equivalent to counties...
and Arkansas
Arkansas
Arkansas is a state located in the southern region of the United States. Its name is an Algonquian name of the Quapaw Indians. Arkansas shares borders with six states , and its eastern border is largely defined by the Mississippi River...
.
While the Union ships were at Springfield Landing making preparations to clear away the sunken hulk of an old steamer which had stopped their progress toward Shreveport, Louisiana
Shreveport, Louisiana
Shreveport is the third largest city in Louisiana. It is the principal city of the fourth largest metropolitan area in the state of Louisiana and is the 109th-largest city in the United States....
, a messenger arrived with word that General Banks had suffered a severe defeat near Mansfield and was falling back to Grand Ecore. Reluctantly Porter ordered the gunboats to reverse course.
Passing Confederate batteries under fire
During the passage down, the Northern gunboats were severely punished by fire from Confederate shore batteries. On 26 and 27 April Juliet again and again fought off cannon and musketry, suffering 16 casualties including 2 killed and heavy damage to the ship. Skillful repair work under the most trying conditions kept the vessel afloat and finally enabled her to pass the batteries.Repaired, recommissioned, and returned to duty
After repairs at Cairo, IllinoisCairo, Illinois
Cairo is the southernmost city in the U.S. state of Illinois. It is the county seat of Alexander County. Cairo is located at the confluence of the Mississippi and Ohio rivers. The rivers converge at Fort Defiance State Park, an American Civil War fort that was commanded by General Ulysses S. Grant...
, Juliet recommissioned 6 September and returned to duty with the Mississippi squadron, serving as an escort and patrol vessel.
Post-war decommissioning, sale and short civilian career
After the end of the war, Juliet decommissioned at Mound City, IllinoisMound City, Illinois
Mound City is a city located along the Ohio River in Pulaski County, Illinois, in the United States. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 692. It is the county seat of Pulaski County.-Geography:Mound City is located at ....
, 30 June 1865, and was sold at public auction there to Philip Wallach 17 August 1865. Redocumented Goldina that day, she was stranded 31 December and abandoned.