.gif)
USS Pontoosuc (1864)
Encyclopedia
USS Pontoosuc was a 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...
vessel in 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...
. A side wheel gunboat, Pontoosuc was built under contract with G. W. Lawrence and the Portland Company
Portland Company
The Portland Company was established 10 November 1846 by John A. Poor and Norris Locomotive Works engineer Septimus Norris as a locomotive foundry to build railroad equipment for the adjacent Portland terminus of the Atlantic and St. Lawrence Railroad connection between Portland, Maine and...
, Portland, Maine
Portland, Maine
Portland is the largest city in Maine and is the county seat of Cumberland County. The 2010 city population was 66,194, growing 3 percent since the census of 2000...
, was commissioned at Portland, on 10 May 1864, Lt. Comdr. George A. Stevens in command.
Service history
Ordered to the South Atlantic Blockading Squadron on 9 June 1864, she soon returned north and on 12 August departed 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...
in pursuit of the Confederate raider . Arriving at Halifax
City of Halifax
Halifax is a city in Canada, which was the capital of the province of Nova Scotia and shire town of Halifax County. It was the largest city in Atlantic Canada until it was amalgamated into Halifax Regional Municipality in 1996...
soon after 0600 on the 20th, she discovered her quarry had sailed. Underway immediately Pontoosuc continued her search to the north among the fishing fleets in the Gulf of the St. Lawrence. Tallahassee, however, had turned south en-route back to Wilmington, North Carolina
Wilmington, North Carolina
Wilmington is a port city in and is the county seat of New Hanover County, North Carolina, United States. The population is 106,476 according to the 2010 Census, making it the eighth most populous city in the state of North Carolina...
.
Pontoosuc returned to New York on the 30th and took up escort duties. By mid-December, she had resumed blockade duties, off Wilmington. On the 24th and 25th she participated in the assault on Fort Fisher
First Battle of Fort Fisher
The First Battle of Fort Fisher, was a siege fought from December 23 to December 27, 1864, was a failed attempt by Union forces to capture the fort guarding Wilmington, North Carolina, the South's last major port on the Atlantic Ocean...
, returning to shell the Fort again in the successful mid-January 1865 attack
Second Battle of Fort Fisher
The Second Battle of Fort Fisher was a joint assault by Union Army and naval forces against Fort Fisher, outside Wilmington, North Carolina, near the end of the American Civil War...
. In February she moved up the Cape Fear River
Cape Fear River
The Cape Fear River is a long blackwater river in east central North Carolina in the United States. It flows into the Atlantic Ocean near Cape Fear, from which it takes its name. The overall water quality of the river is continuously measured and monitored by and conducted by the , , and the...
for operations against Fort Anderson
Battle of Fort Anderson
The Battle of Fort Anderson, also known as the Battle of Deep Gully, took place March 13–15, 1863, in Craven County, North Carolina, as part of Confederate Lt. Gen. James Longstreet's Tidewater operations during the American Civil War....
. After the fall of Wilmington she resumed cruising off the coast. After the war, she returned to Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
where she was decommissioned 5 July 1865 and was sold 3 October 1866.
She was named for Pontoosuc, Illinois
Pontoosuc, Illinois
Pontoosuc is a village in Hancock County, Illinois, United States. The population was 171 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Pontoosuc is located at ....
, on 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...
.
Medals of Honor
For action in the Civil War, the following crewmen of the USS Pontoosuc were awarded the Medal of HonorMedal of Honor
The Medal of Honor is the highest military decoration awarded by the United States government. It is bestowed by the President, in the name of Congress, upon members of the United States Armed Forces who distinguish themselves through "conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his or her...
:
- John Angling (sic) Anglin,Cabin Boy, U.S. Navy
- Asa BethamAsa BethamAsa Betham was a sailor in the U.S. Navy during the American Civil War. He received the Medal of Honor for his actions during the Second Battle of Fort Fisher on January 15, 1865.-Military service:...
, Coxswain, U.S. Navy - Robert M. BlairRobert M. BlairRobert M. Blair was a sailor in the U.S. Navy during the American Civil War. He received the Medal of Honor for his actions during the Second Battle of Fort Fisher on January 15, 1865.-Military service:...
, Boatswain's Mate, U.S. Navy