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USS Poppy (1863)
Encyclopedia
USS Poppy (1863) was a steamer commissioned by the Union Navy
during the American Civil War
.
She served the Navy during the blockade of ports and waterways of the Confederate States of America
in a variety of ways: as a tugboat
, a ship’s tender, a mail and supply tug, an ordnance tug, and finally as a ram if the opportunity presented itself.
, 31 October 1863 from J. Alderdice; renamed Poppy; and commissioned 10 November 1863.
to the North Atlantic Blockading Squadron. On 25 November 1863 she was with ironclad Roanoke
off Newport News, Virginia
. On 4 February 1864 she was in Hampton Roads, Virginia. By 17 March she was back off Newport News, again serving as a picket guard for ironclad Roanoke.
On the night of 8 April a small boat succeeded in attacking frigate Minnesota
, flagship of the North Atlantic Blockading Squadron, with a torpedo
, making a clean escape. Poppy was ordered to ram the intruder, but was unable to do so because her steam was not up.
Poppy was then used as mail and supply tug until 17 June when she was stationed in the James River
above Wilson’s Wharf as a tender and ram to ironclads. Late in the year she became a tug in Hampton Roads and operated there and in the James River, becoming an ordnance tug at Norfolk, Virginia
, in April 1865.
30 November 1865 to William Farrington.
Category:Ships of 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 served the Navy during the blockade of ports and waterways of the Confederate States of America
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...
in a variety of ways: as a tugboat
Tugboat
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 ship’s tender, a mail and supply tug, an ordnance tug, and finally as a ram if the opportunity presented itself.
Purchased at Philadelphia
Poppy (Screw Tug), originally white oak steamer Addie Douglass, 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,...
, 31 October 1863 from J. Alderdice; renamed Poppy; and commissioned 10 November 1863.
Civil War service
During the Civil War, Poppy served as a ship's tenderShip's tender
A ship's tender, usually referred to as a tender, is a boat, or a larger ship used to service a ship, generally by transporting people and/or supplies to and from shore or another ship...
to the North Atlantic Blockading Squadron. On 25 November 1863 she was with ironclad Roanoke
USS Roanoke (1855)
|- External links :**...
off Newport News, Virginia
Newport News, Virginia
Newport News is an independent city located in the Hampton Roads metropolitan area of Virginia. It is at the southeastern end of the Virginia Peninsula, on the north shore of the James River extending southeast from Skiffe's Creek along many miles of waterfront to the river's mouth at Newport News...
. On 4 February 1864 she was in Hampton Roads, Virginia. By 17 March she was back off Newport News, again serving as a picket guard for ironclad Roanoke.
On the night of 8 April a small boat succeeded in attacking frigate Minnesota
USS Minnesota (1855)
USS Minnesota was a wooden steam frigate in the United States Navy. Launched in 1855 and commissioned eighteen months later, the ship served in east Asia for two years before being decommissioned...
, flagship of the North Atlantic Blockading Squadron, with a torpedo
Torpedo
The modern torpedo is a self-propelled missile weapon with an explosive warhead, launched above or below the water surface, propelled underwater towards a target, and designed to detonate either on contact with it or in proximity to it.The term torpedo was originally employed for...
, making a clean escape. Poppy was ordered to ram the intruder, but was unable to do so because her steam was not up.
Poppy was then used as mail and supply tug until 17 June when she was stationed in the James River
James River (Virginia)
The James River is a river in the U.S. state of Virginia. It is long, extending to if one includes the Jackson River, the longer of its two source tributaries. The James River drains a catchment comprising . The watershed includes about 4% open water and an area with a population of 2.5 million...
above Wilson’s Wharf as a tender and ram to ironclads. Late in the year she became a tug in Hampton Roads and operated there and in the James River, becoming an ordnance tug at Norfolk, Virginia
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....
, in April 1865.
Post-war deactivation
She was sold at New York CityNew 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...
30 November 1865 to William Farrington.
See also
- Confederate States NavyConfederate States NavyThe Confederate States Navy was the naval branch of the Confederate States armed forces established by an act of the Confederate Congress on February 21, 1861. It was responsible for Confederate naval operations during the American Civil War...
Category:Ships of the Union Navy