USS Sumpter was a steamship in the United States Navy

United States Navy

The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...

 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...

.

Sumpter or Sumter, ex-Atlanta, ex-Parker Vein, was built in 1853 by Hillman and Streaker, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania

The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...

. The merchant steamer Atlanta was chartered by the Navy on September 13, 1858, to take part in the expedition against Paraguay

Paraguay expedition

The Paraguay Expedition was a United States Naval mission sent to Asunción, Paraguay in 1858 to demand indemnity and apology from the Paraguayan Government for the 1 February 1855 firing on the US Navy vessel...

; purchased outright on May 26, 1859, and renamed Sumpter.

Service history

Under the command of Commander Daniel R. Ridgely, Atlanta and 18 other warships arrived at Asunción

Asunción

Asunción is the capital and largest city of Paraguay.The "Ciudad de Asunción" is an autonomous capital district not part of any department. The metropolitan area, called Gran Asunción, includes the cities of San Lorenzo, Fernando de la Mora, Lambaré, Luque, Mariano Roque Alonso, Ñemby, San...

, on January 25, 1859, to take action against that country for firing on in 1855. However, the government of Paraguay

Paraguay

Paraguay , officially the Republic of Paraguay , is a landlocked country in South America. It is bordered by Argentina to the south and southwest, Brazil to the east and northeast, and Bolivia to the northwest. Paraguay lies on both banks of the Paraguay River, which runs through the center of the...

 offered an apology and paid an indemnity which settled the affair without resorting to violence.

When the squadron returned to the United States, the ship was purchased outright and renamed Sumpter. Sumpter and four other screw steamers were assigned to cruise the coasts of Cuba

Cuba

The Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...

 and Africa

Africa

Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...

 to suppress the slave trade. Sumpter sailed from the west coast of Africa, on August 10, 1861, and returned to the United States on September 15.

On January 6, 1862, Sumpter was ordered to report to 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...

, and join the South Atlantic Blockading Squadron and on 2 February was reported to have joined the squadron, and the next day sailed to Charleston. On 18 March, she participated in the capture of the British

United Kingdom

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...

 blockade runner Emil St. Pierre off that port. The ship returned to Port Royal, on April 23, for repairs and departed on the 29th to take station off Wassaw Inlet, Georgia.

Sumpter rejoined the blockade off Charleston in early May and remained there until August. In mid-May, she sent a boat to Port Pulaski to gain information regarding 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...

 gunboats; but the boat wandered into St. Augustine Creek, near Fort Jackson, and was captured. She was then ordered to Fernandina, Florida, to join the blockade there. The steamer sailed from there on October 6 en route to New York for repairs, via Port Royal. After her repairs were completed, Sumpter was assigned to the North Atlantic Blockading Squadron at Hampton Roads

Hampton 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...

. Her duty was to search for Confederate cruiser

Cruiser

A cruiser is a type of warship. The term has been in use for several hundreds of years, and has had different meanings throughout this period...

s and blockade runners. She was stationed off Hampton Bar in May 1863 but, the following month, was sent to the Yorktown, Virginia

Yorktown, Virginia

Yorktown is a census-designated place in York County, Virginia, United States. The population was 220 in the 2000 census. It is the county seat of York County, one of the eight original shires formed in colonial Virginia in 1634....

 area to search for the Confederate privateer

Privateer

A privateer is a private person or ship authorized by a government by letters of marque to attack foreign shipping during wartime. Privateering was a way of mobilizing armed ships and sailors without having to spend public money or commit naval officers...

, Clarence. In the morning of June 24, she collided with the Union transport, eight or nine miles from the Smith Island lighthouse and sank in seven fathoms of water. The officers and crew were rescued by and taken to 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...

.

As of 2005, no other ship in the United States Navy has borne the Sumpter name, although there was a USS Sumter (APA-52)

USS Sumter (APA-52)

USS Sumter was a that served with the US Navy during World War II.APA-52 was the second US Navy vessel named Sumter. The ship was laid down on 3 April 1943 as Iberville by Gulf Shipbuilding of Chickasaw, Alabama, for the Waterman Steamship Company; launched on 4 October 1942; sponsored by Mrs....

 which served with the US Navy during World War II and the USS Sumter (LST-1181)

USS Sumter (LST-1181)

USS Sumter was the third ship of the twenty ship , which replaced the traditional bow door design LST. Two derrick arms support a capacity, long bow ramp for the unloading of tanks and other vehicles ashore, additionally, amphibious vehicles can be launched from the tank deck via the ship's...

decommissioned in 1993.