USS Sweet Brier (1862)
Encyclopedia
USS Sweet Brier (1862) was a steamer acquired by the Union Navy
during the American Civil War
.
Sweet Briar was used by the Union Navy as an armed tugboat
in support of the Union Navy blockade of Confederate
waterways.
, in 1862 -- was purchased by the Union Navy at New York City
on 22 September 1863; and was commissioned at the New York Navy Yard on 25 January 1864, Acting Ensign J. D. Dexter in command.
, on 4 March and was assigned to blockade duty off that southern port.
On 8 July, she captured blockade running schooner
Pocahontas
off Charleston laden with cotton.
Sweet Brier continued to serve in the South Atlantic Blockading Squadron through the end of the war and sailed north on 27 June 1865.
there on 25 October to D. T. Rowland. She was redocumented as Conqueror on 28 December 1866 and remained in merchant service until 1900.
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...
.
Sweet Briar was used by the Union Navy as an armed 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...
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.
Commissioned at New York City in 1862
Sweet Brier -- a wooden screw tug built at Buffalo, New YorkBuffalo, New York
Buffalo is the second most populous city in the state of New York, after New York City. Located in Western New York on the eastern shores of Lake Erie and at the head of the Niagara River across from Fort Erie, Ontario, Buffalo is the seat of Erie County and the principal city of the...
, in 1862 -- was purchased by the Union Navy 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...
on 22 September 1863; and was commissioned at the New York Navy Yard on 25 January 1864, Acting Ensign J. D. Dexter in command.
Assigned to blockade duty with the South Atlantic blockade
The tug departed New York City on 3 February 1864, and arrived off Charleston, South CarolinaCharleston, South Carolina
Charleston is the second largest city in the U.S. state of South Carolina. It was made the county seat of Charleston County in 1901 when Charleston County was founded. The city's original name was Charles Towne in 1670, and it moved to its present location from a location on the west bank of the...
, on 4 March and was assigned to blockade duty off that southern port.
On 8 July, she captured blockade running 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....
Pocahontas
USS Pocahontas (1852)
The first USS Pocahontas, a screw steamer built at Medford, Massachusetts in 1852 as City of Boston, and purchased by the Navy at Boston, Massachusetts on 20 March 1855, was the first United States Navy ship to be named for Pocahontas, the Algonquian wife of Virginia colonist John Rolfe. She was...
off Charleston laden with cotton.
Sweet Brier continued to serve in the South Atlantic Blockading Squadron through the end of the war and sailed north on 27 June 1865.
Post-war decommissioning, sale and subsequent maritime career
She was decommissioned at the New York Navy Yard on 13 July 1865 and was sold at public auctionPublic auction
A public auction is an auction held on behalf of a government in which the property to be auctioned is either property owned by the government, or property which is sold under the authority of a court of law or a government agency with similar authority....
there on 25 October to D. T. Rowland. She was redocumented as Conqueror on 28 December 1866 and remained in merchant service until 1900.