USS T. D. Horner (1859)
Encyclopedia
The USS T. D. Horner was a stern-wheel steamer built in 1859 at Brownsville, Pennsylvania
and was part of Colonel Charles Ellet, Jr.
's United States Ram Fleet
during the American Civil War
.
on 18 May 1862 for use on the Mississippi River
and its tributaries in the Army's newly established flotilla which was popularly known as the "Ellet Ram Fleet."
Commanded and manned by Union Army
personnel, this organization operated in the same waters as the Western Flotilla (later to become the Mississippi Squadron) which had been established the previous summer, also under Army auspices but commanded and manned by Navy personnel.
The relationship between these organizations, which often cooperated in carrying out their overlapping missions, was never completely clarified. However, at no time was the Ram Fleet, or were its ships, taken into the Navy. T. D. Horner served the Ram Fleet and its successor, the Mississippi Marine Brigade
, as a tug
until the latter was dissolved on 24 August 1864.
1868 when she hit a bridge at Louisville, Kentucky
, and was damaged beyond economical repair.
Brownsville, 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...
and was part of Colonel Charles Ellet, Jr.
Charles Ellet, Jr.
Charles Ellet, Jr. was a civil engineer and a colonel during the American Civil War, mortally wounded at the Battle of Memphis.-Biography:Ellet was born in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, brother of Alfred W...
's United States Ram Fleet
United States Ram Fleet
The United States Ram Fleet was a small group of rams on the Mississippi River during the American Civil War.-Formation:In March 1862, the U.S. Army authorized the noted civil engineer Charles Ellet, Jr., to establish a flotilla of steam rams for employment on the Western Rivers. Ellet converted...
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...
.
Civil War service
The ship was purchased by the War DepartmentUnited States Department of War
The United States Department of War, also called the War Department , was the United States Cabinet department originally responsible for the operation and maintenance of the United States Army...
on 18 May 1862 for use 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...
and its tributaries in the Army's newly established flotilla which was popularly known as the "Ellet Ram Fleet."
Commanded and manned by Union Army
Union Army
The Union Army was the land force that fought for the Union during the American Civil War. It was also known as the Federal Army, the U.S. Army, the Northern Army and the National Army...
personnel, this organization operated in the same waters as the Western Flotilla (later to become the Mississippi Squadron) which had been established the previous summer, also under Army auspices but commanded and manned by Navy personnel.
The relationship between these organizations, which often cooperated in carrying out their overlapping missions, was never completely clarified. However, at no time was the Ram Fleet, or were its ships, taken into the Navy. T. D. Horner served the Ram Fleet and its successor, the Mississippi Marine Brigade
Mississippi Marine Brigade
The Mississippi Marine Brigade was a Union Army unit raised during the American Civil War as part of the United States Ram Fleet. These soldiers acted as Marines aboard United States Army rams patrolling the Mississippi River...
, as a tug
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...
until the latter was dissolved on 24 August 1864.
Post war
After the Civil War ended, T. D. Horner was sold by the Government on 17 August 1865. She was re-documented for merchant service on 27 November 1865 and plied the Mississippi and its tributaries until New Year's DayNew Year's Day
New Year's Day is observed on January 1, the first day of the year on the modern Gregorian calendar as well as the Julian calendar used in ancient Rome...
1868 when she hit a bridge at Louisville, Kentucky
Louisville, Kentucky
Louisville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kentucky, and the county seat of Jefferson County. Since 2003, the city's borders have been coterminous with those of the county because of a city-county merger. The city's population at the 2010 census was 741,096...
, and was damaged beyond economical repair.