USS Victory (1863)
Encyclopedia
USS Victory (1863) was a steamer purchased by the Union Navy
during the American Civil War
.
Victoria was used primarily by the Union Navy as a gunboat
assigned to patrol Confederate
waterways. She also performed duties as a reconnaissance boat, a convoy escort, and as a dispatch boat
.
, in 1863 and originally named Banker -- was acquired by the Navy at Cincinnati in May 1863; was commissioned at Cincinnati on 8 July; but was not formally purchased by the Navy until 15 July.
, Ohio
, and Cumberland
rivers.
crossed the Ohio River
into Indiana
at the head of a 6,000-man raiding party. From the 10th to the 19th, Victory, Moose
, Reindeer
, Springfield
, Naumkeag
, and Allegheny Belle chased Morgan as he proceeded eastward along the river. Union cavalry ashore prevented him from recrossing the Ohio River to safety in the South.
While Victory and three of the gunboats remained scattered downstream on the 19th to prevent the raiding party from doubling back, the Federals finally trapped Morgan at Buffington Island
and forced him to attempt a crossing. The try failed miserably, and most of the Confederates surrendered. Morgan, himself, escaped with a few followers only to be caught near New Lisbon, Ohio, one week later.
, convoy
, and dispatch duty
. On 14 April 1864, she helped to repulse a raid upon Paducah, Kentucky
; and—on 4 November, as part of a squadron of six gunboats—aided the successful defense from a carefully staged attack on Johnsonville, Tennessee, led by the famed Confederate cavalryman, Lt. Gen. Nathan B. Forrest.
, on 30 June 1865 and sold at public auction
there to W. Thorwegen on 17 August.
She was documented as Lizzie Tate on 7 October 1865 and was reduced to a barge on 22 November 1867. At this time, her service afterword is unknown.
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...
.
Victoria was used primarily by the Union Navy as a gunboat
Gunboat
A gunboat is a naval watercraft designed for the express purpose of carrying one or more guns to bombard coastal targets, as opposed to those military craft designed for naval warfare, or for ferrying troops or supplies.-History:...
assigned to patrol 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. She also performed duties as a reconnaissance boat, a convoy escort, and as a dispatch boat
Dispatch boat
Dispatch boats were small boats, and sometimes large ships, tasked to carry military dispatches from ship to ship or from ship to shore or, in some cases from shore to shore...
.
Built in Ohio in 1863
Victory -- a wooden merchant steamer built at Cincinnati, OhioCincinnati, Ohio
Cincinnati is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio. Cincinnati is the county seat of Hamilton County. Settled in 1788, the city is located to north of the Ohio River at the Ohio-Kentucky border, near Indiana. The population within city limits is 296,943 according to the 2010 census, making it Ohio's...
, in 1863 and originally named Banker -- was acquired by the Navy at Cincinnati in May 1863; was commissioned at Cincinnati on 8 July; but was not formally purchased by the Navy until 15 July.
Use of tinclads during the American Civil War
Victory was one of the lightly armor-plated gunboats of the Mississippi Squadron called "tinclads" which were used during the Civil War for shallow water patrol and reconnaissance duty on the TennesseeTennessee River
The Tennessee River is the largest tributary of the Ohio River. It is approximately 652 miles long and is located in the southeastern United States in the Tennessee Valley. The river was once popularly known as the Cherokee River, among other names...
, Ohio
Ohio River
The Ohio River is the largest tributary, by volume, of the Mississippi River. At the confluence, the Ohio is even bigger than the Mississippi and, thus, is hydrologically the main stream of the whole river system, including the Allegheny River further upstream...
, and Cumberland
Cumberland River
The Cumberland River is a waterway in the Southern United States. It is long. It starts in Harlan County in far southeastern Kentucky between Pine and Cumberland mountains, flows through southern Kentucky, crosses into northern Tennessee, and then curves back up into western Kentucky before...
rivers.
Chasing General John Hunt Morgan and his raiders
On the day of Victory's commissioning, 8 July, Confederate General John Hunt MorganJohn Hunt Morgan
John Hunt Morgan was a Confederate general and cavalry officer in the American Civil War.Morgan is best known for Morgan's Raid when, in 1863, he and his men rode over 1,000 miles covering a region from Tennessee, up through Kentucky, into Indiana and on to southern Ohio...
crossed the Ohio River
Ohio River
The Ohio River is the largest tributary, by volume, of the Mississippi River. At the confluence, the Ohio is even bigger than the Mississippi and, thus, is hydrologically the main stream of the whole river system, including the Allegheny River further upstream...
into Indiana
Indiana
Indiana is a US state, admitted to the United States as the 19th on December 11, 1816. It is located in the Midwestern United States and Great Lakes Region. With 6,483,802 residents, the state is ranked 15th in population and 16th in population density. Indiana is ranked 38th in land area and is...
at the head of a 6,000-man raiding party. From the 10th to the 19th, Victory, Moose
USS Moose (1863)
USS Moose was a steamer purchased by the Union Navy during the American Civil War. She was used by the Union Navy as a gunboat assigned to patrol Confederate waterways to prevent the South from trading with other countries....
, Reindeer
USS Reindeer (1863)
USS Reindeer was a steamer purchased by the Union Navy during the American Civil War.She was used by the Union Navy as a gunboat assigned to patrol Confederate waterways. Post-war she was converted into a dispatch vessel and served that function until finally decommissioned.-Built in Cincinnati in...
, Springfield
USS Springfield (1862)
USS Springfield was a steamship purchased by the Union Navy during the American Civil War. She was used by the Union Navy as a gunboat assigned to patrol Confederate waterways....
, Naumkeag
USS Naumkeag (1863)
USS Naumkeag was a steamer purchased by the Union Navy during the American Civil War. She was used by the Union Navy as a gunboat assigned to patrol Confederate waterways....
, and Allegheny Belle chased Morgan as he proceeded eastward along the river. Union cavalry ashore prevented him from recrossing the Ohio River to safety in the South.
While Victory and three of the gunboats remained scattered downstream on the 19th to prevent the raiding party from doubling back, the Federals finally trapped Morgan at Buffington Island
Buffington Island
Buffington Island is an island in the Ohio River in Jackson County, West Virginia, United States, east of Racine, Ohio. During the American Civil War, the Battle of Buffington Island took place on July 19, 1863, just south of the Ohio community of Portland....
and forced him to attempt a crossing. The try failed miserably, and most of the Confederates surrendered. Morgan, himself, escaped with a few followers only to be caught near New Lisbon, Ohio, one week later.
Mississippi Squadron duties
Victory remained with the Mississippi Squadron for the duration of the war, performing patrol, reconnaissanceReconnaissance
Reconnaissance is the military term for exploring beyond the area occupied by friendly forces to gain information about enemy forces or features of the environment....
, convoy
Convoy
A convoy is a group of vehicles, typically motor vehicles or ships, traveling together for mutual support and protection. Often, a convoy is organized with armed defensive support, though it may also be used in a non-military sense, for example when driving through remote areas.-Age of Sail:Naval...
, and dispatch duty
Dispatch boat
Dispatch boats were small boats, and sometimes large ships, tasked to carry military dispatches from ship to ship or from ship to shore or, in some cases from shore to shore...
. On 14 April 1864, she helped to repulse a raid upon Paducah, Kentucky
Paducah, Kentucky
Paducah is the largest city in Kentucky's Jackson Purchase Region and the county seat of McCracken County, Kentucky, United States. It is located at the confluence of the Tennessee River and the Ohio River, halfway between the metropolitan areas of St. Louis, Missouri, to the west and Nashville,...
; and—on 4 November, as part of a squadron of six gunboats—aided the successful defense from a carefully staged attack on Johnsonville, Tennessee, led by the famed Confederate cavalryman, Lt. Gen. Nathan B. Forrest.
Post-war decommissioning, sale, and civilian career
After the Confederacy collapsed, Victory was decommissioned at Mound City, IllinoisMound City, Illinois
Mound City is a city located along the Ohio River in Pulaski County, Illinois, in the United States. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 692. It is the county seat of Pulaski County.-Geography:Mound City is located at ....
, on 30 June 1865 and sold at public auction
Public 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 to W. Thorwegen on 17 August.
She was documented as Lizzie Tate on 7 October 1865 and was reduced to a barge on 22 November 1867. At this time, her service afterword is unknown.