Changes: USS Commodore McDonough (1862)

	; USS Commodore McDonough (1862-1865) In a harbor, during the Civil War
Name:	USS Commodore McDonough
Laid down:	date unknown
Launched:	date unknown
Acquired:	5 August 1862 at New York City
Commissioned:	24 November 1862
Decommissioned:	(sunk) 23 August 1865
Fate:	foundered under tow, 23 August 1865
General characteristics
Type:	Gunboat
Displacement:	532 long tons (541 t)
Length:	154 ft (47 m) (estimated)
Beam:	32 ft (9.8 m) (estimated)
Draft:	8 ft 6 in (2.59 m)
Propulsion:	Steam engine ; side-wheel propelled
Speed:	8 kn (9.2 mph; 15 km/h)
Complement:	75
Armament:	1 × 9 in (230 mm) smoothbore gun, 1 × 20-pounder rifle, 4 × 24-pounder smoothbore guns

Revision as of 07:04, 26 January 2014

USS Commodore McDonough (1862) was a ferryboat acquired by the Union Navy during the American Civil War. Ferryboats were of great value, since – because of their flat bottom and shallow draft — they could navigate streams and shallow waters that other ships could not.

Purchased in New York City in 1862

Commodore McDonough — an armed, side-wheel ferry — was purchased on 5 August 1862 in New York City; fitted out at New York Navy Yard; and commissioned on 24 November 1862, Lieutenant Commander G. Bacon in command.

Civil War service

Assigned to the South Atlantic Blockade

Commodore McDonough joined the South Atlantic Blockading Squadron at Port Royal, South Carolina on 11 December 1862. Throughout her service, she operated in South Carolina waters, primarily off Charleston, but often cruising up the many rivers of that coast to bombard shore installations, cover the landing of troops, engage Confederate batteries, and perform reconnaissance. In the continuing operations in Charleston Harbor, she frequently bombarded the forts protecting the city.

Foundered while under tow at war’s end

At the close of the war, she assisted in harbor clearance at Port Royal, South Carolina, and on 23 August 1865 — while under tow for New York — she foundered.

References

This article incorporates text from the public domain Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. The entry can be found here.

All or a portion of this article consists of text from Wikipedia, and is therefore Creative Commons Licensed under GFDL.
The original article can be found at USS Commodore McDonough (1862) and the edit history here.

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 {{Wikipedia|USS Commodore McDonough (1862)}}
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 [[Category:Ships of the Union Navy]]