Monday, April 23, 2012

USS Isaac P. Smith

On the 14th of this month, I posted about this being surprised and captured by Confederate land forces near Charleston, SC.

Some more info on the ship from Wikipedia.

It was built in 1861 as a passenger-cargo ship on New York's Hudson River and purchased by the Navy in September of that year.  Stats: 453 tons, 171 feet, 31,4 beam, 56 crew, one 30-pdr. Parrott rifle and eight 8-inch Dahlgren smoothbores.

She served in the South Atlantic Blockading Squadron and participated in the assault on Port Royal.  Once it was caught in a hurricane so bad the ship was forced to jettison guns but came to the aid of the Marine Corps transport Governor which foundered off Cape Hatteras.

Nov. 4th and 5th engaged and repelled 3 Confederate steamers and silenced batteries at Hilton Head, SC.March-April 1862 it was off St. Augustine, Florida and then served three months in the St, Johns River.

Then came the fight in the Stono River when the Smith was caught in a crossfire by masked Confederate batteries.  The deck was covered with blood and the wounded.  Losses aboard were 8 dead and 17 wounded, forcing the ship's surrender.

The ship served in the Confederate Navy around Charleston under its new name CSS Stono.  June 5, 1863, it was wrecked near Fort Moultrie while attempting to run the blockade.

Serving Two Navies.  --Old B-R'er

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