USS Fairplay

I was writing about the 76th Ohio Infantry in my Civil War blog, Saw the Elephant, and there was mention of the regiment capturing the Confederate steamer Fairplay in the Mississippi River.  Kind of an interesting thought that a land unit captured a water one, and since I'd never heard of the ship, some further research was in order.

Here it is, thanks to good old Wikipedia.

The Fairplay was a wooden steamer of 156 tons built in 1859 in New Albamy, Indiana, for service on the Mississippi Rivers and others.  It was pressed into Confederate service until it was captured by the 76th Ohio August 18, 1862.  I couldn't find anything about its capture.  There was no mention of it in the Naval Chronology of the Civil War which I have been using for Naval Happenings.
It was then taken into Union Army service in September  and transferred to the Navy in October.  So, we just had the 150th anniversary of its capture and it served in both Confederate and Union navies and both Union services.  Interesting career right there.

It became Tinclad #17, one of 63 shallow draft ships that convoyed troop and supply ships along the rivers in the western theater.

That  Fairplay.  --Old B-Runner