Last month, I wrote about this ship running aground on the night of August 7, 1864 on the shoal off Western Bar of the Cape Fear River by Wilmington, N.C., and ending up a wreck. I had never heard of his ship before (and consider myself somewhat knowledgeable about the Wilmington area during the war) so had to do some research.
From Wikipedia.
The USS Violet was a 166-ton steamer acquired by the Navy and used as a gunboat, tugboat and torpedo boat. It was bought 30 December 1862 at New York City and commissioned 29 January 1863 at the New York Navy Yard.
It was 85-feet long, had a 19.9-foot beam and powered by a screw propeller. Its shallow draft made it an excellent choice for up close work to shore. It was launched in 1862.
It mounted one 12-pdr., one 12-pdr. rifle and one torpedo.
More to Come. --Old B-R'er
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