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USS Miami (1861)

History of USS Miami (1861)

The naval forces of the American Civil War (1861-1865) used a variety of warship types throughout the conflict, often including ironclads, gunboats, raiders, cruisers, blockades, and even submarines. The USS Miami represents a gunboat ordered by the Union Navy as a sidewheel double-ended steamer. She was built at the Philadelphia Navy Yard and launched on November 16, 1861.

On January 29, 1862, she was officially commissioned to serve in the United States. the navy asked.

Constructed with an all-wood hull, the USS Miami has a displacement of 742 tons, a barrel length of 208 feet, a beam length of 33 feet, and a draft of up to 8.5 feet. Propulsion comes from a 7-foot pitched direct-acting steam engine unit, enabling the vessel to reach speeds of up to 8 knots under ideal conditions.

Her crew consisted of 134 officers, consisting of officers and soldiers. Armament includes 1 x 80 pounder Parrott rifled bow mounted, 1 x 9" (230 mm) Dahlgren stern mounted smoothbore gun and 4 x 24 pounder guns - two facing port and starboard.

Midship is the side wheel paddle frame and the raised bridge frame. The smoke funnel used to smoke the steam engine is forward and slightly slanted back. Two masts were also installed, one amidships and one aft.

As a double-headed vessel, her bow and stern were similarly shaped, while also carrying a rudder each - which allowed the ship to reverse course without making a full turn, an important attribute of river operations in the Civil War.

Upon completion, the USS Miami was dispatched to Ship Island, Mississippi, to repel the impending Confederate attack on New Orleans (Battle of New Orleans, April 25-May 1, 1862). The federal plan was to use mortar fire on enemy forts while providing safe passage for ground troops to retake the facility. This involved Miami towing three caravans carrying mortar equipment within the range of Fort St.

Philip and Fort Jackson. Once in position, the ships opened fire and held the fort for a period of time, allowing the Federal Navy fleet to sail through the fort. After successfully freeing the fleet from imminent danger, the USS Miami began deploying ground forces.

The ensuing battle culminated in the capture of both forts by April 28.

From there, the operation against Vicksburg followed when the mortar fleet was called to action again. The USS Miami brought her mortar schooner upstream from New Orleans on June 7 and arrived at Vicksburg on June 21. The schooners were then kept within enemy range, as their mortars were put to good use in shelling enemy positions.

This force was recalled downstream on July 15 due to a lack of ground troops to end the Confederate defense once and for all.

Next stop in Miami is Fort Monroe, where she arrives on September 9th. For the next two months, she was used to scout enemy positions and troops along the James River. At Hampton Roads, she helped with the sea blockade before entering the refit phase.

She was then moved to North Carolina, where her next move took her to Plymouth.

The USS Miami helped protect Plymouth from Confederate attacks on April 17-18. Faced with the threat of CSS Albemarle, USS Miami linked up with USS Southfield to focus fire and strength against a formidable foe. Albemarle began an attack on the pair on April 19, crashing into USS Southfield, which linked Albemarle to the Union warship.

This allowed Miami to come in with their guns, but with little success. The engagement ended with the USS Miami being driven off the scene, while the USS Southfield was sunk by Albemarle.

Plymouth then fell into the hands of the Confederates on 20 April, although Albemarle's flourishing came to an end when Spar torpedoes were used against them on 27 October.

The USS Miami sails again to the James River to support General Grant's attack on Richmond, Virginia. This pitted Miami against Confederate batteries at the Wilcox Landing, which in turn engaged advancing Confederate ships. Four hours later, southern troops were driven out of their positions.

The next day, Miami, along with Osceola, successfully repelled other Confederate forces near Harrison's landing site.

The USS Miami served along the James River for the remainder of the war, which ended with the Confederate surrender on April 9, 1865. The USS Miami was decommissioned from the U.S. Navy on May 22, 1865, in Philadelphia. Retired from the Navy, her hull was auctioned on August 10.

She thrived in commercial service for a few years before being finally abandoned in 1869.