USS ''Polaris'', originally called the ''America'', was an 1864-

screw steamer A screw steamer or screw steamship is an old term for a steamship or steamboat powered by a steam engine, using one or more propellers (also known as ''screws'') to propel it through the water. Such a ship was also known as an "iron screw steam shi ...

procured by the

Union Navy The Union Navy was the United States Navy (USN) during the American Civil War, when it fought the Confederate States Navy (CSN). The term is sometimes used carelessly to include vessels of war used on the rivers of the interior while they were un ...

as USS ''Periwinkle'' during the final months of the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states ...

. She served the Union Navy's struggle against the

Confederate States The Confederate States of America (CSA), commonly referred to as the Confederate States or the Confederacy was an unrecognized breakaway republic in the Southern United States that existed from February 8, 1861, to May 9, 1865. The Confeder ...

as a

gunboat A gunboat is a naval watercraft designed for the express purpose of carrying one or more guns to bombard coastal targets, as opposed to those military craft designed for naval warfare, or for ferrying troops or supplies. History Pre-ste ...

. After the war, the ship was retained by the

U.S. Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage o ...

. She was renamed ''Polaris'' in 1871 and became the designated vessel of the Hall scientific expedition to the

North Pole The North Pole, also known as the Geographic North Pole or Terrestrial North Pole, is the point in the Northern Hemisphere where the Earth's rotation, Earth's axis of rotation meets its surface. It is called the True North Pole to distingu ...

. It was on this voyage that she proceeded into Arctic waters, only to have her hull crushed by the ice in October 1872.

Construction

''America'', a heavy screw

tugboat A tugboat or tug is a marine vessel that manoeuvres other vessels by pushing or pulling them, with direct contact or a tow line. These boats typically tug ships in circumstances where they cannot or should not move under their own power, su ...

built at

Philadelphia Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania#Municipalities, largest city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the List of United States cities by population, sixth-largest city i ...

, in 1864, was purchased by the

December 9, 1864, from John W. Lynn; renamed ''Periwinkle''; and commissioned early in January 1865, acting Master Henry C. Macy in command.

Potomac Flotilla

The two-masted, schooner-rigged, white oak tug joined the

Potomac Flotilla The Potomac Flotilla, also called the Potomac Squadron, was a unit of the United States Navy created in the early days of the American Civil War to secure Union communications in the Chesapeake Bay, the Potomac River and their tributaries, and to ...

on January 15, 1865, as a gunboat, operating primarily in the

Rappahannock River The Rappahannock River is a river in eastern Virginia, in the United States, approximately in length.U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map accessed April 1, 2011 It traverses the entir ...

. In mid-March, a fleet of

oyster schooners An oyster schooner is a type of traditional fishing boat specifically designed for the harvesting of oysters. Typically, an oyster schooner was a gaff-rigged two-masted schooner akin to the Dorchester schooner. They were used in the past in Dela ...

operating in the area was threatened by a Confederate enemy force, and ''Periwinkle'' with , blockaded the mouths of the Rappahannock and Piankatank rivers to protect them. The Flotilla also interrupted contraband business between lower Maryland and Virginia, and cleared the rivers of mines, and fought guerillas ashore. After the

Civil War A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies ...

ended, ''Periwinkle'' continued to serve with the flotilla until June 1865. Next, ordered to Norfolk, Virginia, she operated out of the

Norfolk Navy Yard The Norfolk Naval Shipyard, often called the Norfolk Navy Yard and abbreviated as NNSY, is a U.S. Navy facility in Portsmouth, Virginia, for building, remodeling and repairing the Navy's ships. It is the oldest and largest industrial facility tha ...

until placed in ordinary during 1867.

Furthest North

In late 1870, she was selected for service with the Hall scientific expedition, led by

Charles Francis Hall Charles Francis Hall ( – November 8, 1871) was an American Arctic explorer, best known for his collection of Inuit testimony regarding the 1845 Franklin Expedition and the suspicious circumstances surrounding his death while leading th ...

, and was sent to the

Washington Navy Yard The Washington Navy Yard (WNY) is the former shipyard and Weapon, ordnance plant of the United States Navy in Southeast, Washington, D.C., Southeast Washington, D.C. It is the oldest shore establishment of the U.S. Navy. The Yard currently serv ...

for refitting. Renamed USS ''Polaris'' in early-1871, she arrived at the New York Navy Yard on June 9 to complete loading of stores and provisions for the expedition. She set sail in July 1871. Aiming for the

, she reached 82° 29′N latitude, then the furthest point north reached by a vessel. ''Polaris'' was caught in the ice on the homeward voyage in October 1872, and carried for some distance before being crushed. Her crew was subsequently rescued, including a party of 18 people led by

William F. C. Nindemann William Frederick Carl Nindemann (April 22, 1850 – May 6, 1913) was a German-born American Arctic explorer and recipient of the Congressional Silver Jeannette Medal. Biography William Nindemann was born on April 22, 1850, in Gingst, ...

, who had debarked to land provisions after the hull of the ''Polaris'' had begun to leak, only to have the section of the ice floe they were on break away from the section holding the ''Polaris''. The lost party floated for 196 days and were subsequently rescued separately from the vessel.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Polaris 1864 ships 1871 ships American Civil War patrol vessels of the United States Arctic exploration vessels Gunboats of the United States Navy Maritime incidents in October 1872 Polaris expedition Research vessels of the United States Navy Ships built in Philadelphia Ships of the Union Navy Shipwrecks of the Canadian Arctic coast Steamships of the United States Navy