USS ''Aster'' was a steam operated

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, suc ...

acquired by the Union Navy during the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861May 26, 1865; also known by Names of the American Civil War, other names) was a civil war in the United States between the Union (American Civil War), Union ("the North") and the Confederate States of A ...

. She was used by the Navy to patrol navigable waterways of the Confederacy to prevent the South from trading with other countries.

Service history

On 25 July 1864 at

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, the Union Navy purchased the wooden steamer ''Alice'' from Bishop, Son, and Company. Renamed ''Aster'', this screw tug was placed in commission on 12 August 1864, Acting Master Samuel Hall in command. On 25 August 1864,

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ordered ''Aster'' to proceed to waters off

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, for duty in the

North Atlantic Blockading Squadron The Union blockade in the American Civil War was a naval strategy by the United States to prevent the Confederacy from trading. The blockade was proclaimed by President Abraham Lincoln in April 1861, and required the monitoring of of Atlantic ...

. Since the ship's logs do not seem to have survived, the details of her voyage south are unknown. She apparently joined the squadron in the first fortnight of September, but, on the 16th of that month, was at

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, undergoing repairs. She arrived off

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on 7 October and began her blockading duties. About an hour before midnight, she sighted a vessel steaming toward New Inlet and gave chase. Just as she was about to cut off the blockade runner – which later proved to be the Halifax steamer ''Annie'' – ''Aster'' grounded on

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. Hall and his crew made every effort to refloat ''Aster'', but failed. came to her aid, but was unable to pull her free. Hall then transferred his crew to ''Berberry'' and then, aided by his officers, put the torch to the ship which then blew up.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Aster Ships of the Union Navy Steamships of the United States Navy Gunboats of the United States Navy American Civil War patrol vessels of the United States Shipwrecks of the American Civil War Shipwrecks of the Carolina coast Maritime incidents in October 1864 Ship fires