The first USS ''Arizona'' was an iron-hulled, side-wheel merchant

steamship A steamship, often referred to as a steamer, is a type of steam-powered vessel, typically ocean-faring and seaworthy, that is propelled by one or more steam engines that typically move (turn) propellers or paddlewheels. The first steamships ...

. Seized by the

Confederate States of America The Confederate States of America (CSA), also known as the Confederate States (C.S.), the Confederacy, or Dixieland, was an List of historical unrecognized states and dependencies, unrecognized breakaway republic in the Southern United State ...

in 1862 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 captured later the same year by the

United States Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the naval warfare, maritime military branch, service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is the world's most powerful navy with the largest Displacement (ship), displacement, at 4.5 millio ...

SS ''Arizona''

SS ''Arizona'' was laid down in 1858 at the shipyard of

Harlan and Hollingsworth Harlan & Hollingsworth was a Wilmington, Delaware, manufacturing firm that built railroad cars and became one of the first iron shipyards in the United States. It operated under various names from 1837 to 1904, when it was purchased by Bethlehem ...

Wilmington, Delaware Wilmington is the List of municipalities in Delaware, most populous city in the U.S. state of Delaware. The city was built on the site of Fort Christina, the first Swedish colonization of the Americas, Swedish settlement in North America. It lie ...

, and completed in 1859. She was intended to carry passengers and freight on a route from

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to the

Brazos River The Brazos River ( , ), called the ''Río de los Brazos de Dios'' (translated as "The River of the Arms of God") by early Spanish explorers, is the 14th-longest river in the United States at from its headwater source at the head of Blackwater ...

(in

Texas Texas ( , ; or ) is the most populous U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. It borders Louisiana to the east, Arkansas to the northeast, Oklahoma to the north, New Mexico to the we ...

) for the

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but also made other voyages along the Gulf and Atlantic coasts of the United States.

As ''Caroline''

On 15 January 1862,

Confederate A confederation (also known as a confederacy or league) is a political union of sovereign states united for purposes of common action. Usually created by a treaty, confederations of states tend to be established for dealing with critical issu ...

Maj. Gen. Mansfield Lovell seized SS ''Arizona'' at New Orleans. Her U.S. enrollment was surrendered and replaced by a Confederate Register on 17 March 1862. ''Arizona'' was converted along with several of the faster steamers seized at the same time to run the blockade to

Cuba Cuba, officially the Republic of Cuba, is an island country, comprising the island of Cuba (largest island), Isla de la Juventud, and List of islands of Cuba, 4,195 islands, islets and cays surrounding the main island. It is located where the ...

. On her first voyage to

Havana Havana (; ) is the capital and largest city of Cuba. The heart of La Habana Province, Havana is the country's main port and commercial center.blockade runner A blockade runner is a merchant vessel used for evading a naval blockade of a port or strait. It is usually light and fast, using stealth and speed rather than confronting the blockaders in order to break the blockade. Blockade runners usua ...

for the

operating from New Orleans and Mobile to Havana. On the morning of 28 October 1862, the side-wheeler was steaming from Havana to Mobile with a cargo of munitions when she was sighted by . The Union gunboat immediately set out in pursuit of the stranger, beginning a six-hour chase. When ''Montgomery'' pulled within range of ''Caroline'', she opened fire with her 30-pounder

Parrott rifle The Parrott rifle was a type of muzzle-loading rifled artillery weapon used extensively in the American Civil War. Parrott rifle The gun was invented by Captain Robert Parker Parrott, a West Point graduate. He was an American soldier and inven ...

and expended 17 shells before two hits brought the quarry to. Two boats from the blockader rowed out to ''Caroline'' and one returned with her master, a man named Forbes, who claimed to have been bound for the neutral port of Matamoros, Mexico, not Confederate Mobile. "I do not take you for running the blockade," the flag officer, with tongue in cheek, replied, "but for your damned poor navigation. Any man bound for Matamoros from Havana and coming within twelve miles of Mobile light has no business to have a steamer."

As USS ''Arizona''

Rear Admiral

David Farragut David Glasgow Farragut (; also spelled Glascoe; July 5, 1801 – August 14, 1870) was a flag officer of the United States Navy during the American Civil War. He was the first Rear admiral (United States), rear admiral, Vice admiral (United State ...

sent the prize to

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where she was condemned by

admiralty court Admiralty courts, also known as maritime courts, are courts exercising jurisdiction over all admiralty law, maritime contracts, torts, injuries, and offenses. United Kingdom England and Wales Scotland The Scottish court's earliest records, ...

. The Federal Government purchased her on 23 January 1863. The Navy restored her original name, ''Arizona'', and placed her in commission on 9 March 1863, Lieutenant Daniel P. Upton in command. Nine days later, the steamer stood down the

Delaware River The Delaware River is a major river in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States and is the longest free-flowing (undammed) river in the Eastern United States. From the meeting of its branches in Hancock, New York, the river flows for a ...

and headed for the

Gulf of Mexico The Gulf of Mexico () is an oceanic basin and a marginal sea of the Atlantic Ocean, mostly surrounded by the North American continent. It is bounded on the northeast, north, and northwest by the Gulf Coast of the United States; on the southw ...

. En route south, she chased and overtook the cotton-laden sloop ''Aurelia'' off Mosquito Inlet, Florida, on 23 March, captured her and sent her to

Port Royal Port Royal () was a town located at the end of the Palisadoes, at the mouth of Kingston Harbour, in southeastern Jamaica. Founded in 1494 by the Spanish, it was once the largest and most prosperous city in the Caribbean, functioning as the cen ...

. Shortly before ''Arizona'' joined the

West Gulf 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 ...

, Farragut had led a naval force up the Mississippi past Port Hudson to close off the flow of supplies down the Red River and across the Mississippi to Confederate armies fighting in the East. His warships met a fierce cannonade as they attempted to pass Port Hudson, and only the

flagship A flagship is a vessel used by the commanding officer of a group of navy, naval ships, characteristically a flag officer entitled by custom to fly a distinguishing flag. Used more loosely, it is the lead ship in a fleet of vessels, typically ...

and her consort made it safely through to the strategic stretch of the river between Port Hudson and Vicksburg. ''Arizona'' played an important role in strengthening Farragut's drastically reduced force and opening up communications between its commander and the rest of his squadron. From New Orleans she proceeded to

Berwick Bay Berwick Bay is the section of the Lower Atchafalaya River in Louisiana from Morgan City north to Sixmile Lake. U.S. Route 90 crosses Berwick Bay connecting the town of Berwick on the west bank of the Atchafalaya to Morgan City on the east ba ...

to join a naval force commanded by Commander Augustus P. Cook which, in cooperation with troops commanded by Major General

Nathaniel P. Banks Nathaniel Prentice (or Prentiss) Banks (January 30, 1816 – September 1, 1894) was an American politician from Massachusetts and a Union Army, Union general during the American Civil War, Civil War. A millworker, Banks became prominent in local ...

, was operating in the swampy backwaters of the

Louisiana Louisiana ( ; ; ) is a state in the Deep South and South Central regions of the United States. It borders Texas to the west, Arkansas to the north, and Mississippi to the east. Of the 50 U.S. states, it ranks 31st in area and 25 ...

lowlands west of the Mississippi. On 14 April, while carrying army units, she, , and attacked CSS ''Queen of the West'' on Grand Gulf, a wide and still stretch of the

Atchafalaya River The Atchafalaya River () is a distributary of the Mississippi River and Red River of the South, Red River in south central Louisiana in the United States. It flows south, just west of the Mississippi River, and is the fifth largest river in N ...

. A shell from USS ''Calhoun'' blew up the ''Queen of the West'' boiler and ignited the cotton lining her hull. The burning cotton-clad drifted downstream for several hours before running aground and exploding. The three Union steamers also captured 90 members of the doomed vessel's crew who had jumped overboard to escape scalding. Six days later, joined the same force and, working with four companies of Union infantry, took Fort Burton, a Southern battery consisting of two old

siege gun Siege artillery (also siege guns or siege cannons) are heavy guns designed to bombard fortifications, cities, and other fixed targets. They are distinct from field artillery and are a class of siege weapon capable of firing heavy cannonballs o ...

s emplaced at

Butte La Rose, Louisiana Butte La Rose (also known as Butte-à-la-Rose) is an unincorporated community in St. Martin Parish, Louisiana, United States. In the 21st century, the area is known for its wilderness campgrounds, and the Atchafalaya Welcome Center. In 2011, E ...

. This victory opened a passage for Union ships – through Atchafalaya Bay and the River of the same name – connecting the gulf with the Red and

Mississippi River The Mississippi River is the main stem, primary river of the largest drainage basin in the United States. It is the second-longest river in the United States, behind only the Missouri River, Missouri. From its traditional source of Lake Ita ...

s. Thus, Farragut could bypass Port Hudson with supplies, messages, and ships. After this path was clear, ''Arizona'' entered the Red River and descended it to its mouth where she met Farragut's flagship, ''Hartford''. On 3 May, she was part of a three-ship reconnaissance force that ascended the Red River until it encountered heavy fire from two large Confederate steamers, ''Grand Duke'' and ''Mary T.'', which were supported by Southern

shore batteries In military organizations, an artillery battery is a unit or multiple systems of artillery, mortar systems, rocket artillery, multiple rocket launchers, surface-to-surface missiles, ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, etc., so grouped to facil ...

and

sniper A sniper is a military or paramilitary marksman who engages targets from positions of concealment or at distances exceeding the target's detection capabilities. Snipers generally have specialized training and are equipped with telescopic si ...

s. Since the narrow channel prevented the Union ships from maneuvering to bring their broadsides to bear on their attackers, they were compelled to retire. As they descended, the Northern vessels met a large force led by Rear Admiral

David Dixon Porter David Dixon Porter (June 8, 1813 – February 13, 1891) was a United States Navy admiral (United States), admiral and a member of one of the most distinguished families in the history of the U.S. Navy. Promoted as the second U.S. Navy officer ...

who ordered ''Arizona'' and ''Estrella'' to join him in a much more powerful drive up the Red River. He allowed , the third ship, to return to the Mississippi to report to Farragut. The next morning, Porter's force arrived at Fort DeRussy – an uncompleted stronghold the South had been building on the banks of the river – and found it abandoned. After partially destroying the fortifications, Porter continued on upstream to

Alexandria Alexandria ( ; ) is the List of cities and towns in Egypt#Largest cities, second largest city in Egypt and the List of coastal settlements of the Mediterranean Sea, largest city on the Mediterranean coast. It lies at the western edge of the Nile ...

which surrendered without resistance. Before Porter left the river, ''Arizona'' took part in a

reconnaissance In military operations, military reconnaissance () or scouting is the exploration of an area by military forces to obtain information about enemy forces, the terrain, and civil activities in the area of operations. In military jargon, reconnai ...

of the Black River, a tributary of the Red. On 10 May, she joined in an attack on Fort Beauregard at

Harrisonburg, Louisiana Harrisonburg is a village in and the parish seat of Catahoula Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 348 as of the 2010 census, down from 746 in 2000. Riley J. Wilson, who held Louisiana's 5th congressional district seat from 1 ...

, on the

Ouachita River The Ouachita River ( ) is a river that runs south and east through the United States, U.S. U.S. state, states of Arkansas and Louisiana, joining the Tensas River to form the Black River (Louisiana), Black River near Jonesville, Louisiana. It i ...

. Following her return to the Mississippi, ''Arizona'' supported operations against Port Hudson which finally fell on 9 July – five days after the surrender of Vicksburg – removing the last Southern hold on the river and finally cutting the Confederacy in two. ''Arizona'' then returned to New Orleans for repairs. During this work, Acting Master Howard Tibbito relieved Upton in command of the side-wheeler. On 4 September, ''Arizona'' departed New Orleans and proceeded to Southwest Pass to embark 180

sharpshooter A sharpshooter is one who is highly proficient at firing firearms or other projectile weapons accurately. Military units composed of sharpshooters were important factors in 19th-century combat. Along with " marksman" and "expert", "sharpshooter" ...

s to be distributed among USS ''Clifton'', , and herself in a forthcoming attack on

Sabine Pass, Texas Sabine Pass is a neighborhood in Port Arthur, Texas. It had been incorporated in 1861 before being formally annexed by Port Arthur in 1978. However, Sabine Pass retains its own distinct identity with its own school district, post office, and po ...

. She next proceeded to Atchafalaya Bay where she met her consorts and a group of Army transports, distributed her sharpshooters, and continued on to Sabine Pass. On the morning of 8 September, the combined force crossed the bar and then split, with ''Sachem'' and ''Arizona'' advancing up the Louisiana (right) channel, and ''Clifton'' and moving forward through the

(left) channel. When they arrived within range of the Confederate batteries they opened fire preparatory to landing the troops. The Southern gunners held their fire until the gunboats were within close range before countering with a devastating cannonade. A shot through her boiler totally disabled ''Sachem'', another carried away ''Cliftons wheel rope, causing her to run aground under the Confederate guns. Crocker – who commanded ''Clifton'' as well as the whole naval force – fought his ship until, with ten men killed and nine others wounded, he ordered the

magazine A magazine is a periodical literature, periodical publication, print or digital, produced on a regular schedule, that contains any of a variety of subject-oriented textual and visual content (media), content forms. Magazines are generally fin ...

flooded to prevent its exploding, deeming it his duty "to stop the slaughter by showing the white flag...." ''Sachem'' also surrendered. ''Clifton'' was taken under tow by . With the loss of ''Clifton'' and ''Sachem'' firepower, the two remaining gunboats and troop transports recrossed the bar and departed for New Orleans. The Sabine Pass expedition had, in the words of Commodore Henry H. Bell, "totally failed". Nevertheless, Major General Banks reported: "In all respects the cooperation of the naval authorities has been hearty and efficient...." ''Arizona'' subsequently served on blockade duty along the Texas coast, especially at

Galveston Galveston ( ) is a Gulf Coast of the United States, coastal resort town, resort city and port off the Southeast Texas coast on Galveston Island and Pelican Island (Texas), Pelican Island in the U.S. state of Texas. The community of , with a pop ...

. Later in the year, yellow fever broke out on board ''Arizona'', forcing her back to New Orleans until the ship's company had returned to good health. During the month of November, she had made trips to Calcasieu Pass, Vermilion Bay, and Mermentau Lake on convoy and transport trips, and on 10 December she transported Captain John B. Marchand to Forts St. Philip and

Jackson Jackson may refer to: Places Australia * Jackson, Queensland, a town in the Maranoa Region * Jackson North, Queensland, a locality in the Maranoa Region * Jackson South, Queensland, a locality in the Maranoa Region * Jackson oil field in Durham, ...

to investigate a

mutiny Mutiny is a revolt among a group of people (typically of a military or a crew) to oppose, change, or remove superiors or their orders. The term is commonly used for insubordination by members of the military against an officer or superior, ...

. In December 1863, ''Arizona'' went to

and, when the rise of water permitted, entered Grand Lake and the Atchafalaya and remained there on constant blockade. In February 1864, she went to New Orleans and, when repaired, returned to Sabine Pass for blockade duty, one of 14 vessels under Captain Marchand in . That duty lasted until September 1864 when ''Arizona'' proceeded to New Orleans for repairs. There, she was fitted out for service as the flagship of the West Gulf Blockading Squadron. In January 1865, Lieutenant Commander

George Brown George Brown may refer to: Arts and entertainment * George Loring Brown (1814–1889), American landscape painter * George Douglas Brown (1869–1902), Scottish novelist * George Williams Brown (1894–1963), Canadian historian and editor * Ge ...

took command of the ship. On the evening of 27 February 1865 while underway from South West Pass to New Orleans, below New Orleans, a fire broke out in the engineer's after storeroom and spread very rapidly. Brown ordered the magazine flooded and, when no possibility of saving the ship remained, ordered the crew to the boats. Some leaped overboard and swam to shore. The vessel drifted to the west bank of the river, grounded, and burned until she exploded 35 minutes past midnight. Out of a crew of 98 on board four were missing.

The USS ''Arizona'' Civil War Project Fund

The USS ''Arizona'' Civil War Project Fund is a public charity incorporated in 2014 with the mission of supporting and funding the activities necessary to locate, survey and secure the wreck of the ''Arizona''. Additionally, upon the successful identification of the wreck, the organization will work to preserve the history, artifacts and educational legacy of this vessel through various partnerships and public outreach.

References

* Confederate Register ''Arizona'' Record Group 41, National Archives, Washington, D.C. * ''Journal of the Franklin Institute,'' Jan. 1859, vol. LXII * Stephen R. Wise, ''Lifeline of the Confederacy: Blockade Running During the Civil War,'' Columbia: University of South Carolina Press, 1988, pp. 288–289. * {{DEFAULTSORT:Arizona Steamships of the United States Navy Ships built by Harlan and Hollingsworth Ships of the Union Navy Ships of the Confederate States of America Vessels captured by the United States Navy Shipwrecks of the Mississippi River Shipwrecks of the American Civil War Ship fires Maritime incidents in February 1865 1859 ships

SS ''Arizona''

As ''Caroline''

As USS ''Arizona''

The USS ''Arizona'' Civil War Project Fund

See also

References