USS ''Corwin'' was a steamer 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 Union Navy to patrol navigable waterways of the Confederacy to prevent the South from trading with other countries.

Service history

''Corwin'' was a side wheel

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-steam ...

, wooden steamer built at

Philadelphia Philadelphia ( ), colloquially referred to as Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania, most populous city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and the List of United States cities by population, sixth-most populous city in the Unit ...

, Pennsylvania, in 1849 for the

United States Coast Survey United may refer to: Places * United, Pennsylvania, an unincorporated community * United, West Virginia, an unincorporated community Arts and entertainment Films * ''United'' (2003 film), a Norwegian film * ''United'' (2011 film), a BBC Two f ...

, transferred to the United States Revenue-Marine in April 1861. Transferred to the

United States Department of the Navy The United States Department of the Navy (DON) is one of the three military departments within the United States Department of Defense. It was established by an Act of Congress on 30 April 1798, at the urging of Secretary of War James McHenr ...

for special service in September 1861, under command of

Lieutenant A lieutenant ( , ; abbreviated Lt., Lt, LT, Lieut and similar) is a Junior officer, junior commissioned officer rank in the armed forces of many nations, as well as fire services, emergency medical services, Security agency, security services ...

Thomas S. Phelps. The vessel was armed with two medium 32-pounders and two 12-pounder guns. She surveyed the coast of

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. For example, On 14 November 1861, the Corwin, a side-wheel gunboat, wooden steamer revenue cutter, repulsed the gunboat in

Hatteras Inlet Hatteras Inlet is an estuary in North Carolina, located along the Outer Banks, separating Hatteras Island and Ocracoke Island. It connects the Atlantic Ocean to the Pamlico Sound. Hatteras Inlet is located entirely within Hyde County, North Car ...

, an

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in North Carolina. On 1 April 1862, she joined 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 ...

for duty in

Hampton Roads Hampton Roads is a body of water in the United States that serves as a wide channel for the James River, James, Nansemond River, Nansemond, and Elizabeth River (Virginia), Elizabeth rivers between Old Point Comfort and Sewell's Point near whe ...

and adjacent waters. On 13 July, she was detached and ordered to the

Potomac River The Potomac River () is in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic region of the United States and flows from the Potomac Highlands in West Virginia to Chesapeake Bay in Maryland. It is long,U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography D ...

for survey work. ''Corwin'' repulsed another attack by ''Curlew'' in Hatteras Inlet on 14 November; and rendered effective assistance to the steamer ''Quinnebaug'' aground off

Beaufort, North Carolina Beaufort ( , different from that of Beaufort, South Carolina) is a town in Carteret County, North Carolina, United States, and its county seat. Established in 1713 and incorporated in 1723, Beaufort is the fourth oldest town in North Carolina ( ...

on 22 July 1865. She was returned to the U.S. Coast Survey, Treasury Department, after the war.

References

External links

Coast guard page on Corwin
''New York Times'' 17 May 1862 {{DEFAULTSORT:Corwin Ships of the Union Navy Ships built in Philadelphia Steamships of the United States Navy Gunboats of the United States Navy 1849 ships