The USS ''Eolus'' was a 368-ton side wheel

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 ...

that served in the Union Navy from 1864 to 1865 before becoming a commercial steamship.

Union Navy

Eolus was built at

Newburgh, New York Newburgh is a City (New York), city in Orange County, New York, United States. With a population of 28,856 as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is a principal city of the Kiryas Joel–Poughkeepsie–Newburgh metropolitan area. ...

, for civilian employment, but was purchased by the Union Navy upon completion. Outfitted 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-steam ...

, she was commissioned in August 1864 and, following a brief search off the Atlantic Coast for the Confederate raider, joined the blockading forces off

North Carolina North Carolina ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, South Carolina to the south, Georgia (U.S. stat ...

. ''Eolus'' patrolled the coast, rivers, and sounds of North Carolina, enforcing the blockade and acting as picket. She carried men, messages, mail, supplies, orders, and ammunition to the large ships of the squadron and transferred their wounded to hospital ships. During October 1864, she captured the blockade runner ''Hope'' and assisted in the capture of the '' Lady Sterling''. Late in the year and in mid-January 1865, Eolus took part in the attacks that captured

Fort Fisher Fort Fisher was a Confederate fort during the American Civil War. It protected the vital trading routes of the port at Wilmington, North Carolina, from 1861 until its capture by the Union in 1865. The fort was located on one of Cape Fear Riv ...

, thus closing the port of Wilmington to blockade runners. She continued operations in North Carolina waters from then until after the Civil War's end.

Civilian service

In June 1865, ''Eolus'' went north to

Boston, Massachusetts Boston is the capital and most populous city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Massachusetts in the United States. The city serves as the cultural and Financial centre, financial center of New England, a region of the Northeas ...

, for decommissioning. USS Eolus was sold at the beginning of August 1865 and soon began a long career as a commercial steamer. She was broken up in 1894.

References

External links

USS Eolus (1864-1865)

{{DEFAULTSORT:Eolus Gunboats of the United States Navy Ships of the Union Navy Ships built in Newburgh, New York American Civil War patrol vessels of the United States Steamships of the United States Navy 1864 ships