USS ''Fernandina'' was a

bark Bark may refer to: Common meanings * Bark (botany), an outer layer of a woody plant such as a tree or stick * Bark (sound), a vocalization of some animals (which is commonly the dog) Arts and entertainment * ''Bark'' (Jefferson Airplane album), ...

purchased 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 as a patrol vessel, operating in

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 ...

waterways.

Service history

''Fernandina'', a bark, was purchased 29 July 1861 at

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

as ''Florida''; and renamed and commissioned 16 November 1861, Acting Volunteer Lieutenant G.W Browne in command. ''Fernandina'' reported 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 ...

Hampton Roads, Virginia Hampton Roads is a body of water in the United States that serves as a wide channel for the James, Nansemond, and Elizabeth rivers between Old Point Comfort and Sewell's Point near where the Chesapeake Bay flows into the Atlantic Ocean. ...

, 2 December 1861, and was ordered south to duty on the blockade of

Wilmington, North Carolina Wilmington is a port city in New Hanover County, North Carolina, United States. With a population of 115,451 as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of municipalities in North Carolina, eighth-most populous city in the st ...

. On 13 December, she scattered a Confederate encampment on the beach near Little River Inlet, North Carolina, and 12 days later she took prize ''William H. Northrop'', running the blockade with a cargo of drugs and coffee. The bark discovered the

schooner A schooner ( ) is a type of sailing ship, sailing vessel defined by its Rig (sailing), rig: fore-and-aft rigged on all of two or more Mast (sailing), masts and, in the case of a two-masted schooner, the foremast generally being shorter than t ...

''Kate'' out of

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, run aground on 2 April 1862, and after taking her papers off, burned the schooner, since both ''Fernandina'' and her party boarding the

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 ...

were under Confederate fire from the shore. On 11 June, ''Fernandina'' was reassigned to the

South Atlantic Blockading Squadron The Atlantic Blockading Squadron was a unit of the United States Navy created in the early days of the American Civil War to enforce the Union blockade of the ports of the Confederate States. It was formed in 1861 and split up the same year for th ...

which she joined off

Charleston, South Carolina Charleston is the List of municipalities in South Carolina, most populous city in the U.S. state of South Carolina. The city lies just south of the geographical midpoint of South Carolina's coastline on Charleston Harbor, an inlet of the Atla ...

. Aside from the summer of 1863, when she sailed north for repairs, the bark blockaded at

St. Simons, Georgia St. Simons Island (or simply St. Simons) is a barrier island and census-designated place (CDP) located on St. Simons Island in Glynn County, Georgia, Glynn County, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia, United States. The names of the community and the ...

and at St. Catherine's, Georgia, and in Ossabaw Sound. She captured the sloop ''Annie Thompson'' 16 January 1864, after the blockade runner had grounded. Detached from her squadron 3 April 1865, ''Fernandina'' was decommissioned at

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 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 ...

, 29 April 1866, and sold 2 June 1865.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Fernandina Ships of the Union Navy Gunboats of the United States Navy Barques of the United States Navy