USS ''Polaris'', originally called the ''America'', was an 1864- screw steamer procured by the Union Navy as USS ''Periwinkle'' during the final months of the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states th ...

. She served the Union Navy's struggle against the Confederate States as a gunboat. After the war, the ship was retained by the U.S. Navy. She was renamed ''Polaris'' in 1871 and became the designated vessel of the Hall scientific expedition to the

North Pole The North Pole, also known as the Geographic North Pole or Terrestrial North Pole, is the point in the Northern Hemisphere where the Earth's axis of rotation meets its surface. It is called the True North Pole to distinguish from the Mag ...

. It was on this voyage that she proceeded into Arctic waters, only to have her hull crushed by the ice in October 1872.

Construction

''America'', a heavy screw

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, su ...

built at

Philadelphia Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Sinc ...

, in 1864, was purchased by the Union Navy December 9, 1864, from John W. Lynn; renamed ''Periwinkle''; and commissioned early in January 1865, acting Master Henry C. Macy in command.

Potomac Flotilla

The two-masted,

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

-rigged, white oak tug joined the

Potomac Flotilla The Potomac Flotilla, also called the Potomac Squadron, was a unit of the United States Navy created in the early days of the American Civil War to secure Union communications in the Chesapeake Bay, the Potomac River and their tributaries, and to ...

on January 15, 1865, as a gunboat, operating primarily in the Rappahannock River. In mid-March, a fleet of oyster schooners operating in the area was threatened by a Confederate enemy force, and ''Periwinkle'' with , blockaded the mouths of the Rappahannock and Piankatank rivers to protect them. The Flotilla also interrupted contraband business between lower Maryland and Virginia, and cleared the rivers of mines, and fought guerillas ashore. After the

Civil War A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies ...

ended, ''Periwinkle'' continued to serve with the flotilla until June 1865. Next, ordered to

Norfolk, Virginia Norfolk ( ) is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. Incorporated in 1705, it had a population of 238,005 at the 2020 census, making it the third-most populous city in Virginia after neighboring Virginia Be ...

, she operated out of the

Norfolk Navy Yard The Norfolk Naval Shipyard, often called the Norfolk Navy Yard and abbreviated as NNSY, is a U.S. Navy facility in Portsmouth, Virginia, for building, remodeling and repairing the Navy's ships. It is the oldest and largest industrial facility tha ...

until placed in ordinary during 1867.

Furthest North

In late 1870, she was selected for service with the Hall scientific expedition, led by Charles Francis Hall, and was sent to the

Washington Navy Yard The Washington Navy Yard (WNY) is the former shipyard and ordnance plant of the United States Navy in Southeast Washington, D.C. It is the oldest shore establishment of the U.S. Navy. The Yard currently serves as a ceremonial and administrativ ...

for refitting. Renamed USS ''Polaris'' in early-1871, she arrived at the

New York Navy Yard The Brooklyn Navy Yard (originally known as the New York Navy Yard) is a shipyard and industrial complex located in northwest Brooklyn in New York City, New York (state), New York. The Navy Yard is located on the East River in Wallabout Bay, a ...

on June 9 to complete loading of stores and provisions for the expedition. She set sail in July 1871. Aiming for the

, she reached 82° 29′N latitude, then the furthest point north reached by a vessel. ''Polaris'' was caught in the ice on the homeward voyage in October 1872, and carried for some distance before being crushed. Her crew was subsequently rescued, including a party of 18 people led by

William F. C. Nindemann William Frederick Carl Nindemann (April 22, 1850 – May 6, 1913) was a German-born American Arctic explorer and recipient of the Congressional Silver Jeannette Medal. Biography William Nindemann was born on April 22, 1850, in Gingst, ...

, who had debarked to land provisions after the hull of the ''Polaris'' had begun to leak, only to have the section of the ice floe they were on break away from the section holding the ''Polaris''. The lost party floated for 196 days and were subsequently rescued separately from the vessel.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Polaris 1864 ships 1871 ships American Civil War patrol vessels of the United States Arctic exploration vessels Gunboats of the United States Navy Maritime incidents in October 1872 Polaris expedition Research vessels of the United States Navy Ships built in Philadelphia Ships of the Union Navy Shipwrecks of the Canadian Arctic coast Steamships of the United States Navy