USS ''Rebecca Sims'' was built as a general trading ship in 1801 by Samuel Bowers of

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 ...

, for Joseph Sims. 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 acquired by the Union Navy, which used her as part of the

stone fleet The Stone Fleet consisted of a fleet of aging ships (mostly whaleships) purchased in New Bedford and other New England ports, loaded with stone, and sailed south during the American Civil War by the Union Navy for use as blockships. They were ...

of obstructions of the ports and waterways of 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 ...

Commercial cargo service

Refitted during the winter of 1806-07, she set a record of 14 days on an eastbound run from

Cape Henlopen Cape Henlopen is the southern cape of the Delaware Bay along the Atlantic coast of the United States. It lies in the state of Delaware, near the town of Lewes, where the Delaware Bay meets the Atlantic Ocean. Off the coast on the bay side are two ...

, Delaware, to the mouth of the

River Mersey The River Mersey () is a major river in North West England. Its name derives from Old English and means "boundary river", possibly referring to its having been a border between the ancient kingdoms of Mercia and Northumbria. For centuries it h ...

(

Liverpool, England Liverpool is a port city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. It is situated on the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary, near the Irish Sea, north-west of London. With a population of (in ), Liverpool is the administrative, c ...

) in May 1807.

Converted into a whaler

She was eventually taken out of general trading service; refitted as a whaler, and, by 1850, was sailing from

New Bedford, Massachusetts New Bedford is a city in Bristol County, Massachusetts, United States. It is located on the Acushnet River in what is known as the South Coast region. At the 2020 census, New Bedford had a population of 101,079, making it the state's ninth-l ...

, on extended voyages to the South Atlantic Ocean and to the Pacific Ocean. She is also known for capturing the wounded

sperm whale The sperm whale or cachalot (''Physeter macrocephalus'') is the largest of the toothed whales and the largest toothed predator. It is the only living member of the Genus (biology), genus ''Physeter'' and one of three extant species in the s ...

responsible for the sinking of the ''Ann Alexander'' off the coast of the Galapagos Islands.

Acquired by the Union Navy

Still operating at the outbreak of the Civil War, ''Rebecca Sims'' was acquired by the Union Navy at

Fairhaven, Massachusetts Fairhaven (Massachusett language, Massachusett: ) is a New England town, town in Bristol County, Massachusetts, United States. It is located on the South Coast (Massachusetts), South Coast of Massachusetts where the Acushnet River flows into Buzz ...

, on 21 October 1861 for use in the

Stone Fleet The Stone Fleet consisted of a fleet of aging ships (mostly whaleships) purchased in New Bedford and other New England ports, loaded with stone, and sailed south during the American Civil War by the Union Navy for use as blockships. They were ...

, the ships which were to be sunk as obstacles in the shipping channels of the South's major ports. The whaler was stripped of all unnecessary equipment; filled with stone; and, under the command of her previous master, James M. Willis, sent south in late November. In early December, she arrived off

Savannah, Georgia Savannah ( ) is the oldest city in the U.S. state of Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia and the county seat of Chatham County, Georgia, Chatham County. Established in 1733 on the Savannah River, the city of Savannah became the Kingdom of Great Brita ...

, whence, at mid-month, she proceeded to

Port Royal, South Carolina Port Royal is a town on Port Royal Island in Beaufort County, South Carolina, United States. The population was 14,220 at the 2020 census. It is part of the Hilton Head Island–Bluffton metropolitan area. Port Royal is home to Marine Corps R ...

. On 19–20 December, she and 16 other ships were sunk in the main channel of

Charleston Harbor The Charleston Harbor is an inlet (8 sq mi/20.7 km2) of the Atlantic Ocean at Charleston, South Carolina. The inlet is formed by the junction of Ashley River (South Carolina), Ashley and Cooper River (South Carolina), Cooper rivers at . Morr ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Rebecca Sims (1801) Whaling ships Ships built in Philadelphia Ships of the Union Navy Ships of the Stone Fleet 1801 ships Maritime incidents in December 1861 Scuttled vessels Shipwrecks of the American Civil War Shipwrecks of the Carolina coast

Commercial cargo service

Converted into a whaler

Acquired by the Union Navy

See also

References