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 ...
.
See also
*
Union Blockade
The Union blockade in the American Civil War was a naval strategy by the United States to prevent the Confederate States of America, Confederacy from trading.
The blockade was proclaimed by President Abraham Lincoln in April 1861, and required ...
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