USS ''Samuel Rotan'' was a

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 ...

acquired 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 outfitted by the Union Navy as a gunboat to patrol navigable waterways of the

Confederacy 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 ...

to prevent the South from trading with other countries. Prior to the war, the US Navy had mostly large, deep-draft, oceangoing vessels. The establishment of the

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 ...

required small, fast, shallow-draft vessels like the ''Samuel Rotan'' for

littoral The littoral zone, also called litoral or nearshore, is the part of a sea, lake, or river that is close to the shore. In coastal ecology, the littoral zone includes the intertidal zone extending from the high water mark (which is rarely i ...

operations.

Purchased at Philadelphia in 1861

''Samuel Rotan'', a wooden, center-board, two-masted coastal merchant schooner, was purchased by Admiral

Samuel Francis Du Pont Samuel Francis Du Pont (September 27, 1803 – June 23, 1865) was a rear admiral in the United States Navy, and a member of the prominent Du Pont family. In the Mexican–American War, Du Pont captured San Diego, and was made commander of the Ca ...

of the US Navy 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 ...

, on 21 September 1861 for $11,000. She was fitted out 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 ...

at the

Philadelphia Navy Yard The Philadelphia Naval Shipyard was the first United States Navy shipyard and was historically important for nearly two centuries. Construction of the original Philadelphia Naval Shipyard began during the American Revolution in 1776 at Front ...

; and commissioned there on 12 November 1861, Acting Master (equivalent to modern Lieutenant Junior grade) John A. Rogers in command.

Battery Evolution

As more weapons became available, her battery was increased. *October 31, 1861: 2 32-pounders; 57 cwt *December 28, 1861: 1 24-pounder Dahlgren howitzer added *February 11, 1863: 1 30 pounder Dahlgren Rifle and 2 32 pounders 57 cwt *December 31, 1863: added to the preceding: 1 24 pounder howitzer *December 31, 1864: Add to that of Dec 31, 1863: 1 30 pounder

Parrott rifle The Parrott rifle was a type of muzzle-loading rifled artillery weapon used extensively in the American Civil War. Parrott rifle The gun was invented by Captain Robert Parker Parrott, a West Point graduate. He was an American soldier and inven ...

Civil War service

Assigned to the Gulf Blockading Squadron

Assigned to the

Gulf 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 ...

, the schooner arrived off

Fort Pickens, Florida Fort Pickens is a historic pentagonal United States military fort on Santa Rosa Island in the Pensacola, Florida, area. It is named after American Revolutionary War hero Andrew Pickens. It is the largest of four forts built to defend Pensacol ...

, on 16 December 1861 and sent to

Ship Island, Mississippi Ship Island is a barrier island off the Gulf Coast of Mississippi, one of the Mississippi–Alabama barrier islands. Hurricane Camille split the island into two separate islands (West Ship Island and East Ship Island) in 1969. In early 2019, ...

. She reported as a gunboat tender to the ) at the SW Pass of the

Mississippi River The Mississippi River is the main stem, primary river of the largest drainage basin in the United States. It is the second-longest river in the United States, behind only the Missouri River, Missouri. From its traditional source of Lake Ita ...

on 28 December. Commander T Bailey of the ''Colorado'' added a 24-pounder howitzer to her and assigned her to blockade

Barataria Bay Barataria Bay (), also Barrataria Bay, is a bay of the Gulf of Mexico, about 15 miles (24 km) long and 12 miles (19 km) wide, in southeastern Louisiana, in Jefferson Parish and Plaquemines Parish, United States. It is separated from ...

. On 9 January 1862, she sailed to West Bay, Texas, and used her two boats to conduct a

reconnaissance In military operations, military reconnaissance () or scouting is the exploration of an area by military forces to obtain information about enemy forces, the terrain, and civil activities in the area of operations. In military jargon, reconnai ...

of the bayou there on the 10th, 11th and 12th. The shore party also destroyed some telegraph lines, as reported by Acting Master Rogers. She then performed blockade duty off the Mississippi River passes in conjunction with the USS ''Colorado'' and was reported being there on 23 January.

Reassigned to the East Gulf Blockading Squadron

On 20 January 1862,

Secretary of the Navy The Secretary of the Navy (SECNAV) is a statutory officer () and the head (chief executive officer) of the Department of the Navy, a military department within the United States Department of Defense. On March 25, 2025, John Phelan was confirm ...

Gideon Welles Gideon Welles (July 1, 1802 – February 11, 1878) was an American government official who was the United States Secretary of the Navy from 1861 to 1869, a cabinet post he was awarded after supporting Abraham Lincoln in the 1860 election. Althou ...

, on splitting naval jurisdiction in the

Gulf of Mexico The Gulf of Mexico () is an oceanic basin and a marginal sea of the Atlantic Ocean, mostly surrounded by the North American continent. It is bounded on the northeast, north, and northwest by the Gulf Coast of the United States; on the southw ...

between Flag Officers

William McKean William Wister McKean (19 September 1800 – 22 April 1865) was an admiral in the United States Navy during the American Civil War. He was noted for his service in the Union blockade that effectively closed Confederate seaports in the Gulf of Mex ...

and

David Farragut David Glasgow Farragut (; also spelled Glascoe; July 5, 1801 – August 14, 1870) was a flag officer of the United States Navy during the American Civil War. He was the first Rear admiral (United States), rear admiral, Vice admiral (United State ...

, assigned ''Samuel Rotan'' to the former for service in the

East Gulf 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 ...

. However, other events would delay her reporting. On 23 Jan 1862, she captured Confederate privateer, ''

Calhoun John C. Calhoun (1782–1850) was the 7th vice president of the United States. Calhoun can also refer to: Surname * Calhoun (surname) Inhabited places in the United States *Calhoun, Georgia * Calhoun, Illinois *Calhoun, Kentucky * Calhoun, Louis ...

'', by forcing her to run aground in East Bay, formed by the Southwest-Pass and Grand-Pass fingers of the

Mississippi delta The Mississippi Delta, also known as the Yazoo–Mississippi Delta, or simply the Delta, is the distinctive northwest section of the U.S. state of Mississippi (and portions of Arkansas and Louisiana) that lies between the Mississippi and Yazo ...

. The prize had been attempting to slip into the Southwest Pass laden with over 25 tons of

gunpowder Gunpowder, also commonly known as black powder to distinguish it from modern smokeless powder, is the earliest known chemical explosive. It consists of a mixture of sulfur, charcoal (which is mostly carbon), and potassium nitrate, potassium ni ...

, rifles, chemicals, coffee, and other assorted cargo needed by the Confederacy. The ''Calhoun'' was pressed into Federal Service and the prize cargo and papers taken aboard the ''Samuel Rowan'' which was dispatched from Ship Island on 18 February to deliver them to the prize court in Philadelphia. Judge John Cadwalader ruled that the proceeds of the prize be shared by both the ''Rotan'' and the ''Colorado''. The prize was deemed to be worth $16,531, and after court costs, $14,412.40 was sent to the Treasury Department, where half would be placed into the Navy Pension Fund and half would be distributed amongst the crew members of the two ships. On March 28, she was dispatched from Philadelphia to report to

Key West, Florida Key West is an island in the Straits of Florida, at the southern end of the U.S. state of Florida. Together with all or parts of the separate islands of Sigsbee Park, Dredgers Key, Fleming Key, Sunset Key, and the northern part of Stock Islan ...

, under the command of Acting Master John A Rogers. As she had the prize master from the ''Colorado'' on board, she needed to rendezvous with her off the Mississippi first. Acting Master J.D. Barclay took command on April 4. As the USS Colorado'' drew too much water to navigate the Mississippi, the ''Samuel Rotan'' was separated and dispatched to protect

David Dixon Porter David Dixon Porter (June 8, 1813 – February 13, 1891) was a United States Navy admiral (United States), admiral and a member of one of the most distinguished families in the history of the U.S. Navy. Promoted as the second U.S. Navy officer ...

's mortar schooner fleet at the forthcoming

Battle of Forts Jackson and St. Philip The battle of Forts Jackson and St. Philip (April 18–28, 1862) was the decisive battle for possession of New Orleans in the American Civil War. The two Confederate forts on the Mississippi River south of the city were attacked by a Union Nav ...

where she is pictured in a

Harper's Weekly ''Harper's Weekly, A Journal of Civilization'' was an American political magazine based in New York City. Published by Harper (publisher), Harper & Brothers from 1857 until 1916, it featured foreign and domestic news, fiction, essays on many su ...

drawing of that fleet. The schooner then joined her new squadron at Key West at the end of April. She was dispatched to blockade the Indian River on April 28 and St. Andrews Bay on May 14. Acting Volunteer Lieutenant W.W Kennison was given command on July 6 after heroic action as a gun captain when the '' USS Cumberland'' was sunk by the ironclad in

Hampton Roads Hampton Roads is a body of water in the United States that serves as a wide channel for the James River, James, Nansemond River, Nansemond, and Elizabeth River (Virginia), Elizabeth rivers between Old Point Comfort and Sewell's Point near whe ...

that previous March. (The destroyer was later named for him.) Into the autumn, she blockaded the

Florida Florida ( ; ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders the Gulf of Mexico to the west, Alabama to the northwest, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia to the north, the Atlantic ...

coast, primarily off St. Andrews Bay and later

Tampa Bay Tampa Bay is a large natural harbor and shallow estuary connected to the Gulf of Mexico on the west-central coast of Florida, comprising Hillsborough Bay, McKay Bay, Old Tampa Bay, Middle Tampa Bay, and Lower Tampa Bay. The largest freshwater i ...

. ''The New York Times'' reported her in Key West on November 3, 1862 She sailed from Key West on 16 November for badly needed repairs in the

North Atlantic Blockade duty

In January 1863, ''Samuel Rotan'' joined 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 ...

and was ordered to the York River for blockade duty. Officers were Acting-Volunteer-Lieutenant, W. W. Kennison; Acting-Master's Mates, Thos. Moore, C. H. Packer and D. M. Gaskins. On February 20, she took part in the capture of the schooner ''General Taylor''. On the morning of 24 April, she and captured schooners, ''Martha Ann'' and ''A. Carson'', off Horn Harbor, Virginia. On 2 July, she took 35-ton schooner, ''Champion'', off the mouth of the

Piankatank River The Piankatank River is a U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map accessed April 1, 2011 river in the U.S. state of Virginia. Located on the Middle Peninsula, between the Rappahannock an ...

. On 24 July, Lt Commander Gillis reported "the blockade running in

Mobjack Bay Mobjack Bay is a bay on the western shore of Chesapeake Bay in Virginia in the United States. It lies between the Rappahannock River on the north and the York River on the south. The bay appears in early documents as "Mockjack Bay"; it was said tha ...

has been effectively stopped by placing the schooner ''Samuel Rowan'' at the mouth of the York River." On the 27th, her picket boat seized a

canoe A canoe is a lightweight, narrow watercraft, water vessel, typically pointed at both ends and open on top, propelled by one or more seated or kneeling paddlers facing the direction of travel and using paddles. In British English, the term ' ...

which had run the blockade from the Severn River,

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States between the East Coast of the United States ...

, laden with corn,

chickens The chicken (''Gallus gallus domesticus'') is a domesticated subspecies of the red junglefowl (''Gallus gallus''), originally native to Southeast Asia. It was first domesticated around 8,000 years ago and is now one of the most common and w ...

, and eggs. On 10 October, her picket boat chased a yawl standing up the beach of Horn Harbor, Virginia. Its occupants jumped overboard and fled to the beach. Then the Southerners fired upon the Union sailors who came up and took possession of the little prize and its cargo of salt. Soon thereafter, the schooner's need for repairs became serious, and she proceeded to the

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

for the work. Late in January 1864, she was back on blockade duty off the west coast of

Chesapeake Bay The Chesapeake Bay ( ) is the largest estuary in the United States. The bay is located in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic region and is primarily separated from the Atlantic Ocean by the Delmarva Peninsula, including parts of the Ea ...

, and she continued this duty into the autumn. Then she was transferred to the

James River The James River is a river in Virginia that begins in the Appalachian Mountains and flows from the confluence of the Cowpasture and Jackson Rivers in Botetourt County U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowli ...

to help support General U.S. Grant's operations against

Richmond, Virginia Richmond ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the Commonwealth (U.S. state), U.S. commonwealth of Virginia. Incorporated in 1742, Richmond has been an independent city (United States), independent city since 1871. ...

, in the Petersburg Campaign. Early in December 1864, she was back off the York River and served in that area into the spring of 1865.

End-of-war decommissioning and sale

On April 15, under the command of Acting Ensign J.W. Willard, she was ordered to duty as a guard ship at

. On May 15 she sailed north for inactivation under

' order of 2 May 1865; and she was decommissioned at the

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

on 10 June 1865. The schooner was sold there by Burdett, Jones & Company on 15 August 1865 to a Mr. Stannard for $8,200. Stannard was in the business of scrapping old ships for their materials, and this was probably the fate of the Rotan.

References

* * Official Records of the Union and Confederate Navies in the War of the Rebellion, by United States Navy Department, Charles W. Stewart, 1903 * "An Untapped Source: Civil War Prize Case Files 1861-1865", by Robert J. Plowman, Prologue: The Journal of the National Archives, Fall, 1989, pp. 196–204 * U.S.S. Samuel Rowan (1861-1865), L. Lowe. USNS History, 2 June 1952 {{DEFAULTSORT:Samuel Rotan Ships of the Union Navy Schooners of the United States Navy Gunboats of the United States Navy American Civil War patrol vessels of the United States