| The first Rhode Island, a wooden, side-wheel steamer, was
built 1860 in New York by Lupton & McDermut as John P. King; burned
and rebuilt and renamed Eagle in 1861 before being purchased by the
Navy on 27 June 1861 from Spofford, Tileston & Co., at New York; renamed
Rhode Island; and commissioned at New York Navy Yard 29 July 1861,
Comdr. Stephen D. Trenchard in command. |
| During the Civil War Rhode Island was employed as a supply
ship, visiting various ports and ships with mail, paymasters officers stores,
medicine, and other supplies. She departed New York on her first cruise 31
July 1861, returning on 2 September. While cruising off Galveston, Texas,
Rhode Island captured the schooner Venus attempting to run
the blockade with a cargo of lead, copper, tin, and wood. During the remainder
of 1861 and 1862 Rhode Island continued her essential support duties.
Departing Philadelphia 5 February 1862, she supplied 98 vessels with various
stores before returning to Hampton Roads, Virginia, on 18 March; on another
trip from 5 April to 20 May 1862, she supplied 118 vessels. |
| Assigned to support the Gulf Blockading Squadron from 17 April
1862, Rhode Islandchased and forced ashore the British schooner
Richard O'Bryan near San Luis Pass on 4 July 1862. Returning to the
north, Rhode Island's next duties were towing the low-freeboard monitors
Monitor, Passaic, Montauk and Weehawken south
from Hampton Roads to Beaufort, North Carolina, or Port Royal, South Carolina.
On 29 December 1862, Rhode Islanddeparted Hampton Roads with the famous
Monitor in tow and the Passaic in company. As the ships rounded
Cape Hatters on the evening of 30 December, they encountered a heavy storm.
Monitor's pumps were unable to control flooding caused by underwater
leaks so that the order to abandon ship had to be given. Before
Monitor's crew could be completely transferred to Rhode Island,
the ironclad sank, taking four officers and 12 enlisted men with her. Rhode
Island endeavored to remain as near as possible to the position in which
Monitor sank so as to fix the location, some 20 miles south, southwest
of Cape Hatteras and to await daylight to search for a missing small
boat. |
| On 29 January 1863, Rhode Island was ordered to the West
Indies to join in the search for the Confederate steamers Oreto and
Alabama. Unable
to help locate the Confederate warships, she did succeed in driving the
blockade-runner Margaret and Jessie ashore at Stirrup Cay on
30 May. Continuing her cruising on the Atlantic coast, Rhode Island
achieved a fourth victory on 16 August when she captured the British blockade
runner Cronstadt north of Man of War Bay, Abaco, Bahamas with a cargo
of cotton, turpentine, and tobacco. |
| With defective boilers requiring repair, Rhode Island entered
Boston Navy Yard 28 March 1864 for overhaul and was decommissioned there
21 April. Extensive alterations were made, transforming Rhode Island
into an auxiliary cruiser mounting one 11-inch gun, eight 8-inch guns, one
30-pdr. Parrott rifle, and one 12-pdr. rifle. Ordered to tow the monitor
Monadnock from Boston to New York on 26 September 1864, Rhode
Island recommissioned 3 October 1864 and joined the North Atlantic Blockading
Squadron soon afterward. |
| Employed in cruising along Confederate-controlled coasts, Rhode
Island's duty was highlighted by the capture of the British blockade-runner
Vixen on 1 December 1864. Sailing from Hampton Roads 11 December with
the monitor Canonicus in tow, Rhode Island joined the squadron
attacking Fort Fisher, taking part in the first assault on 24 December and
the second, successful attempt of 13-15 January 1865. |
| Ordered to tow the monitor Saugus from Federal Point, North Carolina,
to Norfolk, Virginia, on 16 January 1865, Rhode Island subsequently
cruised in company with the seagoing monitor Dictator in March. In
May, she made a cruise to Mobile, Alabama, returning to Hampton Roads on
22 May. |
| Maintained in commission in the years immediately following the
end of the Civil War, Rhode Island's first duty was to help bring
the formidable former Confederate armored ram Stonewall to the United
States. Departing 21 October for Havana in company with Hornet, Rhode
Island returned with the French-built Stonewall on 23
November. |
| Throughout 1866, Rhode Island continued to cruise in the
Atlantic and West Indies, from April 1866 flying the flag of Rear Adm. James
S. Palmer. Calling once at Halifax in 1867 before being decommissioned,
Rhode Island was sold to G. W. Quintard on 1 October 1867. Redocumented
Charleston on 8 November 1867, the side wheeler remained in merchant service
until abandoned in 1885. |
Tonnage, 1,517; Length 236"6'; Beam 36'8"; Draft, 15'; Depth of
Hold, 18'5", Speed, 16 Knots; Complement 257; Armament, four
32-pdrs. |
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