Quick Links Menu.

U.S. NAVY TEMPORARY AUXILIARY SHIPS, 1861-1865

Civil War Era Miscellaneous Auxiliaries
During the Civil War the Union Navy acquired many hundreds of civilian vessels for temporary use during the war. Most were acquired for part- or full-time use as combatant warships, and except for some sailing ships these combatants are listed on pages 86-97 of Bauer and Roberts, Register of Ships of the U.S. Navy, 1775-1990, Major Combatants (1991). Some vessels, however, were acquired primarily for use as support vessels, and lists of these are presented here in the sections for AF (storeships, supply ships, and related types), AG (miscellaneous auxiliaries), and AT (large tugs, many harbor-size tugs being omitted). With the rapid demobilization after the Civil War, nearly all of these temporary ships were disposed of before the end of 1865 and the last were decommissioned in 1868.


ARETHUSA (ex WABASH). Screw steamer or tug, 195t, 110' x 22'. Built at Philadelphia 1864. Purch. 1 Jul 64, commiss. 29 Jul 64. Small collier. Decomm. and sold 3 Jan 66.

ARKANSAS (ex TONAWANDA). Screw steamer, 752t, 191' x 29.5'. Built by C. H. & W. H. Cramp, Philadelphia, 1863. Purch. 27 Jun 63, commiss. 29 Jun 63. Small transport and tug. Alternated as dispatch and supply vessel with AUGUSTA DINSMORE, a combatant. Decomm. 30 Jun 65, sold 20 Jul 65.

BALTIMORE. Side-wheel steamer, 500t, 200' x 26.7'. Built at Philadelphia 1848. Captured in Potomac River 21 Apr 61, transferred from War Dept. 21 Apr 61. Ordnance vessel, Washington Navy Yard. Sold 24 Jun 65.

CACTUS (ex POLAR STAR). Side-wheel steamer, 176t, 110' x 22.5'. Built at Brooklyn 1863. Purch. 9 Dec 63, commiss. 4 May 64. Small supply ship. Decomm. ca. 8 Jun 65, sold to Lighthouse Board 20 Jun 65, same name, sold 1910. Length was 140.7' in 1892.

CHATHAM. Side-wheel steamer, probably iron hull. 198t, 120' x 26'. Built at Fayetteville, N.C., 1852. Captured 16 Dec 63, purch. 8 Jul 64, commiss. 22 Jun 64. Small transport and store vessel at Port Royal, S.C. Decomm. ca. 27 Jul 65, sold 2 Sep 65.

DARLINGTON. Side-wheel steamer, 298t, 132.5' x 30'. Built at Charleston, S.C., 1849. Captured 3 Mar 62. To War Dept. Sep 62. Logs exist for 8-21 Sep 62.

ELLA. Side-wheel steamer, 230t, 150' x 23'. Built at New York 1859. Purch. 30 Jul 62, commiss. 10 Aug 62. Picket and dispatch vessel. Decomm. 4 Aug 65, sold 15 Sep 65.

HOME (ex KEY WEST). Screw steamer, 725t, 168.8' x 29.75'. Built by F. Z. Tucker, Brooklyn, 1862, purch. 14 Aug 63, commiss. 21 Aug 63. Accommodation ship for monitors at Charleston. Decomm. 24 Aug 65, sold 5 Sep 65.

ICE BOAT (ex PHILADELPHIA ICE BOAT). Side-wheel steamer, 526t, dims unk. Built at Kensington, Pa., 1837. Loaned by City of Philadelphia 23 Apr 61, commiss. 23 Apr 61. Icebreaker. Returned Nov 61. For a probably similar vessel see ARCTIC (1898, listed as AG).

KING PHILIP (ex POWHATAN). Side-wheel steamer, 309t, 204' x 22.9'. Built by J. A. & E. T. Robinson, Baltimore, 1845. Transferred from War Dept. 21 Apr 61, commiss. 28 Apr 61. Dispatch vessel. Decomm. ca. 7 Sep 65, sold 15 Sep 65.

MARY SANFORD. Screw steamer, 757t, 162' x 31.5'. Built by Charles H. Mallory, Mystic, Conn., 1862, purch. 13 Jul 63, commiss. 20 Aug 63. Transport and freight ship. Decomm. 21 Jun 65, sold 10 Aug 65.

PHILADELPHIA. Side-wheel steamer, iron hull, 504t, 200' x 30'. Built by Reaney & Neafie, Chester, Pa., 1859. Transferred from War Dept. 21 Apr 61. Transport ferry. Decomm. 31 Aug 65, sold 15 Sep 65.

PHLOX (ex F. W. LINCOLN). Side-wheel steamer, 317t, 145' x 24'. Built at Boston 1864. Purch. 2 Aug 64, commiss. 14 Sep 64. Dispatch vessel. Decomm. 28 Jul 65, practice ship at the Naval Academy, sold 1894.

TREFOIL. Screw steamer, 373t, 145.6' x 23.6', sister of YUCCA. Built by Donald McKay, Boston, 1864, purch. 4 Feb 65, commiss. 1 Mar 65. Dispatch vessel. Decomm. 30 Aug 65, in ordinary at Boston, sold 28 May 67.

WYANDANK. Side-wheel ferry, 309t, 132.4' x 31.4'. Built at New York 1847. Purch. 12 Sep 61. Storeship (probably stationary), floating barracks at Annapolis ca. 1865, BU 1879.

YUCCA. Screw steamer, 373t, 145.6' x 23.6', sister of TREFOIL. Built by Donald McKay, Boston, 1864, purch. 25 Feb 65, commiss. 3 Apr 65. Probably dispatch vessel. Retained in the Gulf Squadron 1866-1867, North Atlantic Squadron 1867. Decomm. ca. 18 Oct 67, in ordinary at Portsmouth, sold 26 Aug 68.