USS Harcourt

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Ship Information (from DANFS)¹,²:

Name: USS Harcourt	Type: Screw Tug	Tonnage: 75
Length: 66’	Beam: 16’3”	Draught: Forward: 6’6”, Aft: 7’9”
Speed: Max: 13 knots, Avg.: 9 knots	Complement: Not Listed.	Class: Not Listed.
Armament: Apparently no armament.
Namesake: Former named retained.

Images:

Image Needed (Does One Exist?)

 

Captain(s):
Acting Master’s Mate S. Eldridge
Captain Image

Captain 2
Captain Image

Captain 3
Captain Image

 

First Offensive Order of Battle (June 13-18, 1864):

• Not Present³
• Note: The first Harcourt, a screw tug, was purchased by the Navy at New York from a private owner 14 June 1864.⁴

Second Offensive Order of Battle (June 19-30, 1864):

• Captain:
• Crew Strength:
• Armament:

Third Offensive Order of Battle (July 1-31, 1864): York River, Va. | North Atlantic Blockading Squadron | Union Navy (July 31, 1864)⁵

• Captain:
• Crew Strength:
• Armament:
• Note: On July 31, 1864, this ship is noted as “ordered to Beaufort, N. C.”⁶

Fourth Offensive Order of Battle (August 1-31, 1864):

• Not Present (away in NC) (pilot tug in Beaufort, NC)⁷

Fifth Offensive Order of Battle (September 1-October 13, 1864):

• Not Present (away in NC) (pilot tug in Beaufort, NC) (September 1 & 16 and October 1, 1864)⁸,⁹,¹⁰

Sixth Offensive Order of Battle (October 14-31, 1864):

• Captain:
• Crew Strength:
• Armament:

Seventh Offensive Order of Battle (November 1-December 31, 1864):

Norfolk Navy Yard, Va. (repairing) | North Atlantic Blockading Squadron | Union Navy (November 1, 1864)¹¹

Norfolk, Va. | North Atlantic Blockading Squadron | Union Navy (December 5 & 15, 1864)¹²,¹³

• Captain: Not Listed (November 1 and December 5 & 15, 1864)¹⁴,¹⁵,¹⁶
• Crew Strength:
• Armament:

Eighth Offensive Order of Battle (January 1-February 28, 1865): Norfolk, Va. | North Atlantic Blockading Squadron | Union Navy (January 1 & 15 and February 1, 15 & 25, 1865)¹⁷,¹⁸,¹⁹,²⁰,²¹

• Captain: Not Listed. (January 1 & 15 and February 1 & 15, 1865)²²,²³,²⁴,²⁵
• Crew Strength:
• Armament:
• Note: On January 1 & 15 and February 1 & 15, 1865, this ship is noted as a “Class 4” vessel.²⁶,²⁷,²⁸,²⁹

Ninth Offensive Order of Battle (March 1-April 2, 1865): James River, Va. | North Atlantic Blockading Squadron | Union Navy (March 18 and April 1 & 15, 1865)³⁰,³¹,³²

• Captain:
  • Not Listed. (March 18, 1865)³³
  • Acting Master’s Mate S. Eldridge (April 1 & 15, 1865)³⁴,³⁵
• Crew Strength:
• Armament:
• Note: On March 18 and April 1 & 15, 1865, this ship is noted as a “Screw Class” vessel.³⁶,³⁷,³⁸

 

Siege of Petersburg Battles:

• TBD

 

Siege of Petersburg Involvement:³⁹

The first Harcourt, a screw tug, was purchased by the Navy at New York from a private owner 14 June 1864.

Her first commanding officer was Acting Ensign J. A. Chadwick.

After a brief period as dispatch boat at Hampton Roads, Harcourt was ordered 31 July 1864 to Beaufort, N.C., to serve the North Atlantic Blockading Squadron as a pilot tug. She remained at Beaufort carrying pilots to and from ships in the harbor until returning to Norfolk for repairs in November 1864. She later spent a brief period as a patrol boat on the James River in March 1865, and in April assisted in towing the hulk of former C.S.S. Albemarle, the formidable ram sunk in Albemarle Sound 27 October 1864 by Lt. W. B. Cushing, to Norfolk Navy Yard, where she arrived 27 April. Harcourt performed various tug duties in Hampton Roads until placed in ordinary 20 November 1865. She was sold at Norfolk 16 April 1867.

 

Bibliography:

Siege of Petersburg Documents Which Mention This Unit:

Sources: