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USS Huron

Editor’s Note: Do you have information on this ship’s role at the Siege of Petersburg?  Please contact us using the Contact button in the menu at the top of the screen.  We are happy to exchange information with other researchers.

Ship Information (from DANFS)1,2:

Name: USS Huron Type: Screw Steamer Tonnage: 507
Length: 158’ Beam: 28’ Draught: 10’6”
Speed: Max: 10.5, Avg.: 7 knots Complement: Not Listed. Class: Not Listed.
Armament: August 6, 1864: 1 11-inch Dahlgren Smoothbore, 1 30-pdr. Parrott rifle, 4 24-pdr. howitzers
Namesake: Center lake in the Great Lakes.

Images:

ORNVol14Page440Huron3

NH 53408: USS Huron (1862-1869).4

Ship Model Available:

Long Face Games Unadilla Class 90 Day Gunboat Ship Models Designs, 1/600 and 1/1200

Image of Unadilla Class 90 Day Gunboats 3D STL Files Shop Models Long Face Games

Captain(s):
Lieutenant Commander Thomas O. Selfridge, Jr.
ThomasOSelfridgeJrUSNavyv085v4272l5

Captain 2
Captain Image

Captain 3
Captain Image

 

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

  • Not Present6

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

  • Captain:
  • Crew Strength:
  • Armament:

Third Offensive Order of Battle (July 1-31, 1864):

  • Not Present7

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

  • Not Present8
  • Armament: 1 x 11-inch Dahlgren Smoothbore, 1 x 30-pdr. Parrott rifle, 4 x 24-pdr. howitzers (August 6, 1864)9

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

  • Not Present (September 1 & 16 and October 1, 1864)10,11,12

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) (November 1, 1864)13

Not Present (away in NC) (December 5 & 15, 1864)14,15

  • Captain: Lieutenant Commander Thomas O. Selfridge, Jr. (November 1 and December 5, 1864)16,17,18
  • Crew Strength:
  • Armament: 5 x “guns” (December 15, 1864)19
  • Note: On December 15, 1864, this ship is noted as a “Class 4” vessel.20

Eighth Offensive Order of Battle (January 1-February 28, 1865):

Not Present (away in NC) (January 1 & 15 and February 1 & 15, 1865)21,22,23,24

James River, Va. | North Atlantic Blockading Squadron | Union Navy (February 25, 1865)25

  • Captain: Lieutenant Commander Thomas O. Selfridge, Jr. (January 1 & 15 and February 1 & 15, 1865)26,27,28,29
  • Crew Strength:
  • Armament: 5 x “guns” (January 1 & 15 and February 1 & 15, 1865)30,31,32,33
  • Note: January 1 & 15 and February 1 & 15, 1865, this ship is noted as a “Class 4” vessel.34,35,36,37

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) (in Pagan Creek April 1 & 15)38,39,40

  • Captain: Lieutenant Commander Thomas O. Selfridge, Jr. (March 18 and April 1 & 15, 1865)41,42,43
  • Crew Strength:
  • Armament: 5 x “guns” (March 18 and April 1 & 15, 1865)44,45,46
  • Note: On March 18 and April 1 & 15, 1865, this ship is noted as a “Screw Class” vessel.47,48,49

 

Siege of Petersburg Battles:

  • TBD

 

Siege of Petersburg Involvement:50

The first Huron, a schooner-rigged screw steamer, was launched 21 September 1861 by Paul Curtis, Boston under Navy contract; and commissioned 8 January 1862 at Boston Navy Yard, Lt. John Downes in command…

[SOPO Editor’s Note: The ship’s earlier Civil War activity has been omitted here.]

The veteran blockader made two more captures in December 1863-January 1864, and later in 1864 moved north to join the North Atlantic Blockading Squadron, whose main attention was turned to Wilmington, N.C., and its powerful defender, Fort Fisher. During the first attack on the fort 24 to 25 December 1864, Huron took part in the bombardment which was to cover the storming by Army troops. This first assault aborted, but preparations were quickly made for a second joint operation in January 1865. Again Huron provided a part of the devastating naval bombardment; and, with the help of a landing party of 2.000 Sailors and Marines, the Army assault forces captured Fort Fisher, 15 January 1865, effectually closing Wilmington to blockade runners. Then, during the final months of the war, Huron took part in combined operations against the city itself, bombarding Forts Anderson, and St Philip in February.

After Appomattox, responding to the attempted escape of President Davis of the Confederate States, Huron steamed to Key West in an effort to capture Confederate officials bound for Havana or Mexico by water. She arrived 2 May [1865], but Davis was captured near Iwinville, Ga., 10 May 1865.

Huron served on South American station after the Civil War, returning to New York and decommissioning 8 October 1868. She was sold at New York 14 June 1869.

 

Bibliography:

    Siege of Petersburg Documents Which Mention This Unit:

      Sources:

      1. “DANFS.” Naval History and Heritage Command, www.history.navy.mil/content/history/nhhc/research/histories/ship-histories/danfs.html. ↩
      2. Official Records of the Union and Confederate Navies in the War of the Rebellion, Series 2, Volume 1, p. 105 ↩
      3. Official Records of the Union and Confederate Navies in the War of the Rebellion, Volume XIV, p. 440 ↩
      4. “NH 53408 USS Huron (1862-1869).” Naval History and Heritage Command, www.history.navy.mil/content/history/nhhc/our-collections/photography/numerical-list-of-images/nhhc-series/nh-series/NH-53000/NH-53408.html. Title: USS Huron (1862-1869) Description: Dressed with flags, with the Italian flag at her main peak, probably during her post-Civil War service. U.S. Naval History and Heritage Command Photograph. Catalog #: NH 53408 ↩
      5. Thomas O. Selfridge, Jr. image.  MOLLUS-Mass Civil War Photograph Collection, Vol. 85, Page 4272L.  United States Army Heritage and Education Center, Carlisle, PA. ↩
      6. Official Records of the Union and Confederate Navies in the War of the Rebellion, Volume X, pp. 157–158 ↩
      7. Official Records of the Union and Confederate Navies in the War of the Rebellion, Volume X, pp. 324–325 ↩
      8. Official Records of the Union and Confederate Navies in the War of the Rebellion, Volume X, pp. 370–371 ↩
      9. Official Records of the Union and Confederate Navies in the War of the Rebellion, Series 2, Volume 1, p. 105 ↩
      10. Official Records of the Union and Confederate Navies in the War of the Rebellion, Volume X, pp. 410–412 ↩
      11. Official Records of the Union and Confederate Navies in the War of the Rebellion, Volume X, pp. 462–463 ↩
      12. Official Records of the Union and Confederate Navies in the War of the Rebellion, Volume X, pp. 514–515 ↩
      13. Official Records of the Union and Confederate Navies in the War of the Rebellion, Volume XI, pp. 39–40 ↩
      14. Official Records of the Union and Confederate Navies in the War of the Rebellion, Volume XI, pp. 140–142 ↩
      15. Official Records of the Union and Confederate Navies in the War of the Rebellion, Volume XI, pp. 192–194 ↩
      16. Official Records of the Union and Confederate Navies in the War of the Rebellion, Volume XI, pp. 39–40 ↩
      17. Official Records of the Union and Confederate Navies in the War of the Rebellion, Volume XI, pp. 140–142 ↩
      18. Official Records of the Union and Confederate Navies in the War of the Rebellion, Volume XI, pp. 192–194 ↩
      19. Official Records of the Union and Confederate Navies in the War of the Rebellion, Volume XI, pp. 192–194 ↩
      20. Official Records of the Union and Confederate Navies in the War of the Rebellion, Volume XI, pp. 192–194 ↩
      21. Official Records of the Union and Confederate Navies in the War of the Rebellion, Volume XI, pp. 398–400 ↩
      22. Official Records of the Union and Confederate Navies in the War of the Rebellion, Volume XI, pp. 597–599 ↩
      23. Official Records of the Union and Confederate Navies in the War of the Rebellion, Volume XI, pp. 722–724 ↩
      24. Official Records of the Union and Confederate Navies in the War of the Rebellion, Volume XII, pp. 20–21 ↩
      25. Official Records of the Union and Confederate Navies in the War of the Rebellion, Volume XII, pp. 54–55 ↩
      26. Official Records of the Union and Confederate Navies in the War of the Rebellion, Volume XI, pp. 398–400 ↩
      27. Official Records of the Union and Confederate Navies in the War of the Rebellion, Volume XI, pp. 597–599 ↩
      28. Official Records of the Union and Confederate Navies in the War of the Rebellion, Volume XI, pp. 722–724 ↩
      29. Official Records of the Union and Confederate Navies in the War of the Rebellion, Volume XII, pp. 20–21 ↩
      30. Official Records of the Union and Confederate Navies in the War of the Rebellion, Volume XI, pp. 398–400 ↩
      31. Official Records of the Union and Confederate Navies in the War of the Rebellion, Volume XI, pp. 597–599 ↩
      32. Official Records of the Union and Confederate Navies in the War of the Rebellion, Volume XI, pp. 722–724 ↩
      33. Official Records of the Union and Confederate Navies in the War of the Rebellion, Volume XII, pp. 20–21 ↩
      34. Official Records of the Union and Confederate Navies in the War of the Rebellion, Volume XI, pp. 398–400 ↩
      35. Official Records of the Union and Confederate Navies in the War of the Rebellion, Volume XI, pp. 597–599 ↩
      36. Official Records of the Union and Confederate Navies in the War of the Rebellion, Volume XI, pp. 722–724 ↩
      37. Official Records of the Union and Confederate Navies in the War of the Rebellion, Volume XII, pp. 20–21 ↩
      38. Official Records of the Union and Confederate Navies in the War of the Rebellion, Volume XII, pp. 71–73 ↩
      39. Official Records of the Union and Confederate Navies in the War of the Rebellion, Volume XII, pp. 93–94 ↩
      40. Official Records of the Union and Confederate Navies in the War of the Rebellion, Volume XII, pp. 116–118 ↩
      41. Official Records of the Union and Confederate Navies in the War of the Rebellion, Volume XII, pp. 71–73 ↩
      42. Official Records of the Union and Confederate Navies in the War of the Rebellion, Volume XII, pp. 93–94 ↩
      43. Official Records of the Union and Confederate Navies in the War of the Rebellion, Volume XII, pp. 116–118 ↩
      44. Official Records of the Union and Confederate Navies in the War of the Rebellion, Volume XII, pp. 71–73 ↩
      45. Official Records of the Union and Confederate Navies in the War of the Rebellion, Volume XII, pp. 93–94 ↩
      46. Official Records of the Union and Confederate Navies in the War of the Rebellion, Volume XII, pp. 116–118 ↩
      47. Official Records of the Union and Confederate Navies in the War of the Rebellion, Volume XII, pp. 71–73 ↩
      48. Official Records of the Union and Confederate Navies in the War of the Rebellion, Volume XII, pp. 93–94 ↩
      49. Official Records of the Union and Confederate Navies in the War of the Rebellion, Volume XII, pp. 116–118 ↩
      50. “Huron I (ScStr).” Naval History and Heritage Command, https://www.history.navy.mil/research/histories/ship-histories/danfs/h/huron-i.html. ↩

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