USS Maumee

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Ship Information (from DANFS)¹,²:

Name: USS Maumee	Type: Screw Gunboat	Tonnage: 593
Length: 190’	Beam: 29’	Draught: Loaded, Forwad: 8’6”; Loaded, Aft:11’3”; Light, Forward: 7’6”; Light, Aft: 10’9”
Speed: 11.5 knots	Complement: 96 men	Class: Not Listed.
Armament: October 20, 1864: 1 100‑pdr. Parrott rifle, 1 30‑pdr. Parrott rifle, 4 24‑pdrs., 1 12‑pdr. rifle November 17, 1864: 1 100‑pdr. Parrott rifle, 1 30‑pdr. Parrott rifle, 2 32-pdrs. 57 cst., 4 24‑pdrs., 1 12‑pdr. rifle January 25, 1865: 1 100‑pdr. Parrott rifle, 2 30‑pdr. Parrott rifles June 15, 1865: 1 11” Dahlgren Smoothbore, 2 32-pdrs. 57 cwt., 1 30-pdr. Parrott rifle, 4 24-pdrs.
Namesake: A river flowing from Indiana through Ohio to empty into Lake Erie at Toledo.

Images:

Image Needed (Does a Good One Exist?)

 

Captain(s):
Lieutenant Commander Ralph Chandler
Captain Image

Lieutenant Commander James Parker, Jr.
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Captain 3
Captain Image

 

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

• Not Present (Not Commissioned)³

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

• Not Present (Not Commissioned)⁴

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

• Not Present (Not Commissioned)⁵

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

• Not Present (Not Commissioned)⁶

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

Not Present (Not Commissioned) (September 1-29, 1864)⁷

Moved from New York City(?) to Hampton Roads (October 2-8, 1864)⁸

• Captain: Lieutenant Commander Ralph Chandler (September 29, 1864)⁹
• Crew Strength:
• Armament:
• Note: The Maumee was launched by the New York Navy Yard on July 2, 1863 and commissioned September 29, 1864. The new gunboat sailed for Hampton Roads October 2, 1864 and joined the North Atlantic Blockading Squadron there on October 8, 1864.¹⁰

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

• Captain:
• Crew Strength:
• Armament: 1 x 100‑pdr. Parrott rifle, 1 x 30‑pdr. Parrott rifle, 4 x 24‑pdrs., 1 x 12‑pdr. rifle (October 20, 1864)¹¹

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

Not Present (Cruising near Halifax, Nova Scotia) (November 1, 1864)¹²

Not Present (North Carolina) (December 5 & 15, 1864)¹³,¹⁴

• Captain:
  • Lieutenant Commander James Parker, Jr. (November 1 and December 5, 1864)¹⁵,¹⁶
  • Lieutenant Commander Ralph Chandler (December 15, 1864)¹⁷
• Crew Strength:
• Armament:
  • 1 x 100‑pdr. Parrott rifle, 1 x 30‑pdr. Parrott rifle, 2 x 32-pdrs. 57 cst., 4 x 24‑pdrs., 1 x 12‑pdr. rifle (November 17, 1864)¹⁸
  • 8 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 (North Carolina) (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 Ralph Chandler (January 1 & 15 and February 1 & 15, 1865)²⁶,²⁷,²⁸,²⁹
• Crew Strength:
• Armament:
  • 8 x “guns” (January 1 & 15, 1865)³⁰,³¹
  • 1 x 100‑pdr. Parrott rifle, 2 x 30‑pdr. Parrott rifles (January 25, 1865)³²
  • 3 x “guns” (February 1 & 15, 1865)³³,³⁴
• Note: On January 1 & 15 and February 1 & 15, 1865, this ship is noted as a “Class 4” vessel.³⁵,³⁶,³⁷,³⁸

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)³⁹,⁴⁰,⁴¹

• Captain: Lieutenant Commander James Parker, Jr. (March 18 and April 1 & 15, 1865)⁴²,⁴³,⁴⁴
• Crew Strength:
• Armament: 8 x “guns” (March 18 and April 1 & 15, 1865)⁴⁵,⁴⁶,⁴⁷
• Notes:
  • On April 1, 1865, the Maumee was serving as a tender for President Abraham Lincoln, and on April 15, 1865 she was stationed at Richmond, Virginia on the James.⁴⁸,⁴⁹
  • Note: On March 18 and April 1 & 15, 1865, this ship is noted as a “Screw Class” vessel.⁵⁰,⁵¹,⁵²

 

Siege of Petersburg Battles:

• TBD

 

Siege of Petersburg Involvement:⁵³

The first Maumee was launched by the New York Navy Yard 2 July 1863; and commissioned 29 September 1864. Lt. Comdr. Ralph Chandler in command.

The new gunboat sailed for Hampton Roads 2 October [1864] and joined the North Atlantic Blockading Squadron there on the 8th. She got underway on the 26th, seeking Confederate cruiser Tallahassee then preying on northern merchantmen near Boston. After steaming as far north as Halifax, Nova Scotia, she returned to New York, 8 November [1864], en route back to Hampton Roads to prepare for an attack on Fort Fisher which protected Wilmington, N.C.

The first assault made on Christmas Eve was unsuccessful, but the Union ships returned 13 January 1865 and shelled the southern stronghold while troops were landed. They supported the Union ground forces during a 2‑day campaign which carried the Confederate works on the 15th, closing the vital southern port.

On 15 February [1865] Maumee was ordered up Cape Fear River to support Army operations, and 10 days later she was assigned to the James River for similar action. In March [1865], when the Confederate capitol of Richmond fell, Maumee was one of the vessels assigned occupation duty along the waterfront.

After the war, Maumee sailed to Philadelphia, where she decommissioned 17 June 1865 and was sold to a Mr. Landstein of Hong Kong 15 December 1869.

 

Bibliography:

Siege of Petersburg Documents Which Mention This Unit:

Sources: