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USS Mystic

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 Mystic Type: Screw Steamer Tonnage: 541
Length: 157’ Beam: 24’ Draught: Forward: 9’, Aft: 13’6”
Speed: Max: 6.5 knots, Avg.: 4 knots Complement: Not Listed. Class: Not Listed.
Armament: August 16, 1862: 4 32-pdrs. 33 cwt., 2 24-pdr. howitzers, 1 20-pdr. Parrott rifle.

Note: Listed as “practically the same until January 12, 1865.

January 12, 1865: 4 32-pdrs. 33 cwt., 1 20-pdr. Parrott rifle, 2 24-pdr. Dahlgren howitzers
Namesake: Not Listed.

Images:

NH 66993: Steamship Mount Savage, later USS Mystic3

 

Captain(s):
Acting Master William Wright
Captain Image

Captain 2
Captain Image

Captain 3
Captain Image

 

First Offensive Order of Battle (June 13-18, 1864): York and Pamunkey Rivers and Chesapeake Bay | North Atlantic Blockading Squadron | Union Navy (June 17, 1864)4

  • Captain:
  • Crew Strength:
  • Armament: 4 x 32-pdrs. 33 cwt., 2 x 24-pdr. howitzers, 1 x 20-pdr. Parrott rifle (August 16, 1862, but “practically the same until January 12, 1865.5
  • Note: On June 17, 1864, this ship is noted as a “guard ship.” 6

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

  • Captain:
  • Crew Strength:
  • Armament: 4 x 32-pdrs. 33 cwt., 2 x 24-pdr. howitzers, 1 x 20-pdr. Parrott rifle (August 16, 1862, but “practically the same until January 12, 1865.7

Third Offensive Order of Battle (July 1-31, 1864): York River, Va. | North Atlantic Blockading Squadron | Union Navy (July 31, 1864)8

  • Captain:
  • Crew Strength:
  • Armament: 4 x 32-pdrs. 33 cwt., 2 x 24-pdr. howitzers, 1 x 20-pdr. Parrott rifle (August 16, 1862, but “practically the same until January 12, 1865.9

Fourth Offensive Order of Battle (August 1-31, 1864): York River, Virginia | North Atlantic Blockading Squadron | Union Navy (August 17, 1864)10

  • Captain:
  • Crew Strength:
  • Armament: 4 x 32-pdrs. 33 cwt., 2 x 24-pdr. howitzers, 1 x 20-pdr. Parrott rifle (August 16, 1862, but “practically the same until January 12, 1865.11
  • Note: On August 17, 1864, this ship is noted as a “guard.”12

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

York River and Chesapeake | North Atlantic Blockading Squadron | Union Navy Bay  (September 1 & 16, 1864)13,14

Second Division (Hampton Roads and James River) | North Atlantic Blockading Squadron | Union Navy (October 1, 1864)15

  • Captain:
  • Crew Strength:
  • Armament: 4 x 32-pdrs. 33 cwt., 2 x 24-pdr. howitzers, 1 x 20-pdr. Parrott rifle (August 16, 1862, but “practically the same until January 12, 1865.16
  • Notes:
    • On September 16, 1864, this ship is noted as a “guard.”17
    • On October 1, 1864, this ship is noted as a “guard” ship”, on “York River.”18

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

  • Captain:
  • Crew Strength:
  • Armament: 4 x 32-pdrs. 33 cwt., 2 x 24-pdr. howitzers, 1 x 20-pdr. Parrott rifle (August 16, 1862, but “practically the same until January 12, 1865.19

Seventh Offensive Order of Battle (November 1-December 31, 1864): York River, Va. | North Atlantic Blockading Squadron | Union Navy (November 1 and December 5 & 15, 1864)20,21,22

  • Captain: Acting Master William Wright (November 1 and December 5 & 15, 1864)23,24,25
  • Crew Strength:
  • Armament:
    • 7 x “guns” (December 15, 1864)26
    • 4 x 32-pdrs. 33 cwt., 2 x 24-pdr. howitzers, 1 x 20-pdr. Parrott rifle (August 16, 1862, but “practically the same until January 12, 1865.27
  • Notes:
    • On November 1, 1864, this ship is noted as a “guard ship.”28
    • Note: On December 15, 1864, this ship is noted as a “Class 4” vessel.29

Eighth Offensive Order of Battle (January 1-February 28, 1865): York River, Va. | North Atlantic Blockading Squadron | Union Navy (January 1 & 15 and February 1, 15 & 25, 1865)30,31,32,33,34

  • Captain: Acting Master William Wright (January 1 & 15 and February 1 & 15, 1865)35,36,37,38
  • Crew Strength:
  • Armament:
    • 7 x “guns” (January 1 & 15 and February 1 & 15, 1865)39,40,41,42
    • 4 x 32-pdrs. 33 cwt., 2 x 24-pdr. howitzers, 1 x 20-pdr. Parrott rifle (August 16, 1862, but “practically the same until January 12, 1865.43
    • 4 x 32-pdrs. 33 cwt., 1 x 20-pdr. Parrott rifle, 2 x 24-pdr. Dahlgren howitzers (January 12, 1865)44
  • Note: On January 1 & 15 and February 1 & 15, 1865, this ship is noted as a “Class 4” vessel.45,46,47,48

Ninth Offensive Order of Battle (March 1-April 2, 1865): Detached [Where?] | North Atlantic Blockading Squadron | Union Navy (March 18, 1865)49

  • Captain: Acting Master William Wright (March 18, 1865)50
  • Crew Strength:
  • Armament: 7 x “guns” (March 18, 1865)51
  • Note: On March 18, 1865, this ship is noted as a “Screw Class” vessel.52

 

Siege of Petersburg Battles:

  • TBD

 

Siege of Petersburg Involvement:53

The first Memphis, a 5‑gun screw steamer built as Mount Savage at Philadelphia in 1853, was chartered by the Navy as Memphis 13 September 1858 for the Expedition to Paraguay 1858‑59 and purchased 26 May 1859. She was renamed Mystic (q.v.) 14 June 1859.

[SOPO Editor’s Note: The entry ends there.  There is apparently no account of USS Mystic’s service in the Civil War in the Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships.]

 

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. 153 ↩
    3. “NH 66993 Steamship Mount Savage.” Naval History and Heritage Command, www.history.navy.mil/content/history/nhhc/our-collections/photography/numerical-list-of-images/nhhc-series/nh-series/NH-66000/NH-66993.html. Title: Steamship Mount Savage Description: (1853) Watercolor by Erik Heyl, prepared for use in his book Early American Steamers, Volume III. This steamer was chartered by the Navy in 1858 for the Paraguay expedition, purchased in 1859 and served as USS Mystic until sold in June 1865. She was the civilian steamer General Custer in 1865-1868. Courtesy of Erik Heyl. U.S. Naval History and Heritage Command Photograph. Catalog #: NH 66993 ↩
    4. Official Records of the Union and Confederate Navies in the War of the Rebellion, Volume X, pp. 157–158 ↩
    5. Official Records of the Union and Confederate Navies in the War of the Rebellion, Series 2, Volume 1, p. 153 ↩
    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, Series 2, Volume 1, p. 153 ↩
    8. Official Records of the Union and Confederate Navies in the War of the Rebellion, Volume X, pp. 324–325 ↩
    9. Official Records of the Union and Confederate Navies in the War of the Rebellion, Series 2, Volume 1, p. 153 ↩
    10. Official Records of the Union and Confederate Navies in the War of the Rebellion, Volume X, pp. 370–371 ↩
    11. Official Records of the Union and Confederate Navies in the War of the Rebellion, Series 2, Volume 1, p. 153 ↩
    12. Official Records of the Union and Confederate Navies in the War of the Rebellion, Volume X, pp. 370–371 ↩
    13. Official Records of the Union and Confederate Navies in the War of the Rebellion, Volume X, pp. 410–412 ↩
    14. Official Records of the Union and Confederate Navies in the War of the Rebellion, Volume X, pp. 462–463 ↩
    15. Official Records of the Union and Confederate Navies in the War of the Rebellion, Volume X, pp. 514–515 ↩
    16. Official Records of the Union and Confederate Navies in the War of the Rebellion, Series 2, Volume 1, p. 153 ↩
    17. Official Records of the Union and Confederate Navies in the War of the Rebellion, Volume X, pp. 462–463 ↩
    18. Official Records of the Union and Confederate Navies in the War of the Rebellion, Volume X, pp. 514–515 ↩
    19. Official Records of the Union and Confederate Navies in the War of the Rebellion, Series 2, Volume 1, p. 153 ↩
    20. Official Records of the Union and Confederate Navies in the War of the Rebellion, Volume XI, pp. 39–40 ↩
    21. Official Records of the Union and Confederate Navies in the War of the Rebellion, Volume XI, pp. 140–142 ↩
    22. Official Records of the Union and Confederate Navies in the War of the Rebellion, Volume XI, pp. 192–194 ↩
    23. Official Records of the Union and Confederate Navies in the War of the Rebellion, Volume XI, pp. 39–40 ↩
    24. Official Records of the Union and Confederate Navies in the War of the Rebellion, Volume XI, pp. 140–142 ↩
    25. Official Records of the Union and Confederate Navies in the War of the Rebellion, Volume XI, pp. 192–194 ↩
    26. Official Records of the Union and Confederate Navies in the War of the Rebellion, Volume XI, pp. 192–194 ↩
    27. Official Records of the Union and Confederate Navies in the War of the Rebellion, Series 2, Volume 1, p. 153 ↩
    28. Official Records of the Union and Confederate Navies in the War of the Rebellion, Volume XI, pp. 39–40 ↩
    29. Official Records of the Union and Confederate Navies in the War of the Rebellion, Volume XI, pp. 192–194 ↩
    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 XII, pp. 54–55 ↩
    35. Official Records of the Union and Confederate Navies in the War of the Rebellion, Volume XI, pp. 398–400 ↩
    36. Official Records of the Union and Confederate Navies in the War of the Rebellion, Volume XI, pp. 597–599 ↩
    37. Official Records of the Union and Confederate Navies in the War of the Rebellion, Volume XI, pp. 722–724 ↩
    38. Official Records of the Union and Confederate Navies in the War of the Rebellion, Volume XII, pp. 20–21 ↩
    39. Official Records of the Union and Confederate Navies in the War of the Rebellion, Volume XI, pp. 398–400 ↩
    40. Official Records of the Union and Confederate Navies in the War of the Rebellion, Volume XI, pp. 597–599 ↩
    41. Official Records of the Union and Confederate Navies in the War of the Rebellion, Volume XI, pp. 722–724 ↩
    42. Official Records of the Union and Confederate Navies in the War of the Rebellion, Volume XII, pp. 20–21 ↩
    43. Official Records of the Union and Confederate Navies in the War of the Rebellion, Series 2, Volume 1, p. 153 ↩
    44. Official Records of the Union and Confederate Navies in the War of the Rebellion, Series 2, Volume 1, p. 153 ↩
    45. Official Records of the Union and Confederate Navies in the War of the Rebellion, Volume XI, pp. 398–400 ↩
    46. Official Records of the Union and Confederate Navies in the War of the Rebellion, Volume XI, pp. 597–599 ↩
    47. Official Records of the Union and Confederate Navies in the War of the Rebellion, Volume XI, pp. 722–724 ↩
    48. Official Records of the Union and Confederate Navies in the War of the Rebellion, Volume XII, pp. 20–21 ↩
    49. Official Records of the Union and Confederate Navies in the War of the Rebellion, Volume XII, pp. 71–73 ↩
    50. Official Records of the Union and Confederate Navies in the War of the Rebellion, Volume XII, pp. 71–73 ↩
    51. Official Records of the Union and Confederate Navies in the War of the Rebellion, Volume XII, pp. 71–73 ↩
    52. Official Records of the Union and Confederate Navies in the War of the Rebellion, Volume XII, pp. 71–73 ↩
    53. “Memphis I (ScStr).” Naval History and Heritage Command, https://www.history.navy.mil/research/histories/ship-histories/danfs/m/memphis-i.html. ↩

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