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USS Phlox

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Ship Information (from DANFS)1,2:

Name: USS Phlox Type: Sidewheel Steamer Tonnage: 230 (232)
Length: 145’ Beam: 24’ Draught: Loaded: 6’, Light: 5’3”
Speed: Max: 12 knots, Avg.: 10 knots Complement: 32 men Class: Not Listed.
Armament: Apparently none.
Namesake: A genus of American annual or perennial herbs with red, purple, white, or variegated flowers.

Images:

Image Needed (Does One Exist?)

 

Captain(s):
Acting Ensign Douglas F. O’Brien
Captain Image

Captain 2
Captain Image

Captain 3
Captain Image

 

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

  • Not Yet Commissioned3

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

  • Not Yet Commissioned4

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

  • Not Yet Commissioned5

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

  • Not Yet Commissioned6
  • Note: The ship was a wooden side wheel steamer built at Boston, Mass. in 1864 as F. W. Lincoln. The US Navy purchased the ship from McKay & Aldus on August 2, 1864.7

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

Boston, MA (September 1-“late September”, 1864)

Second Division (Hampton Roads and James River) (October 1, 1864)8

  • Captain: Acting Ensign Douglas F. O’Brien (September 14, 1864)9
  • Crew Strength:
  • Armament:
  • Note: The ship apparently arrived at some unidentified date in “late September.” More research is needed to find the exact date. 10
  • Note: On October 1, 1864, this ship is noted as in “James River; reported to Captain Smith.”11

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

  • Captain:
  • Crew Strength:
  • Armament:

Seventh Offensive Order of Battle (November 1-December 31, 1864): James River, Va. (November 1 and December 5 & 15, 1864) | North Atlantic Blockading Squadron | Union Navy12,13,14

  • Captain:
    • Acting Ensign Douglas F. O’Brien (November 1 and December 5, 1864)15,16
    • Not Listed. (December 15, 1864)17
  • Crew Strength:
  • Armament:
  • Note: On December 15, 1864, this ship is noted as a “Class 4” vessel.18

Eighth Offensive Order of Battle (January 1-February 28, 1865): James River, Va. | North Atlantic Blockading Squadron | Union Navy (January 1 & 15 and February 1, 15 & 25, 1865)19,20,21,22,23

  • Captain:
    • Not Listed. (January 1, 1865)24
    • Acting Ensign Douglas F. O’Brien (January 15, 1865)25
    • Not Listed. (February 1, 1865)26
    • Not Listed. (February 15, 1865)27
  • Crew Strength:
  • Armament:
  • Note: On January 1 & 15 and February 1, 1865, this ship is noted as a “Class 4” vessel.28,29,30,31

Ninth Offensive Order of Battle (March 1-April 2, 1865):

James River, Va. | North Atlantic Blockading Squadron | Union Navy (March 18, 1865)32

Commodore Radford’s Flagship [Where?] | North Atlantic Blockading Squadron | Union Navy (April 1, 1865)33

James River, Va. | North Atlantic Blockading Squadron | Union Navy (April 15, 1865)34

  • Captain:
    • Acting Ensign Douglas F. O’Brien (March 18 and April 1, 1865)35,36
    • Not Listed (April 15, 1865)37
  • Crew Strength:
  • Armament:
  • Note: On March 18 and April 1 & 15, 1865, this ship is noted as a “Paddle Class” vessel.38,39,40

 

Siege of Petersburg Battles:

  • TBD

 

Siege of Petersburg Involvement:41

Phlox, a wooden side wheel steamer built at Boston, Mass. in 1864 as F. W. Lincoln, was purchased by the Navy from McKay & Aldus 2 August 1864; renamed Phlox the same day; and commissioned at Boston Navy Yard 14 September 1864, Act. Ens. Douglas F. O’Brien in command.

Assigned to the North Atlantic Blockading Squadron, Phlox steamed south late in September and operated in the James River helping maintain communications among the Union ships, supporting General Grant’s operations against Richmond. In January 1865 she steamed to Wilmington to support the joint Army-Navy attack on Ft. Fisher, N. C. which doomed Wilmington. After Ft. Fisher fell, Phlox returned to the James River where she served through the end of the war, decommissioning at the Washington Navy Yard 28 July 1865. Later that year Phlox was moved to Annapolis and subsequently served in a non-commissioned status as practice ship for midshipmen at the Naval Academy until 1873.

 

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. 177 ↩
      3. “Phlox.” Naval History and Heritage Command, https://www.history.navy.mil/research/histories/ship-histories/danfs/p/phlox.html. ↩
      4. “Phlox.” Naval History and Heritage Command, https://www.history.navy.mil/research/histories/ship-histories/danfs/p/phlox.html. ↩
      5. “Phlox.” Naval History and Heritage Command, https://www.history.navy.mil/research/histories/ship-histories/danfs/p/phlox.html. ↩
      6. “Phlox.” Naval History and Heritage Command, https://www.history.navy.mil/research/histories/ship-histories/danfs/p/phlox.html. ↩
      7. “Phlox.” Naval History and Heritage Command, https://www.history.navy.mil/research/histories/ship-histories/danfs/p/phlox.html. ↩
      8. Official Records of the Union and Confederate Navies in the War of the Rebellion, Volume X, pp. 514–515 ↩
      9. “Phlox.” Naval History and Heritage Command, https://www.history.navy.mil/research/histories/ship-histories/danfs/p/phlox.html. ↩
      10. “Phlox.” Naval History and Heritage Command, https://www.history.navy.mil/research/histories/ship-histories/danfs/p/phlox.html. ↩
      11. Official Records of the Union and Confederate Navies in the War of the Rebellion, Volume X, pp. 514–515 ↩
      12. Official Records of the Union and Confederate Navies in the War of the Rebellion, Volume XI, pp. 39–40 ↩
      13. Official Records of the Union and Confederate Navies in the War of the Rebellion, Volume XI, pp. 140–142 ↩
      14. Official Records of the Union and Confederate Navies in the War of the Rebellion, Volume XI, pp. 192–194 ↩
      15. Official Records of the Union and Confederate Navies in the War of the Rebellion, Volume XI, pp. 39–40 ↩
      16. Official Records of the Union and Confederate Navies in the War of the Rebellion, Volume XI, pp. 140–142 ↩
      17. Official Records of the Union and Confederate Navies in the War of the Rebellion, Volume XI, pp. 192–194 ↩
      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. 398–400 ↩
      20. Official Records of the Union and Confederate Navies in the War of the Rebellion, Volume XI, pp. 597–599 ↩
      21. Official Records of the Union and Confederate Navies in the War of the Rebellion, Volume XI, pp. 722–724 ↩
      22. Official Records of the Union and Confederate Navies in the War of the Rebellion, Volume XII, pp. 20–21 ↩
      23. Official Records of the Union and Confederate Navies in the War of the Rebellion, Volume XII, pp. 54–55 ↩
      24. Official Records of the Union and Confederate Navies in the War of the Rebellion, Volume XI, pp. 398–400 ↩
      25. Official Records of the Union and Confederate Navies in the War of the Rebellion, Volume XI, pp. 597–599 ↩
      26. Official Records of the Union and Confederate Navies in the War of the Rebellion, Volume XI, pp. 722–724 ↩
      27. Official Records of the Union and Confederate Navies in the War of the Rebellion, Volume XII, pp. 20–21 ↩
      28. Official Records of the Union and Confederate Navies in the War of the Rebellion, Volume XI, pp. 398–400 ↩
      29. Official Records of the Union and Confederate Navies in the War of the Rebellion, Volume XI, pp. 597–599 ↩
      30. Official Records of the Union and Confederate Navies in the War of the Rebellion, Volume XI, pp. 722–724 ↩
      31. Official Records of the Union and Confederate Navies in the War of the Rebellion, Volume XII, pp. 20–21 ↩
      32. Official Records of the Union and Confederate Navies in the War of the Rebellion, Volume XII, pp. 71–73 ↩
      33. Official Records of the Union and Confederate Navies in the War of the Rebellion, Volume XII, pp. 93–94 ↩
      34. Official Records of the Union and Confederate Navies in the War of the Rebellion, Volume XII, pp. 116–118 ↩
      35. Official Records of the Union and Confederate Navies in the War of the Rebellion, Volume XII, pp. 71–73 ↩
      36. Official Records of the Union and Confederate Navies in the War of the Rebellion, Volume XII, pp. 93–94 ↩
      37. Official Records of the Union and Confederate Navies in the War of the Rebellion, Volume XII, pp. 116–118 ↩
      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. “Phlox.” Naval History and Heritage Command, https://www.history.navy.mil/research/histories/ship-histories/danfs/p/phlox.html. ↩

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