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USS Pontoosuc

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Ship Information (from DANFS)1,2:

Name: USS Pontoosuc Type: Sidewheel Gunboat Tonnage: 974
Length: 205’ Beam: 35’ Draught: Loaded: 9’
Speed: Max: 11.2 knots Complement: Not Listed. Class: Not Listed.
Armament: Not Dated: 2 100-pdr. Parrott rifles; 4 9” Dahlgren Smoothbores, 2 20-pdr. Parrott rifles, 2 24-pdr. howitzers, 1 heavy 12-pdr. Smoothbore, 1 12-pdr. rifle

April 1, 1865: 1 100-pdr. Parrott rifle, 1 11” Dahlgren Smoothbore, 4 9” Dahlgren Smoothbores, 2 20-pdr. Parrott rifles, 2 24-pdr. howitzers, 1 12-pdr. rifle, 1 heavy 12-pdr. Smoothbore
Namesake: An Indian word meaning “Falls on the brook”; a lake in Berkshire County, Mass.

Images:

“NH 2014 USS Pontoosuc.”3

Ship Model Available:

Long Face Games USS Sassacus (and Sassacus Class) Ship Models Designs, 1/600 and 1/1200

Image of USS Sassacus Long Face Games 3D Ship Model

Captain(s):
Commander William G. Temple
Captain Image

Captain 2
Captain Image

Captain 3
Captain Image

 

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

  • Not present at the Siege of Peterbsurg.

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

  • Not present at the Siege of Peterbsurg.

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

  • Not present at the Siege of Peterbsurg.

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

  • Not present at the Siege of Peterbsurg.

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

  • Not present at the Siege of Peterbsurg.

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

  • Not present at the Siege of Peterbsurg.

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

  • Not present at the Siege of Peterbsurg.

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

Away in North Carolina off Fort Fisher (January 15, 1865)4

Away in North Carolina on the Cape Fear River (February 1 & 15, 1865)5,6

James River, Va. | North Atlantic Blockading Squadron | Union Navy (February 25, 1865)7

  • Captain: Lieutenant Commander William G. Temple (January 15 and February 1 & 15, 1865)8,9,10
  • Crew Strength:
  • Armament: 12 x “guns” (January 15 and February 1 & 15, 1865)11,12,13
  • Note: On January 15 and February 1 & 15, 1865, this ship is noted as a “Class 3” vessel.14,15,16

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

James River, Va. | North Atlantic Blockading Squadron | Union Navy (March 18 and April 1, 1865)17,18

Hampton Roads, Va. | North Atlantic Blockading Squadron | Union Navy (April 15, 1865)19

  • Captain: Lieutenant Commander (Commander on April 1]) W. G. Temple (March 18 and April 1, 1865)20,21,22
  • Crew Strength:
  • Armament:
    • 12 x “guns” (March 18 and April 1, 1865)23,24
    • 1 x 100-pdr. Parrott rifle, 1 x 11” Dahlgren Smoothbore, 4 x 9” Dahlgren Smoothbores, 2 x 20-pdr. Parrott rifles, 2 x 24-pdr. howitzers, 1 x 12-pdr. rifle, 1 x heavy 12-pdr. Smoothbore (April 1, 1865)25
    • 10 x “guns” (April 15, 1865)26
  • Note: On March 18 and April 1 & 15, 1865, this ship is noted as a “Paddle Class” vessel.27,28,29

 

Siege of Petersburg Battles:

  • TBD

 

Siege of Petersburg Involvement:30

Pontoosuc, a side wheel gunboat, built under contract with G. W. Lawrence and the Portland Locomotive Co., Portland, Maine, was commissioned at Portland, 10 May 1864, Lt. Comdr. George A. Stevens in command. Ordered to the South Atlantic Blockading Squadron 9 June 1864, she soon returned north and on 12 August departed New York in pursuit of the Confederate Raider Tallahassee. Arriving at Halifax soon after 0600 on the 20th [August], she discovered her quarry had sailed. Underway immediately Pontoosuc continued her search to the north among the fishing fleets in the Gulf of the St. Lawrence. Tallahassee, however, had turned south enroute back to Wilmington.

Pontoosuc returned to New York on the 30th [August] and took up escort duty. By mid December, she had resumed blockade duties, off Wilmington. On the 24th and 25th [December] she participated in the assault on Fort Fisher, returning to shell the Fort again in the successful mid-January 1865 attack.

In February she moved up the Cape Fear River for operations against Fort Anderson. After the fall of Wilmington she resumed cruising off the coast. After the war, she returned to Boston where she decommissioned 5 July 1865 and was sold 3 October 1866.

 

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. 181 ↩
      3. “NH 2014 USS Pontoosuc.” Naval History and Heritage Command, https://www.history.navy.mil/content/history/nhhc/our-collections/photography/numerical-list-of-images/nhhc-series/nh-series/NH-02000/NH-2014.html. Title: USS Pontoosuc Description: (1864-1866) Lithograph published by Endicott & Co., New York, circa 1865. This image was used in Endicott & Co. prints to represent many, if not all, of the Sassacus class double-ender gunboats. Collection of Commander Charles Moran, USNRF, 1935. U.S. Naval History and Heritage Command Photograph. Catalog #: NH 2014 ↩
      4. Official Records of the Union and Confederate Navies in the War of the Rebellion, Volume XI, pp. 597–599 ↩
      5. Official Records of the Union and Confederate Navies in the War of the Rebellion, Volume XI, pp. 722–724 ↩
      6. Official Records of the Union and Confederate Navies in the War of the Rebellion, Volume XII, pp. 20–21 ↩
      7. Official Records of the Union and Confederate Navies in the War of the Rebellion, Volume XII, pp. 54–55 ↩
      8. Official Records of the Union and Confederate Navies in the War of the Rebellion, Volume XI, pp. 597–599 ↩
      9. Official Records of the Union and Confederate Navies in the War of the Rebellion, Volume XI, pp. 722–724 ↩
      10. Official Records of the Union and Confederate Navies in the War of the Rebellion, Volume XII, pp. 20–21 ↩
      11. Official Records of the Union and Confederate Navies in the War of the Rebellion, Volume XI, pp. 597–599 ↩
      12. Official Records of the Union and Confederate Navies in the War of the Rebellion, Volume XI, pp. 722–724 ↩
      13. Official Records of the Union and Confederate Navies in the War of the Rebellion, Volume XII, pp. 20–21 ↩
      14. Official Records of the Union and Confederate Navies in the War of the Rebellion, Volume XI, pp. 597–599 ↩
      15. Official Records of the Union and Confederate Navies in the War of the Rebellion, Volume XI, pp. 722–724 ↩
      16. Official Records of the Union and Confederate Navies in the War of the Rebellion, Volume XII, pp. 20–21 ↩
      17. Official Records of the Union and Confederate Navies in the War of the Rebellion, Volume XII, pp. 71–73 ↩
      18. Official Records of the Union and Confederate Navies in the War of the Rebellion, Volume XII, pp. 93–94 ↩
      19. Official Records of the Union and Confederate Navies in the War of the Rebellion, Volume XII, pp. 116–118 ↩
      20. Official Records of the Union and Confederate Navies in the War of the Rebellion, Volume XII, pp. 71–73 ↩
      21. Official Records of the Union and Confederate Navies in the War of the Rebellion, Volume XII, pp. 93–94 ↩
      22. Official Records of the Union and Confederate Navies in the War of the Rebellion, Volume XII, pp. 116–118 ↩
      23. Official Records of the Union and Confederate Navies in the War of the Rebellion, Volume XII, pp. 71–73 ↩
      24. Official Records of the Union and Confederate Navies in the War of the Rebellion, Volume XII, pp. 93–94 ↩
      25. Official Records of the Union and Confederate Navies in the War of the Rebellion, Series 2, Volume 1, p. 181 ↩
      26. Official Records of the Union and Confederate Navies in the War of the Rebellion, Volume XII, pp. 116–118 ↩
      27. Official Records of the Union and Confederate Navies in the War of the Rebellion, Volume XII, pp. 71–73 ↩
      28. Official Records of the Union and Confederate Navies in the War of the Rebellion, Volume XII, pp. 93–94 ↩
      29. Official Records of the Union and Confederate Navies in the War of the Rebellion, Volume XII, pp. 116–118 ↩
      30. “Pontoosuc.” Naval History and Heritage Command, https://www.history.navy.mil/research/histories/ship-histories/danfs/p/pontoosuc.html. ↩

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