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USS St. Lawrence

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 St. Lawrence Type: Frigate Tonnage: 1,726 (or 1708)
Length: 175’ Beam: 45’ Draught: Loaded: 23’, Light: 22’. October 13, 1864: Forward: 20’, Aft: 23’
Speed: Max: 12 knots, Avg.: 5 knots Complement: 480 men Class: Brandywine
Armament: September 5, 1863: 8 9” Dahlgren Smoothbores, 2 32-pdrs, 57 cwt., 2 heavy 12-pdr. Smoothbores

October 13, 1864: 8 9” Dahlgren Smoothbores, 2 32-pdrs, 57 cwt., 2 heavy 12-pdr. Smoothbores, 1 30-pdr. Parrott rifle
Namesake: A river forming part of the boundary between the United States and Canada as it flows from the Great Lakes to the Atlantic.

Images:

NH 57841 USS ST. LAWRENCE (1826- 1875)3

 

Captain(s):
Commander Dominick Lynch
Captain Image

Captain 2
Captain Image

Captain 3
Captain Image

 

First Offensive Order of Battle (June 13-18, 1864): Hampton Roads, Virginia | North Atlantic Blockading Squadron | Union Navy (June 17, 1864)4

  • Captain:
  • Crew Strength:
  • Armament:
  • Note: The St. Lawrence is noted as being an ordnance ship.5

Second Offensive Order of Battle (June 19-30, 1864): Hampton Roads, Virginia | North Atlantic Blockading Squadron | Union Navy (June 21, 1864)6

  • Captain: Commander Dominick Lynch (June 21, 1864)7
  • Crew Strength:
  • Armament:
  • Note: The St. Lawrence was clearly being used as an ordnance vessel on June 21, 1864, as Commander John M. B. Clinch of the USS Osceola sent a note to the St. Lawrence to send up ammunition for the Union monitors on that day.8

Third Offensive Order of Battle (July 1-31, 1864): Fourth Division (James River) | North Atlantic Blockading Squadron | Union Navy (July 31, 1864)9

  • Captain:
  • Crew Strength:
  • Armament:
  • Note: On July 31, 1864, this ship is noted as an “ordnance” ship.10

Fourth Offensive Order of Battle (August 1-31, 1864): Norfolk, Virginia | North Atlantic Blockading Squadron | Union Navy (August 17, 1864)11

  • Captain:
  • Crew Strength:
  • Armament:
  • Note: On August 17, 1864, this ship is noted as a “guard.”12

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

Norfolk, Va. | North Atlantic Blockading Squadron | Union Navy (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: 8 x 9” Dahlgren Smoothbores, 2 x 32-pdrs, 57 cwt., 2 x heavy 12-pdr. Smoothbores, 1 x 30-pdr. Parrott rifle (October 13, 1864)16
  • Note: On September 1 & 16, 1864, this ship is noted as an “ordnance” ship.17,18
  • Note: On October 1, 1864, this ship is noted as an “ordnance” ship; ”Norfolk, Va.”19

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

  • Captain:
  • Crew Strength:
  • Armament:

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

  • Captain: Commander Dominick Lynch (November 1 and December 5 & 15, 1864)23,24,25
  • Crew Strength:
  • Armament: 13 x “guns” (December 15, 1864)26
  • Note: On November 1, 1864, this ship is noted as an “ordnance” ship.27
  • Note: On December 15, 1864, this ship is noted as a “Class 1” vessel and a “naval magazine.”28

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

Norfolk, Va. | North Atlantic Blockading Squadron | Union Navy (January 1, 1865)29

Noted as “Detached” | North Atlantic Blockading Squadron | Union Navy (February 1, 1865)30

  • Captain: Commander Dominick Lynch (January 1 and February 1, 1865)31,32
  • Crew Strength:
  • Armament: 13 x “guns” (January 1 and February 1, 1865)33,34
  • Note: On January 1 and February 1, 1865, this ship is noted as a “Class 1” vessel and a “naval magazine.”35,36

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

  • Not listed in the rolls of the North Atlantic Blockading Squadron.  I’m unsure what happened to her. It is likely she simply stayed at Norfolk as a store ship. (Source needed)

 

Siege of Petersburg Battles:

  • TBD

 

Siege of Petersburg Involvement:37

Although St. Lawrence was laid down in 1826 by the Norfolk Navy Yard, she remained uncompleted on the ways until work on her, interrupted by a shortage of funds, was resumed during the Mexican War. The frigate was finally launched early in 1848 and commissioned on 17 August of that year, Capt. Hiram Paulding in command.

[SOPO Editor’s Note: A lengthy discussion of the ship’s service prior to the Civil War has been removed.]

The successful conclusion of the expedition freed St. Lawrence to return home, and she was decommissioned at Philadelphia on 25 May 1859.

Still in ordinary at the outbreak of the Civil War, St. Lawrence was hurriedly prepared for action and recommissioned on 21 June 1861, Capt. Hugh Y. Purviance in command…The ship was decommissioned at Portsmouth (N.H.) Navy Yard, on 30 May 1863.

Recommissioned on 5 August [1863], St. Lawrence sailed to Hampton Roads to become an ordnance ship for the North Atlantic Blockading Squadron. In 1865, she served as a store ship at Norfolk where she was decommissioned on 12 December [1865]. In ordinary through 1866, the frigate was used as a barracks ship for marines at Norfolk from 1867 through 1875. On 31 December 1875, she was sold at Norfolk to E. Stannard.

 

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. 198 ↩
    3. “USS ST. LAWRENCE (1826- 1875).” 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-57000/NH-57841.html. Title: USS ST. LAWRENCE (1826- 1875) Caption: Wash drawing by Clary Ray, October 1897. Description: Catalog #: NH 57841 ↩
    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, Volume X, pp. 157–158 ↩
    6. Official Records of the Union and Confederate Navies in the War of the Rebellion, Series 1, Volume 10, p. 177 ↩
    7. Official Records of the Union and Confederate Navies in the War of the Rebellion, Series 1, Volume 10, p. 177 ↩
    8. Official Records of the Union and Confederate Navies in the War of the Rebellion, Series 1, Volume 10, p. 177 ↩
    9. Official Records of the Union and Confederate Navies in the War of the Rebellion, Volume X, pp. 324–325 ↩
    10. Official Records of the Union and Confederate Navies in the War of the Rebellion, Volume X, pp. 324–325 ↩
    11. Official Records of the Union and Confederate Navies in the War of the Rebellion, Volume X, pp. 370–371 ↩
    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. 198 ↩
    17. Official Records of the Union and Confederate Navies in the War of the Rebellion, Volume X, pp. 410–412 ↩
    18. Official Records of the Union and Confederate Navies in the War of the Rebellion, Volume X, pp. 462–463 ↩
    19. Official Records of the Union and Confederate Navies in the War of the Rebellion, Volume X, pp. 514–515 ↩
    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, Volume XI, pp. 39–40 ↩
    28. Official Records of the Union and Confederate Navies in the War of the Rebellion, Volume XI, pp. 192–194 ↩
    29. Official Records of the Union and Confederate Navies in the War of the Rebellion, Volume XI, pp. 398–400 ↩
    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 XI, pp. 398–400 ↩
    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 XI, pp. 398–400 ↩
    34. Official Records of the Union and Confederate Navies in the War of the Rebellion, Volume XI, pp. 722–724 ↩
    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. 722–724 ↩
    37. “St. Lawrence.” Naval History and Heritage Command, https://www.history.navy.mil/research/histories/ship-histories/danfs/s/st-lawrence.html. ↩

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