USS Daffodil
USS Daffodil was a side-wheel steamer in the United States Navy.
| History | |
|---|---|
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| Name | USS Daffodil |
| Namesake | The well-known single-flowered plant.[1] |
| Owner | B. C. Terry |
| Acquired | 17 November 1862 |
| Fate | Sold on 13 March 1867 |
| General characteristics | |
| Class and type | Sidewheel Tug |
| Displacement | 173 tons |
| Length | 110 ft 6 in (33.68 m) |
| Beam | 22 ft 6 in (6.86 m) |
| Draught | 5 ft 6 in (1.68 m) |
| Propulsion | Steam |
| Speed | 8 kts. |
| Complement | 35 officers and enlisted[1][2] |
| Armament | 2 20-pdr. rifle |
Daffodil was built as Jonas Smith by B. C. Terry at Keyport, New Jersey, in 1862. She was purchased at New York 17 November 1862 and fitted out at New York Navy Yard.
Service record
Assigned to duty with the South Atlantic Blockading Squadron, Daffodil sailed 24 November 1862, Acting Master L. G. Crane in command. From her arrival at Port Royal, South Carolina on 10 December 1862 until the end of the war she served as tug in the coastal waters of South Carolina and Georgia. Her services were characterized by Admiral Samuel Francis Du Pont as invaluable. On 8 September 1863 she towed 25 of the boats in the assault on Fort Sumter. From 27 November to 29 December 1864 she took part in the successful Army-Navy expedition up Broad River to destroy the Charleston and Savannah Railroad Bridge near Pocotaligo, South Carolina. On 27 January 1865 she made a reconnaissance up the Ashepoo River and on 9 February joined in a successful engagement with enemy batteries in the Togodo River.
Prizes
| Date[2] | Prize Name[2] | Gross Proceeds | Costs and Expenses | Amount for Distribution | Where Adjudicated | Sent to 4th Auditor for Distribution | Vessels Entitled to Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 13 May 1863 | Wonder | $3,627.85[3] | $966.01[3] | $2,661.84[3] | Philadelphia[3] | 2 Feb 1865[3] | Daffodil, Detachment from Wabash[3] |
| 12 Mar 1864 | General Sumter | ||||||
| 14 Mar 1864 | Hattie Brock |
Officers assigned
| Tug Daffodil | January 1863[4] |
|---|---|
| Rank | Name |
| Acting Master | E. M. Baldwin |
| Acting Master's Mate | Francis Such |
| Acting Master's Mate | S. C. Bishop |
| Acting Second Assistant Engineer | J. P. Rossman |
| Acting Third Assistant Engineer | Geo. Cunningham |
| Steamer Daffodil | January 1864[5] |
| Rank | Name |
| Acting Ensign | F. W. Sanborn |
| Acting Master's Mate | J. C. Wentworth |
| Acting Master's Mate | C. L. Weedon |
| Acting Master's Mate | T. E. Harvey |
| Acting Master's Mate | D. Lester |
| Acting Second Assistant Engineer | T. W. Dee |
| Acting Third Assistant Engineer | Wm. Fisher |
| Acting Third Assistant Engineer | W. F. Henderson |
| Fourth-Rate Daffodil | January 1865[6] |
| Rank | Name |
| Acting Master | Wm. H. Mallard |
| Acting Ensign | John McGlathery |
| Acting Master's Mate | N. B. Walker |
| Acting Third Assistant Engineer | Wm. H. Capen |
| Acting Third Assistant Engineer | Thomas Forrest |
| Acting Third Assistant Engineer | John Tucker |
Post war
After the American Civil War Daffodil joined the newly organized North Atlantic Squadron and was stationed at Port Royal, South Carolina, until sold at Savannah, Georgia on 13 March 1867.
Notes
- "Daffodil". Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. Navy Department, Naval History and Heritage Command. Retrieved 2020-03-07.
- Silverstone, Warships, p. 122.
- Porter, Naval History, p. 843.
- Porter, Naval History, p. 391.
- Porter, Naval History, p. 675.
- Porter, Naval History, p. 773.
References
This article incorporates text from the public domain Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. The entry can be found here.
- Porter, David D. The Naval History of the Civil War Castle, Secaucus, NJ, 1984, ISBN 0-89009-575-2.
- Silverstone, Paul H. Warships of the Civil War Navies Naval Institute Press,Annapolis, MD, 1989, ISBN 0-87021-783-6.