USS Ella (1859)
The first USS Ella was a steamer acquired by the Union Navy during the American Civil War. She was used by the Union Navy as a picket and patrol vessel, as well as a dispatch boat, on Confederate waterways.
| History | |
|---|---|
.svg.png.webp){kind=small} United States | |
| Name | USS Ella |
| Namesake | Miss Ella Knapp |
| Builder | Thomas Collyer (New York) |
| Completed | 1859 |
| Acquired | (by USN): 30 July 1862 |
| Commissioned | 10 August 1862 |
| Decommissioned | 4 August 1865 |
| Stricken | 1865 (est.) |
| Fate | Sold, 15 September 1865 |
| General characteristics | |
| Tons burthen | 230 |
| Length | 150 ft (46 m) |
| Beam | 23 ft (7.0 m) |
| Depth of hold | 8 ft 6 in (2.59 m) |
| Installed power |
|
| Propulsion | Sidewheels |
| Speed | 8 knots |
| Complement | 39 |
| Armament | two 24-pounder howitzers |
Construction and design
Ella, a wooden-hulled sidewheel steamboat, was built in New York in 1859 by Thomas Collyer for the Stamford Line of Stamford, Connecticut.[1][2][3] She was 150 feet (46 m) in length, with a beam of 23 feet (7.0 m) and hold depth of 8 feet 6 inches (2.59 m).[4] Ella was powered by a single-cylinder steam engine of unknown type, with a bore of 36 inches (91 cm) and stroke of 8 feet (2.4 m), built by Henry Esler & Co. of New York.[3]
Service history
Merchant service
Ella made her maiden voyage on 5 July 1859. She thereafter operated in daily service between New York City and Stamford, departing the latter at 7 am in the mornings and clearing New York at 3 pm the same day.[2]
Naval service
Ella was purchased at New York City 30 July 1862; outfitted at New York Navy Yard; and commissioned 10 August 1862, Acting Master S. C. Gray in command.[4]
Ella sailed 12 August 1862 for duty with the Potomac Flotilla, and arrived at Fortress Monroe 2 days later. She performed her entire service in Virginia waters as a picket, patrol and dispatch boat, based on the navy yard at Washington, D.C.[4]
After a useful career, she returned to her base for the last time 30 July 1865. She was decommissioned there 4 August and sold 15 September 1865.[4]
Later history
Redocumented as a merchant steamer on October 19, 1865, Ella's later history is unknown. She was last documented about 1875.[1]
References
- Lytle, Holdcamper 1975. p. 62.
- "Stamford Steamboat Line" (PDF). New-York Daily Tribune. 1859-06-06. p. 7.
- "Henry Esler & Co, South Brooklyn". The New York Herald. 1859-10-10. p. 2.
- "Ella I (Side Wheel Steamer)". Naval History and Heritage Command. United States Navy. 2015-07-07.
This article incorporates text from the public domain Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. The entry can be found here.