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NavSource Online: "Old Navy" Ship Photo Archive
USS August Dinsmore (I)
Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons
Civil War Medal
Screw Steamer:
Built in 1863 as the screw steamer Augusta Dinsmore at Mystic, CT.
Launched, date unknown
SS Augusta Dinsmore was operating for the Adams' Express Co. along the Atlantic coast between Northern ports and the Union Navy's blockaders off Charleston, S.C.,
engaged primarily in carrying mail, passengers, and supplies to and from the South Atlantic Blockading Squadron
Chartered by the Navy in late spring or early summer of 1863, she departed New York on the morning of 30 June, carrying RADM. John A. Dahlgren-who was to
relieve RADM Samuel Francis Du Pont in command of the squadron-and new commanding officers for several warships assigned to the blockade.
The steamer arrived off Port Royal, S.C., shortly after daybreak on 4 July.
Augusta Dinsmore was purchased by the navy 17 July 1863, Acting Master William Hamilton in command
The steamer served as RADM Dahlgren's flagship through the remainder of July and most of August
After being relieved of duty as flagship Augusta Dinsmore took over the blockade station in Saint Catherine Sound, south of Savannah, GA. until 5 October
Before sailing north at mid-month, Augusta Dinsmore embarked 149 men whose enlistments had expired. She stopped en route at Newport News, VA., for brief repairs and
then continued on to New York.
After completion of repairs there, Augusta Dinsmore was reassigned to the West Gulf Blockading Squadron and sailed for Key West, 12 December 1863
When she reported to RADM Farragut, he put her to work as a dispatch and supply ship and, for most of her remaining service, she operated out of New Orleans carrying information
and materiel to warships blockading on various stations along the Texas coast
Occasionally, her discharge of this duty was interrupted by temporary blockade duty when one of the regular blockaders became disabled, and no other replacement was available
On occasion, chance encounters with blockade runners broke the monotony of her tedious, but highly important assignment
On 16 February, Acting Master Hamilton-having learned that the cotton-and-hide-laden Scio was preparing to depart Brazos Santiago, TX., in violation of the
blockade-seized that British brig and placed a crew from Augusta Dinsmore on board the prize
However, before Hamilton could tow Scio across the bar to begin the voyage to a prize court, the Union Army ordered the brig released
In the spring of 1864, Hamilton became ill and, sometime in June, Acting Volunteer Lieutenant Miner B. Crowell relieved him of command
11 September, as the steamer was proceeding generally southwest along the gulf coast from Galveston, she encountered the British schooner John carrying 81 bales of
cotton, Crowell seized the schooner as a prize and sent her to New Orleans for adjudication
28 October 1864, Augusta Dinsmore was making another supply run when she found herself in position to help Union screw gunboats
USS Sciota and USS Chocura to capture the British schooner, Cora Smyser, which was attempting to slip into San Luis Pass, TX., with an assorted cargo
Augusta Dinsmore continued to carry supplies to blockaders along the Texas coast through the end of the war
Following the Confederate collapse, she departed Pensacola, FL., 5 August and sailed north
She was decommissioned at New York, 28 August 1865, and sold at public auction there. 5 September 1865
Redocumented as Gulf City, 16 September 1865, the steamer remained in merchant service until 11 January 1869
Final Disposition, she ran aground off Cape Lookout, N.C., 11 January 1869. The wreck cost the lives of 23 persons
Specifications:
Displacement 634 t.
Length 169'
Beam 32'6"
Depth of Hold 8'8"
Draft 12'6"
Speed 11 kts
Complement 70
Armament
two 32-pdr rifles
Propulsion
one steam engine
one boiler
single screw
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Augusta Dinsmore
Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships (DANFS)
This page is created and maintained by Gary P. Priolo
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Last Updated 3 June 2022