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USS Sophronia
Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons
Civil War Campaign Medal
Mortar Schooner:
Built, date and location unknown
Launched, date unknown
Purchased for the Navy by George D. Morgan at New York City from Charles Clark, 3 September 1861, for $8,000
Commissioned USS Sophronia, 25 January 1862, at the New York Navy Yard, Acting Master Lyman Bartholomew in command
Assigned to CDR. David Porter's Mortar Flotilla, USS Sophronia sailed for Key West where the other ships of the force assembled before moving on to Ship Island, MS., on 6 March
On 18 March the mortar boats were towed across the bar at Pass a L'Outre into the Mississippi River
A month later, the flotilla moved upstream to positions below Forts Jackson and St. Philip and opened fire
Sophronia anchored some 3,000 yards from Fort Jackson and began lobbing mortar shells into the fort, at 1000, at the rate of six an hour
The bombardment continued intermittently until Farragut had safely dashed past the forts on the morning of the 24th
New Orleans fell to Admiral Farragut the next day, and the two forts surrendered, 28 April, as they were cut off from their source of supplies and Union forces were prepared to attack them
from three sides
Early in May, Porter took his Mortar Flotilla back to the Gulf of Mexico, but they were recalled to the Mississippi and ascended the river in June to support Farragut's operations against
Vicksburg
However, General Robert E. Lee's successful Seven Days Campaign prompted the Navy Department to recall some of Porter's schooners for possible service on the James River to help protect
General McClellan's beleaguered army
Sophronia arrived in Hampton Roads, 31 July and thereafter operated in Chesapeake Bay and on the rivers of Virginia
The schooner was attached to the Potomac Flotilla in early 1863 and was assigned duty as a guard ship at Piney Point, VA.
On 19 May, she captured the schooner Mignonette which was carrying contraband
In June 1864, she was one of four schooners assigned to aid an Army expedition up the Rappahannock River, after which she resumed her post at Piney Point
Decommissioned at the Boston Navy Yard, 21 August 1865
Sold at public auction at Boston Navy Yard, 8 September 1865, to Daniel Brown for $8,700
Final Disposition, fate unknown
Specifications:
Displacement 217 t.
Length 104'6"
Beam 28'4"
Depth of Hold 8'4"
Draft 8'4"
Speed 9.5kts
Complement 32
Armament
1 February 1862 - one XIII-inch mortar, two 32-pdrs 57cwt, two heavy 12-pdr smoothbores
21 May 1864 - one XIII-inch mortar, two 32-pdrs 57cwt, one 12-pdr rifle
17 August 1865 - one XIII-inch mortar, two 32-pdrs 57cwt, one 30-pdr Parrott rifle, one heavy 12-pdr smoothbore
Propulsion sail
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Sophronia
Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships
This page is created and maintained by Gary P. Priolo
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Last Updated 5 August 2022