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NavSource Online: "Old Navy" Ship Photo Archive

USS Aries (I)

Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons

Civil War Medal

Screw Steamer:

Laid down in 1861 at Sunderland, England, by James Laing's Deptford yard

Completed in 1862 and sold later that year to Frederic Peter Obicino of London, England

Resold, apparently sometime in 1863, to the Cuban firm, V. Malga & Cie, of Havana.

SS Aries was run ashore near Bull's Bay, S.C., 28 March 1863, and was captured by USS Stettin

Condemned and purchased by the Navy at Boston, 20 May 1863

Commissioned USS Aries, 25 July 1863, at Boston Navy Yard, Acting Vol. LT. Edward F. Devens in command

Aries served as a transport from July to November 1863

In November 1863 USS Aries was assigned to the North Atlantic Blockading Squadron

Took the British steamer Ceres together with USS Violet as a prize, 6 December 1863, at the Cape Fear River

Assisted USS Governor Buckingham, 20 December 1863, in the capture of the Confederate blockade runner SS Antonio

Aries took part in the chase and grounding of the Confederate blockade runner SS Dare, 7 January 1864, near the north inlet to the Little River N.C.

Participated in the chase and burning of the blockade runner Ranger, 11 January 1864

Aries returned to duty after repairs at Norfolk to blockade duty off Wilmington, 28 October 1864, assisting USS Eolus and USS Calypso in capturing the English steamer Lady Sterling which later became USS Sterling

Assisted in the capture of Fort Fisher, January 1865

Reassigned to the East Gulf Blockading Squadron for the remainder of the war

Decommissioned, 14 June 1865, at the Boston Navy Yard

Sold at public auction at Boston, 1 August 1865, to Sprague, Soule & Co.

Documented, 12 August 1865, as SS Aries

Final Disposition, sold in 1908 for scrapping

Specifications:
Displacement 820 t.
Length 201'
Beam 27' 10"
Depth 15' 8"
Draft 16'
Speed 12 kts
Complement 90

Armament

four 8" guns

one 30-pdr Parrott rifle

one 12-pdr rifle

Propulsion steam

Size	Image Description	Contributed By
148k	"Capture of the Anglo-Confederate steamer Aries off Bull's Bay, near Charleston, S. C., by the United States gunboat Stettin." Frank Leslie Famous Leaders and Battle Scenes of the Civil War (New York, NY: Mrs. Frank Leslie, 1896) Depicts the capture by USS Stettin of the British blockade runner SS Aries, 28 March 1863, off Bull's Bay, S.C., with a cargo of liquor.	Tommy Trampp
85k	Photographic reproduction of contemporary sketch, mounted on a carte de visite of USS Aries from the collection of Assistant Engineer R.C. Potts. Donated by his daughter, Mrs. Noble Newport Potts, 1945. US Naval History and Heritage Command photo # NH 57272-A	US Naval History and Heritage Command
43k	Artwork by Erik Heyl, 1955, for use in his book "Early American Steamers", Volume III. It depicts USS Aries as she appeared in merchant service after the Civil War. US Naval History and Heritage Command photo # NH 66404 courtesy Erik Heyl.	US Naval History and Heritage Command

USS Aries (I)
Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships (DANFS)

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This page is created and maintained by Gary P. Priolo

Last Updated 3 June 2016