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NavSource Online: "Old Navy" Ship Photo Archive

USS Ottawa (I)

Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons

Civil War Medal
Unadilla Class Screw Gunboat:
  • Laid down, date unknown, by Jacob A. Westervelt, engines by the Novelty Iron Works of New York
  • Launched, date unknown
  • Commissioned USS Ottawa, 7 October 1861, at the New York Navy Yard, LT. Thomas H. Stevens in command
  • During the Civil War USS Ottawa was assigned to the South Atlantic Blockading Squadron for service off the coasts of the Carolinas, Georgia, and Florida
    Ottawa participated in nineteen operations against ships and shore installations from Hilton Head, S.C., to the St. John’s River, FL. including:
     Capture of Forts Walker and Beauregard, Port Royal Sound, S.C., 7 November
     Covering the landing of US troops at Warsaw Sound, Ga., 26 January 1862
     Capture of Fernandina, FL.., 4 March 1862
     Attacks on Fort Wagner, Charleston Harbor, S.C., from 18 July to 18 August 1863
     Attacks on Confederate batteries on Morris Island from 31 July to 20 August 1863
     Assisted the US Army in the occupation of Bull’s Bay, S.C., 11 February 1865
     Engagements with the batteries at Brown’s Landing, St. John’s River, FL., and at Palatka, FL.
  • Decommissioned, 12 August 1865, at the New York Navy Yard
  • Sold at auction, 25 October 1866 for $13,200
  • Final Disposition, fate unknown
    Specifications:
    Displacement 507 t.
    Length 158' 8"
    Beam 28'
    Depth of Hold 12'
    Draft 10' 6"
    Speed 9 kts
    Complement 114 officers and enlisted
    Armament
    one 11" Dahlgren smoothbore
    one 20-pdr Parrott rifle
    two 24-pdr howitzers
    Propulsion
    rigged as a two masted schooner
    two 200 imp 30" stroke horizontal back-acting engines
    single screw
    Click On Image
    For Full Size Image    		 Size Image Description
    Unadilla 139k Engraving published in "Harper's Weekly", July-December 1861 volume. It depicts "90-Day" Gunboats USS Unadilla on the stocks at the John Englis shipyard (top left), USS Winona at the C. & R. Poillon shipyard (top right), and USS Ottawa at the Jacob A. Westervelt shipyard (bottom). These ships were launched (respectively) on 17 August, 14 September and 22 August 1861.
    US Naval History and Heritage Command Photo # NH 59368    		 Robert Hurst
    Unadilla 82k Line engraving published in Harper's Weekly, July-December 1861 volume. depicting the ten "90-Day Gunboats" constructed for the U.S. Navy in 1861-62. Ships, as identified in the image are from left to right;
    USS Chippewa
    USS Sciota
    USS Itasca
    USS Winona
    USS Huron
    USS Ottawa
    USS Pembina
    USS Seneca
    USS Unadilla and
    USS Sagamore. U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph. Photo #: NH 59367    		 Robert Hurst
    Ottawa 96k Lithograph of USS Ottawa by Shearman & Hart, New York, 1861. The original lithograph was issued with different titles to represent many, if not all, of the Civil War "90-day gunboats".
    US Naval History and Heritage Command photo # NH 42927    		 US Naval History and Heritage Command
    Senica 105k "Reconnaissance of Vernon River, Ossabaw Sound, Georgia, Discovery of a Rebel Battery and Camp, 11 December 1861".
    Line engraving published in Harper's Weekly, January 1862. It depicts Federal warships engaging the Confederate battery, shown in the far left distance. Ships, as identified below the image bottom, are (from left): USS Seneca, USS Pembina, USS Ottawa and Steamer Mary Andrew. For the original sketch from which this engraving was made, see Photo # NH 59310.
    US Naval Historical Center Photo #: NH 59309    		 Robert Hurst
    Senica 96k "Discovery of a Rebel Battery and Camp on Vernon River, Georgia, 11 December 1861".
    Sketch by William Crane, artist for Harper's Weekly, presented by the artist to LT, Thomas H. Stevens, Commanding Officer of USS Ottawa. It depicts the US Navy gunboats USS Seneca, USS Pembina, USS Ottawa and steamer Mary Andrew, at the time of Rebel Battery opening fire. The Federal ships were under the command of CDR. C.R.P. Rodgers of USS Wabash. This sketch apparently served as the basis for the engraving seen in Photo # NH 59309. US Naval Historical Center Photo #: NH 59310    		 Robert Hurst
    Wabash 170k "Portion of the Naval Expedition, as it appeared on the night of October 16, sailing to Hampton Roads. -- Sketched by an Officer on Board. 1861".
    Line engraving published in "Harper's Weekly", July-December 1861 volume, pages 712. It depicts Flag Officer DuPont's squadron en route to capture Port Royal, South Carolina. Ships, all U.S. Navy, as identified below the image bottom, are (from left):
    USS Wabash,
    USS Florida,
    USS Augusta,,
    USS Alabama,,
    USS Ottawa,
    USS Seneca,
    and USS Pembina.
    US Naval History and Heritage Command photo # NH 59316    		 Robert Hurst
    Issac Smith 78k "Army & Navy Reconnaissance. Tuesday Morning Nov. 5" 1861 Line engraving published in "The Soldier in Our Civil War", Volume I, page 189, depicting Federal ships investigating Port Royal Sound, South Carolina, prior to their successful attack on Confederate fortifications there. Ships and other items identified across the bottom of the print include (from left to right):
    USS Mercury, with Generals Sherman and Stevens & staff on board;
    USS Penguin, with Hilton Head Battery beyond;
    USS Pawnee; Broad River (in distance);
    CSS Huntress (distance);
    USS Seneca; Steamer Screamer (distance);
    USS Ottawa with Capt. Rogers & General Wright on board;
    Steamer Everglades (distance, beyond Ottawa;
    USS Pembina;
    CSS Lady Davis (distance); Beaufort River (distance); Bay Point Battery (distance); USS Curlew; (probably misidentified as no record exists that USS Curlew served with South Atlantic Blockading Squadron) Confederate camp (distance);
    USS Isaac Smith.
    US Navy photo # NH 59319    		 Tommy Trampp
    Issac Smith 75k "Bombardment and Capture of Port Royal, South Carolina, 7 November 1861" Engraving published in "Harper's Weekly", July-December 1861 volume, pages 760-761. It depicts Federal warships, under Flag Officer Samuel F. DuPont, USN, bombarding Fort Beauregard (at right) and Fort Walker (at left). The Confederate squadron commanded by Commodore Josiah Tattnall is in the left center distance. Subjects identified below the image bottom are (from left): tug Mercury,
    Fort Walker,
    USS Wabash (DuPont's flagship),
    steamer Screamer (?),
    USS Susquehanna,
    CSS Huntsville, Commo. Tattnall, (probably misidentified as no record exists that CSS Huntsville served in the defenses of Port Royal, S.C.
    USS Bienville,
    USS Pembina,
    USS Seneca,
    USS Ottawa,
    USS Unadilla,
    USS Pawnee,
    USS Mohican,
    USS Isaac Smith,
    USS Curlew; (probably misidentified as no record exists that USS Curlew served with South Atlantic Blockading Squadron),
    USS Vandalia,
    USS Penguin,
    USS Pocahontas,
    USS Seminole,
    Fort Beauregard,
    USS R.B. Forbes
    and "Rebel Camp".
    US Navy photo # NH 59256    		 US Naval History and Heritage Command
    USS Ottawa (I)
    Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships (DANFS)
    Commanding Officers
    01LT. Stevens, Thomas Holdup7 October 1861 - 23 April 1862
    02LT. Creighton, Johnston Blakeley23 April 1862 - 7 November 1862
    03LT. Whiting, William D.7 November 1862 - 3 November 1863
    04LCDR. Breese, Samuel Livingston3 November 1863 - 3 September 1864
    05LCDR. Stillwell, James31 August 1864 - 12 August 1865
    Courtesy Bill Gonyo
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    Last Updated 3 March 2017