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NavSource Online: "Old Navy" Ship Photo Archive

USS Fort Jackson

Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons

Civil War Medal

Sidewheel Steamer:

Built as the wooden sidewheel steamer SS Kentucky at New York in 1862

Renamed SS Union, date unknown

Purchased by the Union Navy, 20 July 1863

Placed in commission as USS Fort Jackson, 18 August 1863, CAPT. Henry Walke in command

During the Civil War USS Fort Jackson participated in the following:

Assigned to the North Atlantic Blockading Squadron, December 1863, at Cape Fear

Assisted in destroying the grounded blockade runner Bendigo at Folly Inlet

With CAPT. B. F. Sands destroyed salt works at Masonboro Sound

Captured the blockade runner SS Thistle in June 1864

Captured blockade runner Boston as prize during July 1864

Captured the steamer Wando, 21 October 1864

Participated in the battle off Wilmington and at Fort Fisher in December 1864 and January 1865

Re-assigned to the West Gulf Blockading Squadron in February 1865 off the coast of Texas

Aided steamer SS Columbia in capturing the schooner Chaos off Galveston during April, and was present at the surrender of Forts Point and Magruder in June

Decommissioned at New York, 7 August 1865

Struck from the Naval Register, date unknown

Sold, 27 September 1865, for commercial service, renamed SS North America

Final Disposition, broken up in 1879.

Specifications:
Displacement 1,850 t.
Length 250'
Beam 38' 6"
Depth unknown
Draft 18'
Speed 14 kts
Complement unknown

Armament

one 100-pdr rifle

two 30-pdrs

eight 9" smoothbores

Propulsion steam

Size	Image Description	Contributed By
78k	USS Fort Jackson, photographed during the Civil War, circa 1863-1865. US Naval History and Heritage Command photo #: NH 61581	US Naval History and Heritage Command
58k	Watercolor by Erik Heyl, 1951, of USS Fort Jackson painted for use in his book "Early American Steamers", Volume I. US Naval History and Heritage Command photo #: NH 63873. Courtesy of Erik Heyl.	US Naval History and Heritage Command
72k	Watercolor by Erik Heyl, 1951, of ex-USS Fort Jackson as SS North America painted for use in his book "Early American Steamers", Volume I. US Naval History and Heritage Command photo #: NH 63858. Courtesy of Erik Heyl.	US Naval History and Heritage Command

USS Fort Jackson
Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships (DANFS)

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This page is created and maintained by Gary P. Priolo

Last Updated 16 September 2011