USS Unadilla, first of a class of twenty-three "90-day
gunboats", was built at New York for Civil War service. Commissioned
in September 1861 under the command of Lieutenant Napoleon
Collins, she participated in the capture of Port Royal, South
Carolina, in early November. For the next three years, Unadilla
was mainly employed on Federal offensive and blockading operations
in the coastal waters of South Carolina and Georgia. She participated
in several actions and captured three blockade runners, two of
which, Lodona and Princess Royal, were later
taken into U.S. Navy service.
Transferred to North Carolina waters in November 1864, Unadilla
was part of the fleet that assaulted Fort Fisher in December and
captured it in January 1865. Following further operations directed
against Wilmington, she went to the James River, Virginia, for
her final Civil War service. Decommissioned in May 1865, Unadilla
returned to active duty in December 1866 and made a long transit
to the Far East. In 1867-68, she participated in efforts to supress
piracy in Asian waters. Unadilla was sold in November 1869.
Renamed Dang Wee, she was employed in merchant service
until lost at Hong Kong in 1870.
This page features views related to USS Unadilla
(1861-1869).
If you want higher resolution reproductions than the digital
images presented here, see: "How
to Obtain Photographic Reproductions." |
Photo #: NH 42352
USS Unadilla (1861-1869)
Lithograph by Shearman & Hart, 1861.
Courtesy of President Franklin D. Roosevelt, April 1936.
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Photo #: NH 59369
USS Unadilla (1861-1869)
Engraving published in "Harper's Weekly", July-December
1861 volume.
It depicts Unadilla under construction at the John Englis
shipyard, New York, shortly before her launching on 17 August
1861.
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Photo #: NH 59284
"Gun-Boats Entering Savannah River above Fort Pulaski"
Engraving published in "Harper's Weekly", January-June
1862 volume, page 132.
It depicts USS Pembina (left center) and USS Unadilla
(right) engaging Confederate gunboats under Commodore Josiah
Tattnall while entering the Savannah River, Georgia, to cut off
Fort Pulaski, 22 February 1862.
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Photo #: NH 42266
USS Unadilla (1861-1869)
Crewmembers pose by the ship's Dahlgren XI-inch pivot gun, during
the Civil War.
Copied from Francis Trevelyan Miller's "The Photographic
History of the Civil War" Volume 6, page 271.
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The following images depict USS Unadilla as a small
part of large groups of ships:
Photo #: NH 59367
"Our New Gun-boats"
Engraving published in "Harper's Weekly", July-December
1861 volume.
It depicts ten of the "90-Day Gunboats" constructed
for the U.S. Navy in 1861-62.
Ships, as identified below the image bottom, are (from left,
all USS): Chippewa, Sciota, Itasca, Winona,
Huron, Ottawa, Pembina, Seneca, Unadilla
and Sagamore.
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Photo #: NH 59315
"The Great Naval Expedition" to capture Port Royal,
South Carolina, November 1861
Engraving published in "Harper's Weekly", July-December
1861 volume, pages 696-697.
It depicts Federal warships and transports, under Flag Officer
Samuel F. DuPont, USN, departing Hampton Roads, Virginia, en
route to Port Royal.
Ships, as identified below the image bottom, are (from left):
(illegible), Oriental, Baltic, USS O.M. Pettit,
USS Gem of the Sea, Great Republic, USS Wabash
(DuPont's flagship), USS Seneca, USS Pembina, USS
Connecticut, tug Mercury, USS Unadilla,
USS Augusta, USS Alabama and (illegible).
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Photo #: NH 1099
Bombardment and Capture of Port Royal, South Carolina, 7 November
1861
Engraving by W. Ridgway after a drawing by C. Parsons, published
by Virtue & Co., New York.
It depicts Federal warships, under Flag Officer Samuel F. DuPont,
USN, bombarding Fort Beauregard (at left) and Fort Walker (at
right). Troop transports are standing by in the distance.
U.S. Navy ships present and identified include (from left): Mohican,
Susquehanna, Augusta, Wabash (Flagship),
Unadilla, Pawnee, Bienville, Ottawa,
Curlew and Seneca.
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Photo #: NH 59256
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),
Screamer (?), USS Susquehanna, CSS Huntsville,
Commo. Tattnall, USS Bienville, USS Pembina, USS
Seneca, USS Ottawa, USS Unadilla, USS Pawnee,
USS Mohican, USS Isaac Smith, USS Curlew,
USS Vandalia, USS Penguin, USS Pocahontas,
USS Seminole, Fort Beauregard, USS R.B. Forbes
and "Rebel Camp".
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Photo #: NH 59170
"Second Attack upon Fort Fisher, showing the positions of
the vessels, and the lines of fire", 13-15 January 1865
Chart by Walter A. Lane, published in "The Soldier in our
Civil War", Volume II.
The positions of 58 ships are represented on the chart.
Online Image: 216KB; 825 x 1225
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If you want higher resolution reproductions than the digital
images presented here, see: "How
to Obtain Photographic Reproductions." |