USS Hibiscus (1864)
| 300px Civil War era lithograph of USS Hibiscus (1864-1866). | |
| Career (USA) | Union Navy Jack 100x35px |
|---|---|
| Name: | USS Hibiscus |
| Namesake: | Any of the herbs, shrubs, or trees of genus Hibiscus; many of which have large showy flowers. |
| Owner: | S. M. Pook |
| Laid down: | date unknown |
| Launched: | in 1864 at Fairhaven, Connecticut |
| Acquired: | 16 November 1864 |
| Commissioned: | 29 December 1864 |
| Decommissioned: | 19 August 1865 at New York City |
| Maiden voyage: | New York City to Tampa, Florida |
| Struck: | 1866 (est.) |
| Homeport: | Tampa, Florida |
| Fate: | sold, 5 October 1866 |
| Status: | lost at sea on 1 May 1873 |
| General characteristics | |
| Type: | screw steamer |
| Displacement: | 490 tons |
| Tons burthen: | 406 tons |
| Length: | not known |
| Beam: | not known |
| Draught: | not known |
| Propulsion: |
steam engine screw-propelled |
| Speed: | 9 knots |
| Complement: | not known |
| Armament: |
two 30-pounder guns four 24-pounder guns |
USS Hibiscus (1864) was a steamer acquired by the Union Navy towards the end of the American Civil War. She was used by the Navy to patrol navigable waterways of the Confederacy to prevent the South from trading with other countries.
Contents
Purchased at New York City in 1864
Hibiscus was purchased at New York City from S. M. Pook on 16 November 1864; and commissioned there on 29 December 1864, Lt. William L. Martine in command.
Assigned to the Southern Blockade
She sailed from New York on 29 January 1865 and reached Tampa, Florida, via Port Royal, South Carolina, and Key West, Florida, on 17 February. Hibiscus patrolled out of Tampa, Florida, until the end of July, putting in at Cedar Keys and St. Andrews Bay as well as Key West during this period.
On 11 April 1865 off Crystal River, Sea Bird, which served as tender to Hibiscus, captured small Confederate sloops Florida and Annie with cargos of loose and baled cotton.
End-of-war activity and decommissioning
With the end of the war, Hibiscus sailed north and on 11 August stood into New York. She decommissioned there 19 August 1865 and was sold 5 October 1866.
See also
References
This article includes text from the public domain Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. The entry can be found here.
