USS Black Hawk (1848)

USS Black Hawk
History
United States
Ordered	as New Uncle Sam
Laid down	date unknown
Launched	1848
Acquired	November 24, 1862
Commissioned	December 6, 1862
Out of service	April 22, 1865
Stricken	1867 (est.)
Fate	sold, April 1867
General characteristics
Displacement	902 tons
Length	260 ft (79 m)
Beam	45 ft 6 in (13.87 m)
Draught	depth of hold 8'
Propulsion	steam engine side wheel-propelled
Speed	not known
Complement	not known
Armament	four 32-pounder smoothbores two 30-pounder rifled guns one 12-pounder rifled gun one 12-pounder smoothbore
Armour	tinclad

USS Black Hawk (1848) was a large steamer purchased by the Union Navy during the American Civil War.

She was assigned by the Union Navy to gunboat duty in the waterways of the rebellious Confederate States of America.

Built as New Uncle Sam at New Albany, Indiana, in 1848[]

Black Hawk, a side-wheel river steamer, was built in 1848 as Uncle Sam at New Albany, Indiana; purchased by the Navy at Cairo, Illinois, November 24, 1862 as New Uncle Sam; commissioned December 6, 1862, Lieutenant Commander K. R. Breese in command; and renamed Black Hawk December 13, 1862.

Civil War service[]

During most of her service Black Hawk served as flagship for Rear Admiral David Dixon Porter, Captain Alexander Mosely Pennock and Rear Admiral Samuel Phillips Lee, successive commanders of the Mississippi Squadron.

She participated in the following operations:

• Vicksburg (December 1862)
• capture of Fort Hindman (January 11, 1863)
• attack on Haines Bluff (April 29–2 May)
• siege of Vicksburg (May 19 – July 4)
• Red River Expedition (March 12-May 29, 1864)

Subsequent patrols and sinking[]

USS Black Hawk on fire off Cairo.

Thereafter she patrolled in the Mississippi River and its tributaries. On April 22, 1865 she accidentally burned and sank, three miles above Cairo, Illinois. Her wreck was raised and sold at St. Louis, Missouri, in April 1867.

References[]

• This article incorporates text from the public domain Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. The entry can be found here.

External links[]

• Media related to USS Black Hawk (ship, 1848) at Wikimedia Commons

See also[]

• United States Navy
• Bibliography of the American Civil War
• Confederate States Navy*Bibliography of early American naval history
• Bibliography of the American Civil War
• List of ships captured in the 19th century
• Blockade runners of the American Civil War
• Glossary of nautical terms