The first USS Thistle was a Union Army steamer acquired by the United States Navy during the American Civil War.

History
United States
Orderedas Spiteful
Laid downdate unknown
Launcheddate unknown
Acquired1 October 1862
In serviceOctober 1862
Out of service12 August 1865
Stricken1865 (est.)
FateSold, 17 August 1865
General characteristics
Displacement50 tons
Lengthnot known
Beamnot known
Draughtnot known
Propulsion
Speednot known
Complementnot specified
Armamentone 12-pounder smoothbore gun

Thistle was placed in service and used by the Union Navy as a tugboat and, when the opportunity presented itself, as a gunboat, in the blockade of ports of the Confederate States of America.

Civil War operations

edit

Transfer of Thistle from the Army to the Navy

edit

Thistle—formerly the Army tug Spiteful—was transferred by the War Department to the Union Navy on 1 October 1862.

Assigned to the Mississippi Squadron as a tug and recon vessel

edit

Thistle deployed with the Mississippi Squadron as a tug and reconnaissance vessel in October 1862 and participated in the capture of Fort Hindman, Arkansas, on 11 January 1863.

From 14 to 27 March, she took part in an expedition in the Steele's Bayou Expedition in Mississippi, attempting to find an entrance into the Yazoo River, Mississippi, and a rear approach to the Confederate stronghold at Vicksburg, Mississippi.

After the expedition failed, Thistle rejoined the squadron in the Mississippi River. There, she performed dispatch and reconnaissance duty for the remainder of the war.

Post-war decommissioning and sale

edit

Thistle was decommissioned at Mound City, Illinois., on 12 August 1865 and was sold at public auction there on 17 August to J. T. Haight.

See also

edit

References

edit

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