The second USS Augusta was a side-wheel steamer in the United States Navy during the American Civil War. She was named for the city of Augusta, Georgia.
Designed and constructed by the noted American shipbuilder, William H. Webb, the second Augusta was launched on 30 September 1852 and later completed in 1853 at New York City and operated out of that port carrying passengers and freight for the New York and Savannah Steam Navigation Company on runs to Savannah, Georgia and New Orleans, Louisiana. Augusta also had a sister vessel by the name of Knoxville. Early in the Civil War, as the Union Navy was expanding its fleet for the Herculean task of blockading the Confederate coast, the Federal Government purchased the side-wheeler at New York on 1 August 1861. She was fitted out for naval service by the New York Navy Yard and commissioned there on 28 September 1861, Commander Enoch Greenleafe Parrott in command.
Civil War operations A part of Flag Officer Samuel Francis du Pont's newly established South Atlantic Blockading Squadron, Augusta was assigned to the task force then being formed to capture a naval base on the Confederacy's Atlantic coast somewhere within the new squadron's jurisdiction which stretched from the Florida Keys to the border separating North and South Carolina.
Augusta departed New York on 16 October, reached Hampton Roads two days later, remaining there while the other warships of Du Pont's fleet assembled. When she sortied with them on 29 October, the captain of each ship carried sealed orders to be opened only in the event of the force's separation. While the fleet of some 75 ships slowly sailed south, a storm arose in the wee hours of 31 October, shortly after Augusta passed Cape Hatteras. By 3:30 that afternoon, the wind had increased so greatly in violence that Du Pont signaled the commanding officer of the other ships that they were free to leave the formation and to proceed in whatever manner seemed most conducive to safety. While suffering varying amounts of damage as they battled the tempest, some ships were forced to turn back; two transports went to the bottom; but most continued on toward their original objectives.
As she proceeded south, Augusta – which had been steaming on the starboard flank of the transports – managed to weather the hurricane; and the wind had abated by the time she passed Charleston, South Carolina on 3 November. The next day, she reached an anchorage just off the bar outside Port Royal harbor. Two days were then spent in charting the nearby waters – from which all aids to navigation had been removed; in making reconnaissance probes to feel out the Confederate defensive forces and to locate their guns; and in seeing that the commander of each unit clearly understood his role in the forthcoming attack.
For the invasion, Du Pont divided his warships into two groups: a main squadron which was to bombard the Southern forts that defended the harbor and a flanking squadron which was to parry any attempted counterthrust by the Confederate fleet. Augusta was the last of the five ships composing the flanking group.
Fort Walker on Hilton Head – the stronger of the two defensive works protecting the harbor – was some across the water to the southwest from Fort Beauregard on Bay Point. Since this distance was great enough to prevent the guns of one fort from effectively supporting those of the other, Du Pont decided to engage the Southern positions, one at a time, beginning with the stronger, Fort Walker. Having learned that most of its guns faced south, the flag officer had his main squadron steam by the Hilton Head shore along a counterclockwise, elliptical path which kept its warships out of effective range of the Confederate batteries. Then, when it had reached a point beyond the traversing limit of these guns, this squadron began a turn to port along a wide arc which closed the shore as the Union ships opened fire on the fort and steamed back in the direction from which they had come. This maneuver prevented most of Fort Walker's cannon from getting into action while leaving them almost completely exposed to the Federal salvoes.
Meanwhile, Du Pont's flanking squadron – including Augusta – followed the main group into the harbor and took station to the northwest of this ellipse in position to turn back any Southern warships which attempted to enter the fray. They did not have long to wait. The small Confederate squadron – commanded by Flag Officer Josiah Tattnall III, CSN – soon steamed out and opened fire on Augusta and her consorts. However, the Union ships answered with a barrage that soon convinced Tattnall that his ships had more than met their match and compelled him to withdraw into Skull Creek. Nevertheless, Tattnall's ships did aid the Southern cause by ferrying Fort Walker's troops from Hilton Head to the mainland.
After driving off the Confederate squadron, the warships of Du Pont's flanking squadron joined in the bombardment of Fort Walker. When was disabled by a shot from Hilton Head, Augusta took her in tow and enabled her to resume firing.
Unable to withstand the Union shelling, the Confederates evacuated Fort Walker which was soon occupied by Northern sailors and Marines. Du Pont then turned his attention to Fort Beauregard across the harbor and soon had it too in his hands.
Immediately after the battle, Du Pont ordered Augusta to sail for Savannah. She arrived off that port that same day, and reestablished the blockade which had been open since 1 November, when the hurricane had blown and out to sea. At the end of the second week of November, she accompanied on a reconnaissance of Tybee Island, which guarded the entrance to Savannah Harbor and found it to be abandoned. On 18 November, she reconnoitered Wassau Sound and reported that it must be covered if the blockade of Savannah were to be effective. Finally on the last day of November, Augusta aided Savannah, Flag, , , and in taking E. J. Waterman after she ran aground on Tybee Island.
The next day, 1 December, Du Pont ordered Augusta to Charleston for blockade duty, and she spent much of the next year and one-half as the flagship of the senior Union naval officer off that strongly defended city, the "birthplace of secession." On 6 December, she took the British blockade runner Cheshire – of and from Liverpool – some southeast of Tybee Light. She towed the captured vessel as far north as Charleston and then sent her on to New York under a prize crew for adjudication.
On New Year's Eve, she captured Island Belle about southeast of Bull's Island light. Laden with sugar and molasses, that schooner of Nassau, New Providence, had departed Trinidad de Cuba ostensibly bound for Baltimore, Maryland under English colors. However, the vessel – which had been built at Charleston earlier that year under the name, General Ripley – was heading straight for Bull's Bay. Since her British registration – dated 11 November 1861 – seemed to be a subterfuge and her clearance was obviously spurious, Parrott sent the prize to New York.
One of Augustas more interesting experiences during the war occurred on the morning of 13 May 1862 when the Confederate armed steamer steamed out of Charleston harbor. This vessel had been used by the Confederate Army as a transport and dispatch boat. While Planter had been moored to a wharf in Charleston and her captain was ashore, her pilot – a slave named Robert Smalls – had embarked his family and a few friends and quietly slipped out to sea. When Planter had passed beyond range of the last Southern gun, Smalls lowered her Confederate colors and hoisted a white flag, before steaming up to the Union clipper ship and surrendering. His brave deed brought freedom to himself, seven other black men, five women, and three children. The following day, Parrott – the senior naval officer of Charleston – sent Planter to Port Royal where Du Pont took her into the Union Navy.
On the night of 24–25 May, the inbound steamer Kate dashed past the Union blockaders off Charleston but ran ashore under the protection of Confederate guns. In the morning, Augusta and Pocahontas tried to destroy the blockade runner by gunfire; but heavy seas and fire from Southern shore batteries prevented their succeeding. During the half-hour the Union ships were under fire, Confederate shells passed overhead and between Augusta and Pocahontas but none scored. On the other hand, although raised to their maximum elevation, the Union guns were unable to reach shore. This failure dramatically demonstrated Augustas need for heavier guns.
The following day, Augusta and chased a runner named Cambria. Huron captured that steamer which had departed Nassau, cleared for Saint John, New Brunswick, but was obviously headed for Charleston.
On 18 June, Du Pont ordered Parrott to move to Wassau Sound where Augusta labored to close that approach to Savannah until Flag relieved her at the end of the first week of July. Parrott then took his ship back to Charleston and by mid-month was again the senior officer blockading that strategic port.
But her hard service had taken a toll on Augusta and had been especially hard on her engines. On 5 August, Lieutenant Daniel Ammen – who had recently participated in a survey of the ship – felt that repairing her might well cost more than constructing a new ship. Instead of repairing her, he suggested that her bow be reinforced so that she could be used as a ram to destroy , a Southern ironclad ram at Savannah. This recommendation was not followed – probably because the Union Navy still needed more warships for blockade duty, and because Augusta.had established a wide reputation for her outstanding sea-keeping ability. Instead, on 27 August, Du Pont sent her North for repairs. In his orders to Parrott, Du Pont – now an acting rear admiral – expressed his "... very sincere approbation and appreciation of the services rendered by Augusta on this station. He went on to point out that "... no vessel has seen more outside blockade service and has been less in port, and whose fires have been so seldom drawn."
Two days later, Augusta – towing Seneca – departed Port Royal. Upon her arrival at Philadelphia on 3 September, Parrott commented, "The Augusta is the best sea boat I have ever seen; is fast, and, having very little motion, the steadiness of her decks aids very much the accuracy of her fire. I think her well worthy of an improved battery and a thorough outfit." The ship was decommissioned on 17 September, and the Philadelphia Navy Yard gave her a speedy overhaul so that she might get to sea in pursuit of the Confederate commerce raider which had recently been preying upon Union shipping in the North Atlantic.
Recommissioned on 31 October, Augusta received orders the next day to get underway for a cruise "... via Bermuda and St. Thomas through the Windward Islands and along the coast of South America ..." to seek out and to destroy Capt. Raphael Semmes' elusive cruiser. However, engine trouble kept her in port and others went out instead.
On 5 November, Augusta was assigned a different mission, convoy duty for a group of transports which were to carry Army troops to the Gulf of Mexico to reinforce those already there under Major General Benjamin F. Butler. Four days later, General Nathaniel Banks received orders to command these troops and upon arrival at New Orleans, to relieve Butler in command of the Department of the Gulf.
When she was finally ready for sea, Augusta proceeded to Hampton Roads and there awaited Banks' transports. The convoy – which was not complete until early in December – sortied from the Virginia Capes on the fourth. While the Union ships were en route south, a fierce storm partially dispersed them; but Augusta managed to remain with most of Banks' transports. This group arrived at Ship Island (Mississippi) on 13 December.