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 USSCommodore Hull | |
| History | |
|---|---|
.svg)  United States | |
| Name | USSCommodore Hull |
| Namesake | CommodoreIsaac Hull |
| Ordered | asNuestra Senora de Regla |
| Launched | 1860 |
| Acquired | 1 September 1862 |
| Commissioned | 27 November 1862 |
| Decommissioned | 8 June 1865 |
| Fate | Sold, 27 September 1865 |
| General characteristics | |
| Type | Gunboat |
| Displacement | 376 long tons (382 t) |
| Length | 141 ft (43 m) |
| Beam | 28 ft 4 in (8.64 m) |
| Draft | 9 ft (2.7 m) |
| Propulsion |
|
| Speed | 10 kn (12 mph; 19 km/h) |
| Armament |
|
USSCommodore Hull was aferryboat acquired by theUnion Navy during theAmerican Civil War. She was outfitted as agunboat and assigned to theUnion blockade of theConfederate States of America.
Commodore Hull – aside-wheel ferryboat – was built atNew York City in 1860 (or 1861[1]) as the civilian ferryboatNuestra Señora del Regla, intended for use atHavana, Cuba. Purchased by the Union Navy on 1 September 1862, she was converted to agunboat and commissioned on 27 November 1862,ActingMaster W. G. Saltonstall in command.Commodore Hull was named in honor ofCommodoreIsaac Hull (1773–1843), a significant U.S. Naval commander during and after theWar of 1812. There were four subsequentUSS Hulls, all destroyers.Commodore Hull's ferryboat design made her especially useful for operations in sheltered waters, so she was assigned to theNorth Atlantic Blockading Squadron and operated along the coasts and rivers ofVirginia andNorth Carolina. She took part in the siege ofWashington, N.C. from 30 March – 16 April 1863. InAlbemarle Sound, she took part in the 5 May 1864Battle of Albemarle Sound with the Confederate ironcladCSSAlbemarle. As a picket,Commodore Hull was the first to sight the formidable ram approaching and fired at her from close quarters in the three-hour engagement.
Commodore Hull joined in the attacks on and the capture ofPlymouth, N.C. on 29 October. On 31 October, she was heavily damaged by Confederate batteries, losing four killed and three wounded.Coxswain Patrick Colbert was awarded theMedal of Honor for action on that date.Commodore Hull was repaired and remained active until the end of the Civil War. She was decommissioned on 8 June 1865 at theNew York Navy Yard.Commodore Hull was sold at the Yard on 27 September. She was subsequently renamed toWaccamaw in civilian employment, which lasted until sometime prior to 1885. Abandoned on theCape Fear River across from downtownWilmington, North Carolina, the steamboat was burned to the waterline in 1886. Some of her remains (consisting of the engine bed, boiler foundation, portions of the lower hull and paddle wheel spokes) are still visible at low tide.
This article incorporates text from thepublic domainDictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships.