| History | |
|---|---|
 United States | |
| Name | Rebecca Sims |
| Launched | 1801 |
| Acquired | 21 October 1861 |
| In service | 1861 |
| Out of service | 1861 |
| Fate | Sunk, 19–20 December 1861 |
| General characteristics | |
| Tonnage | 400 tons |
| Length | not known |
| Beam | not known |
| Propulsion | sail |
| Speed | not known |
| Complement | not known |
USSRebecca Sims was built as a general trading ship in 1801 by Samuel Bowers ofPhiladelphia, Pennsylvania, for Joseph Sims.
During theAmerican Civil War she was acquired by theUnion Navy, which used her as part of thestone fleet of obstructions of the ports and waterways of theConfederate States of America.
Refitted during the winter of 1806-07, she set a record of 14 days on an eastbound run fromCape Henlopen, Delaware, to the mouth of theRiver Mersey (Liverpool, England) in May 1807.
She was eventually taken out of general trading service; refitted as a whaler, and, by 1850, was sailing fromNew Bedford, Massachusetts, on extended voyages to the South Atlantic Ocean and to the Pacific Ocean.
She is also known for capturing the woundedsperm whale responsible for the sinking of theAnn Alexander off the coast of theGalapagos Islands.
Still operating at the outbreak of the Civil War,Rebecca Sims was acquired by theUnion Navy atFairhaven, Massachusetts, on 21 October 1861 for use in theStone Fleet, the ships which were to be sunk as obstacles in the shipping channels of the South's major ports.
The whaler was stripped of all unnecessary equipment; filled with stone; and, under the command of her previous master, James M. Willis, sent south in late November. In early December, she arrived offSavannah, Georgia, whence, at mid-month, she proceeded toPort Royal, South Carolina. On 19–20 December, she and 16 other ships were sunk in the main channel ofCharleston Harbor.
This article incorporates text from thepublic domainDictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. The entry can be foundhere.
