Thursday, November 29, 2007

USS Hetzel on the Header

The ship being highlighted this week is the USS Hetzel. She was a 200-ton sidewheel steamer armed with a 9-inch smoothbore gun and an 80-pounder (possibly rifled). She was built in 1861 for use by the US Coast Survey, but was transferred to the Navy Department under the command of Lt. H.K. Davenport.

She was assigned to the North Atlantic Blockading Squadron and after an engagement at Hampton Roads, VA in early December 1861 was sent to the North Carolina coast where she spent the remainder of the Civil War. Throughout the war she was involved in numerous joint force actions in the sounds and rivers of the state, spanning from Hatteras and Elizabeth City in the north to New Bern in the south. She acted as the command ship in the sounds of North Carolina for most of the war.

***As of 8:30 p.m. on Thursday, November 29 the header of the blog is not showing correctly. I do not know what has caused this problem, as the full photo was showing earlier today. Hopefully this issue will resolve itself. AD

2 comments:

RoadDog said...

I take it all the US ships will be ones involved with the NC waters around New Bern?

Andrew Duppstadt said...

That is correct. After the Hetzel, I will be highlighting the Delaware, Shawsheen, and Seymour. Stay tuned!