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Photo # NH 63842: Steamship South Carolina, which was USS South Carolina in 1861-66.  Artwork by Erik Heyl

Online Library of Selected Images:
-- U.S. NAVY SHIPS --

USS South Carolina (1861-1866).
Originally the civilian steamship South Carolina (1860) and later named Juniata

South Carolina, a 1165-ton (burden) iron screw steamship built at Boston, Massachusetts in 1860, was purchased by the Navy in May 1861 for Civil War service. She was commissioned later in that month as USS South Carolina and assigned to the Gulf Blockading Squadron. While serving along the Texas coast during the next few months, she captured or destroyed more than a dozen would-be blockade runners, mainly sailing vessels. She also engaged Confederate shore batteries at Galveston, Texas, on 3 August. South Carolina took three other schooners and a sloop off Louisiana in October-December 1861 and, on 19 February 1862, assisted in the pursuit and capture of the steamer Magnolia.

Following repairs in March-June 1862, South Carolina joined the South Atlantic Blockading Squadron, which operated along the coasts of Florida, Georgia and South Carolina. While on that station her accomplishments included the capture or destruction of several more blockade runners, among them the steamship Alliance, which was seized on 12 April 1864 after running aground.

In March 1865 South Carolina began conversion to a store ship, recommissioning in that role in June. For more than a year she transported supplies in the Western Atlantic and the Gulf of Mexico. USS South Carolina was decommissioned in August 1866. Sold in October of that year, she soon resumed commercial employment under the name Juniata. In 1893 the old ship was converted to a barge and, on 17 February 1902, sank while under tow.

This page features all the views we have related to USS South Carolina and the civilian steamship South Carolina (later Juniata).


If you want higher resolution reproductions than the digital images presented here, see: "How to Obtain Photographic Reproductions."

Click on the small photograph to prompt a larger view of the same image.

Photo #: NH 63842

South Carolina
(American Steamship, 1860)

Watercolor by Erik Heyl, 1948, painted for use in his book "Early American Steamers", Volume I.
This steamer served as USS South Carolina during 1861-1866. She was renamed Juniata upon returning to commercial employment in 1866.

Courtesy of Erik Heyl.

U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph.

Online Image: 70KB; 740 x 390 pixels

 
Photo #: NH 59366

"Merchant Steamers Converted into Gun-boats."


Engraving published in "Harper's Weekly", July-December 1861 volume.
It depicts thirteen merchant steamships acquired by the U.S. Navy between April and August 1861 and subsequently converted into warships, plus the steamer Nashville (far left), which became a Confederate cruiser.
U.S. Navy ships, as identified below the image bottom, are (from left to right): Alabama, Quaker City, Santiago de Cuba (listed as "St. Jago de Cuba"), Mount Vernon, Massachusetts, South Carolina, Florida, De Soto, Augusta, James Adger, Monticello, Bienville and R.R. Cuyler.

U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph.

Online Image: 182KB; 1200 x 470 pixels

 
Photo #: NH 59135

"Shelling the Batteries at Galveston, by the United States War Steamer South Carolina, on Monday Afternoon, 5th August."


Line engraving published in "Frank Leslie's Illustrated Newspaper", 1861, depicting USS South Carolina in action against Confederate shore batteries at Galveston, Texas, in August 1861.

U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph.

Online Image: 118KB; 740 x 435 pixels

 
Photo #: NH 59265

"Our Blockading Fleet off North Channel, Charleston Harbor, South Carolina."


Line engraving published in "Harper's Weekly", January-June 1863, page 76.
U.S. Navy ships depicted are (from left to right): South Carolina, G.W. Blunt, Daylight and Stars and Stripes.

U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph.

Online Image: 83KB; 900 x 260 pixels

 


If you want higher resolution reproductions than the digital images presented here, see: "How to Obtain Photographic Reproductions."


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Page made 12 October 2002