USS Lily (1862)
USS Lily (1862) was a tugboat acquired by the Union Navy during the American Civil War. It was used by the Navy to patrol navigable waterways of the Confederacy to prevent the South from trading with other countries.
| History | |
|---|---|
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| Ordered: | as Jessie Benton |
| Laid down: | date unknown |
| Launched: | date unknown |
| Acquired: | 30 September 1862 |
| In service: | 19 October 1862 |
| Out of service: | 28 May 1863 |
| Struck: | 1863 (est.) |
| Fate: | sunk, 28 May 1863 |
| General characteristics | |
| Displacement: | 50 long tons (50 t) |
| Length: | not known |
| Beam: | not known |
| Draft: | not known |
| Propulsion: | steam engine |
| Speed: | not known |
| Complement: | not known |
| Armament: | not known |
Construction and commissioning
Lily, a steam tugboat, was built as Jessie Benton, and purchased by the War Department 5 May 1862. Used by the Quartermaster Corps on the western rivers, she was known as Jessie until transferred to the Navy 30 September 1862, Acting Ensign R. H. Smith in command, and renamed Lily on 19 October 1862.
Service history
Assigned to Rear Admiral David Dixon Porter’s Mississippi Squadron, she served on the river, including duty during the Vicksburg campaign.
Lily sank near Chickasaw Bayou in the Yazoo River in collision with the ironclad ram USS Choctaw on 28 May 1863.
References
This article incorporates text from the public domain Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. The entry can be found here.