Sinking of Petrel facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Sinking of Petrel |
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| Part of the American Civil War | |||||||
 "Destruction of the privateer Petrel by the St. Lawrence." |
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| Belligerents | |||||||
 United States |
 Confederate States |
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| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
 Hugh Y. Purviance |
 William Perry |
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| Strength | |||||||
| 1 frigate | 1 schooner | ||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||
| ~1 wounded 1 frigate damaged |
4 killed 36 captured 1 schooner sunk |
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The Sinking of Petrel happened in July 1861 during the American Civil War. A ship from the U.S. Navy, called USS St. Lawrence, was sailing near South Carolina. It met a Confederate privateer ship named Petrel. A privateer was a private ship that was allowed by its government to attack enemy ships. The battle ended with the Union side winning. The Confederate sailors who survived were captured.
About the Ships
The USS St. Lawrence
The USS St. Lawrence was a large frigate (a type of warship) that used sails. It was built for the Mexican–American War. This ship was very big, weighing about 1,176 tons. It carried fifty guns. Captain Hugh Y. Purviance was in charge of the St. Lawrence. His job was to sail south and join the Union blockade. A blockade is when ships surround an enemy's ports to stop supplies from getting in or out.
The Petrel
The Petrel was a much smaller ship. It was a schooner, which is a type of sailing ship with two or more masts. The Petrel only had two guns. Captain William Perry commanded the Petrel. This ship used to be a U.S. Revenue Cutter Service ship named William Aiken. The Confederates captured it and renamed it Petrel.
The Petrel had a very short life as a Confederate ship. It was made ready for battle in Charleston, South Carolina, on July 10, 1861. It sailed out of Charleston on July 28. The Petrel had fewer than fifty crew members. The St. Lawrence, however, had almost 500 sailors.
The Battle Begins
On the night of July 28, lookouts on the St. Lawrence saw a ship. It was flying British flags off the coast of South Carolina. The Union sailors did not know it at the time, but this ship was the Petrel.
A chase started and lasted for about four hours. The St. Lawrence was much faster and began to catch up. Some stories say the St. Lawrence pretended to be a regular merchant ship. This trick might have made the Petrel come closer to attack.
However, Captain Perry of the Petrel soon realized the St. Lawrence was a powerful Union warship. He decided to try and escape as fast as he could.
The Sinking of Petrel
When Captain Perry saw that escaping was impossible, the Petrel raised its own flag. It then fired its 32-pounder gun at the St. Lawrence. After three shots, the Union sailors fired back. They hit the Petrel twice in its side.
The two ships exchanged fire for about twenty minutes. Then, Captain Perry ordered his crew to get into lifeboats and leave the ship. About thirty minutes later, the Petrel was completely underwater. It had many holes from the cannon shots.
The USS St. Lawrence had some minor damage to its sails and ropes. This was easily fixed. Only one Union sailor had a small injury. Thirty-six Confederate sailors were captured. Four other men went down with their ship. The captured Confederate sailors were later sent to Philadelphia. They were held there for the rest of the war.
