USS Peterhoff (1863) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids History |
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 Russia |
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| Name | Peterhoff |
| Namesake | Peterhof Palace |
| Owner | Imperial Russian Government |
| Operator | Imperial Russian Navy |
| Builder | C.J. Mare & Co., Blackwall, London |
| Launched | 1850 |
| Fate | Sold to United Kingdom |
| History | |
 United Kingdom |
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| Name | Peterhoff |
| Fate | Sold to United States |
| History | |
  United States |
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| Name | USS Peterhoff |
| Acquired | by Union Navy forces, 25 February 1863 |
| Commissioned | February 1864 |
| Stricken | 1864 (est.) |
| Fate | Rammed and sunk, 6 March 1864 |
| General characteristics | |
| Tons burthen | 412 tons |
| Length | 210 ft (64 m) |
| Beam | 28 ft (8.5 m) |
| Depth of hold | 15 ft (4.6 m) |
| Propulsion | 140 hp (100 kW) steam engine, screw-propelled |
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USS Peterhoff
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| Lua error in Module:Location_map at line 420: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value). | |
| Nearest city | Fort Fisher, North Carolina |
| Area | 2 acres (0.81 ha) |
| Built | 1863 |
| NRHP reference No. | 75001283 |
| Added to NRHP | 6 August 1975 |
USS Peterhoff was a ship that played a part in the American Civil War. It was first built for the Tsar of Russia. Later, it became a British cargo ship. During the war, the Union Navy captured it. They believed it was trying to sneak past their ships. After being taken, the Peterhoff became a gunboat for the Union Navy.
Contents
The Ship's Journey
Building the Peterhoff
The Peterhoff was a ship made of iron. It weighed 416 tons. It was built in 1850 in Blackwall, London. The ship was originally made for the Tsar of Russia. It had powerful 140 horsepower steam engines.
Early Adventures
When the Peterhoff was sailing to Saint Petersburg, it got stuck. This happened on November 1, 1850, near Saaremaa. The crew had to leave the ship. The ship's insurance company paid the Russian government for the loss. Later, the ship was pulled free. It was then sunk on purpose to protect it from waves.
In the spring of 1851, the Peterhoff was brought back up. It was taken to Riga for quick repairs. In July, it sailed to London. British people bought the ship. They changed it into a cargo ship.
Being Captured
The Peterhoff left Falmouth, Cornwall on January 27, 1863. On February 20, 1863, another ship stopped it. This was the USS Alabama. It happened near Saint Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands. The Alabama checked the Peterhoff's papers. Everything seemed fine, so the Peterhoff was allowed to go.
Then, the Peterhoff went into the harbor at Saint Thomas. Two U.S. Navy ships were there. They were led by Admiral Charles Wilkes. Wilkes was famous for something called the "Trent Affair". On February 25, the Peterhoff left the harbor. Right after, Wilkes ordered the USS Vanderbilt to stop it.
The Peterhoff's papers said it was going to Matamoros, Mexico. But a sailor on board said it was really going to Brownsville, Texas. Brownsville was just across the river from Matamoros. This comment was enough for the Vanderbilt to take the ship. They thought it was a blockade runner. A blockade runner tries to sneak goods past enemy ships. The Peterhoff was sent to Key West.
Both the Danish and British governments were very upset. They protested the capture. But a special court in New York said the ship was taken legally. The Union Navy then bought the Peterhoff. It became a Union Navy ship in February 1864. Lieutenant Thomas Pickering was put in charge. The ship joined the North Atlantic Blockading Squadron. This group of ships tried to stop supplies from reaching the South.
The Sinking of the Peterhoff
On February 28, the ship left Hampton Roads, Virginia. It was going to block the port of Wilmington, North Carolina. But early on March 6, 1864, something unexpected happened. The gunboat Monticello crashed into the Peterhoff. The Monticello thought the Peterhoff was an enemy ship.
The Peterhoff sank in about 30 minutes. Luckily, all the crew members were saved. The next night, men from Mount Vernon and Niphon went to the sunken ship. The water was low. They tried to destroy as much as they could. They cut down the masts and damaged the guns they could reach.
After the War
After the Civil War ended, the Supreme Court looked at the case again. They decided that the Peterhoff had been taken unfairly. The original owners of the Peterhoff received money for their loss.
Divers found the wreck of the Peterhoff in 1963. It was in 30 feet (9 meters) of water. This was off Kure Beach, North Carolina. Later, three large cannons were brought up from the wreck. In 1974, another cannon was found. This one is now at the University of North Carolina Wilmington. Other cannons from the ship are on display. You can see them at Fort Fisher State Historic Site. There are also some at the Carteret County Museum of History in Morehead City, North Carolina. The place where the ship sank was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1975.
