USS R. R. Cuyler (1860) facts for kids
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|} The USS R. R. Cuyler was a steamer that served in the United States Navy during the American Civil War. She was a gunboat, which is a small warship with cannons. Her main job was to help the Union blockade against the Confederate States of America. This blockade stopped supplies from reaching the Southern states.
The ship was named after R. R. Cuyler, who was the president of the Central Georgia Railroad.
Contents
| History | |
|---|---|
  United States |
|
| Cost | $142,000 |
| Laid down | date unknown |
| Launched | 1860, in New York |
| Acquired | May 1861 |
| Commissioned | circa June 1861 |
| Decommissioned | 1 July 1865 |
| Stricken | est. 1865 |
| Fate |
|
| General characteristics | |
| Displacement | 1,200 tons |
| Length | 237 ft (72 m) |
| Beam | 33 ft 3 in (10.13 m) |
| Draught | 17 ft (5.2 m) |
| Propulsion |
|
| Speed | 14 knots |
| Complement | not known |
| Armament |
|
Building the R. R. Cuyler
The R. R. Cuyler was built in 1860 by Samuel Sneeden in New York City. Before the war, she worked for a company called H. B. Cromwell & Company. She sailed between New York, Havana, and New Orleans.
In March 1861, when the American Civil War began, she stopped working. The War Department then rented her. She helped transport soldiers from New York to Washington, D.C.. In May 1861, the Navy took her over, and officially bought her in August.
R. R. Cuyler's Civil War Service
Serving in the Gulf Blockade
In early June, the R. R. Cuyler left New York City. Captain Francis B. Ellison was in charge. On June 9, she arrived at Key West, Florida. From there, she went north to help with the blockade near Tampa, Florida.
Even though some of her crew got sick, the R. R. Cuyler helped capture and burn a ship called Finland on August 26. This happened in Apalachicola Bay. Later, in November, she stopped and helped capture two other steamers, the A. J. View and the Henry Lewis.
In December, she helped capture several smaller ships. These included the sloops Advocate, Express, and Osceola, and the schooners Delight and Olive. In January 1863, she captured the schooner J. W. Wilder. Two months later, she captured the schooner Grace E. Baker near Cuba. On May 3, she captured the schooner Jane at sea.
During May, the R. R. Cuyler was stationed near Mobile Bay. There, she captured the steamer Eugenie and the schooners Hunter and Isabel. On July 14, she added the steamer Kate Dale to her list of captured ships.
After this, the gunboat was told to look for a Confederate ship called Tallahassee. While on this mission on December 4, she stopped and captured the steamer Armstrong. A search found illegal goods, so the ship was taken.
Moving to the North Atlantic Blockade
The R. R. Cuyler then joined the North Atlantic Blockading Squadron. This group worked off Wilmington, North Carolina, until the end of the Civil War.
She helped attack Fort Fisher in the Cape Fear River on December 24 and 25, 1864. She also took part in capturing Fort Anderson nearby on February 18 and 19, 1865.
After the War
After the Civil War ended, the R. R. Cuyler went back to New York City. She was taken out of service on July 1, 1865. She was then sold at an auction on August 15 to Russel Sturgis.
In December 1866, the country of Colombia bought her. When she arrived at Cartagena, she was renamed El Rayo. She stayed in Cartagena Harbor from February to September 1867. There was a disagreement about her ownership after a change in government. In mid-September 1867, a storm blew her from her anchors. She crashed onto a coral reef and was left there.
Remembering the R. R. Cuyler
One of the cannons from the R. R. Cuyler was given to the town of Oyster Bay, New York. The United States Department of the Navy presented it. President Theodore Roosevelt showed it to the public in June 1903. You can still see this cannon today in Townsend Park in Oyster Bay.
See also
In Spanish: USS RR Cuyler para niños
