From: Dictionary of American Fighting Ships, Vol. III, 1968, Navy  

Department, Office of the Chief of Naval Operations, Naval History  

Division, Washington, D.C. 

 

HURON 

 

ScStr.: 

t. 507; 

l. 158'; 

b. 28'; 

dph. 12'; 

a. 1 11-inch D. sb., 1 20-pdr., 2 24" how. 

 

The first HURON, a schooner-rigged screw steamer, was launched 21 

September 1861 by Paul Curtis, Boston under Navy contract; and 

commissioned 8 January 1862 at Boston Navy Yard, Lt. John Downes in 

command. 

 

HURON joined the South Atlantic Blockading Squadron in February to take 

part in Union strangulation of Confederate commerce, and steamed off the 

coasts of Georgia and Florida. In addition to blockading duties, her men 

often took part in shore expeditions against the Confederates, as on 15 

March 1862 on the Georgia coast. HURON chased a schooner ashore 12 April 

1862 and 7 days later captured schooner GLIDE off Charleston with 100 

bales of cotton and other cargo. She also captured schooner ALBERT 1 May 

and British blockade runner CAMBRIA 26 May. As Union naval power 

increased the pressure on Charleston in coordination with the Army, 

HURON engaged batteries in the Stono River 30 May and took part in an 

engagement with Fort McAllister 29 July 1862. Back on regular blockade 

duty, she captured schooner AQUILLA 4 August. 

 

HURON continued her patrol and blockading duties off Charleston into 

1863. During the ironclad attack on the forts in Charleston Harbor 7 

April 1863, the ship formed part of a reserve squadron outside the bar. 

Five days later, while patrolling with FLAG, she detected blockade-

running steamer STONEWALL JACKSON attempting to dash into Charleston. 

The two Union ships opened fire immediately, so damaging the blockade 

runner that she was forced to run aground and destroy her cargo, which 

included vitally needed Army artillery and shoes. 

 

The veteran blockader made two more captures in December 1863-January 

1864, and later in 1864 moved north to join the North Atlantic 

Blockading Squadron, whose main attention was turned to Wilmington, 

N.C., and its powerful defender, Fort Fisher. During the first attack on 

the fort 24 to 25 December 1864, HURON took part in the bombardment 

which was to cover the storming by Army troops. This first assault 

aborted, but preparations were quickly made for a second joint operation 

in January 1865. Again HURON provided a part of the devastating naval 

bombardment; and, with the help of a landing party of 2,000 sailors and 

marines, the Army assault forces captured Fort Fisher, 15 January 1865, 

effectually closing Wilmington to blockade runners. Then, during the 

final months of the war, HURON took part in combined operations against 

the city itself, bombarding Forts Anderson and St Philip in February. 

 

After Appomattox, responding to the attempted escape of President Davis 

of the Confederate States, HURON steamed to Key West in an effort to 

capture Confederate officials bound for Havana or Mexico by water. She 

arrived 2 May, but Davis was captured near Iwinville, Ga., 10 May 1865. 

 

HURON served on South American station after the Civil War returning to 

New York and decommissioning 8 October 1868. She was sold at New York 14 

June 1869.