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

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

Division, Washington, D.C. 

 

HENRY JANES 

 

Sch: 

t. 260; 

l. 109' 9"; 

b. 29' 8"; 

dph. 9'; 

a. 1 13" mortar, 2 32-pdr. 

 

HENRY JANES, a motor schooner, was purchased by the Navy from her 

owners, Van Brunt and Slaght, at New York 27 September 1861. She 

commissioned at New York Navy Yard 30 January l862, Acting Master L. W. 

Pennington commanding. 

 

Chosen by the department to be a part of Comdr. D. D. Porter's Mortar 

Flotilla, HENRY JANES was fitted with a mortar and proceeded to 

rendezvous with the other vessels under Porter's command at Key West. 

With the flotilla formed by the end of February, it sailed to join the 

West Gulf Blockading Squadron for the Mississippi River operations 

specifically aimed at the capture of New Orleans. 

 

HENRY JANES and the other ships passed over the bar and into the 

Mississippi River 18 March in preparation for the attack on Forts 

Jackson and St. Phillip. Below New Orleans the mortars opened fire on 

the forts 18 April and kept up a steady and devastating bombardment 

until Flag Officer Farragut passed with his fleet 24 April defeated the 

Confederate Squadron, and steamed triumphantly to New Orleans. The loss 

of this great shipping center, largest and wealthiest city in the South, 

was a disaster from which the South had no hope of recovery 

 

After thus aiding in the key victory at New Orleans the mortar schooners 

returned to Ship Island, Miss., 6 May. There they remained until they 

were called upon to aid in the bombardment of another Confederate 

stronghold-Vicksburg. Arriving below the city 20 June, HENRY JANES and 

the other ships supported Farragut with their fire as he passed the 

batteries 28 June to join with Commodore C. H. Davis farther up the 

river. The ships remained off Vicksburg in July and HENRY JANES 

bombarded the city's defenses on the 15th, before proceeding downriver, 

engaging shore batteries as she went. 

 

Assigned to the blockading forces off the coast of Texas, the schooner's 

next action, at Sabine Pass, was against Confederate batteries near 

Sabine City. The Union vessels entered the pass 21 September and forced 

the defenders to evacuate their fortifications 4 days later. Although 

Sabine City was captured, the Union could dominate only the waters in 

the area as no occupying troops were available. HENRY JANES returned to 

blockading duties, with occasional boat expeditions into the innumerable 

passes and inlets of the Teas coast. On one such expedition, 20 November 

1862, an entire boat crew from the schooner was captured by Confederates 

at Matagorda Bay. 

 

For the next 18 months, HENRY JANES performed blockade and gunfire 

duties at various stations of the West Gulf Blockading Squadron. She was 

below Port Hudson in June 1863 and from February to May 1864 operated 

off Fort Powell, near Mobile and Pensacola, Fla. She was sent to New 

York 5 May i864 for repairs to her hull and replacement of her mortar. 

The ship was subsequently turned over to the ordnance department 8 

August, and assigned to the North Atlantic Blockading Squadron as an 

ordnance vessel. 

 

HENRY JANES sailed from New York 30 August to report in the sounds of 

North Carolina on ordnance duty. She remained there until sent north in 

June 1865, decommissioned 12 July 1865, and was sold to George Burnham, 

Jr., 20 July 1865 at Portsmouth, N.H.