History
United States
Laid down	date unknown
Launched	1864
Acquired	6 December 1864
Commissioned	24 February 1865
Decommissioned	3 July 1865
Stricken	1865 (est.)
Fate	Sold, 17 August 1865
General characteristics
Displacement	183 tons
Length	155 ft 2 in (47.29 m)
Beam	31 ft 9 in (9.68 m)
Draft	4 ft (1.2 m)
Propulsion	steam engine stern-wheel propelled
Speed	5 knots
Complement	not known
Armament	two 30-pounder guns one 12-pounder smoothbore four 24-pounder howitzers

USS Colossus was a steamer acquired by the Union Navy towards the end of the American Civil War. She was used to patrol navigable waterways of the Confederacy to prevent the South from trading with other countries.

Colossus, a stern wheel steamer, was built in 1864 at Freedom, Pennsylvania; purchased 6 December 1864 at Cincinnati, Ohio, by the U.S. Navy; outfitted at Mound City, Illinois; and commissioned 24 February 1865, Acting Master F. G. Sampson in command.

Assigned to serve in the Mississippi Squadron

Serving in the Mississippi Squadron, Colossus patrolled the waters between Vicksburg, Mississippi, and the Arkansas River until 15 June 1865 when she returned to Mound City.

Colossus was placed out of commission 3 July 1865 and sold 17 August 1865.

References

• This article incorporates text from the public domain Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. The entry can be found here.