USS Mackinaw in the James River, ca. 1865–65
History
Laid down	1863
Launched	22 April 1863
Decommissioned	4 May 1867
Fate	Sold 3 October 1867
General characteristics
Class and type	Sassacus-class gunboat
Displacement	974 tons
Length	206 ft
Beam	35 ft
Draft	9 ft
Installed power	Vertical beam steam engine
Propulsion	Sidewheels
Speed	14 knots
Armament	2 × 100-pdr Parrott rifle 4 × 9-inch smoothbore 2 × 24-pdr smoothbore 1 × heavy 12-pdr 1 × 12-pdr rifle

USS Mackinaw was a 974-ton sidewheel gunboat of the United States Navy which saw service during the American Civil War.

Service

Mackinaw, built at the New York Navy Yard in 1863, was launched 22 April 1863, and commissioned at New York 23 April 1864, Comdr. J. C. Beaumont in command.

Mackinaw joined the North Atlantic Blockading Squadron, starting picket duty on the James River in May and remaining on the river for most of 1864. She destroyed the steamer Georgiana McCaw 5 June and supported Union troops on their advance from Dutch Gap, Va., 11 August.

Transferred to the Wilmington blockade, Mackinaw chased a steamer 7 November and captured schooner Mary east of Charleston 3 December. She participated in the attacks on Fort Fisher 24 and 25 December and 13 and 14 January 1865. She went into action against Fort Anderson 18 February, shelling the works at Port Royal until the latter part of April. She was ordered to Portsmouth, New Hampshire, 26 April and decommissioned 11 May.

Recommissioned 18 January 1866, Mackinaw served in the North Atlantic Squadron and in the West Indies until decommissioning 4 May 1867. She was sold at public auction at Philadelphia 3 October 1867.

References

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

External links

• Photo gallery at Naval historical Center