USS Underwriter (1852)
| History | |
|---|---|
 United States
|
|
| Laid down: | date unknown |
| Launched: | 1852 |
| Acquired: | 23 August 1861 at New York City |
| Commissioned: | 22 August 1861 at New York City |
| Out of service: | burned, 2 February 1864 |
| Struck: | (est.) 1864 |
| Captured: |
|
| Fate: | burned by Confederate forces |
| General characteristics | |
| Displacement: | 341 tons |
| Length: | 170 ft (52 m) |
| Beam: | 23 ft 7 in (7.19 m) |
| Draught: | 8 ft 1 in (2.46 m) |
| Propulsion: |
|
| Speed: | not known |
| Complement: | not known |
| Armament: |
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USS Underwriter (1852) was a 341-ton steamer acquired by the Union Navy during the American Civil War.
Underwriter was outfitted as a gunboat, whose primary task was to prevent ships from penetrating the Union blockade of Southern ports.
Underwriter—a side-wheel steamer built in 1852 at Brooklyn, New York—was purchased by the Navy at New York City on 23 August 1861; and commissioned there on 22 August, Lt. James M. Prichett in command.
Assigned to the Potomac Flotilla, Underwriter arrived in the Potomac River off Aquia Creek, Virginia, ill prepared for active duty, and proceeded to the Washington Navy Yard on 28 August for extensive repairs and alterations. While laid up, she was transferred to the North Atlantic Blockading Squadron.
The vessel sailed for Hampton Roads, Virginia, on 3 October and joined the blockade off Hatteras Inlet, North Carolina, on 9 October.
Underwriter, USS General Putnam, and USS Ceres left Hatteras Inlet on 14 November and proceeded southwest to Ocracoke Inlet. There, they scuttled three stone-filled hulks, effectively closing the inlet to Confederate shipping.
The three vessels also participated in the capture of Confederate works on Roanoke Island, North Carolina, on 7 and 8 February 1862, and saw action during the capture of Elizabeth City, North Carolina, on 10 February.
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