|
Later Classes of Monitors:
USS Galena
|
Gun ports, USS Galena
From the Collections of The Mariners' Museum
|
One of the first Ironclads built by
the US Navy. It was launched February 14, 1862 at Bushnell,
Mystic, Connecticut. The ship was towed to Fort Monroe, Virginia
and arrived April 14 to join the North Atlantic Blockading Squadron.
The Galena traveled up the James River with gunboats
Port Royal and Aroostook on May 8, 1862 in the
pursuit of Richmond. The ships destroyed the Confederate battery
Rock Wharf and engaged the battery at Mother Tynes' Bluff knocking
out all but one gun.
Joined by the Monitor and the
Naugatauk on May 12, the Galena and other gun
boats explored James Island and then Harrison's Bar at City
Point. The Galena stopped two steamers with contraband
and engaged them. At Drewry's Bluff numerous hits perforated
her armor killing 12 and wounding 15 men. On June 27, 1862,
General McClellan boarded her for a reconnaissance mission to
establish a new camp near Harrison's Landing.
|
USS Galena
From the Collections of The Mariners' Museum
|
In July 1862 the Galena was used
as protection for the daily movement of Army transports and
supply ships up the James River. She was detached from the James
River Flotilla in September 1862 and assigned to picket duty
at Hampton Roads. She was sent on May 21, 1863 to Philadelphia
for repairs. Her iron plating was stripped off and the Galena
was turned into a wooden hull ship. After refitting she was
sent to the Gulf of Mexico, before leaving New Castle, Delaware
February 1864, she was iced in. After being towed out to sea,
leaks formed and the Galena had to put into Baltimore
for repairs. She finally joined the West Gulf Blockading Squadron
in Pensacola on May 20, 1864. She was assigned to blockade Mobile,
Alabama, and participated in the attacks on the fort. She was
then transferred to the East Gulf Blockading Squadron out of
Key West.
|
Gundeck of the Galena
From the Collections of The Mariners' Museum
|
Decommissioned in November 1864 for
repairs and sent back to the North Atlantic Squadron in Newport
News, Virginia, she served as a picket and patrol ship at the
mouth of the Nansemond River and the James River. She was then
decommissioned in Portsmouth on June 5, 1865 and then recommissioned
for movement to Hampton Roads. Her final decommissioning was
June 1865. Through survey the Galena was condemned in
1870 and broken up at the Norfolk Navy Yard in 1872.
Displacement: 738 tons
Length: 210 feet
Beam: 36 feet
Draft: 11 feet
First Previous
Next Last
Go to Main Category:
Historic Legacy of the Monitor
Go to other documents in this category:
Introduction: Later Classes of
Monitors
Timeline of Later Monitors
|
![[ Navigation Bar ]](../../resources/navigation.gif){kind=small}