1861: In the Midst of the American Civil War, the Union Navy Acquires a New York City Tugboat

August 17, 1861

Just over four months after the start of the American Civil War, the Union Navy (the name for the U.S. Navy during that military conflict) acquired the steam tugboat Oliver M. Pettit in New York City as part of its fleet. This vessel was purchased on behalf of the Navy by commission agent George D. Morgan, brother-in-law of Gideon Welles, U.S. secretary of the Navy; and a cousin of Edwin D. Morgan, governor of New York.

A wooden sidewheel paddle steamer, Oliver M. Pettit was built in 1857 in Williamsburg, New York.  She was named after a New York City shipping merchant. Over the next few years, Oliver M. Pettit was used in the vicinity of that city to tow or otherwise move vessels in need of such help.

One of those rescue operations was recounted by the New Orleans-based Daily Picayune in its March 24, 1858, edition. This newspaper reported, “The Perth Amboy steamboat Thomas Hunt, while ascending New York Bay, on the morning of the 17^th, struck the rocks at Governor’s Island head on, a few rods east of [Fort Columbus at that location], where she lay for half an hour. All efforts to back her off proved unavailing, and a boat was sent in search of assistance.” The Daily Picayune then noted, “The steam tug Oliver M. Pettit shortly arrived, and relieved her without difficulty.”

Nearly seven weeks after being acquired for military service, Oliver M. Pettit was commissioned at the New York Navy Yard as USS O.M. Pettit. The 106-foot (32-meter)-long tugboat was placed at that time under the command of A.S. Gardner, acting master. (Navy masters were responsible for the navigation of vessels; the rank of master was a commissioned officer rank starting in 1837 and until it was replaced with the current rank of lieutenant, junior grade, in 1883.)

After initially serving as a tugboat at the New York Navy Yard, O.M. Pettit was reassigned to perform those duties instead as part of the South Atlantic Blockading Squadron. The ships in this Union Navy unit were used to enforce the Union blockade of the ports of the Confederacy.

In September 1865 — a few months after the official end of the war — O.M. Pettit was sold by William Radford, Union Navy commodore, to J.W. Walcott at Bay Point in Charleston Harbor, South Carolina. This vessel was ultimately abandoned by commercial owners in 1879.

Photo Credit: Public Domain

For more information on USS O.M. Pettit, please check out https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_O._M._Pettit