USS Preston was a blockade-running steamer originally named Annie that was captured by the Union Navy during the American Civil War.

Capture of the blockade runner Annie.
History
United States
AcquiredDecember 1864
Commissioned6 February 1865
Decommissioned8 August 1865
Captured31 October 1864
FateSold, 30 August 1865
General characteristics
Displacement428 tons
Length170 ft (52 m)
Beam23 ft 1 in (7.04 m)
Depth of hold13 ft 4 in (4.06 m)
Propulsion

She was placed in service on the Gulf of Mexico by the Union Navy as a gunboat during blockade operations against the Confederate States of America.

Service history

edit

Annie was a twin screw British blockade runner named Annie, and was captured off New Inlet, North Carolina, 31 October 1864 by USS Wilderness and USS Niphon. She was purchased by the Navy from the New York City Prize Court in December 1864 and was renamed Preston on 2 February 1865. The ship was commissioned on 6 February 1865, Acting Volunteer Lt. J. R. Wheeler in command. Assigned to the West Gulf Blockading Squadron, Preston departed New York City on 16 February and arrived at New Orleans, Louisiana on 9 March. She operated along the Texas coast into July and on the 25th was ordered to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Decommissioned in Philadelphia on 8 August 1865, she was sent to New York City in November and sold at auction on the 30th.

See also

edit

References

edit

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