USS Unit

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Ship Information (from DANFS)¹,²:

Name: USS Unit	Type: Screw Tug	Tonnage: 57 (or 56)
Length: Not Listed.	Beam: Not Listed.	Draught: 8’
Speed: Max: 7.5 knots	Complement: Not Listed.	Class: Not Listed.
Armament: Apparently none.
Namesake: Not Listed.

Images:

Image Needed (Does One Exist?)

 

Captain(s):
Acting Ensign Charles B. Perry
Captain Image

Acting Ensign Henry P. Hathaway
Captain Image

Captain 3
Captain Image

 

First Offensive Order of Battle (June 13-18, 1864):

Boston, MA, not present at the Siege of Petersburg. (June 2, 1864)³

• Captain:
• Crew Strength:
• Armament:
• Note: The USS Unit served as a tug and repair vessel in Hampton Roads, Va., for the duration of the Civil War.⁴
• Unit was purchased at Boston, Mass., on June 2, 1864.⁵

Second Offensive Order of Battle (June 19-30, 1864):

• Captain:
• Crew Strength:
• Armament:
• Note: The USS Unit served as a tug and repair vessel in Hampton Roads, Va., for the duration of the Civil War.⁶

Third Offensive Order of Battle (July 1-31, 1864): Fourth Division (James River) | North Atlantic Blockading Squadron | Union Navy (July 31, 1864)⁷

• Captain:
• Crew Strength:
• Armament:
• Note: The USS Unit served as a tug and repair vessel in Hampton Roads, Va., for the duration of the Civil War.⁸
• Note: On July 31, 1864, this ship is noted as at “Hampton Roads, tug.”⁹

Fourth Offensive Order of Battle (August 1-31, 1864): Fourth Division (James River) | North Atlantic Blockading Squadron | Union Navy (August 17, 1864)¹⁰

• Captain:
• Crew Strength:
• Armament:
• Note: The USS Unit served as a tug and repair vessel in Hampton Roads, Va., for the duration of the Civil War.¹¹

Fifth Offensive Order of Battle (September 1-October 13, 1864): Second Division (Hampton Roads and James River) | North Atlantic Blockading Squadron | Union Navy (September 1 & 16 and October 1, 1864)¹²,¹³,¹⁴

• Captain:
• Crew Strength:
• Armament:

• Note: On September 16, 1864, this ship is noted as a “tug, Hampton Roads.”¹⁵
• Note: On October 1, 1864, this ship is noted as at “Craney Island.”¹⁶

• Note: The USS Unit served as a tug and repair vessel in Hampton Roads, Va., for the duration of the Civil War.¹⁷

Sixth Offensive Order of Battle (October 14-31, 1864):

• Captain:
• Crew Strength:
• Armament:
• Note: The USS Unit served as a tug and repair vessel in Hampton Roads, Va., for the duration of the Civil War.¹⁸

Seventh Offensive Order of Battle (November 1-December 31, 1864):

Norfolk Navy Yard, Va. | North Atlantic Blockading Squadron | Union Navy (November 1, 1864)¹⁹

Norfolk, Va. | North Atlantic Blockading Squadron | Union Navy (December 5 & 15, 1864)²⁰,²¹

• Captain:
  • Acting Ensign Charles B. Parry [sic, Perry] (November 1 and December 5, 1864)²²,²³
  • Acting Ensign Henry P. Hathaway (December 15, 1864)²⁴
• Crew Strength:
• Armament:
• Note: On November 1, 1864, this ship is noted as on “tug duty.”²⁵

• Note: On December 15, 1864, this ship is noted as a “Class 4” vessel.²⁶
• Note: The USS Unit served as a tug and repair vessel in Hampton Roads, Va., for the duration of the Civil War.²⁷

Eighth Offensive Order of Battle (January 1-February 28, 1865):

James River, Va. | North Atlantic Blockading Squadron | Union Navy (January 1, 1865)²⁸

Norfolk, Va. | North Atlantic Blockading Squadron | Union Navy (January 15 and February 1 & 15, 1865)²⁹,³⁰,³¹

• Captain: Acting Ensign Henry P. Hathaway (January 1 & 15 and February 1 & 15, 1865)³²,³³,³⁴,³⁵
• Crew Strength:
• Armament:
• Note: On January 1 & 15 and February 1 & 15, 1865, this ship is noted as a “Class 4” vessel.³⁶,³⁷,³⁸,³⁹
• Note: The USS Unit served as a tug and repair vessel in Hampton Roads, Va., for the duration of the Civil War.⁴⁰

Ninth Offensive Order of Battle (March 1-April 2, 1865):

Norfolk, Va. | North Atlantic Blockading Squadron | Union Navy (March 18, 1865)⁴¹

Fleet Engineer’s Tug [probably in Norfolk, Va.] | North Atlantic Blockading Squadron | Union Navy (April 1, 1865)⁴²

Fleet Engineer’s Tug, Norfolk, Va. | North Atlantic Blockading Squadron | Union Navy (April 15, 1865)⁴³

• Captain: Acting Ensign Henry P. Hathaway (March 18 and April 1 & 15, 1865)⁴⁴,⁴⁵,⁴⁶
• Crew Strength:
• Armament:
• Note: On March 18 and April 1 & 15, 1865, this ship is noted as a “Screw Class” vessel.⁴⁷,⁴⁸,⁴⁹
• Note: The USS Unit served as a tug and repair vessel in Hampton Roads, Va., for the duration of the Civil War.⁵⁰

 

Siege of Petersburg Battles:

• TBD

 

Siege of Petersburg Involvement:⁵

Unit, steamer Union built at Philadelphia, Pa., in 1862, was purchased at Boston, Mass., on 2 June 1864. Unit was assigned to the North Atlantic Blockading Squadron and served as a tug and repair vessel in Hampton Roads, Va., for the duration of the Civil War. In June 1865, the tug was sent to New York City.

Unit was sold at auction there on 12 July 1865 to C. and E. T. Peters. Redocumented as a merchant steamer on 6 September 1865, Unit remained in mercantile service until 1902.

 

Bibliography:

Siege of Petersburg Documents Which Mention This Unit:

Sources: