Gunboat MENDOTA

tmh10

Major
Joined
Mar 2, 2012
Location
Pipestem,WV
01907v.jpg


James River, Virginia. Gunboat MENDOTA.
CREATED/PUBLISHED
1864.
NOTES
Caption from negative sleeve: Gun boat Mendota [on the James River, 1864].
Two plates form left (LC-B811-2541A) and right (LC-B811-2541B) halves of a stereograph pair.
Corresponding print is in LOT 4182.
Forms part of Civil War glass negative collection (Library of Congress).
 
Bee-yootiful shot of a "double-ender"! And one that I'm not sure I've seen before... the fore and aft pilothouses are clearly visible, as are the similarity of bow and stern... but for the placement of the funnel, this one was practically fore-and-aft symmetrical. (As far as steaming goes, anyway. I'm not so certain about sailing, but I suspect the rigging was only braced up for "forward" movement.)
 
Bee-yootiful shot of a "double-ender"! And one that I'm not sure I've seen before... the fore and aft pilothouses are clearly visible, as are the similarity of bow and stern... but for the placement of the funnel, this one was practically fore-and-aft symmetrical. (As far as steaming goes, anyway. I'm not so certain about sailing, but I suspect the rigging was only braced up for "forward" movement.)
I haven't seen this one before either, Mark. I knew you would like it so I posted it to see if anybody knew anything about her.
 
Well, for starters, from DANFS, Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships:

Mendota

A lake in Wisconsin. Madison, the State capital, is located on Mendota’s southern shore.

I

(SwGbt: dp. 974; l. 205'; b. 35'; dr. 8'9"; s. 11 k.; a. 2 100‑pdr., 4 9" S. B., 2 24‑pdr., 2 20‑pdr.; cl. Sassacus)

Mendota, a sidewheel gunboat, was launched 13 January 1863 by F. Z. Tucker, Brooklyn, N.Y.; acquired by the Navy 1 February 1864; and commissioned 2 May 1864, Comdr. E. T. Nichols in command.

From the day of her commissioning in 1864, Mendota was assigned to the James River (Va.) Division, North Atlantic Blockading Squadron. The first 10 months she served as a picket ship near Four Mile Creek. Her guns were used to prevent the establishment of Confederate batteries or entrenchments which would threaten river communications or imperil a small Union Army base camp. Action on 28 July was particularly intense. During her last 2 months of service she directed ship movements at Hampton Roads and also at the mouth of the Delaware River.

After the war Mendota decommissioned 12 May 1865 and was laid up at League Island, Philadelphia, until sold 7 December 1867.

( http://www.history.navy.mil/danfs/m8/mendota-i.htm )
 
Well, for starters, from DANFS, Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships:

Mendota

A lake in Wisconsin. Madison, the State capital, is located on Mendota’s southern shore.

I

(SwGbt: dp. 974; l. 205'; b. 35'; dr. 8'9"; s. 11 k.; a. 2 100‑pdr., 4 9" S. B., 2 24‑pdr., 2 20‑pdr.; cl. Sassacus)

Mendota, a sidewheel gunboat, was launched 13 January 1863 by F. Z. Tucker, Brooklyn, N.Y.; acquired by the Navy 1 February 1864; and commissioned 2 May 1864, Comdr. E. T. Nichols in command.

From the day of her commissioning in 1864, Mendota was assigned to the James River (Va.) Division, North Atlantic Blockading Squadron. The first 10 months she served as a picket ship near Four Mile Creek. Her guns were used to prevent the establishment of Confederate batteries or entrenchments which would threaten river communications or imperil a small Union Army base camp. Action on 28 July was particularly intense. During her last 2 months of service she directed ship movements at Hampton Roads and also at the mouth of the Delaware River.

After the war Mendota decommissioned 12 May 1865 and was laid up at League Island, Philadelphia, until sold 7 December 1867.

( http://www.history.navy.mil/danfs/m8/mendota-i.htm )
You are the man. Thanks, that was very good information. I can't think of another question I have on her.
 
As Mark said, the sailing rig - shrouds, stays, gaffs, and booms - is laid out for the bow to be the right end on the top picture. The rake of bow and stern also appear slightly different, with a hint of what would later be called a cruiser stern. I only see an anchor at one end, although stern anchors were sometimes used even in conventional ships. The top picture shows two poles extending forward from the bow, possibly some sort of minesweeping gear? The second picture shows the US ensign on a staff which is customarily located at the stern.
 
The top picture shows two poles extending forward from the bow, possibly some sort of minesweeping gear?

Very plausible, particularly if she's pictured on the James River; I know I've seen photos of other Union vessels operating on the James with "torpedo rakes" mounted on the bow.
 
I believe it's a 200 pound Parrott gun.

Highly unlikely. The Navy 8" would have been classified a 150 pdr despite having the same bore as the Army 200 pdr. But this gun looks smaller than those.

Silverstone's Civil War Navies shows the class having 100 pdr Parrotts (for which both the Navy and Army had the same designation for the same 6.4" bore.)

Question I have for Mark was whether or not the rudder(s) was/were only at one end...
 
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