USS Montauk (1862)
| USS Montauk (left) alongside USS Lehigh in Philadelphia Navy Yard, circa 1902. |
The USS Montauk (left) alongside the USS Lehigh in Philadelphia Navy Yard, circa 1902. | | Career | |
|---|
| Launched: | 9 October 1862 |
| Commissioned: | 14 December 1862 |
| Decommissioned: | March 1899 |
| Fate: | sold, 14 April 1904 |
| General Characteristics |
|---|
| Displacement: | 750 tons |
| Length: | 200 ft (61 m) |
| Beam: | 46 ft (14 m) |
| Draft: | 10 ft 6 in (3.2 m) |
| Propulsion: | Steam |
| Speed: | 7 knots (13 km/h) |
| Complement: | 75 officers and enlisted |
| Armament: | • 1 × 15 in (380 mm), and
• 1 × 11 in (280 mm)
Dahlgren smoothbore guns |
| Armor: | • 11 in (28 cm) turret,
• 8 in (20 cm) pilothouse,
• 5 in (13 cm) hull,
• 1 in (3 cm) deck |
|
The first
USS Montauk was a single-turreted
monitor in the
United States Navy during the
American Civil War.
Montauk was built by
John Ericsson at
Continental Iron Works,
Greenpoint, New York; launched
9 October 1862; and commissioned at
New York 14 December 1862,
Commander John L. Worden in command.
A principal ironclad in the naval attack on
Charleston, South Carolina,
Montauk departed New York
24 December 1862, arriving
Port Royal 19 January 1863 to join the
South Atlantic Blockading Squadron. Taking advantage of the opportunity to test the ironclads
27 January,
Rear Admiral Samuel F. Du Pont sent
Montauk,
Seneca,
Wissahickon,
Dawn and
C. P. Wiliiams to bombard
Fort McAllister,
Georgia. Although hit 13 or 14 times,
Montauk was undamaged. The ironclads made a second attack
1 February, badly battering the fort; but
Montauk was hit 48 times. She destroyed blockade runner
Rattlesnake 28 February in
Ogeechee River but was herself damaged by a torpedo (mine) which exploded under her.
Montauk steamed into
North Edison River 1 April in preparation for the attack on Charleston. At midafternoon on the 7th, Admiral Du Pont's ironclads attacked
Fort Sumter. The Union ships braved intense fire from Confederates coast artillery, and kept their own guns operating effectively until withdrawing toward evening. Damage to the monitors prevented Du Pont from resuming the attack the next day.
The ironclads launched an attack on
Fort Wagner,
Morris Island 10 July. Gaining of this island was important as success would permit access to the interior defenses of Charleston Harbor. Assuming command of the naval forces,
John Dahlgren boarded
Montauk 16 July and after consultation with the captains, renewed the attack on Fort Wagner and bombarded it daily until it was evacuated by the Confederates
6 September. The ships then turned their attention to Fort Sumter and
Fort Moultrie operating for the rest of the year against these fortifications which guarded the Cradle of the Rebellion. However, the
Confederate works were never to be taken by sea.
Montauk remained off Charleston until July 1864 when she shifted operations to the
Stono River. In February 1865, she transferred to the
Cape Fear River. Proceeding to Washington after the end of the conflict, she served as a floating bier for assassin
John Wilkes Booth 27 April and a floating prison for six accomplices.
Decommissioning occurred at
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in
1865. She remained there until sold to
Frank Samuel 14 April 1904, except for a stint from May 1898 to March 1899 when she served with a crew primarily of local naval reservists to protect the harbor of
Portland, Maine during the
Spanish-American War.
See
USS Montauk for other ships of this name.
*
history.navy.mil: USS Montauk*
navsource.org: USS Montauk *
hazegray.org: USS Montauk 
