USS John P. Jackson

USS John P. Jackson was a sidewheel steamer acquired by the Union Navy during the beginning of the American Civil War. Built in 1860, John P. Jackson was used as a ferry by the New Jersey Rail Road and Transportation Company. In February 1861, she ferried President-elect Abraham Lincoln on his way to his inauguration. She was purchased for use in the American Civil War on 6 November. Commissioned for military service on 14 February 1862, she was sent to Ship Island. On 4 April, she was part of a battle with Confederate vessels near Pass Christian, Mississippi. That same day, she captured the blockade runner P. C. Wallis. In April, she bombarded Confederate-held Fort Jackson and Fort St. Philip. Next month, John P. Jackson participated in a scout of Lake Pontchartrain.

After moving up the Mississippi River towards Vicksburg, Mississippi, John P. Jackson was damaged by Confederate fire on June 28. She was transferred to the Mississippi Sound on 30 September, where she served on the Union blockade through the following year and captured several prizes. In February 1864, she was part of a bombardment of Confederate-held Fort Powell at Mobile Bay, and during the Battle of Mobile Bay on 5 August, again bombarded Fort Powell. She spent the rest of the war on blockade duty. After the war ended, she was sold at New Orleans, Louisiana, to Marcy, Maury & Co. for $13,500. After the war, she was used as a merchant vessel under J. P. Jackson, disappearing from shipping records in 1871.

Design and civilian use
John P. Jackson was built in Brooklyn, New York, in 1860, for use by the New Jersey Rail Road and Transportation Company as a ferry. Construction occurred at the Devine Burtis yard, with the machinery built by Fulton Iron Works. Launched on 2 August 1860, and completed in October, she measured 777 gross tons and 750 tons burthen. A sidewheel steamer, the vessel was 192 ft long, with a beam of 36 ft and a depth of hold of 12 ft. Power was provided by a 44 inches (110 cm) by 132 inches (340 cm) vertical beam engine. The vessel had a top speed of 8 knots. John P. Jackson ferried president-elect Abraham Lincoln across the Hudson River in February 1861, while he was journeying to Washington, D.C. to be inaugurated.

On 6 November, John P. Jackson was purchased for service in the Union Navy during the American Civil War, at a cost of $60,000. The United States government had directly requested the New Jersey Rail Road and Transportation Company to sell the ship, and while the company's leadership regretted the sale of the vessel, wanted to comply with the government's request. John P. Jackson was commissioned into military service on 14 February 1862, under the command of Lieutenant Selim Woodworth. She was armed with four 32-pounder guns, a 9 inch Dahlgren gun, and a 6 inch Sawyer rifle. In July 1864, the Sawyer rifle was replaced by a 100-pounder Parrott rifle. She carried a nominal crew of 99 in military service.

New Orleans and Vicksburg
On 10 February, John P. Jackson was ordered to Key West, to join a fleet commanded by Commander David Dixon Porter. The vessel actually left New York Harbor on 22 February. While on the way, she arrived at Hampton Roads on 25 February and was found to be in poor condition, requiring a trip to Baltimore, Maryland, for repairs. Later sent to Ship Island, she arrived at that place on 30 March, as part of a gathering of ships done by Flag Officer David G. Farragut for an offensive against New Orleans, Louisiana. Beginning on 2 April, John P. Jackson was part of an offensive against the Confederates at Pass Christian, Mississippi. The Union strike force consisted of part of the 9th Connecticut Infantry Regiment and some artillery loaded aboard the transport Henry Lewis, accompanied by John P. Jackson and the steamer USS New London. The army elements were commanded by Major George Crockett Strong, while the naval elements were under the leadership of Lieutenant A. Read. After a stopover at Biloxi, Mississippi, the force continued on to Pass Christian late on 3 April. On the morning of 4 April, before the troops on the transport could disembark, the Confederate gunboats CSS Carondelet, CSS Oregon, and CSS Pamlico engaged the Union vessels. After over an hour of fighting, the Confederate vessels withdrew with damage. John P. Jackson was struck by two shots, one of which damaged a stanchion and the other of which destroyed a sponson brace.



Also on 4 April, the Union captured the Confederate blockade runner P. C. Wallis. John P. Jackson fired on the vessel, and then when it halted, boarded it. The blockade runner's flammable cargo was on fire, but this was extinguished. John P. Jackson then later towed a transport, Great Republic, to the passes at the mouth of the Mississippi River, while escorting Union Army troop movements as well. Beginning on 18 April, John P. Jackson took part in the bombardment of Fort Jackson and Fort St. Philip, which culminated in a group of ships led by Farragut passing the forts on 24 April. John P. Jackson had towed the sloop-of-war USS Portsmouth into its intended firing position, but the sloop broke free from its moorings and John P. Jackson had to retrieve the vessel from further downriver.

On 7 May, John P. Jackson, along with the steamer USS Sachem, the former revenue cutter USS Harriet Lane, the steamer USS Westfield, the Unadilla-class gunboat USS Owasco, and the steamer USS Clifton, began an expedition to Mobile Bay. The vessels arrived that afternoon, and on the next day, Clifton ran aground. John P. Jackson attempt to free Clifton, but had too deep of a draft and was unable to get close enough to Clifton. The rescue was instead performed by Sachem. On 9 May, Sachem, John P. Jackson, Clifton, and Westfield were ordered to scout the Pearl River and Lake Pontchartrain. The vessels entered Lake Pontchartrain on 13 May and entered the Tchefuncte River that evening. The next day, John P. Jackson ran aground while steaming towards the Rigolets and was unable to accompany the other vessels on their scout to the Pearl River.

By June, John P. Jackson had been transferred to the Vicksburg, Mississippi, area, in support of Farragut's command. On 28 June, Farragut's vessels ran upriver past the Vicksburg batteries. John P. Jackson was among a group of vessels commanded by Porter that provided covering fire. During the engagement, Porter had the vessels move closer to the batteries. A Confederate artillery round struck John P. Jackson's wheelhouse and knocked out her steering capabailities. Clifton tried to come to John P. Jackson's aid but took a round through the boiler. John P. Jackson then rescued sailors driven overboard from Clifton by the clouds of steam released from the boiler. A second projectile strike damaged John P. Jackson's starboard sidewheel. The vessel reported firing 117 shots during the battle.

Gulf blockading
John P. Jackson was later sent to New Orleans for repairs. She was transferred to the Mississippi Sound on 30 September; she spent the rest of the war in that area. A fire onboard damaged her on 8 October, and she had to travel to Ship Island for repairs. Farragut was displeased that Woodworth did not order the chase of suspicious steamers earlier sighted by John P. Jackson in Mississippi Sound and on 15 October stated that he was going to subject Woodworth to a court of inquiry. On 21 October, John P. Jackson captured the sloop Young Gustave. The court of inquiry was resolved the next day and Woodworth was allowed to remain in command. Woodworth had received permission in late September to be transferred from John P. Jackson, and command passed of Lieutenant Commander Henry A. Adams Jr. Continuing on blockade duty, she captured the Cuba and Belle of Mobile the next day. On 12 January 1863, she took the prizes Le Caddie and Union. Farragut reassigned Adams to command the sloop-of-war USS Vincennes in February, and Acting Master N. D'Oyley was assigned to command John P. Jackson. In July, Acting Volunteer Lieutenant Lewis W. Pennington was ordered to replace D'Oyley in command of the vessel. On 12 September, the steamer USS Calhoun, John P. Jackson, and the doubler-ender gunboat USS Genesee forced the steamer Fanny to run aground; the Confederate vessel's crew then burned her to prevent capture. The next day, the Union vessels fired on a steamer named Jeff Davis and silenced a Confederate position at Grant's Pass. On 21 October, John P. Jackson then captured the schooner Syrena, near Deer Island.

In January 1864, Acting Master Miner B. Crowell was ordered to take command of John P. Jackson temporarily. On 16 February, John P. Jackson participated in operations against the Confederate defenders of Mobile Bay by towing three schooners to a point where they could bombard Fort Powell and also firing on the fort herself. The Sawyer rifle suffered vent damage during the bombardment and was rendered useless. A replacement Sawyer rifle was received from the sloop-of-war USS Hartford on 27 February. Until the Union naval victory at Mobile Bay on 5 August, John P. Jackson supported the campaign against Mobile, spending time at New Orleans. John P. Jackson's role in the fighting on 5 August was to bombard Fort Powell, along with the double-ender gunboat USS Conemaugh, the steamer USS Narcissus, the tinclad USS Stockdale, and the steamer USS Estrella. Back on blockade duty in the Mississippi Sound, John P. Jackson captured the schooner Medora on 8 December. She continued on blockade duty with the West Gulf Blockading Squadron for the rest of the war. Lieutenant A. R. Yates was listed as her commander on 1 February 1865. By 1 July, she had been earmarked for sale and was at Pensacola, Florida. She was decommissioned at New Orleans on 5 September 1865. During her time in military service, John P. Jackson required $32,012.66 in repairs. She was sold at auction to Marcy, Maury & Co. for $13,500 on 27 September. After the war, she was used as a merchant vessel under the name J. P. Jackson and ceased to appear in shipping records in 1871.