USS Galena (1862)

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USS Galena (1862)

The USS Galena was a Civil War ironclad built for the United States Navy. It had a wooden hull protected by iron rails and was one of the early ironclads designed to counter Confederate armor. Galena’s career showed both the promise and the problems of early ironclad warfare.

Background
- After Confederates built casemate ironclads, the U.S. Navy funded armored ships. An Ironclad Board chose three designs: Monitor (Ericsson), New Ironsides, and Bushnell’s Galena. Galena’s wooden hull and iron rail armor were innovative but heavy, and there were questions about whether the armor could be carried successfully.
- Galena’s development followed the push to build armored steamers to match Confederate threats.

Design and description
- Original plan: a schooner-rigged corvette with three masts, around 162 feet long on the waterline and a wide beam. Armor included iron rails and rubber backing, with deck armor and a reinforced hull.
- Built as a wooden-hulled ship with heavy iron armor. Weight considerations led to changes during construction, including reducing armor thickness in some areas.
- Final build: about 180–210 feet long, 36-foot beam, draft around 11 feet. Displacement roughly 950 long tons. Crew about 150.
- Power and speed: one vibrating-lever Ericsson steam engine driving a single propeller, about 800 indicated horsepower, two boilers, top speed around 8 knots (sailing could reach similar speeds). Also capable of sailing when wind allowed.
- Armament: four 9-inch Dahlgren smoothbore guns, two 6.4-inch Parrott rifles in pivot mounts, and other smaller guns.
- Armor: heavy iron rails forming the protective outer layer; the armor weight and arrangement were a key concern during trials and early combat.

Career
- Construction and commissioning: Keel laid in 1861 at Maxson, Fish & Co., Mystic, Connecticut. Launched on February 14, 1862 and commissioned on April 21, 1862, under Commander Alfred Taylor. Galena arrived at Hampton Roads on April 24, 1862 and joined the North Atlantic Blockading Squadron.
- Early operations: Assigned to blockading duties and supported Union armies during the Peninsula Campaign. In May 1862 she joined James River operations with other ironclads, silencing some batteries and aiding movements toward City Point. Galena ran aground briefly but was not seriously damaged.
- Battle of Drewry’s Bluff (May 15, 1862): Galena led a small squadron up the James River to Drewry’s Bluff, where Confederates opened heavy fire from batteries on a cliff. Galena anchored near the bluff and fired for more than three hours. Her shells inflicted casualties but the armor was penetrated in several spots, and the ship sustained significant damage. Thirteen crewmen were killed or wounded. Two sailors and one Marine later received Medals of Honor for actions in this battle.
- After Drewry’s Bluff: Galena remained on the James River, shelling Confederate positions and aiding Union troop movements. She supported McClellan’s operations and helped defend transports before being reassigned for repairs and reconstruction in 1863.
- 1863 reconstruction: In Philadelphia, most of Galena’s ineffective armor was removed or reduced; armament was increased to eight nine-inch Dahlgren guns and one 100-pound Parrott rifle. The ship was rebuilt as a ship-rigged three-masted vessel and continued service with stronger weapons.
- Gulf service and the Battle of Mobile Bay: Recommissioned on February 15, 1864, Galena was assigned to the Gulf of Mexico with the West Gulf Blockading Squadron. In August 1864, during the Battle of Mobile Bay, Farragut split his fleet into columns. Galena was lashed to the larger ship Oneida and formed part of the port column. As they passed Fort Morgan, Galena was struck several times but sustained only limited damage, while sacrificing some rigging and sustaining casualties. Four Galena crew members earned Medals of Honor for actions during Mobile Bay.
- After Mobile Bay: Galena operated with the East Gulf Blockading Squadron for a time before being sent to Philadelphia for repairs in November 1864. She returned to service in early 1865, patrolling the Nansemond River and James River approaches from Newport News.
- Final years: Galena was decommissioned in June 1865, recommissioned in 1869, and then decommissioned again. Condemned in 1870, she was broken up for scrap in 1872.

Fate
- After a service life during and after the Civil War, Galena was condemned in 1870 and scrapped in 1872 at the Norfolk Navy Yard.

Notes
- Galena’s early armor proved too thin in some battles, leading to reconstruction that prioritized mobility and reliability over heavy protection.
- The ship earned recognition for acts of valor in both Drewry’s Bluff and Mobile Bay, with several crew members receiving Medals of Honor for extraordinary service.

In summary, the USS Galena was an important early attempt to combine wooden-hulled ships with iron armor and steam power. While the armor system proved problematic in its first battle, the later refit gave the ship new life and allowed it to participate in key actions during the Civil War, including the Battle of Mobile Bay, before being retired from service.