The first USS Mist was a steamer purchased by the Union Navy during the American Civil War. She was planned by the Union Navy for use as a gunboat stationed off Confederate waterways to prevent their trading with foreign countries.
| History | |
|---|---|
 United States | |
| Laid down | date unknown |
| Launched | 1864 |
| Acquired | 23 December 1864 |
| Commissioned | 3 March 1865 |
| Decommissioned | August 1865 |
| Stricken | 1865 (est.) |
| Fate | Sold, 17 August 1865 |
| General characteristics | |
| Displacement | 232 tons |
| Length | 157 ft 3 in (47.93 m) |
| Beam | 30 ft 4 in (9.25 m) |
| Draught | not known |
| Propulsion |
|
| Speed | 5.5 knots |
| Complement | not known |
| Armament |
|
| Armour | tinclad |
Mist, a stern wheel steamer built at Allegheny, Pennsylvania, in 1864, was purchased at Cincinnati, Ohio, 23 December 1864, and commissioned at Mound City, Illinois, 3 March 1865, Acting Master W. E. H. Fontress in command.
Assigned to the Mississippi Squadron
editMist was converted into a gunboat during the first 4 months of 1865. The new tinclad was assigned to the 8th District, Mississippi Squadron and patrolled the river protecting steamers and river settlements from desperadoes.
End-of-war decommissioning, sale, and subsequent civilian career
editMist was removed from naval duty 4 August; decommissioned at Mound City and was sold at public auction to C. C. Hutchinson 17 August 1865. Documented as a merchant ship, she served American commerce on the Mississippi River and its tributaries until 1874.
References
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This article incorporates text from the public domain Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. The entry can be found here.