A Federal
sloop-of-war built in 1861 at
Boston Naval Yard and commissioned on
August 29th, 1862. It had two main
boilers and one auxilliary boiler and generated 1,150
horsepower. It joined the South
Atlantic Blockade Squadron on September 19th, 1862.
It played a very minor role in the naval campaigns of the
Civil War, though it participated in the Federal
attack on
Fort Sumter on September 8th, 1863. The Housatonic went down in history, however, for being the first ship sunk in battle by a submarine, the
CSS H.L. Hunley.
It was sunk February 18th, 1864 in
Charleston harbor. Five men fell victim to the
torpedo blast that took it to the bottom. In 1909, Charleston officials destroyed the
wreck as it posed a danger to passing ships.