Overview
At the beginning of the Civil War, New York City did not have any large bridges to link Manhattan to New Jersey, Staten island, and Long Island (Queens and Brooklyn). There was an abundance of ferry boats traversing the Hudson River (to New Jersey) and the East River (to Queens and Brooklyn).
With the Civil War in progress, the U.S. Navy had to quickly increase the number of ships it had to enforce the blockade of the south. Twenty New York City ferry-boats were purchased by the U.S. Navy. (All of the ferry boats serving the area were owned by private interests.) some of the ferries were in use, some newly built, and some under construction.
This site looks at the few photographs that were taken of the "Ferry-Gunboats" and combined with the published data and drawings of the period, try to determine the correct names of the boats in the photos. Unfortunately, there are a lot of conflicts, even within the government sites such as the National Archives, U.S. Navy, etc.
The close-up photos offer more creditability in the correct ship's name as the photographer was on board to take the photo(s). However, the ones taken from the shoreline are in question. (Did the photographer say "Hey pal, what is the name of that boat out there, the one I am photographing?" Obviously, some made errors back then.) There were seven ex-NYC ferry-gunboats operating on the James and nearby rivers during the Civil War. This leaves room for error in naming the boats in the photos.
First, Lew will review the history of the ferries, look at the data (names, dimensions, etc.), then try to relate photos of the same ferry along with identifying names. There is much confusion as to which photos are what named ferry. Many web sites use the same photos but with different names.
Next Lew will look at the boat that has the most data and photos for building a model. Then we will process that information into drawings. Eventually, we will try to make a decent model.
Contributors are Welcome!
If you have any information or images, or perhaps comments or corrections, please contact Lew (see contact information).
If you have any information or images, or perhaps comments or corrections, please contact Lew (see contact information).
The Real Ferry Boats Become Gunboats
Twenty New York ferryboats were purchased, not conscripted, by the U.S. Navy and served in almost every squadron, even as far away as Texas. The first ferry was sold to the Navy in September, 1861, and the last one in August, 1863. The displacement ranged from 226 tons (110 feet LWL) up to 892 tons (213 feet LWL). The price the Navy paid ranged from $19,000 to $100,000. Some of the ferries were taken out of service and sold to the Navy while a few were under construction and went directly from the builders yards to the Navy yards. Eleven of these gunboats retained the name given to them as ferries. Of the remaining nine, some were renamed, and the rest were new builds.
All of the “New York ferries” required additional work in order to serve as gunboats. They were often stripped of civilian amenities and modified for war service. The open ends of the “drive through” decks were enclosed to serve as quarters for the gunboat crew which was significantly larger than a normal ferry’s crew. Bulkheads were added around the perimeter of the double ends. Some of the bulkheads were sophisticated fold down barriers while others were simply sandbags. Naval guns were typically added to both ends. The small double-enders typically had twelve and twenty pounders. Many of the medium and larger gunboats had thirty-two pounders or larger guns, often in combination with 8-inch or 9-inch smooth bores. One gunboat mounted two 11-inch smooth bore guns.
These double-ended gunboats were assigned to various divisions of the Union Navy, North Atlantic (NABS), South Atlantic (SABS), West Gulf (WGBS), and East Gulf (EGBS) Blockading Squadrons. Several were assigned to the Potomac Flotilla (PF, part of the NABS) and were on station in the waters around Chesapeake Bay. Five of these ferry-gunboats sailed down the east coast, around Key West and up into the Gulf of Mexico to serve in the two squadrons there. With a shallow draft, typically six to nine feet (depending on the size of the gunboat) they had the ability fo navigate a narrow waterway without having to turn around. The converted ferry was ideal for river and close to shore service.
The following names the twenty gunboats sorted by the squadron they served in:
Next, we go to the photographs. Lew grouped together the first three (1, 2, 3) as they seem to be quite similar. The pilot houses are rectangular and squat, the recesses on the ends of the superstructure seem to look the same as do the ladders going to the upper deck. Even the position of the three guns are the same. The relation of the offset stack and walking beams to the pilot houses says that this is the same end of the boat, if the are indeed the same boat.
So, what is the name of the ferry-gunboat in these photos? It is most likely not the Hunchback. The known close-yp photos (below) of the Hunchback don't match the two above. It is also likely this is not the Commodore Perry (see information below next to photo 5). If not the Perry, then probably not the Barney as it was built the same year as the Perry and for the same ferry line. This boat has three guns on end "A" and one visual on end "B." Usually, the guns were distributed somewhat evenly on both ends. The Perry (drawing "4" shows two + two) and Barney each had four guns. Photo "3" seems to have five (three + two). Commodore Read, and Commodore Morris, each had six guns. If these boats had six guns (versus four for the others), then three on each end would seem likely, like the photos here.
.jpg)
These photos not appear to be like the 24-pounder howitzer (photo, left). Both guns near the superstructure look to be the same. I hate to take a guess, but from what Lew sees here this evidence seems to lean toward the boats in the photos 1, 2 & 3 being named the Commodore Morris. Another possibility is the Commodore Read, which was 25-feet longer and 118 tons heavier than the Morris. Confusion is understandable when you realize (as indicated in the ORN reports) that the Commodore Perry, Commodore Morris, Commodore Barney, Commodore Hull, and Hunchback all operated in the same waters and on occasions, together. More research is needed here.
The "Warships in the Civil War" (Paul Silverstone, Navy Institute Press, 1989) list's the photo at the right photo as the Commodore Morris. The National Archives list's this at the Commodore Barney, and was photographed by Mathew Brady. Many web sites list this as the Commodore Perry and others the Hunchback. More confusion!
Now we need to look at which end is the bow and which is the stern. Sure, they are double ended and can go in either direction. However, Lew believes that for consistent operations they did have a forward and aft. So, Lew asks... Which end is the bow?
First, he will identify one end as "A" (end closes to the stack) and the other as "B" (end closest to the walking beam).
Tradition is that the ensign (national flag)is flown on the stern or other prominent place. However, check out the anchor in the photo "1" below the ensign mast. (Is "A" the stern or bow?) Also look at the photo "5." The torpedo catching boom is protruding to the right, or end "B." Photo "3" has the transoms (back) of the ships launches on the davits facing to the left, end "A." To confuse matters even more, photo "6" has the launch on the left with the transom facing the camera and the one on the right with the bow facing the same direction.
To further confuse this issue, the National Archives identifies photo 3 as "Commodore Barney, stern quarter, on the James River." (What evidence they used other than the ensign being flown on the stern is not indicated.)
None of the boats were photographed while moving, so the position the flags are flying in is most likely caused by the wind. Also, did these boats have a single rudder or two rudders? A note in the ORN about the USS Hunchback needing repairs, it is stated that "One of here rudders are gone."
To further confuse this issue, the National Archives identifies photo 3 as "Commodore Barney, stern quarter, on the James River." (What evidence they used other than the ensign being flown on the stern is not indicated.)
None of the boats were photographed while moving, so the position the flags are flying in is most likely caused by the wind. Also, did these boats have a single rudder or two rudders? A note in the ORN about the USS Hunchback needing repairs, it is stated that "One of here rudders are gone."
Construction Photos
Normally, Lew doe not rely on sketches and drawings. However, this one is from the Library of Congress. The artist/author specifies in the text description (on the same sheet of paper) that this is the Commodore Perry on the James River:
I’m a paragraph. Drag me to add paragraph to your block, write your own text and edit me.
View on the Appatomox at Port Walthall. The nearest point to Petersburg, approached by the Gun Boats the one shown in the sketch is the Commodore Perry commanded by Captain Amos P. Foster.
Formerly attributed to Alfred R. Waud, with the call number DRWG/US - Waud, no. 554 (A size). Published in: Harper's Weekly, July 23 1864, p. 468, attributed to William Waud.
In looking at this drawing, we see a lot of detail in common with photo 5 (below) as well as similarities to the photos above. This includes a squat, rectangular pilot houses, number of windows (ports) on the side, raised area over the side-wheels (including three small ports), and vertical armor plates on the end decks. To me, 4 and 5 are a match and indicates that these are the Commodore Perry (in conflict with photo 6 below) as they are from two independent sources.
Now lets look at the known USS Hunchback photos of the "A" end. Notice the stack appears closer to this end, however there is only a single ladder to the upper deck and that is closer to the pilot house. This confirms that the three photos at the top are not of the Hunchback. Strangely enough, the Mathew Brady collection label's the lower left photo as the Agawam, which it could not be unless someone removed the big mast where the officers are sitting.
Next, lets look at the photo (left) identified by the National Archives as the Commodore Barney. Although somewhat similar to the three top photos (1, 2, 3), it is not identical. The skylights above the doors are different as well as the windows (ports?) behind the men. This also does not appear to be the Hunchback as well.
After the war (1866), the Hunchback was sold to commercial interests in Boston and named the General Grant. It was abandoned in 1880. The East Boston Ferry Company listed General Grant as one of the its steam five steam ferries.
After the war (1866), the Hunchback was sold to commercial interests in Boston and named the General Grant. It was abandoned in 1880. The East Boston Ferry Company listed General Grant as one of the its steam five steam ferries.
The fold up armor plates are several feet in from the gunwales, giving the appearance of a smaller deck.
This photo is commonly identified as the USS Commodore Perry and labeled part of the "Matthew Brady collection." However, the Brady collection (and this is one of three know photos taken at this spot, only indicates this as a gunboat on the Pamunkey River. The Civil War Sailors Museum has identified this as the USS Commodore Barney. However, "Warships in the Civil War" (Paul Silverstone, Navy Institute Press, 1989) list's this photo as the Commodore Morris.
The National Archives list's this photo as identifier 524831 and "Commodore Perry" - "Series:Mathew Brady Photographs of Civil War-Era Personalities and Scenes, compiled 1921 - 1940, documenting the period 1860 - 1865." The style of this ferry-gunboat is quite different from the three top photos. The Pilot houses are round, the whole center of the superstructure is recessed, there are no raised overhead deck/roof over the side wheels, and the end appears to have a squared-off snout rather than an elliptical deck. The center gun appears to be a 5.1-inch or a 100-pounder rifle and the gun facing left looks like a 9-inch smoothbore. Also note that the walking beam is not visible here. They are quite tall (9-11 feet) and should be visible. It should be between the stack and the far pilot house. The Commodore Morris's engine was inclined so there would be no walking beam above the upper decking.
The National Archives list's this photo as identifier 524831 and "Commodore Perry" - "Series:Mathew Brady Photographs of Civil War-Era Personalities and Scenes, compiled 1921 - 1940, documenting the period 1860 - 1865." The style of this ferry-gunboat is quite different from the three top photos. The Pilot houses are round, the whole center of the superstructure is recessed, there are no raised overhead deck/roof over the side wheels, and the end appears to have a squared-off snout rather than an elliptical deck. The center gun appears to be a 5.1-inch or a 100-pounder rifle and the gun facing left looks like a 9-inch smoothbore. Also note that the walking beam is not visible here. They are quite tall (9-11 feet) and should be visible. It should be between the stack and the far pilot house. The Commodore Morris's engine was inclined so there would be no walking beam above the upper decking.
Evidence above indicates this is the Commodore Morris, and it is in conflict with both drawing 4 & photo 5. (See the torpedoed drawing of the Commodore Barney elsewhere on this site and look at the unique rounded pilot houses.) Clues in this photo: Look close at the deck you see two smooth bore guns and the third gun behind the three men at the right is a howitzer pm a boat carriage. The Perry, Barney, and Hunchback did not have this type gun. Here is the armament for these three boats:Commodore Morris: one 9” Smooth Bore one 100# Rifle; four 24-pounder HowitzersCommodore Jones: One 9” Smooth Bore; one 5.1” Rifle, two 24-pounder HowitzersCommodore Read: Two 100-pounder Rifles; four 24-pouunder Howitzers Keep in mind that Barney and Perry were kind of a matched set, and Jones and Morris were a matched set. Read was a bigger boat and being Read had two of the same big guns and the photo above show two different big guns, the Read is out. The bores look too close in size so this leaves only the... Commodore Morris This photo is one of three (known) that Brady took. Here are the other two (Notice the position of the men):
Photo 7 is only identified as being taken on the James River in 1864. No site lists any name for the gunboat. However, one thing is peculiar about the boat in the photo: it has no pilot house on this end ("B").
This could very well be the Commodore Barney as Frank Leslies Illustrated (newspaper) stated that in June 1864, the USS Commodore Barney was rocked by a torpedo explosion on the James River, and lost her pilot house.
Notes:
The Commodore Barney, Commodore Perry, and Morse were considered "sister ships." They all had 500HP vertical walking beam engines built by Novelty (NY). The Barney and Perry were built by Stack & Joyce and the Morse by Roosevelt.
The USS Commodore Barney (ex-Ethan Allen) was returned to the Williamsburg Ferry Company in 1865 and "repaired" (brought back to ferry service) having their boilers rebuilt that year. The Commodore Barney (Ethan Allen before the war) was sold to Florida interests in 1885 and wrecked in 1901.
The USS Commodore Perry (ex-Commodore Perry) was returned to the Williamsburg Ferry Company on July 12, 1865 and "repaired" (brought back to ferry service) having their boilers rebuilt that year. The Commodore Perry was sold to Charleston interests in 1896 and abandoned in 1907.
This could very well be the Commodore Barney as Frank Leslies Illustrated (newspaper) stated that in June 1864, the USS Commodore Barney was rocked by a torpedo explosion on the James River, and lost her pilot house.
Notes:
The Commodore Barney, Commodore Perry, and Morse were considered "sister ships." They all had 500HP vertical walking beam engines built by Novelty (NY). The Barney and Perry were built by Stack & Joyce and the Morse by Roosevelt.
The USS Commodore Barney (ex-Ethan Allen) was returned to the Williamsburg Ferry Company in 1865 and "repaired" (brought back to ferry service) having their boilers rebuilt that year. The Commodore Barney (Ethan Allen before the war) was sold to Florida interests in 1885 and wrecked in 1901.
The USS Commodore Perry (ex-Commodore Perry) was returned to the Williamsburg Ferry Company on July 12, 1865 and "repaired" (brought back to ferry service) having their boilers rebuilt that year. The Commodore Perry was sold to Charleston interests in 1896 and abandoned in 1907.
The Morse was returned to the Williamsburg Ferry Company on July 20, 1865 and "repaired" (brought back to ferry service) having their boilers rebuilt that year.
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
As a scale modeler, we are treading on thin ice here. None of us like to build a scale model that might not be to scale. So, a warning: If we really want to proceed here we need to understand that much of the data could be wrong or no to the correct dimensions. On the flip side, what choice do we have?
Photos 1, 2 & 3 seem to be a match. Photo 5 and drawing 4 area a close, but not exact match. Although the first three don't completely match 4 & 5, they are helpful in several ways.
Considering these photos are about 150 years old, they do reveal a lot of information. Unfortunately, no photos of the under-hull exist. We need to look at other boats of the period.
Several years ago, a gentleman made a pattern for card models of the boat in these photos. I proceeded to partially build the card model which turned out to be about five inches long. I then photographed to model at about the same angle as two of the photos above were taken, then compared the results. Next, we will look at the comparisons.
Photos 1, 2 & 3 seem to be a match. Photo 5 and drawing 4 area a close, but not exact match. Although the first three don't completely match 4 & 5, they are helpful in several ways.
Considering these photos are about 150 years old, they do reveal a lot of information. Unfortunately, no photos of the under-hull exist. We need to look at other boats of the period.
Several years ago, a gentleman made a pattern for card models of the boat in these photos. I proceeded to partially build the card model which turned out to be about five inches long. I then photographed to model at about the same angle as two of the photos above were taken, then compared the results. Next, we will look at the comparisons.
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
Looking at the Hull:
In this section we will look at the hull. (All of the photos so far show only that above the water line.) Here we have an elevated photo of two "East River" ferries taken in 1903. Although this is 40 years after the middle of the Civil War, the style of the ferries seem to be quite similar to those above. They are steam powered side-wheelers, one main deck, and an oval/egg shaped deck outline. The bow/stern is not as much as a "blunt-point" as those above, bunt also not having ends like in photo 6.
Next is the hull above the waterline. The hull does not come over to the gunwales, especially mid-ships where the side-wheels are located (and fore/aft of them). It is hard to see in most of the photographs, but is quite well indicated in the drawing of the torpedo exploding under the USS Commodore Barney (right), there were diagonal bracing to support the perimeter of the deck.
As for the hull under the waterline, the ferries were described as "flat bottomed." Most likely they did not have a hard chine (side to bottom around the bottom of the hull), but that of a rounded chine (far right in sketch).
Next is the hull above the waterline. The hull does not come over to the gunwales, especially mid-ships where the side-wheels are located (and fore/aft of them). It is hard to see in most of the photographs, but is quite well indicated in the drawing of the torpedo exploding under the USS Commodore Barney (right), there were diagonal bracing to support the perimeter of the deck.
As for the hull under the waterline, the ferries were described as "flat bottomed." Most likely they did not have a hard chine (side to bottom around the bottom of the hull), but that of a rounded chine (far right in sketch).
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
U.S.S. Commodore Barney (not likely)U.S.S. Commodore Jones (not likely)U.S.S. Commodore Morris (possibly)U.S.S. Commodore Perry (not likely)U.S.S. Commodore Read (possibly)U.S.S. Hunchback (not likely)
U.S.S. Commodore Barney (not likely)U.S.S. Commodore Jones (not likely)U.S.S. Commodore Morris (possibly)U.S.S. Commodore Perry (not likely)U.S.S. Commodore Read (possibly)U.S.S. Hunchback (not likely)
U.S.S. Commodore Barney (not likely)U.S.S. Commodore Jones (not likely)U.S.S. Commodore Morris (possibly)U.S.S. Commodore Perry (not likely)U.S.S. Commodore Read (possibly)U.S.S. Hunchback (not likely)
U.S.S. Commodore Barney (possibly)U.S.S. Commodore Jones ?U.S.S. Commodore Morris ?U.S.S. Commodore Perry (possibly)U.S.S. Commodore Read ?U.S.S. Hunchback ?
U.S.S. Commodore Barney (possibly)U.S.S. Commodore Jones ?U.S.S. Commodore Morris ?U.S.S. Commodore Perry (possibly)U.S.S. Commodore Read ?U.S.S. Hunchback ?
U.S.S. Commodore Barney (possibly not)U.S.S. Commodore Jones ?U.S.S. Commodore Morris (probably)U.S.S. Commodore Perry (possibly not)U.S.S. Commodore Read (no)U.S.S. Hunchback (no)
.S.S. Commodore Barney (probably)U.S.S. Commodore Jones ?U.S.S. Commodore Morris ?U.S.S. Commodore Perry ?U.S.S. Commodore Read ?U.S.S. Hunchback ?
N.Y.C. Ferry Conversions - Drawing Plans
Mr. David Meagher has drawn a plan of the USS Commodore Perry (many thanks to Devin for the connection) in 1/40 scale. I was planning on building an operating 1/35 scale modelbut other models have taken priority. It looks like the Crystal River Boat Builders is planning on making a 1/24 scale model of the USS Fort Henry which will be about 6-feet long.
The following photos are of the USS Commodore Perry plan:
