USS R. B. Forbes
American Civil War-era steam ship / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Dear Wikiwand AI, let's keep it short by simply answering these key questions:
Can you list the top facts and stats about USS R. B. Forbes?
Summarize this article for a 10 year old
USS R. B. Forbes was a steamer acquired by the Union Navy during the American Civil War. Originally built in either 1845 or 1846, the vessel saw service as a tugboat and briefly a lightship at Boston, Massachusetts. Built by Otis Tufts and named after Robert Bennet Forbes, she was the first iron mercantile vessel built in New England.
Sketch of the USS R. B. Forbes by Alfred Waud | |
History | |
---|---|
United States | |
Name | USS R. B. Forbes |
Namesake | Robert Bennet Forbes |
Launched | 1845 or 1846 |
Acquired | August 17, 1861 |
Commissioned | August 1861 |
Fate | Wrecked February 25, 1862 |
General characteristics | |
Type | Steamer |
Displacement | 320 or 329 tons |
Length | 121 feet (37 metres) |
Beam | 25 feet 6 inches (7.77 metres) |
Draft | 12 ft 3 in (3.73 m) |
Depth of hold | 11 ft 7 in (3.53 m) |
Propulsion |
|
Speed | 11 knots (13 miles per hour; 20 kilometres per hour) (max.) |
Complement | 51 |
Armament |
Purchased by the Union Navy in 1861 for $52,500 (equivalent to $1,800,000 in 2023), she was converted to a warship and saw action during the Battle of Port Royal on November 7. On February 25, 1862, en route to join the Mortar Flotilla, she was wrecked on the Currituck Banks in a storm and was burned to prevent capture.