USS Wanderer (1857)

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USS Wanderer (1857)

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Class overview
Name	USS Wanderer
History
Name	USS Wanderer
Builder	Thomas B. Wales
Launched	1857
Acquired	1861
Out of service	1865
Fate	Sold
General characteristics
Tonnage	239 tons
Length	100 ft (30 m)
Beam	25 ft (7.6 m)
Draught	10 ft (3.0 m)

The USS Wanderer was a schooner built in 1857 by Thomas B. Wales in New York City. Originally constructed as a luxury yacht, the vessel was later used as a slave ship before being seized by the United States Navy during the American Civil War.

Construction and Design

The USS Wanderer was a 239-ton schooner, measuring 100 feet in length with a beam of 25 feet and a draught of 10 feet. The ship was designed for speed and luxury, featuring elegant accommodations and advanced sailing capabilities for its time.

Early History

Initially, the Wanderer served as a private yacht. However, it gained notoriety when it was used in the illegal Atlantic slave trade. In 1858, the Wanderer was captured off the coast of Georgia with over 400 enslaved Africans on board, one of the last documented cases of the transatlantic slave trade to the United States.

Civil War Service

With the outbreak of the American Civil War, the Wanderer was seized by the United States Navy in 1861. It was commissioned as the USS Wanderer and used as a blockade runner and patrol vessel in the Union Navy. The ship played a role in the Union blockade of Confederate ports, a crucial part of the Anaconda Plan.

Post-War Service and Fate

After the Civil War, the USS Wanderer was decommissioned in 1865 and sold. The subsequent history of the vessel is not well-documented, but it is believed to have returned to private service.

Related Pages

• American Civil War
• Union Navy
• Blockade runners of the American Civil War
• Anaconda Plan
• Atlantic slave trade