In December 1861 "Estrella" was still in New Granada and provided safe haven for some residents of Santa Marta during the Colombian Civil War. In 1862 the ship was purchased at Savanilla by the firm McLean &amp; Lintz of New York, where she arrived on 28 May after a nine-day voyage in ballast via Kingston, Jamaica; during the voyage she struck a wreck which damaged the starboard paddle wheel and she completed the voyage using only one. She was then documented at New York as an American ship and chartered by McLean &amp; Lintz to the US Army Quartermaster Department as United States Transport "Estrella" from 7 July 1862 at US$400 per day.