USS Katahdin ( 1861 ) USS " Katahdin " was a built for the U . S . Navy during the American Civil War . " Katahdin " was outfitted as a gunboat with cannon and rifled gun for blockade duty and two howitzers for shore bombardment . Built in Bath , Maine , in 1861 . The " 90 - day gunboat " was launched by Larrabee & Allen of Bath , Maine , 12 October 1861 , and commissioned at Boston Navy Yard 17 February 1862 , Lieutenant George Henry Preble in command . Civil War service . Assigned to the West Gulf blockade . " Katahdin " was assigned to the West Gulf Blockading Squadron to bolster its strength as Flag Officer David Farragut prepared for his epochal attack on New Orleans . After entering the Mississippi River early in April , " Katahdin " assisted Farragut in his unprecedented effort to work the squadron ' s deep - draft , salt - water ships across the bar into the river . On 16 April she moved up the river with the fleet to a position below Fort Jackson and Fort St . Philip guarding the approaches to New Orleans with over 100 guns . The next morning a Confederate steamer came down and fired at the fleet ; but , when " Katahdin " < nowiki > ' < / nowiki > s guns answered briskly the Southern ship retired out of range . The following day the mortar flotilla opened an intensive bombardment of the forts which continued intermittently for the next six days until it reached a mighty crescendo in the small hours of 24 April as the Union fleet got underway and headed up the river toward the forts . Racing past Forts Jackson and St . Philip . Half an hour later , when the Confederate guns opened fire , " Katahdin " steamed steadily ahead , replying with all her guns . Only two rounds struck the gunboat during the dash , one damaging the foremast and the other the smokestack . After passing the forts and sailing beyond the range of their artillery , the Union ships anchored opposite Quarantine abreast a Confederate encampment which raised a white flag . During the morning she collected ordnance surrendered by Confederate troops ashore . The next day she proceeded up the river firing on and silencing Southern batteries on both banks . The afternoon , upon arriving New Orleans , Louisiana , with the fleet , she captured schooner " John Gilpin " with a cargo of cotton . Lower Mississippi River operations . " Katahdin " operated in the vicinity of New Orleans until 16 May when she got underway up river to join the squadron , which had proceeded her to Vicksburg , Mississippi . While moving up stream , she gathered valuable information about conditions in the Mississippi valley ; and , throughout Farragut ' s operations above Vicksburg , she continued to perform reconnaissance missions as she convoyed vessels which supplied the force at Vicksburg from New Orleans . In July , when Farragut withdrew from the Mississippi River to attend to his blockaders in the gulf , he left " Katahdin " in the river with " Essex " , " Sumter " , and " Kineo " to protect Army units in the area and to police the river . During much of this time " Katahdin " was stationed at Baton Rouge . On 5 August Confederates attacked the Union encampment at Baton Rouge in force . The gunboats supported the badly outnumbered Northern soldiers enabling them to repulse the attack . Then they fired over the town into the Confederate camp , forcing them to withdraw out of range . The next morning " Kineo " and " Katahdin " guarded the right flank of the Union Army while " Essex " and " Cayuga " got underway to engage ironclad ram CSS " Arkansas " . However , as the Union warships were closing on " Arkansas " , the ram ' s engines failed leaving her unable to flee or fight ; she was set afire by her officers and abandoned before she blew up . For the next fortnight the threat of an attack kept the ships constantly on the alert to protect the troops which depended upon naval fire support . Finally , upon orders from General Butler , the Union Army evacuated Baton Rouge 21 August . Just before embarking the troops , the gunboats beat off an attack on the Union pickets with rapid and heavy fire . " Katahdin " brought up the rear as the ships steamed to New Orleans , where they arrived the following morning . Supporting Union troops at Donaldsonville . After repairs at New Orleans , the gunboat stood up the river 5 September with " Kineo " and " Scioto " scouring the banks for information . With " Itasca " she covered the landing of Army troops 22 September at Donaldsonville , Louisiana . While the expedition was ashore , the gunboats protected them ; and , shortly before the soldiers reembarked , naval gunfire beat back a Southern attack which threatened to cut off the landing party . This support prevented annihilation of the landing party by vastly superior forces and enabled it to retreat to " Laurel Hill " for passage to safety in New Orleans . Capturing a large herd of cattle . In the months that followed , the gunboats constantly patrolled the river to protect Union communications , to gather information on Confederate activity , and to cut the flow across the Mississippi River of food and men to Confederate armies in the East . With 3 other gunboats " Katahdin " intercepted a drove of some 1 , 500 cattle from Texas and loaded them on transports for passage to New Orleans . The value of this beef to the South can be attested by the fact that , four miles below Donaldsonville , about 3 , 000 infantrymen supported by nine field piece s struck back at the ships in a desperate attempt to recapture the cattle . The gunboats opened promptly and in about 20 minute drove the Confederates from their position . The months that followed were a period of constant stress and peril for the gunboats . " We are constantly under fire . . . as we pass up and down the river , " Lt . Roe , the commanding officer of " Katahdin " , reported . Blockading the Texas coast . In January 1863 " Katahdin " was ordered to reinforce the blockade off Galveston , Texas after that port had been recaptured by the Confederacy on New Year ' s Day . While serving in the Gulf off the Texas coast , " Katahdin " and " Owasco " ' chased , captured , and burned blockade running schooner " Hanover " 10 May 1863 . She captured schooner " Excelsior " 13 July off San Luis Pass , Texas . Thereafter " Katahdin " continued to serve in the blockade of the Texas coast , cutting off supplies sorely needed by the Confederates . On 30 April 1864 she chased the former revenue cutter " Harriet Lane " and steamer " Alice " as they escaped from Galveston ; but , after a brisk and lengthy race , " Katahdin " was finally outdistanced . She was more successful 31 October when the gunboat overtook " Albert Edward " as the British schooner tried to slip out of the same port with a cargo of cotton . Post - war decommissioning . After the Confederate collapse in April 1865 , the veteran gunboat returned north and decommissioned 14 July 1865 . " Katahdin " was sold at New York City 30 November and documented as " Juno " 20 October 1866 .