USS James S . Chambers ( 1861 ) USS " James S . Chambers " ( 1861 ) was a schooner acquired by the Union Navy during the American Civil War . She was used by the Union Navy as a gunboat in support of the Union Navy blockade of Confederate waterways . Purchased and commissioned in Philadelphia . " James S . Chambers " was a three - masted schooner purchased by the Navy at Philadelphia , Pennsylvania , 4 September 1861 ; and commissioned at Philadelphia Navy Yard 16 December , Lt . Dennis Condry in command . Assigned to the Gulf Blockading Squadron . The schooner sailed from Philadelphia 6 days later and joined the Gulf Blockading Squadron at Ship Island , Mississippi , 23 January 1862 . Her diligent service in the Gulf of Mexico and off the Florida coast was first rewarded on 23 August when she captured blockade - running schooner " Corelia " with a cargo of supplies badly needed by the South . Two days later she took Confederate steamer " Union " attempting to escape with a cargo of 350 bales of cotton . " James S . Chambers " , a “ vigilant blockader ” . " James S . Chambers " scored again on 4 March 1863 — the second anniversary of President Abraham Lincoln ' s inauguration — when men from her whaleboats boarded and took Spanish sloop " Relampago " with a cargo of coffee , liquors , and soldiers shoes . The triumph was capped late that afternoon when a sail was sighted to the south standing in for land . The unidentified ship ignored a shot across her bow and continued to race for the beach without showing any colors . The Union schooner continued the chase firing at her quarry until she ran aground . The following morning men from " James S . Chambers " boarded the wreck , a schooner of pilot boat - build , and identified her as " Ida " . They removed several boatloads of cargo before setting her afire . A final prize came on 18 June 1863 when the vigilant blockader captured schooner " Rebekah " . Continued Florida operations . A period of almost a year ' s blockading duty stationed at West Pass , St . George ' s Sound , Florida , ensued . On 12 May 1864 boats from " James S . Chambers " and drove off a body of Confederate sailors embarking on a boat expedition ordered to capture the Union ' s side - wheel steamer . Yellow fever forces a return to Philadelphia . In August 1864 " James S . Chambers " encountered a new enemy — yellow fever . The epidemic forced her to return to Philadelphia after taking the lives of 13 sailor s and 3 officers . Only two or three members of her crew escaped the disease . Reassigned to the South Atlantic blockade . On New Year ' s Day 1865 the indomitable ship was back in action with the South Atlantic Blockading Squadron stationed at Bull ' s Bay , South Carolina She was in the joint expeditionary force which attacked the rear of Charleston , South Carolina , 12 February . A fortnight later , her boat crews raided and destroyed extensive Confederate salt works and stockpiles at Palmetto Point , South Carolina . Toward the end of the war " James 8 . Chambers " served as a quarantine vessel at Port Royal , South Carolina . End - of - war decommissioning and sale . She sailed for the North 27 July and decommissioned 31 August . " James S . Chambers " was sold at public auction in New York City to Mr . Rhinehart 27 September 1865 .