USS Huntsville ( 1857 ) USS " Huntsville " was a steamer acquired by the Union Navy during the American Civil War . She was used by the Navy to patrol navigable waterways of the Confederacy to prevent the South from trading with other countries . Construction and initial service . " Huntsville " , a wooden screw steamer , was built in New York City by J . A . Westervelt for H . B . Cromwell & Co . , who intended to run her as a passenger steamer between New York and Savannah , Georgia . " Huntsville " was launched on 10 December 1857 , and was in operation on her intended route by January of the following year . With the outbreak of the Civil War in April 1861 , " Hunstsville " was chartered from her owner , H . B . Cromwell & Co . , in New York City 24 April 1861 ; commissioned there 9 May 1861 , Commander Cicero Price in command ; and purchased by the Navy 24 August 1861 while on active duty . Gulf Blockading Squadron . " Huntsville " sailed for Key West , Florida , arriving 11 May 1861 , and joined the Gulf Blockading Squadron . In early August she steamed from the Florida coast westward and almost immediately captured two small schooners off Mobile , Alabama . She cruised on blockade duty from Alabama to Texas , and on 24 December she engaged " Florida " off Mobile Bay . Following an hour - long gun battle , she turned the blockade runner back into Mobile . " Huntsville " returned to New York in the spring of 1862 , and she decommissioned 5 April . She recommissioned 11 June , Lt . Howard Rogers in command , and returned to blockade duty along the U . S . Gulf Coast . By the end of July she had taken three prizes , Confederate steamers " Adela " and " Reliance " and British schooner " Agnes " , carrying cargoes of cotton , rosin , and other commodities . Before the end of the year , she captured two additional blockade runners , schooners " Courier " and " Ariel " , trying to run into Mobile with cargoes of lead , tin , medicines , wines , and coffee . As the relentless pressure of the blockade against the South continued , the third year of the war proved even more profitable for " Huntsville " . During 1863 she captured two Confederate ships , " Minnie " and " A . J . Hodge " ; two British schooners , " Surprise " and " Ascension " ; and Spanish steamer " Union " . In addition , she drove two others , " Cuba " and " Eugenia " , into the hands of other ships in the blockading fleet and was given partial credit in the capture of " Last Trial " , a Confederate sloop captured off Key West , Florida , harbor . Among the variety of cargo seized , " Huntsville " captured 523 bales of cotton , the most valuable commodity in the South ; and she prevented a great quantity of supplies , mainly from Havana , Cuba , and Nassau , Bahamas , from reaching the beleaguered South . Yellow fever outbreak . During the first part of 1864 " Huntsville " operated along the coast of Florida and off Cuba . Late in May she sailed to Tampa Bay to support landing forces . An outbreak of yellow fever in near - epidemic proportions struck the Union ships . " Huntsville " was one of the hardest hit , and the disease felled more than half her crew . Departing Tampa 23 July , she coaled at Key West and reached New York 3 August . Following a period of quarantine , she decommissioned 19 August . Recommission . " Huntsville " recommissioned 25 March 1865 , Lt . Comdr . Edward F . Devens in command . Departing New York 2 April , she steamed via Mobile and arrived New Orleans , Louisiana , 17 April . There she embarked passengers and prisoners and sailed for New York , arriving Brooklyn Navy Yard 1 May . She departed 14 May ; touched at Baltimore , Maryland , to embark 150 men bound for Panama ; and arrived Aspinwall , Panama , 30 May . Departing Panama 5 June , she discovered survivors of the wrecked steamer " Golden Rule " on Roncador Island . With the aid of , she rescued the stranded voyagers and carried them to Aspinwall . She sailed 16 June with 85 members of " Golden Rule ' s " crew embarked and arrived New York nine days later . End - of - war operations and post - war decommissioning . After completing two passenger runs to Boston , Massachusetts , " Huntsville " escorted monitor " Nausset " to Philadelphia where she arrived 22 August . She decommissioned there 28 August and was sold at New York City 30 November to Russell Sturgis .