USS George Mangham ( 1854 ) USS " George Mangham " ( 1854 ) 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 . Commissioned at Philadelphia in 1862 . " George Mangham " was a wooden schooner built in 1854 ; purchased by the Navy at Philadelphia , Pennsylvania , 21 September 1861 ; and commissioned at the Philadelphia Navy Yard 11 January 1862 , Acting Master John Collins , Jr . , in command . Assigned to the West Gulf Blockade . " George Mangham " departed Chester , Pennsylvania , 13 January for duty with Comdr . David Dixon Porter ' s Mortar Flotilla , a part of the West Gulf Blockading Squadron . Sailing via Hampton Roads , Virginia , she arrived Key West , Florida , 13 February . From there she sailed 6 March with Porter ' s ships to the mouth of the Mississippi River to prepare for the important assault on Forts Jackson and St . Philip , which guarded the approaches to New Orleans , Louisiana . " George Mangham " and the other mortar boats crossed the bar into the Mississippi River 18 March . Bombarding forts at the mouth of the Mississippi . After Farragut ' s meticulous preparations had been completed , the Mortar Flotilla , including " George Mangham " , began the bombardment of Fort Jackson 18 April and sustained the fierce cannonade for 5 days . " George Mangham " was with the second division , anchored on the east bank of the river . As the swift current slackened 24 April , Farragut ' s fleet steamed boldly through the gap in the obstructions and past the forts through a hail of shell , engaging and capturing a large Confederate flotilla . The mortar schooners shelled the forts at rapid fire to support the movement , and " George Mangham " received a shot through her hull in the engagement . Flag Officer Farragut , having passed the major Confederate defenses on the river below New Orleans , Louisiana , captured that city 25 April , opening the way for Union naval forces to sweep up the Mississippi River . " George Mangham " and the rest of the mortar ships remained below the battered forts , which surrendered 28 April . Supporting Farragut on the lower Mississippi . " George Mangham " , however , departed for Florida 27 April and spent the next month cruising the Pensacola , Florida , area . Comdr . Porter again assembled his fleet at Pensacola and sailed 3 June to support the Union movement up the Mississippi ; arriving off Vicksburg , Mississippi , 20 June , she assisted in the passage of the batteries there . Supported strongly by the mortar bombardment , Farragut steamed past the formidable Confederate works 28 June to join with Commodore Davis further up the river . Subsequently , " George Mangham " returned downriver , engaging Confederate artillery on the riverbank from time to time . After passing Grand Gulf , Mississippi , she arrived Baton Rouge , Louisiana , 12 July . From there she proceeded to Hampton Roads , Virginia , where she moored 30 July . Reassigned to the Potomac River flotilla . Remaining at Hampton Roads until 29 August , " George Mangham " first proceeded to Baltimore , Maryland , then served as a guard ship on the Potomac River at Piney Point , Maryland . The schooner was assigned to the Potomac Flotilla 22 December ; and until 10 July 1863 , she suppressed blockage runners , capturing four prizes in the lower Potomac . She was then taken to the Washington Navy Yard and fitted out for cruising in the Gulf of St . Lawrence . Operations in the North Atlantic Ocean . Authorities in Washington , D . C . were greatly concerned about the attacks of Confederate raiders , and " George Mangham " was chosen to protect American merchantmen and fishing craft . Leaving Washington 5 August , she cruised off the Magdalen Islands and Prince Edward Island ; without detecting any Confederate ships , she departed Georgetown , Prince Edward Island , 5 November for New York Navy Yard . Reassigned to the South Atlantic Blockade . After repairs at New York City , " George Mangham " sailed 9 December to join the South Atlantic Blockading Squadron for blockading duty off Murrells Inlet , South Carolina . While engaged in this work , on 7 January 1864 she moved close to shore and destroyed " Dare " , a beached blockade runner driven ashore by larger Union ships . She then steamed to Charleston , South Carolina , 21 March and continued the vital work of blockading the South Carolina coast in the vicinity of Cape Romain , St . Helena Sound , and Bull ' s Bay during the remainder of the year . Reassigned to Key West , Florida . Returning to Port Royal , South Carolina , 5 January 1865 , " George Mangham " was reassigned temporarily to Key West , Florida , in March . Post - war decommissioning and sale . Subsequently , she returned to the New York Navy Yard 9 August ; decommissioned 9 September ; and was sold at public auction to D . T . Trendy 27 September .