USS Zouave ( 1861 ) USS " Zouave " ( 1861 ) was a steamer acquired by the Union Navy during the American Civil War . She was needed by the Navy to be part of the fleet of ships to prevent blockade runners from entering ports in the Confederacy . Assigned to the North Atlantic Blockade . " Zouave " — a screw steamer built in 1861 at Albany , New York — was purchased by the Navy on 20 December 1861 at New York City and soon thereafter was delivered to the Navy at Hampton Roads , Virginia , for duty in the North Atlantic Blockading Squadron . On 1 February 1862 , she was placed in commission , Acting Master Henry Reaney in command — and assigned the tasks of patrolling the mouth of the James River at night and serving as a tender for frigates and during daylight hours . Encounter with the " CSS Virginia " . Shortly after noon on 8 March , the tug was moored to a wharf at Newport News , Virginia , when the quartermaster spotted some black smoke near the mouth of the Elizabeth River . " Zouave " got underway and headed across Hampton Roads to investigate . Soon observers on the tug could make out " what to all appearances looked like the roof of a very big barn belching forth smoke as from a chimney on fire . " After a Confederate flag came in view , the men on " Zouave " concluded that the strong looking craft was the long expected Southern ironclad " CSS Virginia " — the rebuilt " Merrimack " — finally emerging to challenge the Union blockaders . " Zouave " then opened up with her 30 - pounder Parrott rifle and fired about a half - dozen rounds before she was recalled by a signal hoisted on board " Cumberland " . By this time , the Union warships in Hampton Roads and batteries at Newport News had also opened fire on the Southern ironclad . When " Virginia " reached a position abreast of " Congress " , she fired a broadside into that Union frigate and headed straight for " Cumberland " . " Congress " and " Zouave " attacked by " CSS Virginia " . At this point , " Zouave " was in between the fire of " Virginia " , that of her escorts " Patrick Henry " and " Jamestown " , and the " friendly " Union guns based ashore at Newport News and Fort Monroe . She kept firing at the Southern ships until she was signaled by " Congress " to come alongside . The tug quickly obeyed and began the difficult process of taking the blazing frigate in tow . As " Zouave " was attempting to pull " Congress " into shoal water where she might be safe from further attacks , " Virginia " pulled astern of the retreating Union ships and subjected them to broadside after broadside . When " Congress " grounded , she hoisted a white flag to indicate her surrender . " Congress " surrenders , battle - damaged " Zouave " escapes . " Zouave " cut her towlines ; backed up ; and , upon pulling free , resumed her firing . Lookouts on the tug thus spotted a signal on " Minnesota " — which had also grounded but was still in the fight — asking for assistance . While the tug was heading for that plucky Union blockader , she was hit " by a shot which carried away our rudder - post and one of the blades of her propeller wheel . " Unable to steer and moving straight toward " Virginia " , " Zouave " backed up and used her hawser " over our port quarter " to keep moving toward . During the passage , arrived on the scene and assisted " Zouave " to her destination . The battle - damaged tug lay alongside " Minnesota " throughout the night , ready to assist the Union ships insofar as she was able . The next day , " Zouave " was upstaged by the newly arrived during that novel ironclad ' s epic battle with " Virginia " . On 11 March , she proceeded , in tow , to the Baltimore Navy Yard for repairs . Return to Hampton Roads after repair at Baltimore . " Zouave " returned to Hampton Roads on 3 May 1862 . She spent the next six months deployed in Hampton Roads and surrounding waters on guard duty as an armed tug . She also carried out picket and dispatch assignments . On 26 October 1862 , " Zouave " received instructions to hail , then cruising between the Piankatank and York Rivers , Virginia , and ordering her to report to Hampton Roads to prepare for duty in the North Carolina sounds . On 29 October 1862 at Rip Raps , Virginia , after " Delaware " failed to acknowledge " Zouave ' s " recognition signal , " Zouave " mistakenly fired on " Delaware " , taking the steamer for a Confederate blockade runner . Returning to Hampton Roads , " Zouave " and towed monitor to the Washington Navy Yard for repairs on 30 November 1862 . On 18 January 1863 , " Zouave " captured the small schooner " J . C . MoCabe " and six prisoners in the James River ; and , on the night of 11 and 12 April 1863 , she participated in a reconnaissance of Jamestown Island in the James . She served as part of the Union force capturing the formidable Confederate position at Hill ' s Point on the Nansemond River , Virginia , on 20 April 1863 . This relieved Union army positions near Suffolk , Virginia , of Southern pressure . " Zouave " steamed to Baltimore , Maryland , for repairs in May 1863 . The war , weather , and water take a toll on " Zouave " . " Zouave " deteriorated steadily during the remaining two years of the war . On 29 February 1864 , she was detailed to Atlanta , Georgia , to guard against possible attacks by Confederate torpedo boats . In April 1864 , " Zouave " sailed to Baltimore for repairs . She soon returned to Hampton Roads , only to be ordered to the Norfolk Navy Yard for more repairs on 4 August 1864 . " Zouave " remained in the yard through early December 1864 , then was deployed in the James River until the war ' s end . After a final round of repairs at Norfolk , the tug proceeded to the New York Navy Yard on 1 June 1865 . Decommissioning and sale . " Zouave " was decommissioned at New York on 14 June 1865 and was sold at public auction there to M . O . Roberts on 12 July 1865 .