USS Rhode Island ( 1860 ) The first USS " Rhode Island " was a side - wheel steamer in the United States Navy , commissioned in 1861 . " Rhode Island " was built in New York City , in 1860 by Lupton & McDermut as " John P . King " ; burned and rebuilt and renamed " Eagle " in 1861 before being purchased by the navy on 27 June 1861 from Spofford , Tileston & Company , at New York ; renamed " Rhode Island " ; and commissioned at New York Navy Yard on 29 July 1861 , Commander Stephen D . Trenchard in command . Service history . Supply ship . During the American Civil War , " Rhode Island " was employed as a supply ship , visiting various ports and ships with mail , paymasters officers stores , medicine , and other supplies . She departed New York on her first cruise on 31 July 1861 , returning on 2 September . While cruising off Galveston , Texas , " Rhode Island " captured the schooner " Venus " attempting to run the blockade with a cargo of lead , copper , tin , and wood . During the remainder of 1861 and 1862 " Rhode Island " continued her essential support duties . Departing Philadelphia on 5 February 1862 , she supplied 98 vessels with various stores before returning to Hampton Roads , Virginia , on 18 March ; on another trip from 5 April to 20 May 1862 she supplied 118 vessels . Assigned to support the Gulf Blockading Squadron from 17 April 1862 , " Rhode Island " chased and forced ashore the British schooner " Richard O ' Bryan " near San Luis Pass on 4 July 1862 . Loss of the USS " Monitor " . Returning to the north , " Rhode Island ' s " next duties were towing the low - freeboard monitor s , , , and south from Hampton Roads to Beaufort , North Carolina , or Port Royal , South Carolina . On 29 December 1862 " Rhode Island " departed Hampton Roads with the famous " Monitor " in tow and the " Passaic " in company . As the ships rounded Cape Hatteras on the evening of 30 December , they encountered a heavy storm . " Monitor ' s " pumps were unable to control flooding caused by underwater leaks so that the order to abandon ship had to be given . Before " Monitor ' s " crew could be completely transferred to " Rhode Island " , the ironclad sank , taking four officers and 12 enlisted men with her . " Rhode Island " endeavored to remain as near as possible to the position in which " Monitor " sank so as to fix the location , some 20 miles ( 32 km ) south - southwest of Cape Hatteras and to await daylight to search for a missing small boat . Seven " Rhode Island " crewman were awarded the Medal of Honor for their actions during the sinking : Ordinary Seaman Luke M . Griswold , Seaman Lewis A . Horton , Landsman John Jones , Captain of the Afterguard Hugh Logan , Seaman George Moore , Coxswain Charles H . Smith , and Coxswain Maurice Wagg . Enforcing the blockade . On 29 January 1863 " Rhode Island " was ordered to the West Indies to join in the search for the Confederate steamers " Oreto " and " Alabama " . Unable to help locate the Confederate warships , she did succeed in driving the blockade runner " Margaret and Jessie " ashore at Stirrup Cay on 30 May . Continuing her cruising on the $ 3 coast , " Rhode Island " achieved a fourth victory on 16 August when she captured the British blockade runner " Cronstadt " north of Man of War Bay , Abaco , Bahamas with a cargo of cotton , turpentine , and tobacco . Conversion to cruiser . With defective boilers requiring repair , " Rhode Island " entered Boston Navy Yard on 28 March 1864 for overhaul and was decommissioned there on 21 April . Extensive alterations were made transforming " Rhode Island " into an auxiliary cruiser mounting one 11 - inch gun , eight 8 - inch ( 203 mm ) guns , one 30 - pounder ( 14 kg ) Parrott rifle , and one 12 - pounder ( 5 kg ) rifle . Ordered to tow the monitor from Boston to New York on 26 September 1864 , " Rhode Island " recommissioned on 3 October 1864 and joined the North Atlantic Blockading Squadron soon afterward . Employed in cruising along Confederate - controlled coasts " Rhode Island ' s " duty was highlighted by the capture of the British blockade runner " Vixen " on 1 December 1864 . Sailing from Hampton Roads on 11 December with the monitor in tow , " Rhode Island " joined the squadron attacking Fort Fisher , taking part in the first assault on 24 December and the second , successful attempt of 13 – 15 January 1865 . Signal Quartermaster Charles H . Foy was awarded the Medal of Honor for his actions during the Second Battle of Fort Fisher . Ordered to tow the monitor from Federal Point , North Carolina , to Norfolk , Virginia , on 16 January 1865 , " Rhode Island " subsequently cruised in company with the seagoing monitor in March . In May " Rhode Island " made a cruise to Mobile , Alabama , returning to Hampton Roads on 22 May . Maintained in commission in the years immediately following the end of the Civil War , " Rhode Island ' s " first duty was to help bring the formidable former Confederate armored ram " Stonewall " to the United States . Departing on 21 October for Havana in company with , " Rhode Island " returned with the French - built " Stonewall " on 23 November . After the Civil War . Throughout 1866 , " Rhode Island " continued to cruise in the Atlantic and West Indies , from April 1866 flying the flag of Rear Admiral James S . Palmer . On 15 January 1866 , Seaman William B . Stacy was awarded the Medal of Honor for rescuing a drowning crewmate while the ship was in the harbor of Cap - Haïtien , Haiti . Calling once at Halifax in 1867 before being decommissioned , " Rhode Island " was sold to G . W . Quintard on 1 October 1867 . Redocumented as " Charleston " on 8 November 1867 , the side - wheeler remained in merchant service until abandoned in 1885 .