USS Sunflower (1863)
USS "Sunflower" (1863) was a 294-ton steamer acquired by the Union Navy during the American Civil War. "Sunflower" was used as a gunboat by the Navy to patrol navigable waterways of the Confederacy in order to prevent the South from trading with other countries. Purchased in Massachusetts in 1863. "Sunflower"—a screw gunboat purchased at Boston, Massachusetts, on 2 May 1863—was commissioned on 29 April 1863, Acting Master Edward Sice in command. Civil War operations. Assigned to the East Gulf Blockade. "Sunflower" was assigned to the East Gulf Blockading Squadron and arrived at Key West, Florida , in mid-May 1863. On the 31st, she seized schooner "Echo" and a cargo of cotton off the Marquesas Keys. The gunboat captured schooner "Pushmatatta" off Tortugas on 13 June and schooner "General Worth" in the straits of Florida on 27 August. "Sunflower" aided in seizing sloop "Last Trial" on 6 October. On Christmas Eve 1863, she captured blockade runner "Hancock" near the lighthouse at Tampa Bay with a cargo of salt and borax. Florida operations. "Sunflower" remained on patrol during 1864 and, on 24 March, captured sloop "Josephine" in Sarasota Sound. "Josephine" was en route from Tampa, Florida, to  Havana, Cuba, with a cargo of cotton when she was intercepted. "Sunflower", with and , supported the capture of Tampa, Florida, in a combined operation from 4 to 7 May. These Union ships transported Northern soldiers to Tampa and also provided naval landing parties which participated in the assault. On the 6th, the three ships captured sloop "Neptune" which was carrying a cargo of cotton, when she attempted to run the blockade On 2 June, "Sunflower" landed three armed boats to destroy salt works at Tampa Bay. The last ship to fall prey to "Sunflower" was "Pickwick", captured off St. George 's Sound on 6 December 1864. On 30 March 1865, she and landed an expedition at St. Joseph's Sound and destroyed salt works. End-of-war decommissioning and sale. "Sunflower" sailed to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and was decommissioned there on 3 June 1865. The ship was sold at auction on 10 August 1865.