USS Key West (TC 32)

Naval Station at Mound City, Illinois (circa 1863) -- Ships present include USS Key West at left, with her number "32" painted on her pilothouse; at least ten other "Tinclad" gunboats; one "City" class ironclad (just astern of Key West) and one "Timberclad" gunboat (seen beyond the ironclad's stern).

USS Key West, a 207-ton stern-wheel "tinclad" river gunboat, was built in 1862 at California, Pennsylvania, as the civilian steamer Key West No. 3. Purchased by the Navy in April 1863, she was converted to a gunboat and commissioned the following month as USS Key West. She was assigned to patrol and escort duties on the Tennessee River, where she protected Union forces from Confederate raids. On October 10, 1864, Key West received damage in gunnery actions with enemy batteries during an expedition to Eastport, Mississippi. Early in November, she took part in an operation to recapture a transport steamer at Johnsonville, Tennessee, in company with the "Tinclads" Elfin and Tawah. Near there on November 4, 1864, the three gunboats were trapped by Confederate artillery. After a vigorous engagement, Key West and her two consorts were burned to prevent capture.

US Naval Historical Center

 

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The first Key West was built in 1862 at California, Pennsylvania, as Key West No. S; purchased by the Navy from W. S. Evans, et al at Cairo, Illinois, April 16, 1863; and commissioned May 26, 1863; Acting Master E. M. King in command.

The wooden stern-wheel steamer departed Cairo that day for patrol duty in the Tennessee River, supporting Army efforts and protecting Federal positions in the Tennessee Valley from Confederate Calvary raids. Frequently, as she patrolled the river and escorted transports and supply ships, her guns engaged hit-and-run batteries and bands of riflemen. On October 10, 1864, as troops debarked at Eastport, Mississippi, from three transports Key West and Undine had escorted from Clifton, Tennessee, a hidden Confederate 6-gun battery at Eastport and a 3-gun battery near Chickasaw opened fire on the Union ships. After the Southern guns had set two of the transports on fire and damaged Key West with two rifle shots, the Union ships reluctantly retired downstream out-of-range.

On November 2, 1984 at Johnsonville, Tennessee, Key West assisted Tawah in recapturing transport Venus, taken along with Undine and Cheeseman by the Confederates there October 30, 1864. On November 4, 1864 Key West, Tawah, and Elfin were caught in a narrow, shallow section of the river near Johnsonville by a Confederate force under General Nathan B. Forrest. After a vigorous action in which Key West was hit 19 times by rifled artillery, the 3 Union gunboats, riddled and almost out of ammunition, were set afire and scuttled.

Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships