These two jaunty fellows are from the crew of the USS Hunchback. Before the war this ship was a ferry in New York City. It was purchased by the U.S. government for military service and spent most of the war in the rivers and along the coasts of Virginia and North Carolina, seeing action numerous times and chalking up a good record of captured enemy vessels.
Like many gunboats converted from civilian use, the Hunchback had most of its guns on deck. They were simply regular artillery guns put on a ship.
The ship took some hits during the war but survived to see the end, at which point it went back to being a ferry in New York City until the early 1880s.
Photo courtesy Library of Congress.
From a ferry to a war ship - interesting voyage.
ReplyDeleteI love the Union naval uniform - as you say, very jaunty. That complicated looking apparatus behind them is, I am guessing, the piston thingy that drove the paddle wheels. It looks very exposed to enemy fire.
ReplyDeleteHunchback is an awesome name for a ship.
Cheers,
M
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ReplyDeletehttp://chelencarter-retiredandlovingit.blogspot.ca/
Michael: Military records are full of reports of damage to machinery and smoke stacks.
ReplyDeleteChris: Hello! Squinting at your thumbnail, I think I recognize you from Goodreads?