Pierson monument

Dr. Edward A. Pierson, USN
Son of Charles and Hannah(?)
Pierson
(Cannot read the rest)

Destruction of the privateer Petrel by the USS St. Lawrence.

American Civil War, 1861–1865

Still in ordinary at the outbreak of the American Civil War, St. Lawrence was hurriedly prepared for action and recommissioned on 21 June 1861, Capt. Hugh Y. Purviance in command. She sailed for the Confederate coast eight days later but was delayed in the lower Delaware River by low tides until 8 July when she finally put to sea. After joining the Atlantic Blockading Squadron upon her arrival at Hampton Roads, she headed further south on the 14th. Two days later, she captured the British brig, HMS Herald, off Cape Hatteras, North Carolina. That blockade runner had escaped from Beaufort, North Carolina, laden with naval stores and was bound for Liverpool. Capt. Purviance sent the prize to Hampton Roads and continued his voyage south.

On the 28th, a lookout on the frigate spotted a schooner flying British colors and gave chase. Some four hours later, as St. Lawrence was overhauling the schooner, the fleeing vessel ran up the Confederate flag and fired three shots at her pursuer. One passed through the frigate's "mainsail and took a splinter out of the main yard." St. Lawrence answered with her forecastle battery and hit the chase twice, once in her bow. Survivors from the schooner, which sank half an hour later, revealed that their ship had been the Confederate privateer, Petrel, of Charleston, South Carolina. Boats from St. Lawrence rescued all but two of the privateer's 38 crewmen and sent them north in the steamer Flag.
Destruction of the privateer Petrel by the USS St. Lawrence.

The frigate proceeded south and blockaded off Savannah, Georgia, until returning to Hampton Roads in September. However, after minor repairs and taking on provisions, she headed back to blockade duty off the Georgia coast. On 19 October, when responsibility for blockading the Confederate Atlantic coast was divided in two, St. Lawrence was assigned to the South Atlantic Blockading Squadron. On 6 November, she captured British schooner, Jenny Lee, of Nassau, New Providence, laden with rice and tobacco from Darien, Georgia, and headed for Nassau. St. Lawrence continued blockade duty, operating along the coasts of Georgia and South Carolina, until ordered north on 27 January 1862.

After replenishing her ammunition, provisions and water at New York, the frigate sailed for the Virginia Capes for service in the North Atlantic Blockading Squadron.

Battle of Hampton Roads

She reached Hampton Roads on 6 March and was on hand when Confederate ironclad, Virginia, (formerly USS Merrimack) attacked Union warships there two days later. On that fateful afternoon, gunboat Cambridge, came alongside with word of the ram's raid and towed St. Lawrence toward the scene of the action. As the two ships passed Sewell's Point, Southern batteries there opened fire with shot and shell and made several hits, but did no serious damage. The two Union warships responded in kind. As they approached the battle scene, observers on the Union warships learned that Cumberland had gone down, Congress had surrendered, and Minnesota had run hard aground. Then, St. Lawrence herself grounded. While Cambridge and tug, Young America, were attempting to refloat the frigate, Virginia opened fire from some 900 yards distance. St. Lawrence replied with rapid fire, but her projectiles glanced harmlessly off the ironclad's greased armor. One 80 pound (36 kg) shell from Virginia penetrated St. Lawrence's starboard quarter just above the water line and did considerable damage to her wardroom pantry and to the Assistant Surgeon's stateroom. Toward dusk, Virginia retired, planning to resume the task of destroying the Union men-of-war after the return of daylight. About 2000, St. Lawrence was again afloat; and she withdrew to the anchorage at Fort Monroe. That night, Monitor arrived and took position near Minnesota, still hard aground. The following day, Virginia returned to Hampton Roads where she engaged Monitor in a historic battle which, although inconclusive, revolutionized naval warfare.

After the battle in Hampton Roads, St. Lawrence served briefly in the Potomac River to protect the Federal capital from attack by sea. She returned to Hampton Roads late in April, but was reassigned to the East Gulf Blockading Squadron.

St. Lawrence arrived at Key West, Florida on the 23rd and was soon at sea again looking for blockade runners operating between Cuba and the gulf coast. In July, she became flagship of the squadron, and she performed this duty until sailing north on 7 May 1863 because of a serious outbreak of yellow fever. The ship was decommissioned at Portsmouth Navy Yard on 30 May 1863.

Recommissioned on 5 August, St. Lawrence sailed to Hampton Roads to become an ordnance ship for the North Atlantic Blockading Squadron. In 1865, she served as a store ship at Norfolk where she was decommissioned on 12 December.
[edit] Barracks ship, 1867–1875

In ordinary through 1866, the frigate was used as a barracks ship for marines at Norfolk from 1867 through 1875. On 31 December 1875, she was sold at Norfolk to E. Stannard.

1862 Novel In the Alternate history novel 1862, the St. Lawrence is sunk by a British ship for revenge of the Trent Affair and brings Great Britain into America's Civil War on the side of the Confederacy.