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DEPARTMENT OF THE NAVY -- NAVAL HISTORICAL CENTER
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Photo # NH 55204:  USS Casco on the James River, Virginia, in 1865

Online Library of Selected Images:
-- U.S. NAVY SHIPS --

USS Casco (1864-1875).
Renamed Hero in 1869

USS Casco, first of a class of twenty 1175-ton light draft monitors, was built at Boston, Massachusetts. Upon her launching in May 1864, it was found that the design of these ships was seriously flawed. She was then completed as a torpedo vessel, without the armored gun turret that was typical of monitor-type ironclads. Casco was commissioned in early December 1864 and subsequently assigned to duty on the James River, Virginia, where she served until April 1865. She spent the last weeks of the Civil War with the Potomac Flotilla and was decommissioned at the Washington Navy Yard, D.C. in June 1865. In the widespread ship-renamings that took place in June 1869, Casco was given the new name Hero. She saw no further active service, and was scrapped in 1875.

This page features all the views we have related to USS Casco.


If you want higher resolution reproductions than the digital images presented here, see: "How to Obtain Photographic Reproductions."

Click on the small photograph to prompt a larger view of the same image.

Photo #: NH 55204

USS Casco
(1864-1875)

On the James River, Virginia, 1865, while serving as a spar torpedo vessel.
Note the torpedo gear mounted on her bow.

U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph.

Online Image: 101KB; 740 x 495 pixels

 
Photo #: NH 100988

USS Casco
(1864-1875)

Serving as a torpedo boat on the James River, Virginia, near Dutch Gap, in 1864-1865.
Note the spar torpedo gear carried at her bow, and the XI-inch Dahlgren smoothbore gun pivit-mounted on deck.
Photo mounted on a stereograph card, published by E. & H.T. Anthony & Company, New York.

Courtesy of Louis H. Smaus, 1986.

U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph.

Online Image: 95KB; 645 x 675 pixels

A stereo pair version of this image is available as Photo # NH 100988-A

Online Image of stereo pair: 55KB; 675 x 340 pixels

 
Photo #: NH 59542

USS Casco
(1864-1875)

Watercolor by Oscar Parkes, depicting the ship as she appeared in 1864-1865, while serving as a torpedo vessel on the James River, Virginia.

Courtesy of Dr. Oscar Parkes, 1936.

U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph.

Online Image: 98KB; 740 x 510 pixels

 
Photo #: 111-B-5374

James River, Virginia, near Dutch Gap


Union warships on the river, in about 1865. USS Casco (1864-1875) is in the center. Moored beyond her are at least four "Double-ender" paddle-wheel gunboats, two screw gunboats and two monitors, plus (to the left) a variety of civilian steamers and sailing vessels.
Photographed by the Matthew Brady organization.

Photograph from the Collections of the U.S. National Archives.

Online Image: 80KB; 740 x 605 pixels

 
Photo #: NH 93868

Washington Navy Yard, District of Columbia


Four monitors laid up in the Anacostia River, off the Washington Navy Yard, circa 1866.
Ships are (from left to right): USS Mahopac, USS Saugus, USS Montauk (probably); and either USS Casco or USS Chimo. Photo mounted on a stereograph card, marked: "Photographed and published by Kilburn Brothers, Littleton, N.H.".

Courtesy of Paul H. Silverstone, 1982.

U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph.

Online Image: 88KB; 695 x 675 pixels

A stereo pair version of this image is available as Photo # NH 93868-A

Online Image of stereo pair: 47KB; 675 x 370 pixels

 
Photo #: NH 55203

"Torpedo Arrangement & Platform ... Light Draft Monitors"


Plan of the spar torpedo equipment designed for installation on the U.S. ships Casco, Chimo, Napa, Naubuc and Modoc, circa 1864.

The original drawing is in the records of the Bureau of Ships at the U.S. National Archives.

U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph.

Online Image: 136KB; 1200 x 920 pixels

 

Note: In addition to the views presented above, the Mariners Museum in Newport News, Virginia, holds a lithograph of USS Casco in her originally-planned monitor configuration, with an armored gun turret. This item has Mariners Museum's image number LP-2202.
This print was published by Endicott & Company, New York, circa 1864. As with other ship lithographs by that publisher, it was probably issued to represent many, if not all, of the other vessels of the Casco class.

For additional information on this item, the availability of reproductions and usage rights, contact the Mariners Museum. Its WEB site can be readily found through standard Internet search engines.


If you want higher resolution reproductions than the digital images presented here, see: "How to Obtain Photographic Reproductions."


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Page made 9 March 2002