Return to Naval Historical Center home page. Return to Online Library listing

DEPARTMENT OF THE NAVY -- NAVAL HISTORICAL CENTER
805 KIDDER BREESE SE -- WASHINGTON NAVY YARD
WASHINGTON DC 20374-5060

Photo # NH 63853:  Steamship R.R. Cuyler.  Artwork by Erik Heyl

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

USS R.R. Cuyler (1861-1865).
Originally, and later, the civilian steamship R.R. Cuyler (1860)

R.R. Cuyler, a 1202-ton (burden) wooden screw steamship, was built at New York City in 1859-60. She was employed in trade between New York, Cuba and New Orleans until the outbreak of the Civil War. Chartered by the Navy for war service in May 1861 and purchased three months later, in June R.R. Cuyler was sent to enforce the blockade of Florida's west coast. Over the next three years, she was involved in the capture of several blockade runners, both steamer and sailing types, off Florida and elsewhere in the Gulf of Mexico.

In 1864, R.R. Cuyler's operating area was changed to the waters off the Confederacy's Atlantic coast. On 4 December of that year she assisted in the capture of the noted blockade runner Armstrong. In mid-January 1865 R.R. Cuyler took part in the successful assault on Fort Fisher, thus closing the port of Wilmington, North Carolina, to the blockade running trade.

With the defeat of the Confederacy having eliminated the Navy's need for her services, R.R. Cuyler was decommissioned in July 1865 and sold in August. She returned to commercial service under the same name, but was sold to the Republic of Columbia in 1866 for addition to that nation's navy. Renamed El Rayo, on 12 September 1867 she was wrecked by a storm at Cartagena.

This page features all the views we have related to USS R.R. Cuyler and the civilian steamship R.R. Cuyler.


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 63853

Steamship R.R. Cuyler
(1860)

Watercolor by Erik Heyl, painted for use in his book "Early American Steamers", Volume I.
Built at New York City in 1860, this steamer served as USS R.R. Cuyler during 1861-1865. She became the Columbian warship El Rayo in 1866 and was lost in September 1867.

Courtesy of Erik Heyl.

U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph.

Online Image: 73KB; 740 x 390 pixels

 
Photo #: NH 2017

Steamship R.R. Cuyler
(1860)

Reproduction of a contemporary lithograph, copied from the book "Arthur Winslow".
This steamer served as USS R.R. Cuyler during the Civil War.

U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph.

Online Image: 72KB; 740 x 475 pixels

 
Photo #: NH 59366

"Merchant Steamers Converted into Gun-boats."


Engraving published in "Harper's Weekly", July-December 1861 volume.
It depicts thirteen merchant steamships acquired by the U.S. Navy between April and August 1861 and subsequently converted into warships, plus the steamer Nashville (far left), which became a Confederate cruiser.
U.S. Navy ships, as identified below the image bottom, are (from left to right: Alabama, Quaker City, Santiago de Cuba (listed as "St. Jago de Cuba", Mount Vernon, Massachusetts, South Carolina, Florida, De Soto, Augusta, James Adger, Monticello, Bienville and R.R. Cuyler.

U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph.

Online Image: 182KB; 1200 x 470 pixels

 
Photo #: NH 59308

"The Navy-Yard at Brooklyn, New York, June, 1861"


Line engraving published in "Harper's Weekly", July-December 1861, pages 456-457, depicting a large number of Navy ships off the New York Navy Yard, early in the Civil War.
Vessels shown include (from left to right): USS Montgomery; USS Vandalia; USSBrandywine; USS North Carolina; USS Potomac; USS Savannah; USS R.R. Cuyler; USS Mount Vernon; USS Roanoke; USS Resolute and USS Wabash.
A rowing launch is underway in the foreground.

U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph.

Online Image: 155KB; 740 x 600 pixels

 
Photo #: NH 59170

"Second Attack upon Fort Fisher, showing the positions of the vessels, and the lines of fire", 13-15 January 1865


Chart by Walter A. Lane, published in "The Soldier in our Civil War", Volume II.
The positions of 58 ships are represented on the chart.

U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph.

Online Image: 216KB; 825 x 1225 pixels

 


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


Return to Naval Historical Center home page.

Page made 22 September 2002