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DEPARTMENT OF THE NAVY -- NAVAL HISTORICAL CENTER
805 KIDDER BREESE SE -- WASHINGTON NAVY YARD
WASHINGTON DC 20374-5060
Online Library of Selected Images:
-- U.S. NAVY SHIPS --
USS Belle (1864-1865)
USS Belle, a 56-ton steam tugboat, was built at Philadelphia,
Pennsylvania, in 1864, and purchased by the Navy in June of that
year. She was employed in the North Carolina Sounds area as a
tug, dispatch vessel and spar-torpedo boat. Belle took
part in the capture of Plymouth, N.C., on 31 October 1864 and
in an expedition up the Roanoke River during the following December.
She was sold in July 1865 and was used for civilian purposes under
the name Belle until 1891.
This page features our only views of USS Belle.
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 58943
"Capture of Plymouth, N.C. Oct. 1864"
19th Century photograph of a painting by Acting Second Engineer
Alexander C. Stuart, USN, 1864.
It depicts USS Commodore Hull (at left) leading the "Double-Ender"
gunboats Tacony, Shamrock, Otsego and Wyalusing
in engaging Confederate batteries at Plymouth, North Carolina,
on 31 October 1864. Small vessels lashed to the gunboats' unengaged
sides include USS Whitehead (beside Tacony), USS
Bazely (beside Shamrock) and Belle (beside
Otsego).
Collection of Surgeon H.P. Babcock, USN. Donated by his son,
George R. Babcock, 1939.
U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph.
Online Image: 89KB; 740 x 505 pixels |
![](../../images/h58000/h58943t.jpg) |
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.
14 November 1999