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
Online Library of Selected Images:
-- U.S. NAVY SHIPS --
USS Nahant (1862-1904).
Briefly renamed Atlas in 1869
USS Nahant, a 1335-ton Passaic class monitor,
was built at South Boston, Massachusetts. She was commissioned
in late December 1862 and arrived in South Carolina waters in
February 1863 to become part of the South Atlantic Blockading
Squadron. A few days later, on 3 March, she participated in a
bombardment of Fort McAllister, Georgia, as part of a test of
the combat qualities of the U.S. Navy's new monitors. Nahant
was one of nine ironclads that attacked Fort Sumter, South Carolina,
on 7 April 1863. In this action against the centerpiece of Charleston
harbor's defenses, the limitations of the monitor design were
clearly demonstrated along with their powers of resistance to
heavy gunfire. Nahant was hit 36 times by Confederate gunners
and was left with a disabled turret and one man killed.
Following repairs, Nahant moved to Wassau Sound, Georgia,
where she supported USS Weehawken
in a battle on 17 June 1863 that quickly produced the surrender
of the Confederate ironclad Atlanta.
During the following July, August and September, the monitor joined
several of her sisters in a lengthy campaign against Charleston's
fortifications that bore fruit with the capture of Battery Wagner,
on Morris Island. On 15-16 November 1863, Nahant again
bombarded enemy defenses and helped rescue USS Lehigh after
that monitor went aground under fire.
For the rest of the Civil War, Nahant remained in the South
Carolina area, supporting the blockade by deterring an attack
by Confederate ironclads based at Charleston. On 2 February 1865,
she took part in the destruction of the grounded blockade runner
Presto. Nahant was decommissioned in August 1865,
some months after the conflict's end, and was laid up at Philadelphia,
Pennsylvania, for more than three decades. She was renamed Atlas
in June 1869 but regained her original name a few months later.
When the Spanish-American War began in April 1898, Nahant
was placed back in commission. She performed coastal defense duties
in New York Harbor through the short war, then returned to Philadelphia
for lay up. USS Nahant was sold for scrapping in April
1904.
This page features all the views we have related to USS Nahant
(1862-1904).
Click on the small photograph to prompt
a larger view of the same image.
Photo #: NH 45634
USS Nahant (1862-1904)
Laid up at the League Island Navy Yard, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania,
circa the late 1800s. Another monitor is alongside, at left.
U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph.
Online Image: 83KB; 740 x 540 pixels |
![](../../images/h45000/h45634t.jpg) |
Photo #: NH 45635
USS Nahant (1862-1904)
In New York Harbor, during her Spanish-American War service,
1898. Her turret guns are run out, in firing position.
Photographed by Hart.
U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph.
Online Image: 63KB; 740 x 510 pixels |
![](../../images/h45000/h45635t.jpg) |
Photo #: NH 69787
USS Nahant (1862-1904)
Photographed in 1898, possibly while being prepared for Spanish-American
War service. Note that her turret has a "roof" of the
type fitted to monitors while they were laid up in reserve.
Photographed by A. Loeffler, Tompkinsville, N.Y.
Courtesy of Commander Clayton A. Johnson, USN.
U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph.
Online Image: 66KB; 740 x 500 pixels |
![](../../images/h69000/h69787t.jpg) |
Photo #: NH 59288
Bombardment of Fort McAllister, Georgia, 3 March 1863
Line engraving published in "Harper's Weekly", January-June
1863, page 196, depicting the bombardment of Fort McAllister
by the U.S. Navy monitors Passaic, Patapsco and
Nahant. The engraving is based on a sketch by "an
eye-witness" on board USS Montauk, which is in the
right center foreground. In the left foreground, firing on the
fort, are the mortar schooners C.P. Williams, Norfolk
Packet and Para. Among other U.S. Navy ships involved
were gunboats Wissahickon, Seneca and Dawn
and tug Dandelion.
U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph.
Online Image: 74KB; 740 x 295 pixels |
![](../../images/h59000/h59288t.jpg) |
Photo #: NH 59287
Bombardment of Fort McAllister, Georgia, 3 March 1863
Line engraving, after a sketch by W.T. Crane, published in "The
Soldier in Our Civil War", Volume II, page 39. It depicts
the U.S. Navy monitors Patapsco, Passaic and Nahant
firing on Fort McAllister (at far left) from the Ogeechee River.
Other U.S. Navy ships are in the foreground. Montauk is
the monitor in this group (farthest from the artist). Firing
on the fort from the right foreground are mortar schooners, including
C.P. Williams, Norfolk Packet and Para.
Among other U.S. Navy ships involved were gunboats Wissahickon,
Seneca and Dawn and tug Dandelion, all screw
steamers.
U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph.
Online Image: 110KB; 740 x 380 pixels |
![](../../images/h59000/h59287t.jpg) |
Photo #: NH 59269
"Panoramic View of Charleston Harbor. -- Advance of Ironclads
to the Attack, April 7th, 1863"
Line engraving published in "The Soldier in our Civil War",
Volume II, page 172, with a key to individual ships and land
features shown.
U.S. Navy ships present are (from left to center): Keokuk,
Nahant, Nantucket, Catskill, New Ironsides,
Patapsco, Montauk, Passaic and Weehawken.
U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph.
Online Image: 107KB; 900 x 350 pixels |
![](../../images/h59000/h59269t.jpg) |
Photo #: NH 82124-KN (color)
USS Nahant (1862-1904)
Crewmen swabbing out one of her turret guns, during drills at
the New York Navy Yard, 1898. USS New Orleans is in the
background.
The original photograph was published on a color-tinted postcard
by Raphael Tuck & Sons.
Collection of Lieutenant Commander Abraham DeSomer, donated by
Myles DeSomer, 1975.
U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph.
Online Image: 101KB; 740 x 495 pixels |
![](../../images/h82000/h82124kt.jpg) |
Photo #: NH 100797-KN (color)
USS Nahant (1862-1904)
Crewmen mending the U.S. flag on deck, 1898. Dents in the ship's
turret armor were caused by Confederate gunfire during the Civil
War, some thirty-five years earlier.
The original photograph was published on a color-tinted postcard
by the Robbins Brothers Co., Boston. It was copyrighted by Waldon
Fawcett, Washington, D.C., circa 1898.
Courtesy of Carter Rila, 1986.
U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph.
Online Image: 142KB; 740 x 510 pixels |
![](../../images/i00000/i00797kt.jpg) |
Return to Naval
Historical Center home page.
Page made 6 October 1998
New images added and text revised 30 September 2001