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WASHINGTON DC 20374-5060

Photo # NH 42803:  USS Passaic.  Artwork by R.G. Skerrett

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

USS Passaic (1862-1899)

USS Passaic, first of a ten-ship class of 1335-ton ironclad monitors, was built at Greenpoint, New York. Commissioned in late November 1862, she was detained at Washington, D.C., for repairs during much of December. After a difficult passage through the storm that sank USS Monitor, she reached Beaufort, North Carolina, on 1 January 1863 and later in the month moved on to Port Royal, South Carolina, where she joined the South Atlantic Blockading Squadron.

Passaic's combat service began on 23 February 1863, in Wassau Sound, Georgia, where she took part in the capture of a blockade-running schooner. On 3 March, during an intended "shakedown" operation for new monitors, she bombarded Fort McAllister, on Georgia's Ogeechee River. Passaic was one of nine ironclads that attacked Fort Sumter, off Charleston, South Carolina, on 7 April 1863. She received serious damage at that time and had to go to New York for repairs.

Returning to the war zone in late July, Passaic kept busy over the next two months bombarding Confederate fortifications at the harbor entrance. Among other contributions, her gunfire helped to reduce Fort Wagner, on Morris Island, facilitating its capture in early September. Passaic spent the remainder of the Civil War operating in South Carolina and Georgia waters. Returning north after the conflict's end, she decommissioned at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in June 1865.

After more than a decade in reserve, Passaic recommissioned in November 1876. She was receiving ship at the Washington Navy Yard, D.C., in 1878-82, then was assigned to the U.S. Naval Academy, Annapolis, Maryland, during 1883-92. The now-elderly monitor was employed on Naval Militia service in Massachusetts and Georgia during much of the rest of the 1890s and recommissioned in May 1898 for Spanish-American War duty. After a brief tour in Florida waters, she was decommissioned for the last time in September 1898. USS Passaic was sold in October 1899.

This page features all our views of and on board USS Passaic (1862-1899), and provides a link to views of her actions and activities.

For additional views related to USS Passaic, see:,

  • USS Passaic -- Actions and Activities.


    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 42803

    USS Passaic
    (1862-1899)

    Wash drawing by R.G. Skerrett, 1898, depicting the ship as she was during the Civil War.

    U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph.

    Online Image: 79KB; 740 x 425 pixels

     
    Photo #: NH 58736

    USS Passaic
    (1862-1899)

    Line engraving published in "Harper's Weekly", 1862, depicting Passaic "as she will appear at sea".
    She was commissioned on 25 November 1862.

    U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph.

    Online Image: 132KB; 740 x 570 pixels

     
    Photo #: NH 74548

    USS New Ironsides
    (1862-1866) and
    USS Passaic (1862-1899)

    Drawing by Fred S. Cozzens, published in "Our Navy -- Its Growth and Achievements", 1897, depicting the ships during the Civil War.

    U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph.

    Online Image: 71KB; 740 x 280 pixels

     
    Photo #: NH 42802

    USS Passaic
    (1862-1899)

    Off the U.S. Naval Academy, Annapolis, Maryland, circa 1887. The Academy's "New Quarters" building is at the far left. Tall structure in the left center distance is the Maryland State House.
    The photograph was taken by E.H. Hart and published in his 1887 book "United States Naval Academy, Annapolis, Maryland".

    Collection of Rear Admiral Ammen C. Farenholt, USN(MC).

    U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph.

    Online Image: 50KB; 740 x 330 pixels

     
    Photo #: NH 43747

    USS Passaic
    (1862-1899)

    Photographed late in her career, after she had been fitted with a light "flying" deck.
    View looks forward from off the port quarter. Note the ship's propeller well aft, with its cover removed and resting on deck. The exposed tiller and steering cables are also visible, between the propeller well and its cover.
    Possibly taken during Passaic's service at the U.S. Naval Academy, Annapolis, Maryland, circa 1883-1892.

    U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph.

    Online Image: 74KB; 740 x 560 pixels

     


    The following depictions of USS Passaic are relatively inaccurate:

    Photo #: NH 58737

    USS Catskill
    (1863-1901);
    USS Passaic (1862-1899); and
    USS Montauk (1862-1904)

    Line engraving published in "Harper's Weekly", 1862, rather crudely depicting the appearance of these ships and others of their class.

    U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph.

    Online Image: 115KB; 740 x 470 pixels

     
    Photo #: NH 58752

    U.S. Navy Warships, 1862


    Line engraving published in "Harper's Weekly", 1862, depicting several contemporary U.S. Navy ironclad and conventional warships. They are (from left to right: Puritan (in the original twin-turret design); Catskill; Montauk, Keokuk (citing her original name, "Woodna"); Passaic; Galena (behind Roanoke, with name not cited); Roanoke; Winona; New Ironsides; Naugatuck; Brooklyn and Monitor.

    U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph.

    Online Image: 59KB; 740 x 250 pixels

     


    The following views depict scenes on board USS Passaic:

    Photo #: NH 58734

    USS Passaic
    (1862-1899)

    Line engraving published in "Harper's Weekly", 1862, depicting the interior of the ship's gun turret.
    Passaic was armed with two large Dahlgren smooth-bore guns: one XI-inch and one XV-inch.
    Note round shot in the foreground, that at right in a hoisting sling, and turning direction marking on the gun carriage.

    U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph.

    Online Image: 144KB; 740 x 615 pixels

     
    Photo #: NH 59426

    USS Passaic
    (1862-1899)

    Ship's officers and crew at divine services, while she was off Charleston, South Carolina, during the Civil War.
    Photographed by the Matthew Brady organization.

    U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph.

    Online Image: 111KB; 740 x 605 pixels

     


    In addition to the images presented above, the National Archives appears to hold other views taken on board USS Passaic during the Civil War. The following list features some of these images:

    The images listed below are NOT in the Naval Historical Center's collections.
    DO NOT try to obtain them using the procedures described in our page "How to Obtain Photographic Reproductions".



  • Photo #: 111-SC-113746
    Photograph of USS Passaic's turret, showing dents in armor plate from Confederate cannon shot. View shows the side or rear of the turret, away from its gun ports, and has been retouched to remove the pilothouse and awning stanchions atop the turret.

  • Photo #: 165-S-164
    Photograph of USS Passaic's turret, with officers standing at left. Dents are visible in the turret armor plate from Confederate cannon shot. This image has not been retouched, so pilothouse, stanchions and awning are visible.

  • Photo #: 165-S-163
    Photograph of USS Passaic's turret front, showing gunports and muzzles of a XV-inch Dahlgren smoothbore gun (at left) and an 8-inch Parrott rifled gun at right. A sailor is standing in front of the turret and at least two others are on top, one with a telescope. Pilothouse, stanchions and awning are visible. This view was presumably taken later in the Civil War, after Passaic received the rifled gun in place of the XI-inch smoothbore originally fitted.

    Reproductions of these images should be available through the National Archives photographic reproduction system for pictures not held by the Naval Historical Center.

    The images listed in this box are NOT in the Naval Historical Center's collections. DO NOT try to obtain them using the procedures described in our page "How to Obtain Photographic Reproductions".

  • For additional views related to USS Passaic, see:,

  • USS Passaic -- Actions and Activities.


    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 12 September 2001