Star of the West

Star of the West was an American merchant steamship that became a significant historical vessel due to its role in the opening acts of the American Civil War. Chartered by the War Department under President James Buchanan, its attempted relief of Fort Sumter in January 1861 was a pivotal event that heightened sectional tensions. Though initially a civilian transport, the ship was later seized for military service by the Confederate States of America and ultimately scuttled during the Vicksburg campaign.

History

Built in 1852 at the Greenpoint shipyard of Jeremiah Simonson, the side-wheel steamer was originally owned by industrialist Cornelius Vanderbilt. It operated as a passenger and cargo vessel on the lucrative coastal route between New York City and the Isthmus of Panama, facilitating travel during the California Gold Rush. The ship was constructed with a wooden hull and was powered by a single-cylinder vertical beam engine, typical for its era. In late 1860, as the secession crisis deepened following the election of Abraham Lincoln, the Buchanan administration sought to reinforce the isolated United States Army garrison at Fort Sumter in Charleston Harbor.

Civil War service

On January 5, 1861, the U.S. War Department secretly chartered the civilian steamer for a mission to carry reinforcements and supplies to the besieged fort. Under the command of Captain John McGowan, and carrying over 200 troops and supplies, it approached Charleston Harbor on January 9. The vessel was fired upon by cadets from The Citadel manning artillery at Morris Island, in what are considered the first hostile shots directed at the United States flag by the Confederacy. After taking hits and facing fire from Fort Moultrie, the ship aborted its mission and retreated. This incident, occurring months before the Battle of Fort Sumter, demonstrated the Confederate commitment to armed resistance. Following this, the ship returned to commercial service until it was captured in April 1861 by Confederate forces at Indianola, Texas.

Post-war career and fate

After its capture, the vessel was converted into a Confederate naval transport and blockade runner, renamed CSS St. Philip. It served the Confederate States Navy primarily in the Mississippi River and the Gulf of Mexico, supporting operations such as the Battle of New Orleans. In 1863, as Union forces under Major General Ulysses S. Grant advanced during the Siege of Vicksburg, the Confederate command ordered the scuttling of several ships to obstruct navigation. The former *Star of the West* was sunk as an obstruction in the Tallahatchie River, a tributary of the Yazoo River, to impede the movement of the Union Navy squadron commanded by Admiral David Dixon Porter.

Legacy

The ship is remembered as a catalyst for the coming conflict, with its repulse proving that secession would be enforced militarily. The artillery piece used by Citadel cadets, a Blakely rifle, became known as the "Star of the West gun" and remains a relic on the campus in Charleston, South Carolina. The incident is commemorated annually by The Citadel and is a foundational event in the institution's history. Furthermore, the ship's story illustrates the widespread use of converted civilian vessels for military purposes during the American Civil War, a practice employed by both the Union Army and the Confederate States Army.

Category:American Civil War ships Category:1852 ships Category:Steamships of the United States