Sinking of the Petrel

Sinking of the Petrel
Part of the American Civil War
"Destruction of the privateer Petrel by the St. Lawrence."
Date July 28, 1861 Location off Charleston, South Carolina, Atlantic Ocean Result United States victory
Belligerents
United States	Confederate States
Commanders and leaders
Hugh Y. Purviance	William Perry
Strength
1 frigate	1 schooner
Casualties and losses
~1 wounded 1 frigate damaged	4 killed 36 captured 1 schooner sunk

The Sinking of the Petrel occurred in July 1861 during the American Civil War. While cruising off the coast of South Carolina the United States Navy warship USS St. Lawrence encountered the Confederate privateer named Petrel. The engagement ended in a Union victory and the surviving rebels were arrested for piracy.

The USS St. Lawrence was a sailing frigate built for the Mexican War, she weighed 1,176 long tons and was armed with fifty guns. Captain Hugh Y. Purviance was placed in command with orders to proceed south along the coast for service with the North Atlantic Blockading Squadron. Her opponent, the Petrel, was a much smaller schooner rigged vessel, mounting only two guns and under the command of Captain William Perry. She was formerly the United States Revenue Cutter Service ship William Aiken until being captured by the rebels. Petrel had a very short career before she was destroyed, having been commissioned at Charleston, South Carolina on July 10, with seven other vessels. The Petrel had a crew of fewer than fifty crewmen while the St. Lawrence carried nearly 500 into battle, she left Charleston on July 28 and was discovered on the same date. It was night on July 28 when lookouts informed Captain Purviance that they had sighted a ship flying British colors off the South Carolina coast. Though the Union men did not know it at the time, the ship they saw was the Petrel.

...
Wikipedia