Going On To Shore

The USS Hatteras pulled into Cedar Key, Florida January 16^th 1862 destroying some Confederate ships and damaging the community.

The USS Hatteras was a 1,126 ton steamer, which was outfitted by the Union Navy at the Philadelphia Navy Yard as a gunboat, and assigned to Confederate blockading duty.  She started life as the St Mary and was purchased on September 25^th 1861.  She was placed under the command of Commander George F Emmons in October 1861.  The Hatteras sailed to Key West, Florida in November 1861 becoming a part of the South Atlantic Blockading Squadron.

She was assigned to Cedar Key, Florida, and moved there on January 7^th 1862.  After blocking the harbor for nine days, on January 16^th 1862, she made a raid on the shore.  The men on the ship burned seven blockade runners found in the harbor.  Then they moved on to burning the Florida Railroad wharf, the depot, a telegraph office and several flatcars.  To end the day the Hatteras took the Confederate garrison located in Cedar Key, capturing the commanding officer and about 20 men.