Sarah Bruen

Sarah Bruen

(Sch.: t. 233; 1. 105'6", b. 26'7", dph. 9'1", dr. 9'6" cpl. 35; a. 1 13" M., 2 32-pdrs.)

Sarah Bruen, a wooden schooner purchased by the Navy at New York City on September 3 1861, was commissioned at the New York Navy Yard on 3 February 1862, Acting Master Abraham Christian in command.

The schooner was assigned to Comdr. David D. Porter's mortar flotilla and proceeded to Ship Island, Miss., to support Flag. Officer Farragut's attack on New Orleans. The mortar schooners shelled the Southern riverside forts for a week before Farragut's deep draft ships raced past the Confederate batteries and captured New Orleans.

The schooners sailed to the entrance to Mobile Bay which they blockaded until Flag Officer Farragut called them back to the Mississippi to bombard new and increasingly strong Confederate batteries at Vicksburg. They shelled the Southern emplacements at that river fortress during Farragut's dash past Vicksburg to meet Flag Officer Davis's Western Flotilla. While Farragut was above the forts awaiting troops for a joint Army-Navy attack on Vicksburg, the collapse of General McClellan's peninsula thrust toward Richmond caused the Secretary of the Navy to recall Porter and 12 of his schooners for duty supporting Army operations in the Richmond/Washington theater. However Sarah Bruen was one of the mortar schooners left on the Mississippi. She remained in the West Gulf Blockade Squadron until ordered north in the spring of 1864.

After repairs at New York, she was ordered to Port Royal, S.C., on 27 June 1864. The remainder of her active service in the Civil War was performed on blockade duty inside Charleston Harbor's bar.

She was decommissioned at New York on 6 July 1865 and was sold at public auction on 15 August 1865 to a Mr. Rhinehart.