The USS Annie was a schooner captured by the Union Navy during the American Civil War and subsequently used as a ship’s tender supporting the Union blockade of Confederate waterways along the Gulf Coast. Originally built in 1857 in the Northern States, her early history is somewhat uncertain; she may have been previously named La Criolla or Nora before her capture. The vessel was seized on February 26, 1863, by Union forces from the sidewheel steamer USS Fort Henry while attempting to pass through the blockade with a varied cargo from the Bahamas. After her capture, she was condemned by the Key West prize court and purchased by the Union Navy on March 11, 1863. Renamed Annie, she was assigned to the East Gulf Blockading Squadron and began active service by April 1, 1863, stationed at Boca Grande. Throughout her service, Annie played a significant role in intercepting and capturing Confederate and British vessels attempting to run the Union blockade. Her notable captures include the schooner Mattie in March 1864, which she sent to Key West, and the British schooner Martha Jane laden with cotton in October 1863. She also participated in the pursuit and destruction of other vessels such as Dream, Meteor, and Paul, often working in cooperation with gunboats like USS Sagamore and USS Takoma. Annie’s operations involved engaging vessels inside reef areas, boarding and burning schooners attempting to escape, and capturing vessels carrying military supplies or merchandise from Havana. Her duties extended to tending to other Union blockaders and conducting patrols along the Florida coast. On March 2, 1864, she was involved in an incident where she set a schooner on fire after a chase, which subsequently exploded. Later that year, she encountered an individual claiming to be part of a revolutionary group seeking arms. By January 1865, the USS Annie was found wrecked in about 36 feet of water, believed to be the result of an explosion, with her crew lost. Her service exemplified the Union’s efforts to enforce the blockade along the Gulf Coast and interdicted numerous vessels attempting to evade Union patrols during the Civil War.

This description has been generated using GPT-4.1-NANO based on the Vessel's wikidata information and then modified by ShipIndex.org staff.