The USS Hastings was a small wooden steamer built in 1860 under the name Emma Duncan in Monongahela, Pennsylvania. Originally serving as a river transport operating out of Cincinnati, Ohio, she was purchased by the Union Navy in March 1863 at Cairo, Illinois, and was fitted out for naval service. Rear Admiral David Dixon Porter recommended renaming the vessel Hastings on April 7, 1863. As a lightly built gunboat, Hastings was primarily assigned to patrol Confederate waterways, notably the Mississippi River tributaries. Her initial deployment was on the Tennessee River, where she saw combat early in her service. On April 24, 1863, near Green Bottom Bar, she was attacked by Confederate guerrillas. During this engagement, Hastings was shelled seven times, suffered three casualties, and engaged the enemy until they withdrew. Following this action, Hastings served as a convoy ship for Union Army transports along the Tennessee River. She briefly operated at the mouth of the Yazoo River before returning to the Tennessee River. In October 1863, Hastings arrived at Eastport, Mississippi, to assist General William Tecumseh Sherman during operations leading up to the Third Battle of Chattanooga. In November, she was sent to Paducah, Kentucky, amidst Confederate threats, before returning to Cairo for repairs in December. Throughout 1864, Hastings resumed patrol duties, convoyed troops, and participated in engagements such as the Red River Campaign, notably covering the withdrawal of Union forces after the Battle of Pleasant Hill. She also operated in Tennessee and White River areas, acting as flagship for Lt. Commander S. L. Phelps and cooperating with Union forces against Confederate cavalry. Hastings continued her service on Mississippi tributaries until early 1865, when she returned to Cairo. She was decommissioned on July 7, 1865, and sold in August to Henry H. Semmes. Renamed Dora, she served as a river freighter until 1872. Her active service during the Civil War highlights her role in riverine operations, convoy duties, and support of Union military campaigns along critical waterways.

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