The USS Oliver H. Lee was a Union Navy schooner acquired during the American Civil War, primarily serving as a patrol vessel and support craft in the Mississippi River and Gulf of Mexico regions. Built as a schooner, she was purchased in New York City on August 27, 1861, from Charles Clark, and commissioned at the New York Navy Yard on February 4, 1862, under Acting Master Washington Godfrey’s command. The vessel was one of 21 schooners fitted with mortars to form a bomb flotilla organized by Commander David Dixon Porter, intended to support Flag Officer David Farragut’s assault on New Orleans. During the Battle of New Orleans in April 1862, Oliver H. Lee participated in the initial bombardment of Confederate fortifications below Fort St. Philip and Fort Jackson. She sailed from the Atlantic coast, traversed the Gulf of Mexico, and navigated into the Mississippi River through Pass a l’Outre. From April 18 to 24, 1862, she and her sister schooners maintained a continuous barrage against the forts until Farragut’s deep-draft ships successfully passed them, leading to the surrender of New Orleans on April 25. Following this pivotal engagement, Oliver H. Lee supported Union operations along the Mississippi River, especially targeting Vicksburg, and also served in the Gulf of Mexico. During a voyage north for repairs, she nearly foundered due to leaks from old shot holes but was saved thanks to assistance from Vicksburg and then steamed to Beaufort, North Carolina. She decommissioned at New York City on June 14, 1862, but was recommissioned on August 23, serving in Florida waters for the remainder of the war. Notably, she captured a cotton-laden schooner flying English colors near Anclote Keys on December 10 and took part in operations near St. Marks, Florida, in early 1865. After the war, Oliver H. Lee decommissioned at Philadelphia on July 19, 1865, and was sold at auction on August 10, 1865. Her service reflects the vital role schooners played in Union blockade and river operations during the Civil War, contributing to the Union’s naval dominance and control of key 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.