The USS Release was a bark-rigged sailing vessel utilized by the United States Navy during the American Civil War, originally built and purchased in 1855. Initially named Eringol, she was acquired in Boston, Massachusetts, and commissioned on April 3, 1855, primarily serving as a storeship. Constructed as a sailing vessel with a bark rig, the Release was versatile in her service, participating in various expeditions and supply missions. Her early voyages included an Arctic expedition in June 1855, aimed at searching for Dr. Elisha Kane and his missing exploratory party. In November 1856, she traveled to Demerara in British Guiana to transport sugar cane cuttings for the Department of the Interior. The vessel also supplied the Pacific Squadron in 1857 by carrying provisions to Aspinwall (present-day Colón, Panama), and in 1859, she delivered stores to the Mediterranean Squadron. That same year, she played a role in the Paraguay expedition, serving as a supply ship during the diplomatic mission to Asunción to demand reparations from Paraguay following the firing on the USS Water Witch in 1858. With the outbreak of the Civil War, USS Release was assigned to support Union blockading operations. On April 5, 1861, she sailed to Fort Pickens, Florida, to serve as a supply vessel for the Gulf Blockading Squadron. After returning to New York for additional stores, she supported the Atlantic Blockading Squadron from Hampton Roads. Notably, in September 1862, she was sent to Gibraltar to rendezvous with the USS Kearsarge and later to Algeciras, Morocco, to monitor the Confederate raider CSS Sumter. During this period, she unknowingly passed within 20 miles of the Confederate raider CSS Alabama. From August 1863 until the end of hostilities, Release functioned as an ordnance storeship based at Beaufort, North Carolina, supporting Union ships blockading the Confederate coast. She operated both at sea and as a stationary stores hulk at Beaufort. The vessel was decommissioned on October 6, 1865, at Port Royal, South Carolina, and was sold at auction in New York later that month. As of 2005, no subsequent ships have borne the name USS Release.

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