The USS Stars and Stripes was a 407-ton screw steamer constructed at Mystic, Connecticut, by Charles Mallory as a speculative venture for C. S. Bushnell. Acquired by the U.S. Navy on July 27, 1861, from C. S. Bushnell in New York City, she was fitted for naval service at the New York Navy Yard and commissioned on September 19, 1861, under the command of Lieutenant Reed Werden. The vessel primarily served as a screw gunboat and also performed tugboat duties, playing a vital role in the Union blockade during the American Civil War. Designed with a screw propeller, the USS Stars and Stripes was involved in numerous significant operations along the Atlantic coast and North Carolina inland waters. She participated in the blockade of Confederate ports, including operations off Hatteras Inlet, where she towed schooners of the Stone Fleet and engaged in efforts to assist grounded vessels like the French corvette Prony. Her notable achievements include the capture of the schooner Charity on December 15, 1861, and her involvement in the capture of Roanoke Island in February 1862—a strategic victory that secured control over communication routes between Pamlico and Albemarle Sounds. During this period, she also transferred ammunition to the sinking USS Isaac N. Seymour and helped capture New Bern, North Carolina. In mid-1862, the USS Stars and Stripes shifted to blockading duties off Wilmington, North Carolina, where she engaged in destroying blockade runners and captured the British ship Mary Elizabeth in August. After repairs in Norfolk, she was recommissioned in September 1862 and transferred to the East Gulf Blockading Squadron, operating along the Florida coast. Her service included capturing vessels like the sloop Florida and steamer Laura, as well as destroying salt works and Confederate fisheries, notably at Marsh Island and Tampa Bay, in 1863 and 1864. Decommissioned at Philadelphia on June 30, 1865, and sold in August of the same year, the vessel was renamed Metropolis and continued merchant service. Tragically, she was wrecked on January 31, 1878, while en route from Philadelphia to Pará, Brazil, off Currituck Beach, North Carolina, resulting in the loss of 85 lives. The USS Stars and Stripes holds maritime significance for her active role in the Union blockade, river operations, and coastal engagements 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.