The USS Tigress was a screw tugboat chartered by the United States Navy during the early months of the American Civil War. Constructed as a steamer, she was acquired by the Navy in the summer of 1861, initially leased from A. C. Hall in Baltimore, Maryland. Although the precise date of her purchase is not specified, she was commissioned in 1861 and quickly prepared for service. Following her outfitting at the Washington Navy Yard, where she was equipped with a howitzer, Tigress departed Baltimore on August 20, 1861. Her primary role was to patrol the Potomac River as part of Captain Thomas T. Craven's Potomac River Flotilla. Her activities mainly involved patrol and reconnaissance operations in support of Union efforts during the Civil War. Notably, in early September 1861, she transported captured runaway slaves to the flagship USS Resolute, highlighting her involvement in both military and humanitarian tasks. Tigress's service was cut short when, on the evening of September 10, 1862, she was involved in a collision with the steamer State of Maine off Indian Head, Maryland. The collision resulted in Tigress sinking. Her wreck was subsequently raised, but she was deemed beyond economical repair by November 22, 1862. As a result, she was sold at a public auction, with half of the proceeds going to her former owner, A. C. Hall, who had raised her wreck. The USS Tigress's service was brief but notable for her role in patrol operations along the Potomac River during a critical period of the Civil War. Her sinking and subsequent sale mark her as a vessel that contributed to Union efforts in maintaining control over vital waterways, reflecting the importance of such steam-powered vessels in Civil War maritime operations.

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