USS Belle (1864-1865)
USS Belle , a 56-ton steam tugboat, was built at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in 1864, and purchased by the Navy in June of that year. She was employed in the North Carolina Sounds area as a tug, dispatch vessel and spar-torpedo boat. Belle took part in the capture of Plymouth, N.C., on 31 October 1864 and in an expedition up the Roanoke River during the following December. She was sold in July 1865 and was used for civilian purposes under the name Belle until 1891.
19th Century photograph of a painting by Acting Second Engineer Alexander C. Stuart, USN, 1864.
It depicts USS Commodore Hull (at left) leading the "Double-Ender" gunboats Tacony , Shamrock , Otsego and Wyalusing in engaging Confederate batteries at Plymouth, North Carolina, on 31 October 1864.
Small vessels lashed to the gunboats' unengaged sides include USS Whitehead (beside Tacony ), USS Bazely (beside Shamrock ) and Belle (beside Otsego ).
Confederate Ironclad 1861-65
Every aspect of Confederate ironclads is covered: design, construction, armor, armament, life on board, strategy, tactics, and actual combat actions.
Confederate Submarines and Torpedo Vessels 1861-65
Interesting information and many excellent illustrations. It addresses the CSA David class torpedo boats and the Hunley (and its predecessors), as well as Union examples such as the Alligator and the Spuyten Duyvil
