American Historical Ephemera and Photography Online

CDV of the USS General Sherman out on the water. Photographer unknown (toning, soiling to print and mount, edge and corner wear).

The General Sherman was a 187-ton side-wheel "tinclad" river gunboat built at Chattanooga, Tennessee, for the War Department in 1864. She was commissioned at Bridgeport, Alabama, 27 July 1864, with Acting Master Joseph W. Morehead in command, and was then turned over to the Navy and commissioned in July 1864. General Sherman spent most of her service on the Upper Tennessee River. She was assigned to the 11th District, Mississippi Squadron, and became part of Lt. Moreau Forrest's gunboat fleet on the upper Tennessee River. Leaving Bridgeport, Alabama, 22 August, she patrolled with other gunboats between Decatur, Alabama, and Muscle Shoals, Alabama, controlling guerrilla attacks and working to prevent major elements of Confederate General John Bell Hood's army from crossing the river into Tennessee. She later lent vital artillery support to the forces of Gen. James B. Steedman at Decatur, 27 December, shelling Confederate emplacements as Union Army troops crossed the river. She again patrolled the river, attempting to cut off the withdrawal of Hood's army from Tennessee and convoying Union supply ships, until the war ended.

[With:] CDV of the CSS Selma, likely after lithograph or engraving. New Orleans, LA: T. Lilienthal (light toning, right edge of mount trimmed).

The CSS Selma was built as the coastwise packet Florida at Mobile, Alabama in 1856 for the Mobile Mail Line. With the advent of cruiser CSS Florida, she was renamed Selma in July 1862, Lieutenant Peter U. Murphey, CSN, assuming command. On 5 February 1863, while steaming down Mobile Bay with 100 extra men in search of a blockader to carry by boarding, Selma was bilged by a snag in crossing Dog River Bar, entrance to Mobile, and sank in 8 feet of water. Pumped out hastily, she was back in service 13 February.

At the Battle of Mobile Bay on 5 August 1864, Selma, captained by Lt. Peter Umstead Murphey, was one of three small Confederate gunboats present. After passing the forts, Rear Admiral D.G. Farragut ordered gunboat USS Metacomet, captained by James Jouett, cast loose from Hartford to pursue Selma. After an hour-long running fight, Murphey, unable to escape to shallow water, had to surrender to the faster, more heavily armed Metacomet. Selma lost 7 killed and 8 wounded, including Murphey, who suffered an injured arm. The Selma was the last Confederate ship to surrender at the Battle of Mobile Bay. That evening, Admiral Farragut commissioned the gunboat as USS Selma and placed her under the command of Arthur R. Yates, USN. Five days later, she joined in the Union Navy's bombardment of Fort Morgan, and also participated in a reconnaissance expedition up the Dog River. In January 1865, Selma was transferred to New Orleans where she served until decommissioned on 16 July 1865.

Together, 2 CDVs.