USS Fort Henry (1862)

USS Fort Henry (1862) was a steamer purchased by the Union Navy during the American Civil War. She was used by the Union Navy primarily as gunboat stationed off Confederate ports to prevent their trading with foreign countries.

Fort Henry was purchased 25 March 1862 at New York City; and commissioned 3 April 1862, Acting Lieutenant J. C. Walsh in command.

Successful operations with the East Gulf Blockade
Assigned to the East Gulf Blockading Squadron, Fort Henry arrived at Key West, Florida, 2 June 1862 for blockade duty in the vicinity of St. George Sound and the Cedar Keys. Highly successful in apprehending blockade runners, she took one sloop in 1862, and in 1863, took four schooners, four sloops, and one smaller craft. In April 1863, with St. Lawrence and Sagamore, she made an expedition to scour the coast between the Suwanee River and Anclote Keys. A sloop was taken off Bayport, Florida, 9 April, where the group engaged an enemy battery and set a schooner flaming with its fire.

Under attack on the Crystal River
On 20 July 1863, Fort Henry sent her launch to reconnoiter the Crystal River, an expedition in which two of her men were killed by fire from the shore.

End-of-war decommissioning and sale
She sailed north in June 1865, arriving at New York City 19 June. There she was decommissioned 8 July 1865, and sold 15 August 1865.