USS Sorrel (1864)


USS Sorrel was a small 68-ton steamer purchased by the Union Navy towards the end of the American Civil War.
The Navy placed Sorrel in service as a Philadelphia tugboat, a role she maintained through the end of the Civil War and for a short period afterwards.

Purchased at Philadelphia in 1864

Sorrel -- a wooden-hulled steam tug—was purchased by the Navy at Philadelphia, under the name W. S. Hancock on 1 August 1864 from Hillman and Streaker.

Service with the Navy

The small steamer apparently served as a general purpose tug at the Philadelphia Navy Yard throughout her naval career.

Deactivation and sale

She was laid up in Philadelphia in the late 1870s and remained inactive until she was sold there to A. Purvis & Son on 27 September 1883.