USS Avenger (1863)

The USS Avenger, commissioned in 1863, was a United States Navy gunboat that served during the American Civil War. She was a side-wheel steamer acquired by the Union Navy to help enforce the Union blockade of the Confederate States of America.

The Avenger was built as a merchant steamer in 1863 at Mystic, Connecticut. The Navy purchased her later that year and outfitted her for naval service. She was armed with several guns, though details regarding the exact armament vary across sources.

Assigned to the South Atlantic Blockading Squadron, Avenger patrolled the coastal waters off South Carolina and Georgia. Her primary duty was to intercept Confederate blockade runners attempting to deliver supplies to the Confederacy and export cotton to Europe. The Avenger was involved in the capture of several blockade runners and participated in various naval operations along the coastline.

After the Civil War ended in 1865, the Avenger was decommissioned and sold. Her subsequent career after leaving naval service is less well-documented.