USS Noble (1861)

The USS Noble (1861) was a steamer acquired by the Union Navy during the American Civil War. She served primarily as a patrol vessel and dispatch boat, tasked with enforcing the Union blockade of Confederate waterways.

The Noble was built in 1861 as a commercial steamer. Quickly realizing the need for naval vessels, the Union Navy purchased her and commissioned her into service. She was armed with a small number of guns, suitable for repelling boarders or engaging lightly armed vessels.

Throughout her service, the Noble patrolled various rivers and coastal areas, primarily in the South. Her duties included intercepting blockade runners attempting to transport goods to and from Confederate ports, carrying messages and personnel between Union ships and shore installations, and generally maintaining a Union presence in contested waters.

The Noble was decommissioned after the war's end, as the need for her specific services diminished. She was subsequently sold back into civilian use. The exact details of her post-war career are not as well documented as her wartime service. Her contribution, though not involving major battles, was crucial to the Union's overall strategy of economic strangulation of the Confederacy.