USS Sangamon (1862)

The USS Sangamon was a single-turreted Passaic-class ironclad monitor built for the United States Navy during the American Civil War. She was named for the Sangamon River in Illinois.

Ordered in 1862 and launched in October of that year, the Sangamon was designed by John Ericsson. These monitors were characterized by their low freeboard, heavy armor, and revolving turrets mounting powerful guns. The Sangamon was armed with one 15-inch (381 mm) smoothbore Dahlgren gun and one 11-inch (279 mm) Dahlgren gun in her single turret.

The Sangamon saw extensive service with the North Atlantic Blockading Squadron. She participated in operations against Confederate fortifications along the coasts of South Carolina and Florida. Her duties included blockading enemy ports and bombarding Confederate positions.

In 1863, the Sangamon, along with other monitors, was involved in the attack on Fort Sumter in Charleston harbor. While the bombardment caused damage to the fort, it did not force its surrender.

The Sangamon continued her service throughout the remainder of the Civil War. After the war's end, she was decommissioned and laid up. She was eventually sold for scrap in 1894. Like other Passaic-class monitors, the Sangamon's relatively low freeboard proved problematic in heavy seas, but she otherwise represented a significant advancement in naval technology during the conflict.