USS Tonawanda (1864)

The USS Tonawanda, launched in 1864, was a Tonaawanda-class screw steam sloop built for the United States Navy during the American Civil War. Part of a class of three ships (along with USS Algoma and USS Contoocook), the Tonawanda was designed as a powerful, heavily armed warship intended for coastal defense and blockade duty.

Construction began in 1863 at the Philadelphia Navy Yard and was completed in 1864. The ship was commissioned later that year and joined the North Atlantic Blockading Squadron. While the Tonawanda's design incorporated advanced steam propulsion technology for the time, the ship's speed was considered somewhat lacking compared to other vessels in the Navy.

The Tonawanda saw active service in the final months of the Civil War, primarily engaged in blockading Confederate ports along the Atlantic coast. Post-war, the ship continued to serve in the Navy, being assigned to various stations and missions.

In 1869, the Tonawanda was decommissioned and placed in ordinary. The ship was eventually sold in 1874. The Tonawanda's career, while not particularly eventful in terms of large-scale engagements, exemplified the role of large, heavily armed steam sloops in maintaining naval presence and enforcing blockade measures during and after the Civil War.