History
United States
Ordered	as Union
Laid down	date unknown
Launched	1862
Acquired	2 June 1864
In service	1864
Out of service	1865
Stricken	1865 (est.)
Fate	Sold, 12 July 1865
General characteristics
Displacement	57 tons
Length	not known
Beam	not known
Draught	8 ft (2.4 m)
Propulsion	steam engine screw-propelled
Speed	7.5 knots
Complement	not known
Armament	none indicated

USS Unit was a steamer acquired by the Union Navy during the American Civil War.

She was used as a tugboat by the Navy and she provided her services to ships in the blockade squadrons. She also served as a repair tender for ships needing her services.

Service during the American Civil War

Unit—steamer Union built at Philadelphia in 1862—was purchased at Boston on 2 June 1864. Unit was assigned to the North Atlantic Blockading Squadron and served as a tug and repair vessel in Hampton Roads, Virginia, for the duration of the Civil War. In June 1865, the tug was sent to New York City.

End-of-war decommission and continued maritime career

Unit was sold at auction there on 12 July 1865 to C. and E. T. Peters. Redocumented as a merchant steamer on 6 September 1865, Unit remained in mercantile service until 1902.

References

This article incorporates text from the public domain Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. The entry can be found here.