View source for USS Minnesota (1855)

{{short description|Gunboat of the United States Navy}}
{{Other ships|USS Minnesota}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2021}}
{|{{Infobox ship begin}}
{{Infobox ship image
|Ship image=USS Minnesota (1855) U.S. Naval review at Hampton-Roads VA. in 1880 LCCN2004670676 (cropped).jpg
|Ship caption=''Minnesota'' at Hampton-Roads in 1862
}}
{{Infobox ship career
|Hide header=
|Ship country=United States
|Ship flag=[[File:US Naval Jack 36 stars.svg|48px|Union Navy Jack]]  {{USN flag|1861}}
|Ship name= USS ''Minnesota''
|Ship namesake=The [[Minnesota River]]
|Ship ordered=
|Ship builder= [[Washington Navy Yard]], [[Washington, D.C.]]
|Ship laid down=May 1854
|Ship launched= 1 December 1855
|Ship sponsor=Susan L. Mann
|Ship acquired=
|Ship commissioned= 21 May 1857
|Ship decommissioned= 2 June 1859
}}
{{Infobox ship career
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|Ship recommissioned= 2 May 1861
|Ship decommissioned= 16 February 1865
}}
{{Infobox ship career
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|Ship recommissioned= 3 June 1867
|Ship out of service= Placed [[in ordinary]] 13 January 1868
}}
{{Infobox ship career
|Hide header=yes
|Ship recommissioned= 12 June 1875
|Ship out of service=Loaned to [[Massachusetts Naval Militia]] October 1895-August 1901
|Ship struck=
|Ship reinstated=
|Ship homeport=
|Ship motto=
|Ship nickname=
|Ship honours=
|Ship fate= Sold August 1901; later burned
|Ship notes=
}}
{{Infobox ship characteristics
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|Header caption=
|Ship type=[[Screw frigate]]<ref name="Silverstone, Warships, p. 28"/>
|Ship displacement= {{convert|3307|LT|t|0|lk=in|abbr=on}}
|Ship length={{convert|264|ft|9|in|m|abbr=on}}<ref name="Silverstone, Warships, p. 28"/>
|Ship beam={{convert|51|ft|4|in|m|abbr=on}}<ref name="Silverstone, Warships, p. 28"/>
|Ship height=
|Ship draft={{convert|23|ft|10|in|m|abbr=on}}<ref name="Silverstone, Warships, p. 28"/>
|Ship hold depth=
|Ship propulsion=Steam engine
|Ship sail plan=Ship Rig<ref name="Silverstone, Warships, p. 28"/>
|Ship speed=12.5 knots<ref name="Silverstone, Warships, p. 28"/>
|Ship range=
|Ship complement=646 officers and enlisted<ref name="Silverstone, Warships, p. 28"/>
|Ship armament=*2 × {{convert|10|in|mm|abbr=on}} guns
*28 × {{convert|9|in|mm|abbr=on}} guns
*14 × {{convert|8|in|mm|abbr=on}} guns
|Ship armor=
|Ship notes=
}}
|}
'''USS ''Minnesota''''' was a wooden [[steam frigate]] in the [[United States Navy]]. Launched in 1855 and [[ship commissioning|commissioned]] eighteen months later, the ship served in east Asia for two years before being decommissioned. She was recommissioned at the outbreak of the [[American Civil War]] and returned to service as the flagship of the [[North Atlantic Blockading Squadron]].<ref name=DANFS1>{{cite web |url=https://www.history.navy.mil/research/histories/ship-histories/danfs/m/minnesota-i.html | last=Evans | first=Mark L.| title =USS Minnesota I (Frigate)  | date=10 August 2015 | series = [[Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships]] |website=The Navy Department Library (online) |publisher= Naval History and Heritage Command | location = Washington D.C. |access-date=20 August 2022 | quote=Displacement 3,307; length 264' 8½"; beam 51'4"; draft 23'4"; speed 9¼ knots; complement 540; armament one 10-inch smoothbore, 26 9-inch, 14 8-inch; class ''Minnesota''}}</ref>

During the first day of the [[Battle of Hampton Roads]] on 8 March 1862, ''Minnesota'' ran aground, and the following battle badly damaged her and inflicted many casualties. On the second day of the battle, {{USS|Monitor}} engaged [[CSS Virginia|CSS ''Virginia'']], allowing tugs to free ''Minnesota'' on the morning of 10 March. ''Minnesota'' was repaired and returned to duty, and three years later she participated in the [[Second Battle of Fort Fisher]]. ''Minnesota'' served until 1898, when she was stricken, beached and burnt to recover her metal fittings and to clear her name for a newly ordered battleship, {{USS|Minnesota|BB-22}}.

== Construction and early duties ==
[[File:USS Minnesota Bell 2.jpeg|thumb|A cast brass bell from the U.S.S. Minnesota is engraved "MINNESOTA / U.S.W.N.Y. 1856" Image from the collection of the [http://www.mnhs.org/ Minnesota Historical Society]]]

''Minnesota'' was laid down in May 1854 by the [[Washington Navy Yard]] on the East Branch of the [[Potomac River]] ([[Anacostia River]]) in southeast  [[Washington, D.C.]] She was [[Ship naming and launching|named and launched]] on 1 December 1855, sponsored by Susan L. Mann, and [[Ship commissioning|commissioned]] into the lists of the [[United States Navy]] on 21 May 1857 with Captain [[Samuel Francis DuPont]] in command.

''Minnesota'' was named for the [[Minnesota River]], tributary to the upper [[Mississippi River]]. Her sister ships were also named for American rivers: the {{USS|Wabash|1855|2}} (first in class), {{USS|Colorado|1856|2}}, {{USS|Merrimack|1855|2}} (salvaged 1861-62 and renamed ''[[CSS Virginia|C.S.S. Virginia]]'' by the [[Confederate States Navy]]), and the {{USS|Roanoke|1855|2}} (later converted to a monitor-type ironclad warship).

''Minnesota'', carrying [[William Bradford Reed|William B. Reed]], appointed U.S. Minister to the [[Empire of China]], departed from [[Norfolk, Virginia]], on 1 July 1857 for the continent of [[East Asia]]. During her service with the [[East India Squadron]], she visited many of the principal ports of [[China]] and [[Japan]] before departing [[Hong Kong]] to bring Minister Reed home with a newly negotiated commerce treaty, the [[Treaty of Tianjin]], with the Manchu dynasty of the Chinese Empire. Upon arrival in [[Boston, Massachusetts|Boston]], [[Massachusetts]], on 2 June 1859, ''Minnesota'' was [[Ship decommissioning|decommissioned]] at the [[Boston Navy Yard]] on the [[Charles River]] in [[Charlestown, Boston|Charlestown]], Massachusetts, (across from Boston) the same day and remained [[in ordinary]] (holding status) there until the outbreak of the [[American Civil War]] two years later in April 1861.

== American Civil War ==
''Minnesota'' was recommissioned on 2 May 1861, Captain G. J. Van Brunt in command, and became [[flagship]] of the [[Atlantic Blockading Squadron]], commanded by Flag Officer [[Silas Stringham]]. She arrived at [[Hampton Roads]], Virginia, on 13 May and the next day captured the [[schooner]]s ''Mary Willis'', ''Delaware Farmer'', and ''Emily Ann''. ''Minnesota'' took the [[Barque|bark]] ''Winfred'' on the 25th and the bark ''Sally McGee'' on 26 June. Schooner ''Sally Mears'' became her prize 1 July and bark ''Mary Warick'' struck her colors to the steam frigate on the 10th.

[[File:Bombardment of Forts Hatteras and Clark.jpg|thumb|left|''Minnesota'' (center) and other Union warships bombard Confederate forts at Hatteras Inlet]]
''Minnesota'' led a joint Army-Navy expedition, known as the [[Battle of Hatteras Inlet Batteries]], against two important [[Confederate States of America|Confederate]] forts which had been erected at [[Hatteras Inlet]], [[North Carolina]]. The squadron opened fire on Fort Clark on the morning of 28 August 1861, forcing the Confederate gunners to abandon the fort at noon. The following day, the fire of the squadron was concentrated on Fort Hatteras. The bombardment was so effective the Confederates were compelled to seek cover in bomb shelters and surrendered.

When Flag Officer [[Louis M. Goldsborough]] relieved Stringham in command of the North Atlantic Blockading Squadron on 23 September, he selected ''Minnesota'' as his flagship.  [[William B. Cushing]], later to distinguish himself for sinking the Confederate ironclad CSS ''[[CSS Albemarle|Albemarle]]'', was assigned as a junior officer to the ''Minnesota.''

=== Battle of Hampton Roads ===
While blockading off Hampton Roads, 8 March 1862, ''Minnesota'' sighted three Confederate warships, ''[[CSS Jamestown|Jamestown]]'', ''[[CSS Patrick Henry|Patrick Henry]]'', and led by the unique revolutionary appearance of the ''[[CSS Virginia]]''—the former ''[[USS Merrimack (1855)|USS Merrimack]]'', (the 1855 steam-powered heavy [[frigate]], rebuilt since burnt/scuttled in 1861 and now protected by riveted iron plates) — rounding [[Sewell's Point]] from [[Norfolk, Virginia|Norfolk]] and the [[Elizabeth River (Virginia)|Elizabeth River]], and heading north across the [[Hampton Roads]] harbor to the northern peninsula toward [[Newport News, Virginia]].<ref name=VanBrunt1>{{cite web |url=https://www.history.navy.mil/content/history/nhhc/research/library/online-reading-room/title-list-alphabetically/u/uss-monitor-versus-css-virginia-and-the-battle-for-hampton-roads.html#minnesota | last=Van Brunt | first=G.J. | title =Report of Captain Van Brunt, U.S. Navy, commanding the steam frigate USS ''Minnesota'' | date=10 March 1862 |website=The Navy Department Library (online) |publisher= Naval History and Heritage Command | location = Washington D.C. |access-date=20 August 2022 | quote=On Saturday, the 8th instant, at 12:45 p.m., three small steamers, in appearance, were discovered rounding [[Sewell's Point]]…  I was convinced that one was the iron-plated steam battery [[CSS Virginia|''Merrimack'']], from the large size of her smoke pipe… I immediately called all hands, slipped my cables, and got underway for that point to engage her… We ran without further difficulty within about 1½ miles of [[Newport News]], and there, unfortunately, grounded… ''Merrimack'' had passed the frigate [[USS Congress (1841)|''USS Congress'']] and run into the sloop-of-war [[USS Cumberland (1842)|''USS Cumberland'']], and in fifteen minutes after, I saw the latter going down by the head. The ''Merrimack'' then hauled off, taking a position, and about 2:30 p.m. engaged the ''Congress'', throwing shot and shell into her with terrific effect, while the shot from the ''Congress'' glanced from her iron-plated sloping sides without doing any apparent damage. At 3:30 p.m. the ''Congress'' was compelled to haul down her colors… At 4 p.m. the ''Merrimack'', [[CSS Jamestown|''Jamestown'']], and [[CSS Patrick Henry|''Patrick Henry'']] bore down upon my vessel… but with the heavy gun that I could bring to bear upon them I drove them off, one of them apparently in a crippled condition. I fired upon the ''Merrimack'' with my pivot 10-inch gun without apparent effect, and at 7 p.m. she too hauled off and all three vessels steamed toward Norfolk… At 2 a.m. the iron battery ''[[USS Monitor]]'', Commander [Lt.] [[John Lorimer Worden|John L. Worden]], which had arrived the previous evening at Hampton Roads, came alongside and reported for duty, and then all on board felt that we had a friend that would stand by us in our hour of trial. At 6 a.m. the enemy again appeared… All hands were called to quarters, and when she approached within a mile of us I opened upon her with my stern guns and made signal to the ''Monitor'' to attack the enemy. She immediately… laid herself right alongside of the ''Merrimack'', and the contrast was that of a pigmy to a giant. Gun after gun was fired by the ''Monitor'', which was returned with whole broadsides from the rebels with no more effect, apparently, than so many pebblestones thrown by a child… In the meantime the rebel was pouring broadside after broadside, but almost all her shot flew over the little submerged propeller, and when they struck the bomb-proof tower, the shot glanced off without producing any effect, clearly establishing the fact that wooden vessels can not contend successfully with ironclad ones… The ''Merrimack'', finding that she could make nothing of the ''Monitor'', turned her attention once more to me. In the morning she had put a 11-inch shot under my counter near the water line, and now, on her second approach, I opened upon her with all my broadside guns and 10-inch pivot a broadside which would have blown out of the water any timber-built ship in the world. She returned my fire with her rifled bow gun with a shell…  This time I had concentrated upon her an incessant fire from my gun deck, spar deck, and forecastle pivot guns, and was informed by my marine officer, who was stationed on the poop, that at least fifty solid shot struck her on her slanting side without producing any apparent effect. By the time she had fired her third shell the little ''Monitor'' had come down upon her, placing herself between us, and compelled her to change her position, in doing which she grounded, and again I poured into her all the guns which could be brought to bear upon her. As soon as she got off she stood down the bay, the little battery chasing her with all speed, when suddenly the ''Merrimack'' turned around and ran full speed into her antagonist. For a moment I was anxious, but instantly I saw a shot plunge into the iron roof of the ''Merrimack''; which surely must have damaged her… Soon after the ''Merrimack'' and the two other steamers headed for my ship… I had expended most of my solid shot and my ship was badly crippled and my officers and men were worn out with fatigue, but even then… I ordered every preparation to be made to destroy the ship after all hope was gone to save her. On ascending the poop deck I observed that the enemy's vessels had changed their course and were heading for Craney Island… At 2 a.m. this morning I succeeded in getting the ship once more afloat, and am now at anchor opposite [[Fortress Monroe]].}}</ref> ''Minnesota'' slipped her cables and got underway to engage the Southern warships in a fight that would come to be known as the [[Battle of Hampton Roads]]. When about 1.5 miles off-shore from Newport News, the ''Minnesota'' grounded.<ref name=VanBrunt1/>

Meanwhile, ''CSS Virginia'' passed the federal frigate {{USS|Congress|1841|2}} and rammed and sank sailing frigate {{USS|Cumberland|1842|2}}. ''Virginia'' then engaged ''Congress'' compelling her to surrender and setting her afire. Then the rebel iron warship ''Virginia'', along with ''Jamestown'', and ''Patrick Henry'' bombarded the stranded ''Minnesota'' killing and wounding several of her crew before the Union Navy warship's heavy guns drove them off. ''Minnesota'' also fired upon ''Virginia'' with her [[pivot gun]]. Toward twilight the Southern ironclad withdrew southward back across the harbor toward [[Norfolk, Virginia|Norfolk]] and the [[Elizabeth River (Virginia)|Elizabeth River]].<ref name=VanBrunt1/>

The recoil from her broadside guns forced ''Minnesota'' further upon the mud bank. All night, steam [[tug boat]]s worked to pull and haul her off the bottom, but to no avail. However, during the night {{USS|Monitor}} arrived from its southward trip down the [[East Coast of the United States|East Coast]] from [[New York City]]. "All on board felt we had a friend that would stand by us in our hour of trial," wrote Captain [[Gershom Jacques Van Brunt]] (1798–1863), the stranded and damaged ''Minnesota'' vessel's commander, in his official report to the Navy Department, the day after the engagement in Hampton Roads.<ref name="thisweekinthecivilwar.com">{{usurped|1=[https://archive.today/20120715113725/http://thisweekinthecivilwar.com/?p=1021/ The Monitor, The Merrimack...the U.S.S. Minnesota?]}}</ref> Early the next morning, the  ''CSS Virginia'' reappeared. As the range closed, the now guarding little ''Monitor'', steaming between ''Minnesota'' and the iron-clad Southern attacker, fired gun after gun from her revolving turret, and the ''Virginia'' returned fire with whole broadsides from her numerous cannon on both of her sides, but neither with much apparent effect on the other. ''Virginia'', finding she could not hurt ''Monitor'', then turned her attention to the grounded ''Minnesota'', who answered with all remaining guns.<ref name=VanBrunt1/> ''Virginia'' fired from her rifled bow gun a shell which passed through the wooden Union warship's chief engineer's stateroom, through the engineers' mess room, amidships, and burst in the boatswain's room, exploding two charges of powder there, starting a fire on board the vulnerable wooden frigate which was promptly extinguished.

At midday ''Virginia'' withdrew southwards back toward Norfolk, and the Union Navy tugs resumed its efforts to refloat ''Minnesota''. Early the next morning, the 1859 side-paddlewheel [[steamship]] ''S. R. Spaulding'' (on duty as a [[hospital ship]] with the [[Hospital Ships of the Sanitary Commission|Hospital Transport Service]] of the [[United States Sanitary Commission]]) joined the several tugs and managed to pull free and refloat the heavy frigate, and she sailed east and anchored under the protecting guns opposite [[Fort Monroe|Fortress Monroe]] (still Union-occupied) at [[Old Point Comfort]] for temporary repairs.

Seven [[African-American]] sailors of the  [[Union Navy]] manned the forward gun of the federal vessel. This black crew mustered in earlier at Boston, Massachusetts, and included William Brown, Charles Johnson, George Moore, George H. Roberts, George Sales, William H. White and Henry Williams.<ref name="thisweekinthecivilwar.com"/>

During the two-day engagement, the ''Minnesota'' shot off 78 rounds of 10-inch solid shot; 67 rounds of 10-inch solid shot with 15-second fuse; 169 rounds of 9-inch solid shot; 180 9-inch shells with 15-second fuse; 35 8-inch shells with 15-second fuse and expended 5,567.5 pounds of service gunpowder.<ref name="thisweekinthecivilwar.com"/>

=== Battles of Fort Fisher (Wilmington, North Carolina) ===
For the next few years she served as flagship of the North Atlantic Blockading Squadron for the [[Union Navy]] / [[United States Navy]]. During the [[Battle of Suffolk (Norfleet House)|Battle of Suffolk]] at Norfleet House on 14 April 1863, four of the ''Minnesota''{{'}}s sailors, Coxswains [[Robert Jordan (sailor)|Robert Jordan]] and [[Robert B. Wood]] and Seamen [[Henry Thielberg]] and [[Samuel Woods (Medal of Honor)|Samuel Woods]], earned the famous congressional [[Medal of Honor]] while temporarily assigned to the accompanying {{USS|Mount Washington|1846|6}}.<ref name="recordofmedals"/> While anchored off Newport News on 9 April 1864, the ''Minnesota'' was attacked by the Confederate States naval torpedo boat ''[[CSS Squib|Squib]]'', which exploded a torpedo charge alongside the federal warship, fortunately without causing substantial damage and escaped.

On 24 and 25 December 1864, ''Minnesota'' took part in the joint Union Navy and Army amphibious operations at the Confederate bastion of [[Fort Fisher]] which guarded [[Wilmington, North Carolina]] (the [[First Battle of Fort Fisher]]) upstream on the [[Cape Fear River]], the last major open seaport of [[Southern United States|the South]] to the outside world. During the landings she took a position about a mile downstream from the fort and laid down a devastating artillery barrage on the Confederate stronghold. However, Union General [[Benjamin Butler (politician)|Benjamin F. Butler]] (1818–1893), withdrew his troops, nullifying the previous gains won by the joint Army-Navy effort.

Three weeks later in January 13–15, 1865, the Union Navy returned with more Federal Army troops, now commanded by the much more vigorous and aggressive General [[Alfred Terry]] (1827–1890), to Fort Fisher for a second effort (the [[Second Battle of Fort Fisher]]). A landing force of 240 men from ''Minnesota'', covered by a cannonade barrage from their own ship, participated in the successful assault. This operation finally after four years of effort closed outside access to the city and port of Wilmington, denying the collapsing southern  [[Confederate States of America|Confederacy]] the use of this very last open invaluable major seaport, just three months before the end of the war in [[Eastern Theatre of the American Civil War|the East]].

During the Second Battle of Fort Fisher of January 1865, nine sailors and [[United States Marine Corps|Marines]] from the ''Minnesota'' earned the congressional [[Medal of Honor]] as part of the landing party which assaulted the fort. The nine men were:<ref name="moh1"/><ref name="moh2"/>
* [[Landsman (rank)|Landsman]] [[Gurdon H. Barter]]
* Seaman [[David L. Bass]]
* Ordinary Seaman [[Thomas Connor]]
* Ordinary Seaman [[Thomas Harcourt (Medal of Honor)|Thomas Harcourt]]
* Seaman [[Charles Mills (Medal of Honor)|Charles Mills]]
* Corporal [[John Rannahan]]
* Private [[John Shivers (Medal of Honor)|John Shivers]]
* Private [[Henry A. Thompson]]
* Ordinary Seaman [[Franklin L. Wilcox]]

===Prizes===
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Date<ref name="Silverstone, Warships, p. 28">Silverstone, ''Warships'', p. 28.</ref> !! Prize Name<ref name="Silverstone, Warships, p. 28"/> !! Gross Proceeds !! Costs and Expenses !! Amount for Distribution !! Where Adjudicated !! Sent to 4th Auditor for Distribution !! Vessels Entitled to Share
|-
| 14 May 1861 || ''Mary Willis'' ||  ||  ||  ||  || || Released<ref>Release of Prizes, The Philadelphia Inquirer, 27 May 1861, page 2, retrieved 16 August 2017 at https://www.newspapers.com/clip/13128025/release_of_prizes_the_philadelphia/</ref><ref name="PhilInqDec161861">Philadelphia and the Navy Department, The Philadelphia Inquirer (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) 16 December 1861, page 8, retrieved 16 August 2017 at https://www.newspapers.com/clip/13128092/the_philadelphia_inquirer/</ref> 
|-
| 14 May 1861 || ''North Carolina'' ||  ||  ||  ||  ||  ||
|-
| 15 May 1861 || ''J.H. Etheridge'' ||  ||  ||  ||  || || Released<ref name="PhilInqMay281861">Arrival of Released Schooners, The Philadelphia Inquirer, 28 May 1861, page 1, retrieved 16 August 2017 at https://www.newspapers.com/clip/13128060/arrival_of_released_schooners_the/</ref><ref name="PhilInqDec161861"/> 
|-
| 15 May 1861 || ''William Henry'' ||  ||  ||  ||  || || Released<ref name="PhilInqMay281861"/><ref name="PhilInqDec161861"/> 
|-
| 15 May 1861 || ''William & John'' ||  ||  ||  ||  || || Released<ref name="PhilInqDec161861"/> 
|-
| 15 May 1861 || ''Mary'' ||  ||  ||  ||  || || Released<ref name="PhilInqDec161861"/> 
|-
| 15 May 1861 || ''Industry'' ||  ||  ||  ||  ||  ||
|-
| 15 May 1861 || ''Belle Conway'' ||  ||  ||  ||  || || Released<ref name="PhilInqMay281861"/><ref name="PhilInqDec161861"/> 
|-
| 17 May 1861 || ''Star'' ||  ||  ||  ||  ||  ||
|-
| 17 May 1861 || ''Crenshaw'' ||  ||  ||  ||  ||  ||
|-
| 17 May 1861 || ''Almira Ann'' ||  ||  ||  ||  ||  ||
|-
| 20 May 1861 || ''Hiawatha'' ||  ||  ||  ||  ||  ||
|-
| 20 May 1861 || ''Tropic Wind'' ||  ||  ||  ||  ||  ||
|-
| 22 May 1861 || ''Arcola'' ||  ||  ||  ||  ||  ||
|-
| 25 May 1861 || ''Pioneer'' ||  ||  ||  ||  ||  ||
|-
| 27 May 1861 || ''Iris'' ||  ||  ||  ||  ||  ||
|-
| 27 May 1861 || ''Catherine'' ||  ||  ||  ||  ||  ||
|-
| 26 Jun 1861 || ''Sally Magee'' ||  ||  ||  ||  ||  ||
|-
| 1 Jul 1861 || ''Sally Mears'' ||  ||  ||  ||  ||  ||
|-
| 10 Jul 1861 || ''Amy Warwick'' ||  ||  ||  ||  ||  ||
|-
| 11 Jan 1864 || ''Vesta'' ||  ||  ||  ||  ||  ||destroyed<ref name="Silverstone, Warships, p. 28"/>
|-
| 11 Jan 1864 || ''Ranger'' ||  ||  ||  ||  ||  ||destroyed<ref name="Silverstone, Warships, p. 28"/>
|}

== Later service ==
[[File:9-in gun from USS Minnesota (1855).jpg|thumb|upright|A 9-inch gun from the famous  wooden heavy frigate ''U.S.S. Minnesota'' (1855–1901) of the [[American Civil War]] and late [[19th century]] era on display in [[New Hope, Pennsylvania]]]]
Ordered back north to the [[Portsmouth Naval Shipyard]] at [[Kittery, Maine]] / [[Portsmouth, New Hampshire]], ''Minnesota'' was then decommissioned and stricken  from the lists of the U.S. Navy on 16 February 1865. She was recommissioned however two years later on 3 June 1867 and made a cruise with [[Midshipman|midshipmen]] across the [[Atlantic Ocean]] to [[Europe]]. She was subsequently placed in ordinary (holding status) at the [[New York Navy Yard]] on 13 January 1868. Recommissioned again after eight years on 12 June 1875, she remained at the New York Navy Yard as a gunnery and [[training ship]] for naval seamen apprentices.

In 1881 she was transferred to [[Newport, Rhode Island]] where she served as the flagship of the U.S. Navy Training Squadron.  From 1881 to 1884 she was commanded by Captain [[Stephen Luce]] (1827–1917), who founded the [[Naval War College]] there at the end of his command tenure in 1884.  The warship took part in dedication ceremonies for the famous [[Brooklyn Bridge]] across the [[East River]] (between the boroughs of [[Manhattan]] and [[Brooklyn, New York|Brooklyn]]) in [[New York City]] on 24 May 1883.

Three sailors assigned to ''Minnesota'' were awarded the Medal of Honor during this period: Captain of the Top [[William Lowell Hill]] and Ship's Cook [[Adam Weissel]] for rescuing fellow sailors from drowning in separate 1881 incidents, and Second Class Boy [[John Lucy]] for his actions during a fire at the [[Castle Garden]] immigration facility in 1876.<ref name="moh3"/>

In October 1895, ''Minnesota'' was loaned to the [[Massachusetts Naval Militia]], continuing that duty for six years until August 1901 when she was sold by the government to the Thomas Butler & Company of [[Boston]]. She eventually was stripped and burned to salvage her iron fittings at nearby [[Eastport, Maine]].

==See also==
<!-- Reminder to those who routinely delete 'See also' links: [[WP:ALSO]]: "The links in the "See also" section do not have to be directly related to the topic of the article, because one purpose of "See also" links is to enable readers to explore tangentially related topics."  The only way some pages are ever discovered and read is through 'See also'. -->
{{Portal|American Civil War}}
*[[List of steam frigates of the United States Navy]]
*[[List of naval ships named for Minnesota]]
*[[Bibliography of early American naval history]]
*[[Union Navy]]

==References==
*{{DANFS|https://www.history.navy.mil/research/histories/ship-histories/danfs/m/minnesota-i.html}}
• Silverstone, Paul H. ''Warships of the Civil War Navies'' Naval Institute Press, Annapolis, MD, 1989, {{ISBN|0-87021-783-6}}.

{{Reflist|2|refs=

<ref name="recordofmedals">{{Cite book
  | title      = Record of Medals of Honor issued to the officers and enlisted men of the United States Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard
  | publisher  = United States Government Printing Office
  | date       = 1917
  | location   = Washington
  | pages      = [https://archive.org/details/recordmedalshon00navigoog/page/n65 63]–4, 112–3, 124
  | url        = https://archive.org/details/recordmedalshon00navigoog }}</ref>

<ref name="moh1">{{cite web |title=Civil War Medal of Honor Recipients (A–L) |work=Medal of Honor Citations |publisher=[[United States Army Center of Military History]] |date=6 August 2009 |url=http://www.history.army.mil/html/moh/civwaral.html |access-date=2009-08-10 |archive-date=2 September 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120902081051/http://www.history.army.mil/html/moh/civwaral.html |url-status=dead }}</ref>

<ref name="moh2">{{cite web |title=Civil War Medal of Honor Recipients (M–Z) |work=Medal of Honor Citations |publisher=[[United States Army Center of Military History]] |date=3 August 2009 |url=http://www.history.army.mil/html/moh/civwarmz.html |access-date=2009-08-10 |archive-date=23 February 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090223063700/http://www.history.army.mil/html/moh/civwarmz.html |url-status=dead }}</ref>

<ref name="moh3">{{Cite web
 |title        = Medal of Honor recipients – Interim Awards, 1871–1898
 |work         = Medal of Honor citations
 |publisher    = [[United States Army Center of Military History]]
 |date         = 5 August 2010
 |url          = http://www.history.army.mil/html/moh/int1871-98.html
 |access-date  = 11 August 2010
 |archive-date = 14 May 2017
 |archive-url  = https://web.archive.org/web/20170514070318/http://www.history.army.mil/html/moh/int1871-98.html
 |url-status   = dead
}}</ref>

}}

{{Battle of Hampton Roads|state=autocollapse}}
{{1862 shipwrecks}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Minnesota}}
[[Category:Ships built in Washington, D.C.]]
[[Category:Ships of the Union Navy]]
[[Category:Gunboats of the United States Navy]]
[[Category:American Civil War patrol vessels of the United States]]
[[Category:Sailing frigates of the United States Navy]]
[[Category:Minnesota in the American Civil War]]
[[Category:Steamships of the United States Navy]]
[[Category:Steam frigates]]
[[Category:1855 ships]]
[[Category:Maritime incidents in March 1862]]