U.S. Iron-Clad Torpedo Boat "Spuyten Duyvil". Composite engraved albumen photograph. Title and captioned in negative. Visible 15 3/4 x 13 1/4 in., framed to 21 3/4 x 19 3/4 in. 

A rare albumen view after a photograph of the screw steam torpedo boat USS Spuyten Duyvil. Originally called the Stromboli, the design was formulated after the Union Navy suffered heavy losses from Confederate torpedos. This torpedo boat was designed by Captain William W. Wood, Chief Engineer of the US Navy, who supervised her construction at New Haven by Samuel M. Pook. Constructed quickly, she successfully fired two torpedos by 25 November 1864 and arrived at Norfolk on December 5th. 

She immediately moved up the James River in support of the Grant's drive on Richmond. During the Battle of Trent's Reach, she supported the Onondaga, the only monitor then on the river. They also employed the Spuyten Duyvil's torpedo capabilities to clear the James to allow President Lincoln, aboard the Malvern, to reach Richmond after it was abandoned by the Confederates. 

The image of the torpedo boat is enhanced further with illustrations of the two types of torpedos she carried and illustrations of them in action. 

A very nice addition to any Civil War naval collection. 

Note: This lot cannot be packaged and shipped in-house. Successful bidders winning items marked as being packaged and shipped by a third-party service are responsible for paying the third party directly. We are happy to offer complimentary drop-off service to local third-party packing/shipping companies in Columbus, Ohio.

[Civil War, Union, Confederate] [Navy, Naval History, Brown Water Navy, David Glasgow Farragut, David Dixon Porter, Battle of Mobile Bay, Battle of New Orleans, Blockade, Confederate Blockade] [Photography, Early Photography, Historic Photography, Daguerreotypes, Ambrotypes, Tintypes, Cased Images, Union Cases, Albumen Photographs, CDVs, Carte de Visites, Cartes de Visite, Carte-de-visite, Cartes-de-visite, CDV, Cabinet Cards, Stereoviews, Stereocards]