USS Clifton
Gunboat · United States · Lost 1863 · Texas & the Western Gulf
A converted New York ferry turned Union gunboat, shot to pieces at Sabine Pass in September 1863.
The Vessel and Her Loss
Clifton was built in 1861 as a side-wheel ferry and bought into the United States Navy as a gunboat. She served in the Gulf blockade and in operations along the Texas coast. On 8 September 1863 she led part of the Union attack on Fort Griffin at Sabine Pass, where Confederate gunners cut her steam pipe and rudder. She grounded under fire, struck her colors and was burned.
Vessel
- 1861
- Not established
- New York
- Wood
- 210 ft
- Not established
- Not established
- Side-wheel steam
- United States Navy
Loss
- September 8, 1863
- Enemy action
- Sabine Pass, Texas
- Sabine Pass and the western Gulf of Mexico
- Not established
- Not established
- Not established
- Casualty figures for the engagement vary between accounts.
- Not established
The Wreck Today
- Not established
- Not established
- Not established
- Not established
- United States Navy property; sunken military craft
Position
- 29.73° N 93.87° W
- Reported, unconfirmed
- Sabine Pass, Texas
Position given for the Sabine Pass channel where the gunboat was disabled; the wreck site is not surveyed in the sources reviewed.
Evidence
Overall confidence: Partially documented (66/100)
Casualty totals and the present location of the remains are not settled in the sources reviewed.
Naval History and Heritage Command, Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships
Purchase, service history, date and circumstances of loss.
Texas Historical Commission
Context of the Second Battle of Sabine Pass and the fate of the Union gunboats.
