AH-WR-0831

Hattie C. Besse

Sailing Bark (or Barque) · United States · Lost 1871 · The Salish Sea

A Civil War Union gunboat that ended its days as a merchant sailing bark, wrecking on the Washington coast south of Cape Flattery in 1871.

Artistic recreation based on recorded historical documents. See the documented evidence.

Historically Reconstructed. Drawn from partial documentation of this vessel together with her known class and configuration. See the documented evidence.

The Vessel and Her Loss

Launched in 1862 as USS Genesee, a side-wheel gunboat, she served the Union Navy on blockade duty in Virginia, North Carolina, and the Gulf of Mexico, including operations at Port Hudson and the Battle of Mobile Bay. Decommissioned in 1865 and sold in 1867, she was converted into a sailing bark and renamed Hattie C. Besse. She stranded on the Washington coast south of Cape Flattery in November 1871.

Vessel

Built: 1862
Registry: US Official Number 11851
Builder: Boston Navy Yard
Yard: Boston, Massachusetts
Material: Wood
Length: 209 ft
Beam: 34.9 ft
Tonnage: 803
Propulsion: Sail (converted from steam side-wheel propulsion)
Owners: Purvis and Son (after 1867 conversion)

Loss

Date: November 20, 1871
Cause: Grounding
Location: About 20 miles south of Cape Flattery, Washington
Water: Pacific Ocean, near the Strait of Juan de Fuca
Voyage: Not established
Cargo: Not established
Aboard: Not established
Lives lost: Not established
Master: Not established

The Wreck Today

Depth: Not established
Condition: Not established
Orientation: Not established
Discovered: Not established
Protection: Not established

Position

Coordinates: 48.38° N 124.71° W
Accuracy: General area only
Nearest: Cape Flattery, Washington
Region: The Salish Sea

General area only: coordinate of Cape Flattery from the USGS Geographic Names Information System, the named landmark used to describe this vessel's loss position ('about 20 miles south of Cape Flattery'); the actual loss site is offset from the cape itself and this pin marks only the referenced named place, not a surveyed wreck position.

Evidence

Overall confidence: Partially documented (65/100)

Precise wreck location, casualties if any, and present condition are not established in the sources reviewed.

Naval History and Heritage Command
Naval service history and eventual sale.
NavSource Online
Renaming to Hattie C. Besse and stranding date/location.
USGS-sourced feature coordinate — Cape Flattery, Clallam County, Washington
coordinate of the named reference place (Cape Flattery)