The USS Palmyra was a wooden-hulled screw steamer that served as a gunboat in the Union Navy during the American Civil War. It was originally built in 1856 as a civilian steamship before being purchased by the Navy in 1861 for service in the blockade of Confederate ports. The ship was armed with a variety of guns, including a 30-pounder Parrott rifle and several 24-pounder howitzers. The USS Palmyra operated primarily along the Atlantic coast and in the Gulf of Mexico, participating in blockading and reconnaissance missions. It also took part in the capture of several Confederate vessels and served as a dispatch boat for Admiral David G. Farragut during the capture of New Orleans in 1862. After the war, the USS Palmyra was decommissioned and sold into civilian service, eventually being lost at sea in 1867. Despite its relatively short naval career, the ship played a significant role in the Union Navy's efforts to blockade Confederate ports and disrupt Southern commerce during the Civil War.

This description has been generated using GPT-3.5-TURBO based on the Vessel's wikidata information and then modified by ShipIndex.org staff.