Virginia (pilot boat)

	Pilot Boat Virginia
History
United States
Name	Virginia
Owner	N. Y. Pilots
Operator	G. Wright; Thomas E. B. Johnson; Walter Brewer;
Launched	ca. 1838
Out of service	March 7, 1860
Fate	Wreck (1860)
General characteristics
Class and type	schooner
Propulsion	Sail

The Virginia was a 19th-century Sandy Hook pilot boat. She came from Savannah to New York City in 1838. In 1840, the Virginia was No. 8 in the list of only eight pilot boats in the New York fleet. She went ashore in 1860 and was replaced by the pilot boat William H. Aspinwall in 1861.

Construction and service

On April 3, 1838, pilot boat Virginia was cleared to leave the port of Charleston, South Carolina, with Captain G. Wright for Norfolk, Virginia.^[1] She left Charleston for sea on April 6 and arrived in the Port of New York on April 24, 1838.^[2]^[3]^[4]

In 1840, there were only eight pilot boats in the New York fleet. They were the Phantom, No. 1; Washington, No. 2; New York, No. 3; Jacob Bell, No. 4; Blossom, No. 5; T. H. Smith, No. 6; John E. Davidson, No. 7; and the Virginia, No. 8.^[5] The boat number "8" was painted as a large number on her mainsail, that identified her as belonging to the Sandy Hook pilots.

On December 14, 1840, the Thomas E. B. Johnson, of the pilot boat Virginia, along with other pilots from the port of New York, stated that they had never been employed by J. D. Stevenson and no compensation has been offered or demanded.^[6]

On August 14, 1843, Captain G. Wright, of the pilot boat Virginia, was 45 miles east of Cape Henlopen, when he spoke to the brig Wm. Neilson from New York bound to Port-au-Prince.^[7]

On July 17, 1848, the New York pilot boat Virginia spoke to the British Brig Sisters that was short on provisions. She was on her way to Halifax, Nova Scotia.^[8]

On October 26, 1850, the pilot boat Virginia, near the Narrows, was returning from a cruise when she was struck on her starboard side by an outbound schooner causing damage to her rigging. The schooner also received damage and one man was seriously injured.^[9]

On October 13, 1854, the Virginia No. 3, came across the cutwater, stem, and a female figurehead from a vessel. The figurehead was painted a light blue with a wreath of roses around her head.^[10]

On October 9, 1859, John Burke, a native of Germany, was a hand on board the pilot boat Virginia when he died of exhaustion.^[11]

End of service

On March 7, 1860, the New York pilot boat Virginia, No. 3, ran ashore in thick fog and gale ten miles east of Rockaway Shoals. The crew was able to escape to safety. The boat was owned by pilots Walter Brewer, Thomas Morley, William Rock, George Burgess, and Ralph Altkins.^[12]^[13]^[14]

On January 30, 1861, the pilot boat William H. Aspinwall, No 21, was launched from the J. B. Van Dusen Bros. shipyard at the foot of Sixteenth street, East River. She was a replacement for the former pilot boat Virginia. Captain Walter Brewer was in command.^[15]

References

^ "Cleared". The Charleston Daily Courier. Charleston, South Carolina. 3 Apr 1838. p. 2. Retrieved 6 Apr 2021.
^ "Went To Sea Yesterday". The Charleston Daily Courier. Charleston, South Carolina. 6 Apr 1838. p. 2. Retrieved 6 Apr 2021.
^ "Arrived". New York Daily Herald. New York, New York. 24 Apr 1838. p. 3. Retrieved 6 Apr 2021.
^ "Memoranda". The Evening Post. New York, New York. 30 Jun 1838. p. 3. Retrieved 6 Apr 2021.
^ "A New Pilot Schooner". The New York City Herald. New York New York. 22 Jan 1840. p. 2. Retrieved 2021-01-09.
^ "To the Public". New York Daily Herald. New York, New York. 16 Dec 1840. p. 21. Retrieved 6 Apr 2021.
^ "Marine List". The Evening Post. New York, New York. 14 Aug 1843. p. 1. Retrieved 6 Apr 2021.
^ "British Brig Sisters". New York Daily Herald. New York, New York. 23 Jul 1848. p. 4. Retrieved 6 Apr 2021.
^ "Disasters". The Evening Post. New York, New York. 26 Oct 1850. p. 1. Retrieved 6 Apr 2021.
^ "Figure-Head Picked Up At Sea". New-York Tribune. New York, New York. 13 Oct 1854. p. 7. Retrieved 6 Apr 2021.
^ "Died". New-York Herald. New York, New York. 9 Oct 1859. p. 5. Retrieved 6 Apr 2021.
^ "Miscellaneous". The New York Times. New York, New York. 9 Mar 1860. p. 8. Retrieved 6 Apr 2021.
^ Russell, Charles Edward (1929). From Sandy Hook to 62°. New York: Century Co. p. 114. OCLC 3804485.
^ Allen, Edward L. (1922). Pilot Lore From sail to Steam. New York: The United New York and New Jersey Sandy Hook Pilots Benevolent Associations. p. 38.
^ "Miscellaneous". New York Daily Herald. New York, New York. 30 Jan 1861. p. 2. Retrieved 2020-10-14.

[1] "Cleared". The Charleston Daily Courier. Charleston, South Carolina. 3 Apr 1838. p. 2. Retrieved 6 Apr 2021.

[2] "Went To Sea Yesterday". The Charleston Daily Courier. Charleston, South Carolina. 6 Apr 1838. p. 2. Retrieved 6 Apr 2021.

[3] "Arrived". New York Daily Herald. New York, New York. 24 Apr 1838. p. 3. Retrieved 6 Apr 2021.

[4] "Memoranda". The Evening Post. New York, New York. 30 Jun 1838. p. 3. Retrieved 6 Apr 2021.

[A_New_Pilot_Schooner-5] "A New Pilot Schooner". The New York City Herald. New York New York. 22 Jan 1840. p. 2. Retrieved 2021-01-09.

[6] "To the Public". New York Daily Herald. New York, New York. 16 Dec 1840. p. 21. Retrieved 6 Apr 2021.

[7] "Marine List". The Evening Post. New York, New York. 14 Aug 1843. p. 1. Retrieved 6 Apr 2021.

[8] "British Brig Sisters". New York Daily Herald. New York, New York. 23 Jul 1848. p. 4. Retrieved 6 Apr 2021.

[9] "Disasters". The Evening Post. New York, New York. 26 Oct 1850. p. 1. Retrieved 6 Apr 2021.

[10] "Figure-Head Picked Up At Sea". New-York Tribune. New York, New York. 13 Oct 1854. p. 7. Retrieved 6 Apr 2021.

[11] "Died". New-York Herald. New York, New York. 9 Oct 1859. p. 5. Retrieved 6 Apr 2021.

[12] "Miscellaneous". The New York Times. New York, New York. 9 Mar 1860. p. 8. Retrieved 6 Apr 2021.

[Russell-13] Russell, Charles Edward (1929). From Sandy Hook to 62°. New York: Century Co. p. 114. OCLC 3804485.

[Lore-14] Allen, Edward L. (1922). Pilot Lore From sail to Steam. New York: The United New York and New Jersey Sandy Hook Pilots Benevolent Associations. p. 38.

[15] "Miscellaneous". New York Daily Herald. New York, New York. 30 Jan 1861. p. 2. Retrieved 2020-10-14.

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v t e List of Northeastern U.S. pilot boats
New York pilot boats	America Actaea Ambrose Snow Abraham Leggett Alexander M. Lawrence Ariel Patterson Anthony B. Neilson Blossom Caldwell H. Colt Caprice Charlotte Webb Charles H. Marshall Christian Bergh David T. Leahy David Mitchell David Carll Elbridge T. Gerry Edward Cooper E. K. Collins Elwood Walter Edmund Driggs Edward F. Williams Enchantress Edmund Blunt Favorita Fannie Francis Perkins George W. Blunt Gratitude Hope Hermann Oelrichs Isaac Webb Independence James Stafford James Avery James Funk James M. Waterbury Jacob A. Westervelt Jacob Bell Joseph F. Loubat Joseph Pulitzer Joseph N. Lord Josiah Johnson Jesse Carll John D. Jones Mary Taylor Mary A. Williams Mary Ann Mary and Catherine Moses H. Grinnell New York Nettle Pet Phantom Richard K. Fox Sandy Hook Thomas H. Smith Washington William J. Romer William Bell William H. Bateman William H. Starbuck William H. Aspinwall Widgeon Yankee Virginia
Boston pilot boats	Adams America Columbia Coquette Caleb Curtis D. J. Lawlor Eben D. Jordan Edwin Forrest Daniel Webster Dancing Feather Enchantress Florence Friend Fleur de Lis George H. Warren George Peabody Gracie Hesper Northern Light Lillie Louise Liberty Minerva Pilot Roseway Sylph William Starkey Varuna
New Jersey pilot boats	A. T. Stewart Centennial Edward E. Barrett Ezra Nye George Steers James Gordon Bennett James W. Elwell John McKeon Mary E. Fish New Jersey Thomas S. Negus Thomas D. Harrison Trenton W. W. Story
Philadelphia pilot boats	E. C. Knight Enoch Turley John G. Whilldin J. Henry Edmunds Philadelphia William W. Ker
Delaware pilot boats	Thomas Howard Thomas F. Bayard Ebe W. Tunnell
Organizations	Sandy Hook Pilots Association

v t e Shipwrecks and maritime incidents in 1860
Shipwrecks	6 Jan: Northerner 8 Jan: Isabel Segunda 8 Feb: Hungarian 7 Mar: Virginia 27 Mar: Nimrod 22 May: Malabar 21 Jun: USCS Robert J. Walker 13 Jul: Agnes 16 Jul: John Bowes 2 Sep: SMS Frauenlob 8 Sep: Lady Elgin 6 Oct: Connaught 5 Nov: Kyle Spangler 17 Dec: BAP Callao
Other incidents	2 Jun: Teutonia 11 Jun: HMS Sidon 13 Jun: HMS Satellite 10 Aug: Emanuela Unknown date: Stag Hound
1859 1861

Virginia (pilot boat)

Construction and service

End of service

See also

References