High Quality Content by WIKIPEDIA articles! The first USS Sonoma was a side-wheel gunboat that served in the United States Navy during the American Civil War. She was named for a creek, a county, and a town in California, that in turn were named for one of the chiefs of the Chocuyen Indians of that region. Sonoma was launched by the Portsmouth Navy Yard on 15 April 1862; sponsored by Miss Mary N. Bleecker; and commissioned on 8 July 1862, Commander Thomas H. Stevens, Jr. in command. On 17 July, the double-ender sailed for the West Indies for operations against Confederate blockade runners and raiders on the high seas. The success of Confederate cruisers, especially Florida and Alabama, in operations against Union shipping prompted the Navy Department, on 8 September, to put Commodore Charles Wilkes in command of a "flying" West India Squadron created specifically to seek out and destroy the Southern raiders. Sonoma was assigned to this squadron. While Sonoma never quite caught up with Florida or Alabama, she did operate successfully against blockade runners.

Данное издание не является оригинальным. Книга печатается по технологии принт-он-деманд после получения заказа.