USS Dahlia

Moored to the river bank above the falls at Alexandria, Louisiana, during the Red River campaign, circa May 1864. USS Dahlia is at left, and USS Neosho is at right.
History
United States
Namesake	genus of flowers of the aster family.
Ordered	as Firefly
Builder	U.S. Army
Laid down	1861
Launched	1862 at St. Louis, Missouri
Acquired	1 October 1862
Commissioned	circa 24 October 1862
Stricken	1965 (est.)
Fate	Sold 17 August 1865 at Mound City, Illinois
Notes	Retained in commercial service until about 1872
General characteristics
Displacement	50 tons
Length	not known
Beam	not known
Draft	6 ft (1.8 m)
Propulsion	steam engine, paddle-wheel driven
Speed	10 knots
Complement	not known
Armament	not known

USS Dahlia was a paddle-wheel tugboat acquired by the Union Navy during the beginning of the American Civil War. Dahlia was assigned to the Mississippi River area to provide tug and other services to Union ships requiring assistance.

Firefly was built by the United States Army at St. Louis, Missouri in 1862; turned over to the Navy 1 October 1862; and named Dahlia 24 October 1862.

Assigned to the Mississippi River Squadron under Rear Admiral David Dixon Porter. She provided tug services in the Mississippi River and its tributaries until 17 August 1865.

Dahlia was sold at Mound City, Illinois in August 1865. She retained her name as a civilian ship after the war and passed out of service in about 1872.

 This article incorporates text from the public domain Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. The entry can be found here.

• USS Dahlia (1862-1865). Originally named Firefly