S S Mount Savage, a 452-ton (burden) screw steamship, was built in 1853 at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. She was renamed Memphis in 1857. Chartered by the Navy in September 1858, she served as USS Memphis during the Paraguay expedition of late 1858 and early 1859. The steamer was purchased by the Navy in May 1859 and renamed Mystic a few weeks later. In June and July 1860, while operating off Africa, she captured two slave ships.

During the first part of the Civil War Mystic served in the blockade of the Confederacy's Atlantic Coast. She assisted in the capture or destruction of four blockade runners off North Carolina in June-September 1862, among them the steamers Emma and Sunbeam. While in the process of taking the latter, on 28 September, she was damaged in collision with USS State of Georgia. Mystic was employed in the Chesapeake Bay region from late 1862 until the war's end. In May 1863 she supported the Army during an expedition up the York River and in September of that year seized a sailing vessel off Yorktown. USS Mystic was sold to private owners in June 1865. Renamed General Custer, she disappeared from merchant vessel registers in 1868.

U.S.S. State of Georgia, Commander Armstrong, and U.S.S. Mystic, Lieutenant Commander Arnold, chased a blockade running schooner (name unknown) ashore at New Inlet, North Carolina, and destroyed her.

Sept 1862   U.S.S. State of Georgia, Commander Armstrong, and U.S.S. Mystic, Lieutenant Commander Arnold, captured blockade running British steamer Sunbeam near New Inlet, North Carolina.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Memphis_%281862%29

Abstract log of the U. S. S. Mystic.

March 8, 1862.--At 1:10 p.m. observed rebel steamer Merrimack and two other of the enemy's steamers coming down Elizabeth River toward Newport News. At 1:20 flagship fired gun. At 1:25 U. S. S[team] frigate Minnesota got underway and proceeded toward Newport News. At 1:40 flagship Roanoke got underway. At 2 action commenced at Newport News between U. S. frigates Cumberland and Congress and the enemy. At 3 got underway in tow of steamer Kingston and followed flagship. At 3:20 observed three steamers coming down James River. At 3:50 the U. S. frigate Congress struck her flag. At 4 flagship turned back. At 4:10 turned round and followed flagship, it being apparent that in our disabled state we could not be of any assistance. At 5:20 U. S. frigate St. Lawrence passed us, going up in tow of the U. S. S. Cambridge. At 5:50 engaged Sewell's Point battery with our starboard guns. At 8:20 discovered a large fire bearing W. S. W., supposed it to be the Congress set on fire by the rebels. At 9 U. S. S. Monitor arrived and proceeded toward Newport News.

U.S.S. Mystic, Acting Master William Wright, assigned to the North Atlantic Blockading Squadron, seized schooner Emma D. off Yorktown, Virginia. The same day, Assistant Secretary Fox wrote Rear Admiral S.P. Lee praising the effectiveness of the squadron: "I congratulate you upon the captures off Wilmington. Nine steamers have been lost to the rebels in a short time, all due to the 'fine spirit' of our people engaged in the blockade. It is a severe duty and well maintained and Jeff Davis pays us a higher compliment than our own people when he declares that there is but one port in 3500 miles (recollect that the whole Atlantic front of Europe is but 2900 miles) through which they can get in supplies."

Monitor and Merrimack

Report of the commander of the Gassendi of the naval engagement which took place in Hampton Roads, between the Federal forces and those of the Confederates.

First fight, March 8.

On the morning of the 8th, light breeze from the N. N. W., very fine weather, slight ebb tide. About 12:40 a mass, having the appearance of a barracks roof, surmounted by a large funnel, appeared at the entrance of Elizabeth River, a little inside of Sewell's Point. Every one recognized the Merrimack immediately, which, accompanied by two gunboats, the Beaufort and the Raleigh, advanced slowly toward the channel of Hampton Roads. After several evolutions, executed doubtless to assure herself of the good working of her machinery, the Merrimack seemed for an instant to turn back toward Norfolk; but in a short time after, she boldly started again on her course at an apparent speed of 6 knots, standing for the Federal sailing frigates Cumberland and Congress, anchored at the entrance of James River. The two gunboats remained at the entrance of the Elizabeth River to watch the movements of the Federal vessels anchored off Fortress Monroe.

The Federal naval force at the anchorage consisted of the screw frigate Minnesota for more than a month cleared for action, with steam up; of the screw frigate Roanoke, also cleared for action, but which an inexplicable negligence had allowed to remain for four months with her main shaft broken, and which tried to deceive the enemy by a useless blowing off of steam; of the sailing frigate St. Lawrence, which had arrived the day before to replace the Cumberland at Newport News, and which had anchored at quite a distance outside; of two three-masted ships, each armed with six cannon. There were besides four gunboats, paddle wheel or screw; a half dozen tugboats (each carrying a 30-pounder Parrott), and an equal number of ferryboats.

Not one of these vessels appeared to notice the arrival of their formidable enemy in the roads, and it was more than a quarter of an hour after her appearance that a shot fired by one of the gunboats announced that she was in sight.

At about 1:30 the Minnesota hoisted her jib and started at moderate speed, aided by a tugboat towing by the starboard side. The Roanoke, towed by two tugboats, followed her more slowly still. Having arrived near the Rip Raps the Minnesota stopped and ran out lines as though to take the Roanoke in tow; but she soon appeared to relinquish that, and about 2 o'clock she at length started at a speed of 7 or 8 knots, standing toward Newport News, where the engagement took place. Her tugboat (the Dragon) then went to the aid of the Roanoke, which continued to advance slowly, her three tugs being unable, without great difficulty, to make her stem the current. The paddle-wheel gunboat Whitehall and the screw gunboat Mystic bore off toward Newport News also, but they took a very minor part in the fight.

As these vessels would come abreast of the Sewell Point battery, that battery opened fire upon them. They replied to it, but this fire at long range (about 2,500 meters), to which was added that of the Rip Raps, could but produce an insignificant effect.

About 2:30 the Minnesota ran aground on the shoals north of Hampton Middle Ground, a mile from Newport News. The Southern batteries and gunboats fired upon her at long range. The Roanoke, fearing doubtless to take the ground also, which her want of speed rendered imminent, then changed her course, and, spreading her sails, came back to the anchorage off the fortress, where she arrived about 4 o'clock. The tugs went to the aid of the Minnesota. The Mystic came back to the anchorage also about the same hour, and the frigate St. Lawrence, which up to that time had steadily proceeded toward the scene of the engagement, imitated likewise the maneuver of the Roanoke and Mystic.