since the logs for her first period of service are missing—presumably lost when she a torpedo (naval mine) sank her—we have no record of "althea's" commissioning date. still, on 24 april 1864 secretary of the navy gideon welles ordered the commandant of the new york navy yard to hurry the tug to rear admiral david glasgow farragut who then was trying to build up his west gulf blockading squadron for an attack on mobile, alabama.