"curlew" was purchased for $44,000 by the u.s. navy in 1861 during the american civil war for the south atlantic blockading squadron. she was outfitted as a gunboat with armament consisting of a 30-pounder rifled gun on the foredeck and six 32-pounder smoothbores on the main deck. "curlew" participated in the expedition to port royal, south carolina under the command of acting lieutenant p.g. watmough. when her machinery proved to be inadequate she was towed to new york by the transport "baltic" arriving on 21 november 1861 to be returned to her owners before the sixty-day trial period expired.