View source for CSS Archer

{{Short description|Fishing schooner captured during the American Civil War}}
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| Ship caption = CSS ''Archer'' at anchor.
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| Ship country = Confederate States
| Ship flag = {{shipboxflag|Confederate States of America|naval}}
| Ship name = ''Archer''
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| Ship captured = *June 25, 1863 by the [[CSS Tacony|CSS ''Tacony'']] and converted to CSN service
*June 28, 1863 by the steamer ''Forest City''
| Ship fate = Unknown
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| Ship complement = 4 officers, 17 men
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[[File:Caleb-cushing.jpg|thumb|305x305px|Revenue cutter ''Caleb Cushing'' torched. The ''Caleb Cushing'' was a ship captured by the CSS ''Archer''.]]
'''CSS ''Archer''''' was originally a fishing [[schooner]] captured by the [[Confederate States of America|Confederate]] cruiser [[CSS Tacony|CSS ''Tacony'']] during the [[American Civil War]] and converted into a Confederate [[cruiser]] for [[commerce raiding]].

The CSS ''Tacony'', commanded by Lt. [[Charles Read (naval officer)|Charles W. Read]], captured the ''Archer'' on June 25, 1863 off the coast of [[Portland, Maine]]. Knowing that the Union was on a hunt for his ship, he transferred the crew and armaments to it and destroyed the ''Tacony''.

Read decided to [[Battle of Portland Harbor|try to capture]] the [[revenue cutter]] ''Caleb Cushing'' on his way down the coast of [[New England]]. On June 27, 1863, the ''Archer'' sailed into the [[harbor]] of [[Portland, Maine|Portland]], [[Maine]] and docked, disguising itself as a [[schooner]]. At night, the ''Cushing'' was boarded and the crew placed below decks. The ''Archer'' and the ''Caleb Cushing'' then sailed out of the harbor in the dawn. When the disappearance of the ''Cushing'' was noticed, ships were sent in pursuit, and due to the failing wind, were able to catch up and capture the ''Archer'', but not before Read had set the magazine on board the ''Cushing'' on fire, which resulted in the ''Cushing'''s destruction.

== Officers and crew ==
* Lt. [[Charles Read (naval officer)|Charles W. Read]], commander
* Billups, Matthewson, and Pride, master's mates
* Brown, engineer
* 16 men

==See also==
{{Portal|American Civil War}}
*[[List of ships captured in the 19th century#American Civil War|Ships captured in the American Civil War]]
*[[Bibliography of early American naval history#American Civil War|Bibliography of American Civil War naval history]]
*[[Union Navy]]
*[[Confederate States Navy]]
{{clear}}

== Notes and references ==
* {{cite book | title=History of the Confederate States Navy: From the Organization to the Surrender of Its Last Vessel|publisher=Gramercy Books | location=New York, NY | year=1996  | author=J. Thomas Scharf | isbn=0-517-18336-6}}
*{{DANFS}}

{{CSN cruisers}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Archer}}
[[Category:Cruisers of the Confederate States Navy|Archer]]
[[Category:Raids of the American Civil War|Archer, CSS]]
[[Category:Captured ships]]