Naval History and Heritage Command

Satellite, a wooden sidewheeler bought by the U.S. Navy in July 1861, was commissioned 27 September 1861 and assigned to the Potomac Flotilla. She enjoyed a successful career, capturing five ships and aiding in the capture of four others. On the night of 23 August 1863 she was surprised, boarded, and captured at the mouth of the Rappahannock River by a Confederate boat expedition led by Lt. J. T. Wood. Satellite aided in capturing three Union schooners in Chesapeake Bay before being sent into Port Royal, Va. There 9 days after her capture she was stripped and scuttled amidst bombardment from Union forces.