Hyacinth I (Tug)
A well-known plant of the lily family having spikes of bell-shaped flowers.
I
The first Hyacinth was a tug used by the Army under the name Spitfire on the upper Mississippi River in 1862. She captured Confederate transport Sovereign near Fort Pillow, Tenn., 5 June 1862; and 9 days later, took steamer Clara Dolsen after a long chase from Helena, Ark., ending on the White River a short distance above its mouth.
Spitfire was transferred by the War Department to the Navy 30 September 1862, and renamed Hyacinth 19 October. Hyacinth served the Mississippi Squadron until the end of the war. She was especially useful in operations which resulted in the fall of Vicksburg, and assisted in the salvage work which refloated Indianola. She was sold at public auction at Mound City, Ill., to A. T. Paine 17 August 1865.
