Naval History and Heritage Command

A small tree with white blossoms and sour evergreen leaves.

Sorrel, a wooden-hulled steam tug, was purchased by the Navy at Philadelphia under the name W. S. Hancock on 1 August 1864 from Hillman and Streaker. The small steamer apparently served as a general purpose tug at the Philadelphia Navy Yard throughout her naval career. She was laid up there in the late 1870s and remained inactive until she was sold at Philadelphia to A. Purvis & Son on 27 September 1883.