New Ironsides retained a full sailing rig and could disengage her propeller under sail to reduce drag. Her best speed under combined sail and steam was about seven knots, while engine-only performance was often closer to six. She was decommissioned on 6 April 1865 and laid up at League Island. A fire destroyed her on 16 December 1865, and the wreck was salvaged before her boilers were offered for sale in 1869. Had she survived, her usefulness might have supported a career nearly as long as HMS Warrior's. Eight crewmen received Medals of Honor for the Second Battle of Fort Fisher: James Barnum, John Dempster, Thomas English, Edmund Haffee, Nicholas Lear, Daniel Milliken, Joseph White, and Richard Willis. The roll call connects the ship to a battle presented as important in the development of amphibious warfare.
Chapter · 30:01-33:55
Sail assistance, postwar loss, and Fort Fisher honours
A full sailing rig supplemented steam power, and a postwar fire ended a ship whose Fort Fisher service brought eight Medals of Honor.