Since no logs recording this vessel's operations prior to 7 November 1862 have survived, the date of her commissioning is unknown, but – since she arrived in Hampton Roads on 29 October 1861 and her commanding officer, Acting Volunteer Lieutenant Nathaniel Goodwin, reported for duty in the North Atlantic Blockading Squadron — we know that her active career began somewhat earlier.

The bark joined the forces blockading Wilmington, North Carolina on 8 November; and, but for occasional runs back to Hampton Roads for provisions and water, she operated off that vital Confederate port through most of the winter.

Then, somewhat the worse for wear after battling the constantly rough seas off the North Carolina coast, she headed for the Virginia Capes late in February 1862 and reached Hampton Roads on the evening of the 26th to receive repairs and to obtain fresh provisions.

The need to patch the damage caused by this accident delayed Amanda's, return to Wilmington and thus allowed the bark to play a minor, but important, role in the most memorable naval action of the Civil War.

Therefore, Union sailors put the torch to this screw frigate and scuttled her as they evacuated their strategically important, but untenable, base up Virginia's Elizabeth River.

Renamed CSS Virginia — the former Federal warship – left the Elizabeth on 8 March 1862 and attacked her erstwhile sister ships in Hampton Roads, destroying sailing frigates Cumberland and Congress.

Meanwhile, on the evening of the 8th, Amanda moved to a position near the inner lightship at the mouth of Chesapeake Bay to await the Union Navy's eagerly expected champion, Monitor.

When that innovative ironclad arrived, Goodwin explained the tactical situation to her commanding officier, Lt. John L. Worden, and permitted Acting Master Samuel Howard to leave the bark temporarily so that he might pilot Monitor to a position close to Minnesota.

That morning, Captain John Marston, the senior Union naval officer in the vicinity, directed Goodwin to proceed without delay in Amanda to Baltimore, Maryland, a safer place in which her repairs could be completed.

all intoxicated and inclined to be troublesome ..." who had manned the bark and replaced them with a crew from Amanda who took the prize — which, the day before, had delivered 750 blacks to Cuba — to Key West, Florida.

There, on 20 March 1863, Welch – having heard that a schooner in the Ocklockonee River was loading cotton – ordered his executive officer to lead an expedition to that stream to capture this potential blockade runner.

That morning, Acting Master Hoffner – with two other officers, a pilot, and 27 men – left the bark and proceeded in her launch and the tender sloop Brockenborough to the mouth of the Ocklockonee which he finally reached after a three-day struggle against heavy seas, contrary winds and tides, and tropical vegetation which clogged the marshy waters of St. George's Sound.

About noon, while Hoffner was waiting for the rising tide to refloat Onward, some 40 Confederate horsemen and about three or four times as many foot soldiers appeared and opened fire on the expedition.