She was used by the Union Navy to patrol navigable waterways of the Confederacy to prevent the South from trading with other countries.

She operated as a tug in the James and Elizabeth Rivers and at Norfolk Navy Yard until 5 November when she sailed for duty on the blockade off Wilmington, North Carolina.

After repairs in Norfolk, Virginia, from 13 December 1864, Clematis again served up the James River in March and April 1865.

Retained in service at the close of the Civil War, she served the Gulf Squadron until 23 May 1866 when she sailed for Philadelphia Navy Yard, arriving 31 May.

This article incorporates text from the public domain Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships.