Island Belle devoted most of April and May to reconnaissance work, searching the Virginia rivers between Washington and Richmond for information valuable to either the Army or the Navy.

Two days later, Flag Officer Goldborough assigned her to duty in the James River where the Navy was valiantly supporting the left flank of General George B. McClellan's mighty force as it advanced up the peninsula toward Richmond.

When she joined Commander William Smith, the senior naval officer on the James, he used Island Belle in a wide variety of ways.

On 26 June, Island Belle steamed up the shallow Appomattox River in an attempt to destroy the railroad bridge at Petersburg, Virginia.

After strenuous efforts failed to refloat her, Island Belle was burned on 28 June 1862 to prevent her falling into Confederate hands.