29)—a wooden river steamer, formerly named Ebenezer—was purchased by Rear Admiral David Dixon Porter on 19 June 1863 from Ebenezer Blackstone, St. Louis, Missouri.

On 2 November, Tawah and Key West encountered USS Undine and Venus, which the Confederates had captured three days earlier.

Undine, a "tinclad" of eight 24-pounder brass howitzers, was able to outrun the Union ships and escape to the protection of Confederate shore batteries on Reynoldsburg Island.

On 4 November, Tawah, Key West, and Elfin were patrolling the river to protect the Union headquarters and depot at Johnsonville when Confederate forces under the command of General Nathan B. Forrest attacked the city.

After fighting fiercely for several hours, Tawah's Parrott guns on the starboard bow were disabled; and all three ships had been damaged, in addition to having expended most of their ammunition.