be returned to her owners, ending her charter. Still short of ships, the Navy purchased Keystone State for $125,000 on June 10, 1861. She was moved to the Philadelphia Navy Yard where she underwent a survey of needed repairs beginning the next day. Repairs began within a week of acquisition, and included dry-docking and replacing the copper sheeting on her hull. Her battery was upgraded to four 32-pounder guns. She was commissioned at the Philadelphia Navy Yard on 19 July 1861, Commander Gustavus H. Scott in command. Gulf Blockading Squadron (1861) Upon commissioning, Keystone State was assigned to the Gulf Blockading Squadron. She sailed from Philadelphia in search of the commerce raider CSS Sumter. The chase went from Kingston, Jamaica to St. Thomas, Virgin Islands. She then circumnavigated Puerto Rico, stopping in Martinique along the way. Keystone State sailed to Port of Spain, Trinidad, where she found that she had missed Sumter by five days. She visited many other Caribbean ports and sailed as far south as Aspinwall, Panama before returning to the United States. While she failed in her mission to stop the Sumter, she did capture a blockade runner. The steamer Salvor was sailing from Havana to Tampa with a cargo that included 600 pistols and 500,000 percussion caps when she was captured by Keystone State near the Dry Tortugas on 14 October 1861. The ship returned to Philadelphia, via Key West, with Salvor in tow, on 25 October 1861. While Keystone State was at the Philadelphia Navy Yard, she had her armament upgraded again. She was equipped with six 8-inch guns, two 32-pounders, and a Parrott rifle. At Philadelphia, Commander William E. Le Roy took command of the ship on 12 November 1861. The sidewheeler left port on 8 December 1861. She visited Bermuda still searching for Sumter, and arrived back at Fortress Monroe on 26 December 1861 with nothing to show for her cruise but two cases of smallpox. South Atlantic Blockading Squadron, (1861–1863) In January 1862 Keystone State was assigned to South Atlantic Blockading Squadron. Her first assignment was to blockade the port of Fernandina, Florida. She engaged Confederate batteries at Amelia Island while on station, apparently with little damage on either side. Keystone State captured the British schooner Mars off Fenandina on 5 February 1862. She was laden with a cargo of salt. In March 1862, Keystone State was part of Flag Officer DuPont's