A ship's boat was ambushed with four casualties, one dead, but the prizes continued on to Key West. There, on April 19, 1862, Commodore William McKean reporting to United States Secretary of the Navy Gideon Welles confirmed that Florida had never been converted: "I have examined her, and find that her upper deck is too light to carry guns of any weight. I have not the means to strengthen her sufficiently, or I should retain and convert her into a gunboat." Despite this rejection, the U.S. Navy bought Florida from the Philadelphia prize court on September 20, 1862, changed her name to USS Hendrick Hudson and placed 4, later 5, guns on board. Union service Hendrick Hudson served in the East Gulf Blockading Squadron for the remainder of the war, capturing two schooners and sinking the blockade runner Wild Pigeon''. Two members of her crew received the Medal of Honor for their actions at the Battle of Natural Bridge. She was sold into commercial service in 1865, and sunk near Havana, Cuba in 1867. See also Blockade runners of the American Civil War Captured ships of the American Civil War Confederate Navy Union Navy References Bibliography Url1 Url2 Blockade runners of the Confederate States Navy Ships built in Brooklyn Ships captured by the United States Navy from the Confederate States Navy 1859 ships Blockade runners of the American Civil War