 The second ship to be named "Meteor" by the Union Navy, "Tinclad No.44", an armored wooden side wheel gunboat, was built as "Scioto" at Cincinnati, Ohio, in 1863; acquired by the Navy there in late December 1863; renamed "Meteor" on the 21st; formally purchased from Washington Houshell 23 January 1864; and commissioned at New Orleans, Louisiana, 8 March 1864, Acting Master Meletiah Jordan in command.Assigned to the West Gulf Blockading Squadron, "Meteor" departed New Orleans 26 March 1864 to take up station as guard vessel between Head of Passes and Pass a l’Outre on the Mississippi River, continuing on this duty in addition to providing support for ground troops in skirmishes at the mouth of the Red River and operating off Port Hudson, Louisiana, until 10 February 1865 when she sailed for Mobile Bay.