 "Iris" was built as "Willet Rowe" at Brooklyn, New York, in 1863 and was purchased by the Navy in New York City from C. W. Copeland 16 October of that year.She was outfitted as an armed tug and sailed from New York City 2 November to join the South Atlantic Blockading Squadron off Charleston, South Carolina, 6 November.She took station inside the bar at Charleston where she served faithfully during most of the remainder of the war.