The Onondaga was the first double turreted monitor completed for the U.S. Navy. Commissioned in March, 1864, Onondaga served on the James River. During her service she had several engagements with the Confederate batteries at Howletts, Dutch Gap and Trent's Reach. In January of 1865, the Confederate James River Squadron attempted to pass the Union obstructions at Trent's Reach in order to attack Grant's supply base at City Point Va. Only one of the Confederate ironclads, the Fredricksburg succeded in passing the obstructions, and was withdrawn before dawn. The other two Rebel ironclads, the Richmond, and the Virginia II, grounded above the obstructions and endured several hours of bombardment by the Union shore batteries until the tide turned and they were able to retreat. At about this time, the Onondaga accompanied by the wooden sidewheelers Massassoit and Hunchback arrived on the scene. The Ononodaga fired several shots at the Confederate ironclads, two of which struck the Virginia II, doing considerable damage. The Onondaga's captain, Parker was court-martialed because of his slowness to respond to the Confederate attack. The Onondaga was sold back to the builder after the war who subsequently sold the monitor to France in 1867. She served the French until scrapped in 1903.

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