Mignonette, a side wheel steam tug, was built in one of the ports on the western rivers before the American Civil War; acquired by the War Department as Dauntless in 1861; and transferred to the Union Navy and placed in commission at Cairo, Illinois, 30 September 1862. Assigned to Rear Adm. David Dixon Porter’s Mississippi Squadron, Dauntless was renamed Mignonette 19 October 1862 and served as station tugboat at Cairo through 1865. On 23 February 1865, she was turned over to Commodore John W. Livingston, Commandant at the Mound City, Illinois, naval station for service. Mignonette remained at Mound City until sold to Brown & Jones 18 April 1873.

This article incorporates text from the public domain Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. The entries can be found USS Dauntless here and USS Mignonette here.