Confederate States Navy ~ A Brief History
The following interesting and
instructive article was prepared for the Times by Mr. John W. H.
Porter, of Portsmouth, Va., from memoranda left by John L.
Porter, Chief Constructor of the Confederate States Navy. The
article contains much valuable historical information, and will
doubtless be widely read. It gives a list of the vessels in
commission in the Confederate States Navy; tells where and when
most of them were built; what became of them, and gives brief
data about their movements and service:
Alabama
Alabama,
Wooden steam cruiser, eighty-nine guns, built at Liverpool in
1862, sailed from that port July 29th, 1862, and was sunk in
action with the United States ship Kearsarge off Cherbourg, June
19, 1864.
Atlanta
Atlanta,
Formerly the merchant steamer Fingall. Converted into an
iron-clad at Savannah and mounted four guns. Got aground in
Wassaw Sound June 17, 1863, and was captured by the Federals.
Albemarle
Albemarle, Iron-clad, two guns. Built on
the Roanake River in 1864, sunk by a Federal torpedo boat the
same year at Plymouth.
Appomattox
Appomattox,
Formerly the tug Empire. Bought at Norfolk in 1861 and mounted,
two guns. Dismantled and abandoned in 1862.
Archer, Merchant schooner
Archer,
Merchant schooner, captured by the Confederates off Long Island
June 24, 1863, converted into a cruiser, abandoned off Portland
June 27, and recaptured. Crew transferred to the Caleb Cushing.
Arctic
Arctic,
Iron-plated floating battery at Wilmington. Mounted three guns
and burned by the Confederates at the evacuation of that city,
1865.
Arkansas
Arkansas,
Iron-clad, ten guns. Launched at Memphis in 1862 and completed
on the Yazoo River, July 15, 1862. Her machinery became disabled
near Baton Rouge in August of that year, and she was set on fire
and abandoned by order of her commander.
Baltic
Baltic,
Iron-plated ram, three guns. Burned by the Confederates at the
fall of Mobile, in 1865.
Beaufor
Beaufort,
Iron hull tug-boat. Bought at New Berne in 1861, and armed with
one gun. Burned by the Confederates at Richmond in 1865.
Bienville
Bienville,
Side-wheel river steamer. Bought at New Orleans in 1861 and
mounted with six guns. Burned by Confederates on Lake
Pontchartrain in 1862.
Black Warrior
Black
Warrior, Merchant schooner, armed to assist in the defense of
Elizabeth City, February 10, 1862. Burned and deserted by her
crew during the fight.
Bombshell
Bombshell,
Formerly a Federal gun-boat. Sunk by Confederate batteries at
Plymouth, April 18, 1864, raised by the Confederates and
recaptured by the Federals in Albemarle Sound, May 5, 1864.
Caleb Cushing
Caleb
Cushing, United States revenue cutter, two guns. Captured by the
Confederate schooner Archer in Portland harbor, June 27, 1863,
and set on fire and abandoned to prevent recapture.
Calhoun
Calhoun,
Small side-wheel river steamer. Bought at New Orleans, 1861, and
burned by the Confederates after the fall of that city in 1862.
Carondelet
Carondelet,
Side-wheel river steamer. Bought at New Orleans in 1861 and
mounted with six guns. Burned on Lake Pontchartrain in 1862 to
prevent capture.
Columbia
Columbia,
Iron-clad, six guns. Built at Charleston, 1864. Caught on a
sunken wreck there and broken in two by the falling tide.
Caswell
Caswell,
Wooden side-wheel tender. Burned by the Confederates at the fall
of Wilmington, 1865.
Charleston
Charleston,
Iron-clad, six guns. Built in 1863 Charleston and destroyed by
the Confederates at the evacuation of that city in 1865.
Chattahoochie
Chattahoochie,
Wooden gun-boat, two guns. Burned by the Confederates on the
Chattahoochie River at the close of the war.
Chicora
Chicora,
Iron-clad. Built at Charleston and burned by the Confederates at
the evacuation of that city in 1865.
Chicamauga
Chicamauga,
Formerly the blockade-runner Edith, Bought at Wilmington in
1864, mounted with two guns and turned into a cruiser. She was
burned by the Confederates at Wilmington in 1865.
Clarence
Clarence,
Merchant brig captured by the Florida, May 6, 1863, and armed
with a 12-pounder boat-howitzer. She was burned by her commander
June 12, 1863, and her crew transferred to the Tacony.
Cotton, Side-wheel
Cotton,
Side-wheel river steamer. Bought at New Orleans in 1861 and made
into a gun-boat, Burned by her crew in 1864 to prevent capture.
Curlew, Side-wheel
Curlew,
Side-wheel river steamer. Bought at Norfolk, 1861, mounted with
two guns. Sunk in battle at Roanoke Island, February 7, 1862.
Drewry
Drewry,
Wooden tender, one gun. Built at Richmond. Disabled in action
with Federal batteries at Trent's Reach, January 24, 1865, and
abandoned.
Diana
Diana, Wooden
gun-boat, five guns. Captured from the Federals, March 23, 1863,
in Atchafalaya River and burned in Bayou Teche, April 12, 1863,
to prevent recapture.
Edwards
Edwards,
Wooden tug, bought at Norfolk, 1861, and mounted with one gun.
Her name was afterwards changed to the Forrest.
Ellis, Iron hull
Ellis, Iron
hull tug-boat. Bought at Norfolk in 1861 and mounted with one
gun. Captured by the Federals at the battle of Elizabeth City,
1862.
Equator
Equator,
Wooden tug-boat, one gun. Burned by Confederates at the fall of
Wilmington in 1865.
Fanny
Fanny, Iron
hull propeller, two guns. Captured from the Federals October 1,
1861 and set on fire by Confederates at the battle of Elizabeth
City, North Carolina, February 10, 1862.
Fire Fly
Fire Fly,
Wooden side-wheel river steamer. Used for a while at Savannah as
a tender and then permitted to go to wreck.
Florida
Florida,
Originally the merchant steamer Oreto. Bought in 1862 at
Liverpool by the Confederates and mounted with five guns. She
was boarded by the United States Ship Wachusett and captured in
the harbor of Bahai, Brazil, October 7, 1864, while her captain
and crew were ashore on liberty.
Forrest
Forrest,
Wooden tug-boat formerly the Edwards, bought at Norfolk in 1861
and mounted with two guns. She was disabled in battle at Roanoke
Island. February 7, 1862, and was burned on the ways at
Elizabeth City by the Confederates, February 10th.
Fredericksburg
Fredericksburg, Iron-clad, four guns. Built at Richmond, 1863,
and burned by the Confederates at the evacuation of that city,
April, 1865.
Gaines
Gaines,
Side-wheel merchant steamer, mounted six guns. Sunk in battle of
Mobile Bay, August 5, 1864.
Germantown
Germantown,
Sailing sloop of war, twenty-two guns. Seized by Confederates at
Gosport Navy Yard, 1861, and burned at the evacuation of
Norfolk.
Georgia
Georgia,
Iron-clad floating battery at Savannah. Destroyed by the
Confederates at the fall of that city, in December, 1864.
Georgia, Cruiser
Georgia,
Cruiser, originally the merchant steamer Japan. Bought at
Dumbarton in April, 1863, and mounted five guns. Sold at
Liverpool by the Confederate Government in 1864.
George Page
George Page,
Side-wheel river steamer, seized at Alexandria in 1861 and armed
with two guns. Her name was afterwards changed to the Richmond.
She was burned by the Confederates at Quantico in 1862.
Harriet Lane
Harriet Lane,
Captured from the Federals at Galveston, January I, 1863.
Mounted eight guns. Her name was changed to the Lavina and she
was converted into a blockade runner. She was in Havana harbor
at the close of the war.
Hampton
Hampton,
Wooden gun-boat, two guns. Built at Norfolk, 1862, and burned by
the Confederates at the evacuation of Richmond, April, 1865.
Huntress
Huntress,
Side-wheel tug, bought at Charleston in 1861, and mounted two
guns. She was later condemned and sold.
Huntsville
Huntsville,
Iron-clad, four guns; built at Mobile. She was burned by the
Confederates at the fall of that city in 1865.
Indian Chief
Indian Chief,
Receiving ship at Charleston. Burned at the evacuation of that
city in 1865.
Ivy, Side-wheel
Ivy, Side-wheel river steamer, bought at
New Orleans in 1861, and mounted two guns. She was burned by the
Confederates in Yazoo River in 1863 prevent capture.
Isendiga
Isendiga,
Wooden gun-boat, three guns. Burned by the Confederates at the
fall of Savannah, December, 1864.
Jackson, Tug-boat
Jackson,
Tug-boat, bought at Norfolk, 1861, and mounted two guns. She was
dismantled and sold in 1862.
Kate Bruce
Kate Bruce,
Wooden schooner, bought in 1861 to convert into a gun-boat, but
before completion she was sunk as an obstruction in the
Chattahoochie River.
Lady Davis
Lady Davis,
Iron tug, bought at Charleston, 1861, and mounted one gun. Her
machinery was put in the Palmetto State and the vessel sold.
Lapwing
Lapwing,
Merchant bark, captured by the Florida, March 20, 1863, armed
with two boat-howitzers and name changed to Oreto. She was set
on fire and burned by her crew June 20, 1863.
Livingston
Livingston,
Side-wheel river steamer, bought at New Orleans, 1861, and
mounted six guns. Burned by Confederates in Yazoo River in 1863.
Louisiana
Louisiana,
Iron-clad, built at New Orleans, 1862, and mounted ten guns. She
was set on fire by order of her commander and burned after the
fall of New Orleans in 1862.
McRae
McRea, Wooden
propeller, bought at New Orleans, 1861, and mounted six guns.
She was sunk by the Confederates after the fall of that city in
1862.
Macon
Macon, Wooden
propeller, ten guns, built at Savannah, taken to Augusta after
the fall of that city and held until the war ended.
Manassas
Manassas,
Iron-plated ram, built at New Orleans in 1861, mounted one gun;
sunk by order of her commander at the battle of New Orleans,
1862.
Manassas, Schooner
Manassas,
Schooner, formerly United States revenue-cutter; seized at New
Berne, 1861, and name changed to Manassas, She was dismantled
after a few months' service.
Maurepas
Maurepas,
Side-wheel river steamer, bought at New Orleans, 1861, and
mounted five guns; sunk by Confederates to obstruct White River
in 1862.
Missouri
Missouri,
Center wheel iron-clad, eight guns; built at Shreveport,
Louisiana, in 1864.
Mobile
Mobile,
Wooden tug, two guns; burned by Confederates in Yazoo River.
Morgan
Morgan,
Merchant steamer, bought at Mobile, 1861; mounted six guns. She
was destroyed by Confederates at the fall of that city in 1865.
Morning Light
Morning
Light, Steamer, twelve guns, captured from the Federals off
Sabine Pass, January 21, 1863.
Muscogee
Muscogee,
Centre-wheel iron-clad, eight guns; built at Columbus, Georgia,
and burned at the close of the war.
Nansemond
Nansemond,
Wooden gun-boat, two guns; built at Norfolk, 1862, and burned by
the Confederates at Richmond, 1865.
Nashville
Nashville,
Side-wheel merchant steamer, seized at Charleston in 1861, and
mounted eight guns; ran aground in Ogeeche River in 1864, and
was destroyed by shell from the blockading vessels.
Neuse
Neuse,
Iron-clad, two guns; built on the Neuse River, 1864, and burned
by the Confederates in 1865 approach of Sherman's army.
North Carolina
North
Carolina, Iron-clad, four guns; built at Wilmington, North
Carolina, 1863; sprung a leak and sunk in Cape Fear River in
September, 1864, at anchor.
Palmetto State
Palmetto
State, Iron-clad, four guns; built at Charleston, and burned by
the Confederates at the evacuation of that city, in 1865.
Pamlico
Pamlico,
Side-wheel river steamer; bought at New Orleans in 1861; burned
by Confederates on Lake Pontchartrain, 1862, to avoid capture.
Patrick Henry
Patrick
Henry, Side-wheel merchant steamer Yorktown; seized at Richmond,
1861; mounted ten guns; burned by Confederates at Richmond,
1865.
Plymouth, Sailing sloop
Plymouth,
Sailing sloop of war; seized by the Confederates at the Gosport
navy-yard, 1861; burned at the evacuation of Norfolk, 1862.
Polk
Polk,
Side-wheel river steamer, mounted seven guns; burned by
Confederates in Yazoo River in 1863, avoid capture.
Phoenix
Phoenix,
Iron-clad floating battery, at Mobile. Burned by the
Confederates at the fall of that city in 1865.
Pontchartrain
Pontchartrain, Side-wheel river steamer,
mounted seven guns. Burned by Confederates in 1863 on the
Arkansas River.
Queen of the West
Queen of the
West, Iron-protected ram. Captured from the Federals, February
14th, 1863, in Red River and sunk in battle in Atchafalaya River
in April, 1863.
Raleigh
Raleigh,
Iron-clad, four guns; built at Wilmington in 1864 and wrecked on
Wilmington bar, May 7, 1864.
Rappahannock
Rappahannock,
Side-wheel river steamer, formerly the Saint Nicholas. Captured
at Point Lookout, June 29, 1861, mounted one gun. Burned by the
Confederates at Fredericksburg, April, 1862.
Rappahannock, Cruiser
Rappahannock,
Cruiser, formerly the British gun-boat Victoria. Purchased at
London in 1863 taken to Calais, but on account of complications
with the French Government she never put to sea, and was finally
sold in 1864.
Resolute
Resolute,
Wooden gun-boat, one gun. Destroyed by Federal field battery at
the fall of Savannah in 1864.
Richmond
Richmond,
Iron-clad, four guns. Launched at Gosport Navy Yard in 1862 and
burned by Confederates at the evacuation of Richmond, April,
1865.
Roanoke
Roanoke, Iron tug, formerly the Raleigh.
Bought in Norfolk in 1861 and mounted one gun. Burned at
Richmond upon the evacuation of that city.
Savannah
Savannah,
Iron-clad, four guns. Built at Savannah and burned by the
Confederates at the evacuation of that city in December, 1864.
Sampson
Sampson,
Side-wheel river steamer, two guns. Taken by the Confederates to
Augusta upon the evacuation of Savannah, December, 1864.
Sea-Bird
Sea-Bird, Side- wheel river steamer.
Bought at Norfolk in 1861 and armed with two guns. Sunk in
battle at Elizabeth City, February loth, 1852.
Selma
Selma,
Side-wheel merchant steamer. Mounted, four guns. Captured by the
Federals at the battle of Mobile Bay, August 5th, 1864.
St. Mary
St. Mary, Side-wheel river steamer, two
guns. Burned on Yazoo River.
Stono
Stono, Gun-boat, seven guns, formerly
the Isaac Smith. Captured from the Federals in Stono River,
January 30th, 1863, and burned by the Confederates at the
evacuation of Charleston in 1865.
Spray
Spray,
Tug-boat, two guns. Sunk by the Confederates on St. Mary's
River.
Shenandoah
Shenandoah,
Cruiser, formerly the merchant steamer Sea King, six guns.
Delivered to English authorities at Liverpool after the close of
the war, November 6th, 1865.
Stonewall
Stonewall,
Sea-going iron-clad ram, three guns, formerly the Sphinx.
Purchased in Denmark in 1865 name changed to Stonewall. She was
acquired too late to be of service and was turned over to the
Spanish authorities at Havana after the war ended.
Sumter
Sumter,
Cruiser, formerly the merchant steamer Habana, Bought at New
Orleans in 1861 and mounted with five guns. Her machinery gave
out and she was sold at Charleston in 1862 by the Confederate
authorities.
Tacony
Tacony, Merchant bark, captured by the
Clarence June 12, 1863. Burned June 24th and crew transferred to
the Archer.
Tallahassee
Tallahassee, Cruiser, formerly the
blockade runner Atlanta. Bought at Wilmington and mounted two
guns. Name afterwards changed to Olivetree. Reconverted into a
blockade runner, the "Chameleon" and taken to England.
Talmico
Talmico, Side-wheel, two guns.
Accidentally sunk at Savannah in 1863.
Teaser
Teaser, Wooden tug, two guns, bought at
Richmond in 1861, and captured by the Federals in James River in
1862.
Tennessee
Tennessee,
Iron-clad, six guns. Built at Mobile and captured in battle of
Mobile Bay, August 5, 1864.
Thomas Jefferson
Thomas
Jefferson, Side-wheel merchant steamer, formerly the Jamestown.
Seized at Richmond in 1861 and mounted two guns. She was sunk by
the Confederates, May, 1862, at Drewry's Bluff to obstruct James
River.
Torpedo
Torpedo,
Wooden tug, two guns, burned by Confederates at Richmond.
Tuscaloosa
Tuscaloosa,
Iron-clad, four guns. Burned by Confederates at at the fall of
Mobile in 1865.
Tuscaloosa
Tuscaloosa, Formerly the bark Conrad.
Captured June 21, 1863, the Alabama and armed with four
boat-howitzers. She was seized by the English authorities at
Simon's Bay, South Africa, December, 1863, upon the charge of
violation of neutrality of the port. She was subsequently
released, but the Confederates never again claimed her.
Tuscaloosa
Tuscarora,
Side-wheel river steamer, two guns. Burned accidently at New
Orleans.
Virginia
Virginia,
Iron-clad, formerly the United States ship Merrimac, ten guns.
Seized by Confederates at Gosport Navy-yard, 1861, and converted
into an iron-clad. Burned by her captain at the evacuation of
Norfolk, in 1862.
Virginia Second, Iron-clad, four
guns. Built at Richmond in 1864 and burned by the Confederates
at the evacuation of that city in April, 1865.
Velocity
Velocity,
Gun-boat, two guns. Captured from the Federals at Sabine Pass,
January 21, 1863.
Uncle Ben, Tug-boat
Uncle Ben,
Tug-boat, seized at Wilmington in 1861, mounted one gun. Her
machinery was taken out and put in the North Carolina, and hull
sold.
United
States, Old wooden frigate in ordinary at Gosport Navy-yard.
Seized by Confederates in 1861, and used as a receiving ship.
She was called sometimes the Confederate States.
Water Witch,
Captured from the Federals in Ossabaw sound, June 3, 1864.
Burned at the fall of Savannah, December, 1864.
Webb, Wooden
ram on the Mississippi and Red Rivers. Burned by the
Confederates after the close of the war.
Winslow,
Side-wheel river steamer, formerly the J. E, Coffee, Bought at
Norfolk in 1861 and mounted one gun. Wrecked on a sunken hulk
outside of Hatteras, in 1861.
Yadkin,
Wooden gun-boat. Built at Wilmington and burned by the
Confederates at the fall of that city in 1865.
In addition
to the foregoing, there were the following which were used
temporarily as tenders and afterwards returned to their original
owners that did not carry permanent armament:
Superior,
Harmony and Kankakee near Norfolk, and the Schrapnel at
Richmond.
In the fall
of 1861 the citizens of New Orleans fitted up a number of river
boats as rams for local defense, and put them under command of
Captain J. Edward Montgomery. They were bravely fought and were
sunk in battle at Memphis and New Orleans. They were not
attached to the Confederate States Navy. They were the Warrior,
Stonewall Jackson, Resolute, Defiance, Breckenridge, Van Horn,
Price, Bragg, Lovell, Sumter, Beauregard, Jeff. Thompson. Little
Rebel, Governor Moore, Quitman, and possibly three or four
others.
There were in
the Confederate States Navy at Richmond three torpedo launches,
the Hornet, Scorpion and Wasp. The Wasp was destroyed by the
Federal batteries at Trent's Reach, in January, 1865, and the
others were burned by the Confederates at the evacuation of
Richmond, in April, 1865. There was also a torpedo launch at
Charleston, with which Lieutenant Glassell attacked the
Ironsides, and also the one with which Lieutenant Dixon, of the
21st Alabama Regiment, sunk the United States ship Housatonic.
AHGP
Data Carefully Compiled from the
Memoranda of John L. Porter, the Distinguished Chief Constructor
of the Confederate States Navy.
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