Palmetto Navy: Ironclad Construction and the Naval Defense of Charleston During the Civil War
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Palmetto Navy: Ironclad Construction and the Naval Defense of Charleston During the Civil War by Charles Wexler A dissertation submitted to the Graduate Faculty of Auburn University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy Auburn, Alabama May 09, 2015 Keywords: history, civil war, Charleston, navy, industry, ironclads Copyright 2015 by Charles Wexler Approved by Kenneth Noe, Chair, Professor of History Angela Lakwete, Associate Professor of History Mark Sheftall, Associate Professor of History Randall Holmes, Professor of Mathematics and Statistics Abstract This dissertation traces the creation and operation of the Charleston Naval Squadron in the Civil War through a look at the different ships and construction strategies implemented within Charleston Harbor. Under the direction of Stephen Mallory, the Confederate Navy pursued armored warships to defend local ports. Charleston shipyards completed four ironclads and started two others. The Confederate Navy did not enjoy a monopoly on maritime procurement, however. Navy shipwrights, army engineers, South Carolina government officials, the Charleston Daily Courier, independent contractors, and private citizens all participated in the shipbuilding process. These different entities promoted differing designs and concepts that included shot-proof steamers, lightly armored torpedo boats, and the submersible Hunley. Confederate naval construction in Charleston ultimately suffered from two critical problems: a congested procurement pipeline and an increasing resource scarcity, particularly of iron plate. The return of Gen. Pierre G. T. Beauregard in September 1862 contributed towards both problems when he championed an army-designed torpedo boat at the expense of additional ironclads. Regardless of what local shipwrights produced the sailors of the Charleston Squadron provided the best hope for success against the South Atlantic Blockading Squadron. Regular training provided sailors experience handling any ship within the harbor and helped them succeed despite durability issues amongst the finished vessels. The Charleston Squadron overcame policy disagreements and procurement problems to ii successfully defend Charleston Harbor until the final months of the war. The final analysis posits the city needed both ironclads and torpedo boats so that the Charleston Squadron had the necessary tools to protect her home port but naval procurement should have been streamlined under the sole jurisdiction of the Confederate Navy and their local naval squadron. iii Acknowledgements In completing this dissertation I have received help and guidance from many individuals. The Auburn University History Department provided the material and financial support that allowed me to grow both as a person and a historian over the past seven years. Kenneth Noe deserves special recognition for the guidance he provided as my dissertation advisor. Without his advice and patience I would still be floundering on the initial drafts. Dissertation committee members Angela Lakwete, Mark Sheftall, and Randall Holmes imparted valuable suggestions that substantially strengthened the dissertation. I also want to personally thank those who fostered my love of history, including but certainly not limited to Greg Urwin and Richard Immerman at Temple University, Lee Drago at the College of Charleston, David Gleeson at Northumbria University, Jennifer Speelman at the Merchant Marine Academy, and Ralph Kingston at Auburn University. My friends also assisted at key points of the dissertation process. Will Lambert, Kate Jenkins, Nicholas Rummell, Ramon Jackson, and Jeremiah Stokes offered spare beds and couches while I conducted research. Laura J. Davis, Sean Seyer, Jake Clawson, and Jen Murray proved a good sounding board throughout the writing process. Ronan McDermott, Pat Lyons, John Shilanskas, Hesper & Hector Montford, Abby Sayers, Michael Johnson, Adrianne & Leo Bruce, and Josh Barronton provided welcome distractions and relief from the constant pressures of dissertation writing. iv I would lastly like to thank my family for all of the help and motivation they provided throughout my graduate studies. My brother Tom is the hardest worker that I know. His constant drive inspired me to keep writing and showed me that education and mentorship extended beyond the classroom environment. For my parents Ginny and David, there are no words that I can state to adequately express my love for you both and everything that you both have done for me. To everyone I might not have personally mentioned, thank you for the support on this journey from Pennsylvania to Alabama and beyond. The ironclad has finally left the shipyard. v Table of Contents Abstract ............................................................................................................................... ii Acknowledgements ............................................................................................................ iv List of Tables .................................................................................................................... vii List of Figures .................................................................................................................. viii Abbreviations .................................................................................................................... ix Introduction ..........................................................................................................................1 Chapter 1: Creating the Confederate Navy: Mallory and the Casemate Ironclad .............12 Chapter 2: Iron Fever: The 1862 Charleston Ladies Gunboat Fund and Naval Procurement in Charleston .....................................................................................40 Chapter 3: Competing Procurement Policies in Charleston Harbor ..................................81 Chapter 4: Building Charleston’s Ironclads .....................................................................117 Chapter 5: The Charleston Squadron in Action: Naval Operations in Charleston Harbor ..................................................................................................................156 Conclusion ......................................................................................................................193 Appendix ..........................................................................................................................202 Notes ................................................................................................................................207 Works Cited ...................................................................................................................229 vi List of Tables Table 2.1: Breakdown of Gunboat Contributors by Newspapers ......................................64 Table 2.2: Date of Gunboat Contributions Published ........................................................64 Table 2.3: Age of Known Gunboat Contributors...............................................................66 Table 2.4: Location of Gunboat Contributors ....................................................................66 Table 2.5: Birthplace of Gunboat Contributors .................................................................67 Table 2.6: Selected Occupation of Known Gunboat Contributors in the 1860 Census ....68 Table 2.7: Property Values of Known Gunboat Contributors .........................................69 Table 2.8: Personal Estate Values of Known Gunboat Contributors ...............................70 Table 2.9: Slave Owning Statistics of Known Gunboat Contributors .............................71 Table 2.10: Number of Slaves Owned by Known Gunboat Contributors .........................71 Table 4.1: Known Timber Arriving in Charleston for Confederate Naval Construction, 1862-1864 .....................................................................................131 Table 4.2: Total Workers on Marsh’s Shipyard Payrolls by Month, May-November 1862......................................................................................................................148 Table 4.3: Marsh’s Workforce, May-October 1862 .......................................................148 vii List of Figures Figure 1.1: Sketch of the CSS Columbia ...........................................................................25 Figure 1.2: Design of a 6.4” conical shell designed by John Brooke ...............................27 Figure 1.3: Sketch of part of a frame torpedo ...................................................................33 Figure 1.4: Plans of John Ericsson’s USS Monitor, 1862 ................................................36 Figure 2.1: 1864 Map of Charleston .................................................................................45 viii List of Abbreviations MOC Museum of the Confederacy, Richmond, Virginia NARA National Archives and Records Administration, Washington, District of Columbia ORA Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies ORN Official Records of the Union and Confederate Navies SCHS South Carolina Historical Society, Charleston, South Carolina SCDAH South Carolina Department of Archives and History, Columbia, South Carolina SCL South Caroliniana Library, University of South Carolina, Columbia, South Carolina SCRR South Carolina Railroad SHC Southern Historical Collection, University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill VHS Virginia Historical Society, Richmond, Virginia ix Introduction