Civil War Shipwrecks

encyclopedia of CIVIL WAR SHIPWRECKS W. Craig Gaines encyclopedia of CIVIL WAR SHIPWRECKS encyclopedia of CIVIL WAR SHIPWRECKS W. Craig Gaines Louisiana State University Press Baton Rouge Published by Louisiana State University Press Copyright © 2008 by Louisiana State University Press All rights reserved Manufactured in the United States of America First printing Designer: Barbara Neely Bourgoyne Typeface: Goudy, display; Minion Pro, text Printer and binder: Maple-Vail Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Gaines, W. Craig, 1953– Encyclopedia of Civil War shipwrecks / W. Craig Gaines. p. cm. Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 978-0-8071-3274-6 (cloth : alk. paper) 1. United States—History—Civil War, 1861–1865—Naval operations—Encyclopedias. 2. United States—History—Civil War, 1861–1865—Antiquities—Encyclopedias. 3. Shipwrecks—United States—History— 19th century—Encyclopedias. I. Title. E591.G35 2008 973.7'5—dc22 2007019754 The paper in this book meets the guidelines for permanence and durability of the Committee on Production Guidelines for Book Longevity of the Council on Library Resources. ∞ This book is dedicated to my wonderful wife, Arla, who accompanied me to numerous libraries, Civil War battle sites, and museums during the writing of this work. I also dedicate this book to the memory of the soldiers, sailors, and civilians whose legacies live on within these pages. Contents Preface ix Maine 77 Abbreviations xiii Maryland 78 Massachusetts 79 Alabama 1 Mexico 80 Arkansas 8 Michigan 81 Atlantic Ocean 12 Minnesota 81 Azores 17 Mississippi 82 Bahamas 18 Mississippi River 89 Bering Sea 20 Missouri River and Tributaries 105 Bermuda 21 New Jersey 108 Big Sandy River 22 New York 109 Brazil 23 North Carolina 110 California 24 Ohio River 133 Canada 32 Oklahoma 137 Caribbean Waters 33 Oregon 138 Central America 34 Pacific Area 139 China 34 Pennsylvania 139 Connecticut 35 Rhode Island 140 East Indies 35 South Carolina 141 European Waters 36 Tennessee 158 Florida 37 Texas 165 Georgia 46 Virginia 173 Gulf of Mexico 52 Washington 194 Illinois 53 West Virginia 195 Indiana 53 Wisconsin 195 Indian Ocean 54 Shipwrecks of Unknown Location 196 Kentucky 54 Lake Erie 55 Bibliography 199 Lake Huron 56 Index of Shipwrecks 207 Lake Michigan 57 Lake Superior 57 Louisiana 57 Illustrations follow page 76 Preface I wanted to write this book on Civil War shipwrecks from Unknown Location” section near the end of the book have the time I was in the sixth grade. When I began, I thought no location given where they were lost in the information there would just be a few hundred shipwrecks, but I was I reviewed. wrong. This book covers more than two thousand Ameri- Otherwise, I divided the shipwrecks in this book into can or American Civil War period–related shipwrecks geographic location by state, country, or body of water, as between the years 1861 and 1865. It is likely that I failed to seemed most logical to me. Because rivers meander over find information on a few shipwrecks, but I feel confident the years and are often dividing lines for states, I often list that the vast majority of wrecks related to the Civil War shipwrecks in river sections, since it is sometimes unclear are included. For some shipwrecks I found very limited in which state a shipwreck occurred. I list vessels without information, while in the case of others there is much names, with unknown names, and with names I could not published and unpublished material. locate under “Vessels without Names”—by vessel type—at In this book shipwreck means a vessel sunk, scuttled, the end of each geographic section. burned, grounded, lost, capsized, missing, blown up, one In general location names at the time of the shipwreck that collided with another vessel or object and sank, or are used in the book. Many place names have changed one that was generally made unusable without salvage since the Civil War. Some towns have disappeared. Riv- and substantial repairs. Vessels temporarily grounded or ers have moved or meandered, often leaving shipwrecks beached have generally been excluded. For several vessels below dry land. The metropolis of New York is listed as it was difficult to decide whether or not they were ship- New York City, and well-known cities are often referenced wrecks. Some blockade-runners listed as sunk in Union or without their state (e.g., Boston without Mass.). Confederate records were actually grounded and quickly Vessels often had several names over their careers. refloated. Examples of vessels that experienced temporary Each vessel’s name when it was sunk or its most common groundings are the blockade-runners Annie and Ranger name is listed first, and its previous names or nicknames off Cape Fear, North Carolina, and the Havelock and Fla- are listed in parentheses. Some vessel names are pre–Civil mingo off Charleston, South Carolina. Rowboats, small War, and a few names were post–Civil War names, in boats, most ferries, and canoes are excluded because of cases in which the vessel was raised and refitted. Some their small size. Several very small sloops and schooners vessels served in both the Union and Confederate navies are included, as they were listed in the Union or Confed- or as commercial vessels on both sides. Blockade-runner erate official records. names were frequently changed to deceive Union spies, so The entries are formatted to get as much information in there is frequently some confusion regarding their names. as little space as possible. Each entry provides an overview A number of vessels had the same name. It is likely that of a shipwreck. There is a wealth of information on Civil several vessels are listed twice if they had different data as- War shipwrecks, with more becoming available all the sociated with different names. I have noted where I think time because of continuing cultural resources exploration. there may be multiple listings of the same vessel. Environmental and cultural resources laws have resulted At the start of each entry I have noted whether the ves- in a number of investigations that have discovered many sel was in Union or Confederate service or, if neither, what shipwrecks from the Civil War period in recent years. its nationality was (unless it is unknown). Vessels listed as I did my best to determine the site of each shipwreck “USS” served in the Union navy or United States Navy, from various sources, but some locations are vague or while those listed as “CSS” were part of the Confederate unknown. The vessels I have listed in the “Shipwrecks of navy. Vessels noted as “Union” were American vessels un- x | preface der Union control, while the label “Confederate” means started in 1864. Until about 1865 tonnage also used frac- the vessels were under Confederate control. Vessels noted tions of 95th tons. After 1865 tons were rounded up or as “U.S.” were ships privately owned by Americans in 1861 down to the whole ton. prior to the start of the war or in 1865 after the war’s end. Vessel modification also changed the tonnages assigned Many foreign vessels traded with the Union and the Confed- to some vessels as the length and beam increased or de- eracy, so some vessels are designated as “British,” “Spanish,” creased. Many vessels had several published tonnages over “French,” and so on. If the allegiance or nationality is unclear the course of their lives. Merchant vessels converted to from the sources, which is often the case with blockade- military vessels and then converted back to merchant ves- runners, I have indicated that the nationality is unknown. sels could have several different sets of tonnages based on Information in this encyclopedia came from a wide the tonnage system used and type of vessel modification. variety of sources. Not surprisingly, data are often con- Vessel armament also varied through time. The first flicting on dimensions and tonnage. Vessels were fre- armament listing is my best guess for the vessel at the time quently modified or rebuilt to include technical innova- of sinking, with armaments from other sources listed in tions, to increase cargo capacities, or to be repaired. Many parentheses. Crew size or complement was another vari- underwent dimension changes during conversion from able, depending on the vessel’s mission and modifications commercial vessels to warships or from warships to com- for combat or cargo. mercial vessels. The most reliable information, in the au- Salvage and excavation information is provided where thor’s opinion, is given first, with alternative information possible. Salvage boats and divers were widely available following in parentheses. during the Civil War but were used only when military se- Hull dimensions generally are linear center-line dis- curity could be provided. Some shipwrecks were salvaged tances from the stem to the main stern transom. The beam and returned to commerce at the close of the war. Many is the widest part of the hull. On stern-wheelers the ves- shipwrecks were removed after the war by the U.S. Army sel length could be extended considerably by the paddle Corps of Engineers as hazards to navigation when water- wheel diameter at the stern. For side-wheelers the beam borne commerce returned to the southern states. or width of the vessel could be extended because of the With the wide underwater access SCUBA has brought, supporting structures for the side-wheels. Depth is usu- many shipwrecks have been discovered and explored by ally defined as the vertical distance from the bottom of the divers, historians, treasure hunters, and archaeologists main deck floor to the bottom of the vessel amidships. since the 1960s. Magnetometers, remote sensing devices, Tonnage is given in the sources as displacement tons, and remote operated robot submarines have helped dis- British gross tons, registered tons, gross tons, net tons, cover many shipwrecks.

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