| It seems I'm on a "ship kick" (see STKCSC::HISTORY Historical Ships
and the TRIVIA file)--here is a list of all the Rebel ironclads I've
read about (to date).
If you know of any more of 'em. please feel free to enter the data.
Don
The Confederate Ironclads
CSS Albermarle -Built in the winter of 1863-64 on the shores of the Roanoke
River, North Carolina, and was commisioned on April 17.
Near Plymouth, on the 19th, the ironclad attacked two Federal
armed side-wheel steamers, ramming the CSS Smithfield (which
sank) and survived the guns of the steamer Miami and other
Confederate vessels. Plymouth, under attack by CSA forces,
surrendered.
On May 5, nine Union ships waited to attack the approaching
ironclad. During the battle, the bronze-beaked side-wheeler
USS Sassacus rammed the Albermarle, doing little damage except
to herself; the Albermarle withdrew.
On the night of October 27-28, a volunteer crew in a Federal
steam launch exploded a spar torpedo close enough to breach
the hull; the Albemarle sank. It was raised by the Union in
April of 1865, too late to use her against the Confederacy.
Condemmed as a prize of war, she was sold to the U.S. Navy and
later sold by the navy in 1867.
CSS Arkansas -Covered with railroad iron and boiler plate, on July 12, 1862
was sent to run past the Union Fleet on the Mississippi. In
the Yazoo River she attacked the ironclad Carondelet and the
steam rams Tyler and Queen of the West. Driving the ironclad
ashore, she chased the pair into the Mississippi and on down
to Vicksburg, where she fired 80+ shots into the USS Lancaster
and endured the shots & shells of the entire Union fleet.
Losing 12 men (w/18 wounded) to minie balls and shrapnel, she
arrived at Vicksburg, where that night suffered a 160-lb bolt
into her engine room, killing 8 more and wounding 11. 10 days
later she was unsuccessfully attacked by the ironclad Essex and
the steam ram Queen of the West.
On the way to Baton Rouge to support an army attack there, her
starboard engine gave out. Attacked by the USS Essex, she was
destroyed by her crew to avoid capture. The Rebels, without the
aid of the powerful ironclad, were forced out of the city.
CSS Atlanta -An ironclad ram, she was the rebuilt blockade runner Fingal
(Spring of 1862), and carried a spar torpedo. Sent to attack the
Federal fleet blockading the coast off Savannah, she engaged the
Union ironclads Weehawken and Nahant on June 17, 1863. Entering
an area of shallow water, she was unable to avoid the Weekawken,
who fired two shots close in which did much damage, including
blowing a hole at the waterline. Trapped by the two Federal
vessels and taking on water, the CSS Atlanta surrendered. Later
repaired by the Union, she became the USS Atlanta and in 1864
joined the North Atlantic Blockading Squadron.
CSS Charleston -Blown up to avoid capture in February of 1865.
CSS Chicora -Second casemated ironclad, 1862. At Charleston (with the Palmetto
State) she fired at a schooner and then the wooden sidewheeler
Keystone State, which burst into flames. (Also damaged and taken
in the action was the gunboat Mercedita.) The remaining Federal
ships warily kept their distance.
At the unsuccessful Union attack on Fort Sumter on April 7, 1863,
she and the Palmetto State were held in reserve in the event the
Federals had made it past the fort. No Federal ships did.
In February of 1865 the Chicora was blown up to avoid capture.
CSS Fredericksburg -On January 23, 1865, the James River Squadron, consisting
of the ironclads Fredericksburg, Richmond, Virginia No. 2,
the wooden gunboats Beaufort, Drewry, Hampton, Nansemond,
three small torpedo launches, and the converted tug Torpedo
started down the river towards City Point on the James. The
ships began running aground in the shallow river; the
Richmond and the Drewry grounded first, then the Torpedo.
At midnight the Virginia No. 2 got stuck on a shoal at
Trent's Reach; the Fredericksburg was the only ship to
successfully navigate the Federal river obstructions but was
ordered to pull back and cover the grounded Richmond and
two other ships. The Confederates brought in a powerful
Drummond light and began to fire at the stranded vessels. A
shell hit the Drewry's magazine and it blew up; the fire was
then directed at the Virginia No. 2 and the others ships in
range. Then the double-turreted monitor Onondaga arrived
and added her 15-inch guns to the opposition. Five hours
later the tidal river rose, the last grounded ship floated
free (the Virginia), and the battered survivors retreated
upstream.
Near Richmond, on April 3, 1865, she exploded after being
set afire to avoid capture.
CSS Louisiana -In April of 1862, this unfinished ironclad was towed into place
as mechanics worked on her to fight in the Battle of Mobile Bay.
Although unfinished, she survived the battle and escaped to
Fort Jackson, where she was set afire and blown up to avoid
capture.
CSS Manassas -An ironclad ram, formally the New England icebreaker Enoch Train;
the first Confederate ironclad to see action when she drove a hole
in the hull of the USS Richmond on October 12, 1861, commiting the
first act of war ever struck by an ironclad ram. She then ran the
Richmond and another wooden ship (the Vincennes) aground; an early
victory for the Confederate Navy.
On April 24, 1862, she rammed and sunk the USS Varuna near New
Orleans.
In 1864 she participated in the Battle of Mobile Bay, one of the
first to engage; riddled by shells from two Union gunboats, her
crew escaped into the swamp and the Manassas slipped to the
bottom of the river.
CSS Milledgeville -Ironclad blown up to avoid capture near the end of the war.
CSS Mississippi -Unfinished when the Federal fleet arrived at New Orleans on
April 25, 1862, she was torched and set adrift so she wouldn't
fall into Union hands.
CSS Missouri -Completed late 1863, this ironclad plied the hazardous Red River
with seven gunboats and twelve other ironclads.
The Missouri was the last Confederate ironclad to surrender to
Union forces in home waters, at Shreveport, Louisianna, June 3,
1865.
CSS Morgan -an ironclad?
CSS Nashville -Built in England, this 271' ironclad sidewheeler sailed on
February 3, 1862, as the USS Tuscarora watched helplessly, held
in port by the British until the Nashville was well on her way.
Participating in the defense of Mobile, she saw action near the
end of the war in a battle near Spanish Fort and Fort Blakely,
when the Union captured the city on April 12, 1865.
The Nashville and the other surviving Rebel vessels were
surrendered on May 4.
CSS Neuse -Built on the Neuse River, the unblooded ironclad was captured and
destroyed by Union forces in 1864.
CSS Palmetto State -First casemated ironclad, 1862. At Charleston (with the
CSS Chicora) she rammed the USS Mercedita and fired her bow
gun into the Federal's boiler--without power, the Mercedita
surrendered. After the Chicora attacked two other Union
vessels, the remaining Federal ships warily kept their
distance.
At the unsuccessful Union attack on Fort Sumter on April 7,
1863, she and the CSS Chicora were held in reserve in the
event the Federals had made it past the fort. No Federal
ships did.
In February of 1865 the Palmetto State was blown up to avoid
capture.
CSS Richmond -Completed in July of 1862, she was with the James River Squadron
moving on City Point on the James River in January of 1865. (The
fleet consisted of the ironclads Fredericksburg, Virginia No. 2,
Richmond, four wooden gunboats, three torpedo launches, and a
converted tug.) The Richmond ran aground at 8:30 PM on the 23rd
and came under fire by Federal shore batteries before dawn the
next day, and later was attacked by the monitor USS Onondaga.
Practically undamaged, she soon floated free as the tidal river
rose and she retreated upriver.
On April 3, 1865, near Richmond, she exploded after being set
afire to avoid capture.
CSS Stonewall -Originally the French-backed, British-built Sphinx, it was seized
and sold to Denmark, but the Confederates arranged for the Sphinx
(now the "Staer Kodder") to be purposely mishandled to fail her
Danish sea-trials so the French-registered ironclad could be sold
to the Confederacy. (Actually, the ironclad *was* poorly built,
so failing her trials wasn't too difficult.) Manned by the
ex-crew of the commerce raider Florida and the newly-built
Rappahanock (seized in port by the British), the CSS Stonewall
Jackson a severe storm on January 29-30, 1865, and limped into
El Ferrol, Spain for repairs.
On February 11 the Union frigate Niagara arrived in port, soon
joined by the USS Sacremento. On March 24, the Stonewall's spars
were removed and that night she left port to do battle, but the
two Federal ships, intimidated by the fierce-looking ironclad,
remained at anchor. Not wanting to cross the Atlantic without
sails, she ran down to Lisbon, where the Port authorities gave
them 24 hours to leave. The two Federals followed her into port.
The Stonewall, with new spars, left port the next day under sail;
the Union ships were detained for 24 hours (under International
Law).
Unaware of the war situation, the CSS Stonewall entered Havana,
Cuba on May 11 (the day after President Davis was captured).
Warships of the Federal Navy followed her in. (With the Union
fleet were the ironclad monitors Canonicus and Monadnock, towed
from Cape Fear to Havana, the first instance of monitors leaving
their sheltered home waters).
Captain Dale turned the Stonewall over to the Spanish authorities
for a mere $16,000 (to cover the crew's payroll). Two months
later the Spanish Government ceded the vessel to the U.S. (the
only claimant). It was then sold to Japan, where it became the
Kotetsukan, Adzumakan, and finally the Adzuma, the first ironclad
in the Japanese Imperial Fleet.
CSS Tennessee -(Not to be confused with the later wooden CSS Tennessee.) One
of the most powerful ironclad rams in the Confederate Navy, with
6" armor. She took on the entire Union fleet at the Battle of
Mobile Bay in 1864. The Union wooden ships Monongahela and
Lackawanna rammed her, damaging the ironclad. The USS Hartford
fired a broadside, which bounced off. The rest of the fleet
followed suit, including the four Union monitors Tecumseh,
Manhattan, Winnebago, and Chickasaw (which fired more than 50
solid shots into the Tennessee). Rudder chains shot away, the
battered, out-of-control ironclad surrendered.
CSS Texas -An unfinished ironclad ram, captured by Federal forces when Richmond
fell.
CSS Virginia -The rebuilt Merrimack, a steam frigate captured from the Union
at the onset of the Civil War, was the CSA's first ironclad ram.
She was armed with six 9-inch smoothbore Dahlgren's and four 6- &
7-inch rifled cannon.
Completed February 17, 1862, she saw her first combat on March 8.
The Virginia entered Hampton Roads, VA, and fired a shell into
the USS Cumberland, then slowly rammed her while the Cumberland
fired back, damaging two of Virginia's guns. 3200 tons of force
embedded the 1500 lb. ram in the Cumberland's side, and stayed
there as the Virginia reversed propeller. As the Cumberland sank
to her masts, the ironclad went after the stranded USS Congress,
which had ran aground fleeing from the Virginia. Unable to
ram the Congress in the shallow water, the Virginia stood off
and, along with her two wooden escorts, pounded the Congress
until she ran up the white flag. Unfortunately, Rebel shore
batteries opened up on the Virginia, so Captain Buchanan
recalled the boarding party and began firing heated shot into
the stricken Congress.
Night was coming on and the tide was falling, so the Virginia
fired a few last shots into the now-grounded USS Minnesota and
retreated by the light of the blazing Congress. (Shortly after
midnight the fires reached the ship's magazines; the Congress
exploded with a tremendous roar.) In the battle there were 300
Federal casualties; the Confederate killed or wounded numbered
only 31.
Repaired and improved, the Virginia returned to Hampton Roads on
April 11, where the newly-arrived ironclad Monitor, aware of her
shortcomings, stayed under the protection of the Federal shore
batteries. The Virginia took three wooden Union vessels while the
Federals looked on, taunted by three upside-down American flags.
Unable to lighten her draft and escape up the James River as the
Federals marched on Norfolk, the Confederates ran her aground at
Craney Island and set her afire at 3 AM on May 11; three hours
later the Virginia blew up when the fires reached her magazines.
Virginia No. 2 -This ironclad was with the James River Squadron moving on City
Point on the James River in January of 1865. (The squadron
consisted of the ironclads Fredericksburg, Virginia No. 2,
Richmond, four wooden gunboats, three torpedo launches, and a
converted tug.) Stuck on a shoal at Trent's Reach at midnight
of the 23rd, she was attacked by Federal shore batteries and
later by the monitor USS Onondaga (after the gunboat Drewry blew
up). Damaged, the Virginia finally floated free at 10:30 the
next morning as the river rose and the severely mauled fleet
retreated upriver.
On April 3, 1865, near Richmond, she exploded after being set
afire to avoid capture.
CSS Wilmington -Ironclad blown up to avoid capture near the end of the war.
No. 61 -("Santa Maria" to the Confederates, "Lt. North's ironclad", after
construction supervisor Commander James H. North, to the Union) Built
in Glasgow, Scotland, it was 270' long. Begun in 1862, pressure from
the British Goverment caused North to transfer the title to her builders
and it was sold to Denmark. Historians felt the powerful, heavily
armored, double-turreted ironclad might have made a difference in the
outcome of the war if she had been let loose on Northern ports and
shipping. Instead, it became the "Danmark".
|
|
Some of these are a bit rough around the edges, as groups of them
fought in the same engagements, so some of the entries sound
repetitious. I'll fix 'em, but since this note began talking about
the ironclads in more detail I though it best not to wait.
Again. if you have any additions, please add 'em.
Don
The Federal Ironclads
USS Albatross -Escorted the USS Hartford (Admiral D.G. Farragut's flagship)
down the Mississippi to Vicksburg in March of 1863, and
there attacked shore batteries at Warrenton on the 23rd.
On the 31st, she and two wooden ships successfully passed
Confederate shore batteries at Grand Gulf, Mississippi. Also
during the Vicksburg Campaign, on May 4, she and several wooden
vessels attacked Fort De Russy, on Louisianna's Red River; the
only effect was damage to the Albatross. (The Union built dams
on the hazardous river to safely float their vessels.)
USS Baron de Kalb -Formerly the USS St. Louis, this ironclad was blown up by a
Confederate torpedo near Yazoo City, July 13, 1863. (See
the "USS St. Louis" entry.)
USS Benson -With the ironclads Carondelet, Cincinnati, Mound City, and three
other ironclads, she participated in the first American fleet
engagement while attacking Fort Pillow on May 10, 1862.
USS Cairo -This ironclad struck two homemade Confederate mines moored in the
Yazoo River, sinking in 12 minutes, becoming the first ship of war
sunk by an underwater mine, December 12, 1862. Raising of the
vessel began in 1960.
USS Camanche -Shipped dismantled on the Aquila to San Francisco to attack
Confederate shipping, but the still-loaded Aquila sank in San
Francisco harbor in November of 1863. Salvaged by a wrecking
crew, the parts were cleaned and assembled and the Camanche was
officially launched on November 14, 1864, but wasn't commisioned
until May 24, 1865 after the war was over. It remained in service
until 1899. It has been said the Camanche is the only ship that
ever sank *before* being launched.
USS Canonicus -She and the ironclads Mahopac, Monadnock, New Ironsides, and
Saugus were with the Federal fleet during the attack on Fort
Fisher, at Cape Fear (near Wilmington) on January 15, 1865.
None of the ironclads suffered any damage.
She and another ironclad monitor (the USS Monadnock) were towed
from Cape Fear to Havana, Cuba in mid-May of 1865, where the
Union fleet bottled up the CSS Stonewall Jackson, whose captain
turned the Confederate ironclad over to the Spanish authorities.
It was the first instance of monitors leaving their sheltered
home waters.
USS Carondelet -With the ironclads Cincinnati, Essex, and St. Louis, she
attacked and captured Fort Henry on the Tennessee River on
February 6, 1862. Next, they and the ironclad Louisville
attacked Fort Donelson on February 14--all were damaged and
the attack repulsed. On the first of March the Confederates
attempted to retreat, but were stopped and the fort fell.
With the ironclad USS Pittsburgh, she participated in the
taking of Island #10 at New Madrid, Missouri, April 7, 1862.
Later, with the ironclads Benson, Cincinnati, Mound City, and
three other ironclads, she participated in the first American
fleet engagement while attacking Fort Pillow on May 10, 1862.
On July 12, 1862 she was run aground in the Yazoo River by the
powerful Confederate ironclad Arkansas.
USS Chickasaw -With the Federal fleet at the Battle of Mobile Bay in 1864, she
and the three other monitors present (Manhattan, Tecumseh, and
Winnebago) helped defend the fleet against the attacking
ironclad CSS Tennessee. The Chickasaw fired more than fifty
solid shots into the Confederate; rudder chains shot away,
the battered, out-of-control Tennessee surrendered.
USS Cincinnati -With the ironclads Carondelet, Essex, and St. Louis, she
attacked and captured Fort Henry on the Tennessee River on
February 6, 1862. Hit by shore batteries, she sustained no
damage. Next, the group (plus the ironclad Louisville)
attacked Fort Donelson on February 14--all were damaged and
the attack repulsed. On the first of March the Confederates
attempted to retreat, but were stopped and the fort fell.
Later, with the ironclads Benson, Carondelet, Mound City, and
three other ironclads, she participated in the first American
fleet engagement while attacking Fort Pillow on May 10, 1862.
Eight gunboats attack the Federal ironclads, sinking the
Cincinnati and the Mound City.
[After the loss of the Cincinatti, a wooden vessel of the same
name was destroyed by shore batteries at Fort Hill on the
Mississippi on May 27, 1863.]
USS Dictator -An over-sized monitor which saw little action during the war.
USS Eastport -The largest and most powerful ironclad in Admiral Porter's Red
River fleet, consisting of thirteen ironclads and seven gunboats;
on March 10, 1864, the Red River Campaign opens as the fleet moves
downriver, having trouble navigating the rapids and the shallow
water.
On the way to Alexandria with a force of wooden ships, the
Eastport struck a torpedo and sank on April 15. A Confederate
shell strikes the boiler of the wooden Champion No. 3, killing
almost 200 Negroes removed from the plantations.
Raised on the 21st, the Eastport again moved down the river, but
ran aground several times as the river fell; finally, on April 26,
she was blown up to avoid capture.
[On May 13, the last of the fleet passed Union-built dams and
headed for the Mississippi River, a notable recovery from what
had otherwise been a humiliating and disasterous failure for the
North; in two months the Army and Navy casualties were more than
5000.]
USS Essex -(formally New Era) With the ironclads Carondelet, Cincinnati, and
St. Louis, she attacked and captured Fort Henry on the Tennessee
River on February 6, 1862; the Essex was damaged by the fort's
rifled gunfire, went out of control, and drifted downstream. Next,
on February 14, the four ironclads (plus the ironclad Louisville)
attacked Fort Donelson on February 14--all were damaged and the
attack repulsed. On the first of March the Confederates attempted
to retreat, but were stopped and the fort fell.
On July 22, 1862, the Essex and the steam ram Queen of the West
unsuccessfully attacked the CSS Arkansas. Pursueing the Arkansas
(bound for Baton Rouge to support an army attack there), the Essex
caught up with her when the ironclad's starboard engine gave out.
Under sustained attack, the Confederates destroyed the Arkansas to
avoid capture.
USS Galena -This armored warship was hit 28 times (18 perforations) by Rebel
shore batteries during an attack on Fort Darling (Drewry's Bluff),
near Richmond, on May 15, 1862, before running out of ammunition
and withdrawing; her obvious vulnerability ended her career as an
ironclad. (Accompanying the Galena were the ironclads Monitor and
Naugatuck.)
USS Indianola -A badly built, inefficient ironclad gunboat built in late 1863
or early 1864. On February 12 she made a successful run past
Confederate shore batteries at Vicksburg, taking up a position
at the juncture of the Red and Mississippi Rivers on the 17th to
harrass Southern vessels heading upriver to Vicksburg.
On February 24 or 25, in the Red River, she engaged the captured
(ex-Union) steam ram Queen of the West and the fast Confederate
ram William H. Webb. Rammed by both ships, the sinking ironclad
was run onto the shore and surrendered. Later, the Rebels tried
to salvage her, but a dummy wooden ironclad built by Admiral
Porter's men and floated down the river fooled them into blowing
up the Indianola to avoid recapture--this great wooden hoax
infuriated Southerners.
[Captured and repaired by the Confederates, her name unchanged,
the Queen of the West was blown up by Union gunboats at Grand
Lake, Louisianna, on April 14, 1863. The William H. Webb was
later trapped by the USS Richmond at the mouth of the Mississipi
on April 26, 1865, and was burned by the Confederates to avoid
capture.]
USS Keokuk -A round-backed armored "turtle" riddled by Confederate shot at
Charleston on April 7, 1863 before she could fire three shots, 19
of the 90 shots which hit the Keokuk penetrated at or below the
waterline; the double-turreted ironclad sank the following morning.
That night, Confederate defenders of Charleston removed the turret
underwater and salvaged the guns for use in the defense of the city.
USS Louisville -With the ironclads Carondelet, Cincinnati, Essex, and St. Louis,
she attacked Fort Donelson on February 14--all were damaged and
the attack repulsed. On the first of March the Confederates
attempted to retreat, but were stopped and the fort fell.
USS Mahopac -She and the ironclads Canonicus, Monadnock, New Ironsides, and
Saugus were with the Federal fleet during the attack on Fort
Fisher, at Cape Fear (near Wilmington) on January 15, 1865. None
of the ironclads were damaged.
USS Manhattan -With the Federal fleet at the Battle of Mobile Bay in 1864, she
and the three other monitors present (Chickasaw, Tecumseh, and
Winnebago) defended the fleet against the attacking Confederate
ironclad Tennessee, which surrendered after being badly damaged.
USS Miantonomoh -The first ironclad monitor to cross the Atlantic, visiting
England and Russia, 1866.
USS Monadnock -She and the ironclads Canonicus, Mahopac, New Ironsides, and
Saugus were with the Federal fleet during the attack on Fort
Fisher, at Cape Fear (near Wilmington) on January 15, 1865.
None of the ironclads suffered any damage.
The Monadnock and the Canonicus were towed from Cape Fear to
Havana, Cuba in mid-May of 1865, where the Union fleet bottled up
the CSS Stonewall Jackson, whose captain turned the Confederate
ironclad over to the Spanish authorities. It was the first
instance of monitors leaving their sheltered home waters.
The Monadnock was the first ironclad which sailed to San
Francisco 'round Cape Horn, 1865-66.
USS Monitor -The United States' first true ironclad, designed by Swedish-born
John Ericsson and launched at Greenpoint, Long Island, January
30th, 1862.
Towed by the tugboat Seth Low from New York through rough seas, the
Union ironclad arrived at Hampton Roads on April 11, 1862, while
the USS Congress was still burning. In the morning, the CSA
ironclad Virginia was seen coming from Sewell's Point. After
firing a shot at the USS Minnesota, the Virginia spotted the
Monitor just before it fired a solid 170-lb. shot, cracking the
Confederate's armor. The Monitor's second 11-inch Blakely rifle
fired, with the same result. The ironclads circled and traded
shots--no serious damage. The Monitor then tried to ram the
Virginia, but missed. The Virginia ran aground; while she
struggled to free herself from the mud she fired and hit the
Minnesota and the Federal tug Dragon. Free, she then rammed the
Monitor, but without her ram all it succeeded in doing was to
re-open its own damaged hull, allowing water to poor in. While the
Virginia made emergency repairs, the Monitor sought refuge in
shallow water and reloaded her turret. Returning to the battle,
the Virginia concentrated her fire at the Monitor's turret--a
direct hit temporarily blinded Captain Harper and the Monitor
drifted back into shallow water. By the time the second-in-command
took over, the Virginia had turned away; the tide was falling, and
the deep-draft ironclad had to return to port while there was
enough water in the channel to keep her afloat.
The first battle between ironclads was a draw, although the Monitor
declined to engage when the repaired Virginia returned for another
round.
On a morale-boosting visit, President Lincoln visited the Monitor
on May 7 and meets with military officials.
On May 15, the Monitor, the Galena, the Naugatuck, and two wooden
ships attacked the Confederate Battery at Drewry's Bluff (Fort
Darling to the Union), resulting in a very poor showing; the
Monitor couldn't elevate her guns to fire on the fort, the
Naugatuck's single cannon blew up, and the Galena was perforated
so many times she was converted into an ordinary wooden gunboat.
Later that year, the low-riding Monitor was lost on December 31,
1862, when she foundered while under tow in a severe winter storm
off Cape Hatteras. The USS Rhode Island rescued 47; 16 die in
the deadly water.
USS Montauk -Sent to attack Fort McAllister on the Ogeechee River (near
Savannah, Ga.) in 1863, she spent most of the 27 of January
bombarding the fort; on February 28 she destroyed the well-known
Confederate commerce raider Nashville, also on the Ogeechee.
(The Montauk was captained by Commander J. L. Worden, late of the
lost USS Monitor.)
With the ironclads Keokuk and New Ironsides, the Weehawken and
seven other monitors, the Montauk advanced on Fort Sumter on April
7, 1863. Shore batteries at Sumter and Fort Moultrie damaged the
monitors Montauk, Nantucket, Passaic, Patapsco, and Weehawken, and
the ironclad Keokuk, which sank the next day. Unable to seriously
damage the fort, the little fleet withdrew.
For its final noteriety, the Montauk was used for the autopsy of
John Wilkes Booth while she was anchored in the Washington Navy
Yard.
USS Mound City - With the ironclads Benson, Carondelet, Cincinnati, and three
other ironclads, she participated in the first American fleet
engagement while attacking Fort Pillow on May 10, 1862. Eight
gunboats attack the Federal ironclads, sinking the Mound City
and the Cincinnati.
(There was also a Federal steamer named Mound City, damaged
when her boiler exploded under Confederate battery fire at St.
Charles, Arkansas, on June 17, 1862.)
USS Nahant -With the Union fleet off the coast of Savannah on June 17, 1863,
she was outdistanced by the ironclad USS Weehawken when the pair
moved to meet the attacking CSS Atlanta; her contribution was to
help trap the sinking Confederate in shallow water until the
ironclad surrendered.
USS Naugatuck -(AKA the "Stevens Battery") An armored vessel carrying one
long-distance 100-lb. Parrot gun; she was put out of action
during an attack on Fort Darling (near Richmond) when the gun
exploded, hurling part of its massive breech into the James
River. (With the Naugatuck were the ironclads Monitor and
Galena; the Galena sustained serious damage.)
USS Nantucket -With the ironclads Keokuk and New Ironsides, the Weehawken and
seven other monitors, the Nantucket advanced on Fort Sumter on
April 7, 1863. Shore batteries at Sumter and Fort Moultrie
damaged the monitors Montauk, Nantucket, Passaic, Patapsco, and
Weehawken, and the ironclad Keokuk, which sank the next day.
Unable to seriously damage the fort, the little fleet withdrew.
USS New Ironsides -Built in Philadelphia, this double-turreted armored ironclad
saw more action than any other Union ship, and served as the
flagship of Admiral Samuel F. Du Pont.
With the ironclad Keokuk, the Weehawken and eight other
monitors, she advanced on Fort Sumter on April 7, 1863, but,
due to her deep draft, could not move close to the fort;
unable to seriously damage Fort Sumter the little fleet
withdrew. Shore batteries at Sumter and Fort Moultrie
damaged the monitors Montauk, Nantucket, Passaic, Patapsco,
and Weehawken, and the ironclad Keokuk, which sunk the next
day.
At Charleston, on August 21, 1863, a Confederate steam
torpedo boat seriously damaged the ironclad but failed to
sink her.
She and the ironclads Canonicus, Mahopac, Monadnock, and
Saugus were with the Federal fleet during the attack on Fort
Fisher, at Cape Fear (near Wilmington) on January 15, 1865.
None of the ironclads were damaged.
The New Ironsides survived the war, but was destroyed in an
accidental fire in December of 1866.
USS Onondaga -A double-turreted ironclad monitor, she attacked a Confederate
force moving on City Point on the James River on January 24, 1865.
The three Federal ironclads and their eight wooden escorts
retreated, most of them were severely damaged.
USS Passaic -The second Federal single-turreted monitor, first of the "Passaic"
Class. With the ironclads Keokuk and New Ironsides, the Weehawken
and seven other monitors, the Passaic advanced on Fort Sumter on
April 7, 1863. Shore batteries at Sumter and Fort Moultrie damaged
the monitors Montauk, Nantucket, Passaic, Patapsco, and Weehawken,
and the ironclad Keokuk, which sank the next day. Unable to
seriously damage the fort, the little fleet withdrew.
USS Patapsco -The second Federal single-turreted monitor, first of the "Passaic"
Class. With the ironclads Keokuk and New Ironsides, the Weehawken
and seven other monitors, the Passaic advanced on Fort Sumter on
April 7, 1863. Shore batteries at Sumter and Fort Moultrie
damaged the monitors Montauk, Nantucket, Passaic, Patapsco, and
Weehawken, and the ironclad Keokuk, which sank the next day.
Unable to seriously damage the fort, the little fleet withdrew.
USS Pittsburgh -With the ironclad USS Carondelet, she participated in the
taking of Island #10 at New Madrid, Missouri, April 7, 1862.
USS Puritan -A large ironclad monitor (similar to the USS Dictator) which never
made it into the war.
USS Roanoke -An ironclad frigate, larger than the old Merrimack; its armor and
triple turrets made her badly unbalanced and was considered unsafe.
USS Rodolph -An ironclad supporting General Canby's expedition against Blakely,
Alabama (near Mobile); on April 1, 1865 she struck a torpedo in
the Blakely River and sank.
USS Saugus -She and the ironclads Canonicus, Mahopac, Monadnock, and New
Ironsides were with the Federal fleet during the attack on Fort
Fisher, at Cape Fear (near Wilmington) on January 15, 1865. None
of the ironclads suffered any damage.
USS St. Louis -Later renamed Baron de Kalb, she and the ironclads Carondelet,
Cincinnati, and Essex attacked and captured Fort Henry on the
Tennessee River in February of 1862. Next, along with the
ironclad Louisville, the group attacked Fort Donelson on February
14--all the ironclads were damaged and the attack repulsed. On
the first of March the Confederates attempted to retreat, but
were stopped, and Fort Donelson fell. (See the "Baron de Kalb"
entry.)
USS Tecumseh -At the Battle of Mobile Bay, in 1864, she helped three other
monitors (Chickasaw, Manhattan, and Winnebago) subdue the CSS
Tennesssee. Later in the battle the Tecumseh struck one or more
torpedoes, which tore a hole in her bottom, and she sank in 25
seconds, killing all but 21 of 114 men. After the Tecumseh went
down on August 5, Admiral Farragut purportedly said, "Damn the
torpedoes, full speed ahead!"
USS Weehawken -An ironclad monitor which was the lead ship of a small fleet
of ironclads and nine monitors (including the New Ironsides,
Keokuk, and the monitors Montauk, Nantucket, Passaic, and
Patapsco) which unsuccessfully attacked Fort Sumter on April 7,
1863. Pushing a barge in case of mines, she halted when she
found herself surrounded by floating mines, temporarily throwing
the Union advance into disarray. Shore batteries at Sumter and
Fort Moultrie damaged the monitors Montauk, Nantucket, Passaic,
Patapsco, and Weehawken, and the ironclad Keokuk, which sank the
next day. Unable to seriously damage the fort, the little fleet
withdrew.
Aggressively engaging the Confederate ironclad Altanta off the
coast of Savannah on June 17, 1863, she fired two shots close
in; one shot holed the Atlanta at the waterline. Sinking, the
Confederate ironclad surrendered.
Near Charlston, on December 6, 1863, the Weehawken was lost.
Overloaded with ammunition, and badly trimmed, water poured into
an open hatch and she quickly sank, losing 31 men.
USS Winnebago -With the Federal fleet at the Battle of Mobile Bay in 1864, she
and the three other monitors present (Chickasaw, Manhattan, and
Tecumseh) defended the fleet against the attacking Confederate
ironclad Tennessee, which surrendered after being badly damaged.
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