CSS Appomattox
| History | |
|---|---|
 Confederate States | |
| Name | Appomattox |
| Launched | 1850, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania |
| Commissioned | Norfolk, 1861 |
| Homeport | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania |
| Fate | Burned on February 10, 1862 |
| General characteristics | |
| Tons burthen | 120 tons |
| Length | 86 ft (26 m) |
| Beam | 20.5 ft (6.2 m) |
| Draft | ? |
| Propulsion | steam engine, 1 propeller |
| Speed | ? |
| Complement | ? |
| Armament | 2 guns: 1 bow 32-pounder gun, 1 stern howitzer. |
CSS Appomattox was a small propeller-driven steamer used early in the war by the Confederate Navy to defend the sounds of northeastern North Carolina. After participating in the battle for Roanoke Island, it was burned to prevent capture on February 10, 1862, near
Early Service
The Appomattox was originally named the Empire when launched in
Confederate Service in North Carolina
Renamed Appomattox, she was armed with two guns and assigned to the waters along the North Carolina coast under the command of Lt. C. C. Simms, CSN. Appomattox was used to patrol Pamlico Sound in late January 1862. She was also used to obstruct channels in the Croatan Sound area by towing block-ships to strategic points for sinking. (ORN 6: 787f) On February 6, the eve of Burnside's attack, the Appomattox was sent down Croatan Sound to reconnoiter the invasion force. Burnside allowed her to do this unhindered, because he wished for the Confederates to know what they were up against.[2]
The Appomattox was one of 8 gunboats used to resist the Burnside Expedition's invasion of Roanoke Island on 7–8 February 1862. However, she missed the actual battle, having been sent to Edenton on an unspecified mission.[3]
She retreated with the surviving gunboats to
The Confederate gunboats were attacked by the Federal gunboat fleet on February 10. The Appomattox kept up a brisk fire from her bow gun until it was accidentally spiked. She then retreated to the entrance of the Dismal Swamp Canal, using the stern howitzer to fire at pursuers. Upon reaching the first lock it was discovered that her beam was 2 inches too great to let her into the canal. As a result, Lieutenant Simms had to destroy the Appomattox by setting her on fire.[3]
Rediscovery
On November 10, 2009 it was announced by the state Underwater Archaeology Branch that the wreck of the Appomattox had been found. The four-member diving team, comprising Philip Madre, Eddie Congleton, Jason Forbes, and Jason Madre, discovered the shipwreck in August 2007 in the Pasquotank River. They had been searching for the Appomattox for more than 10 years. The divers found a silver-plated spoon inscribed with the name of a crew member from Appomattox, thus confirming the ship's identity.[4]
References
- ^ This article incorporates text from the public domain Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships.
- ^ a b c United States Navy (1894–1922). Official Records of the Union and Confederate Navies in the War of the Rebellion. Series I: Volumes 5 & 6. Washington, D.C.: Government Printing Office.
- ^ a b Parker, William (1985). Recollections of a Naval Officer. pp. 254–259.
- ^ "Spoon confirms discovered shipwreck of CSS Appomattox". NC Department of Cultural Resources. November 9, 2009. Archived from the original on 2009-11-12. Retrieved November 10, 2009.
