CSS Isondiga

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History
Confederate States
NameIsondiga
BuilderKrenson and Hawkes
Commissioned1863
FateBurned to prevent capture, December 21, 1864
General characteristics
TypeGunboat
Length116 feet (35 m)
Beam21 feet (6.4 m)
Draft6 ft 6 in (1.98 m)
PropulsionScrew steamer
Speed6 knots (11 km/h; 6.9 mph)
Complement60
Armament1 × Dahlgren gun
* 1 × Brooke rifle

CSS Isondiga was a wooden

ironclad production after the Battle of Hampton Roads. Isondiga was built in Savannah, Georgia, and was transferred to the Confederate Navy in January 1863 to begin the fitting out process. At this time, she was commanded by Lieutenant
Joel S. Kennard.

In late May 1863, Isondiga accompanied the ironclad

ran aground. On June 17, Isondiga and the steamer CSS Resolute accompanied Atlanta in an engagement where the ironclad attacked two Union monitors and was quickly captured. At times later in 1863, Isondiga was inactivate because parts of her crew were temporarily transferred to Charleston, South Carolina. She continued service in the Savannah area in 1864. Kennard was transferred to the gunboat CSS Macon in June. In December, the city was about to fall into Union hands, and on December 20, Isondiga covered the Confederate retreat from the city over a pontoon bridge
. While trying to escape herself, Isondiga ran aground and was burned by her crew on December 21 under orders from her commander, Lieutenant Hamilton Dalton.

Design

In October 1861, during the

white oak and be 10 inches (25 cm) across and 9 inches (23 cm) deep. The contract allowed for the frames to be made either of white oak or yellow pine, and the frames were to be 8.5 inches (22 cm) at the bottom and taper up to 5.5 inches (14 cm). The lower planks were to be either 2.5 inches (6.4 cm) of oak or 3 inches (7.6 cm) of pine, with the thickness of the upper planks to be smaller. The planks were fastened to the frames with both treenails and metal spikes, with bolts at the plank ends. The naval historian Donald L. Canney notes that this method of fastening was much more secure than that used for the larger Confederate gunboat CSS Chattahoochee, which had similar scantling dimensions.[3]

Deck planking was to be 3 inches (7.6 cm) of yellow pine, fastened down with spikes. The Maury gunboats were to be equipped with two

ironclads than the Maury gunboats, and funding for Maury gunboats not yet begun was removed. Canney states that only Isondiga and CSS Torch were completed of the Maury gunboats, although CSS Yadkin may also have been of the class. While Confederate naval constructor John L. Porter ordered some changes to Isondiga's design, Canney notes that she was "apparently the only Maury gunboat completed as designed".[7] In calm water, Isondiga had a top speed of about 6 knots (11 km/h; 6.9 mph), although this was reduced by a design flaw that resulted in the propeller being partially above water. When the water was not calm, the propeller would be out of the water entirely in the troughs of waves. Her commander thought that she steered well, except that when the ship was going in reverse "the rudder had no perceptible effect on her".[8]

Construction and service

Wartime map of the St. Augustine Creek area. The Savannah River is at the top of the map, with Wassaw Sound in the lower right. Causton's Bluff is circled in red in the upper left.

It is not known when Isondiga was

receiving ship CSS Sampson had to help free her.[10] On May 30, another attempt was made to get Atlanta down to Wassaw Sound for an attack against the blockade, but she suffered engine failure and ran aground. Isondiga, CSS Oconee (the renamed Savannah), and the steamer CSS Resolute, attempted unsuccessfully to free Atlanta. The rising tide eventually freed Atlanta, which moved downstream to Thunderbolt, Georgia. Isondiga was sent down to watch Wassaw Sound as a signal vessel[11] for two days.[12]

On the evening of June 15, Isondiga, Resolute, and Atlanta began from Thunderbolt to confront the Union monitors USS Weehawken and USS Nahant. The Confederate naval elements in the Savannah area were under the command of Commander William A. Webb. Webb's plan was for Atlanta to sink one monitor with a spar torpedo and then defeat the other with close-range cannon fire; the naval historian Robert M. Browning describes this plan as "both daring and desperate". Isondiga and Resolute stayed well behind Atlanta.[13] It was rumored afterwards that the two vessels carried a number of spectators, but Melton notes that this claim is not supported by evidence from the Savannah Squadron.[14] The fight occurred on June 17. While maneuvering for the attack, Atlanta ran aground. A shot from Weehawken injured the pilot and helmsman of the Confederate vessel, and after a brief, lopsided fight in which the monitors fired a total of only five shots, Atlanta surrendered.[15] Isondiga and Resolute fled back upriver.[16]

With Webb a prisoner of war,

receiving ship at Charleston, CSS Indian Chief, and sending them to Savannah to crew Isondiga. These men were inexperienced with sailing, so Hunter sent Isondiga to the Savannah River for training. Kennard noted that there were insufficient experienced men aboard to hold target practice.[21] Kennard also had difficulties with the ship's executive officer, Lieutenant Aeneas Armstrong, who would take leave from the ship without orders, be inattentative to affairs on the ship, and get drunk. Armstrong was eventually replaced with Lieutenant Sidney McAdam.[22]

In January 1864, the Confederate States Army was concerned that Union forces might strike inland towards Savannah from Port Royal, South Carolina, and asked for naval support of land defenses. Isondiga's crew had been returned from Charleston by this time, and Isondiga and the ironclad CSS Savannah were positioned near Elba Island in order to cover both obstructions in the Savannah River and a river landing.[23] On January 26, Isondiga was sent down St. Augustine Creek in order to protect a bridge and an area known as the Wilmington Narrows, but returned to Elba Island when no Union encroachment there occurred.[24] On February 23, Isondiga and Savannah were sent down St. Augustine Creek. The ironclad ran aground, but Isondiga continued down to Causton's Bluff. Isondiga returned to Savannah for repairs later, but was then sent back to Causton's Bluff, to assist in the defense of Fort Bartow.[25] By mid-year, Isondiga had become, in the words of historian Maurice Melton, "almost a permanent part of the defenses at Causton's Bluff".[26]

On June 2, Kennard was reassigned to command the gunboat

Atlanta, Georgia, and then began the March to the Sea, which would end at Savannah.[29] On December 13, Fort McAllister, which had protected Savannah from Union naval forces, was captured by Sherman's men.[30] On December 14, Isondiga was upriver on the Savannah River from the city of Savannah, and was firing on Union positions.[31] Not long afterwards, men from Isondiga were slated to attempt a boat attack to retake Argyle Island, but this was cancelled as it was expected to result in heavy Confederate casualties. On December 18, Hunter ordered Isondiga and the tender CSS Firefly to either escape upriver to Augusta, Georgia, or to try to escape to the open sea.[32]

A bridge ran from one bank of the Savannah River to

Lieutenant General William J. Hardee,[33][34] and on his request, Isondiga was positioned upriver from the pontoon bridge to protect it.[35] With both Isondiga and Savannah guarding the bridge, the Union did not interfere with the crossing.[30] This crossing began late on December 20. It was hoped that Isondiga, Savannah, and Macon could somehow fight their way through the Union blockade, escape the Savannah area, and make it to either Charleston, Wilmington, North Carolina, or Georgetown, South Carolina.[36] After the crossing was complete, the bridge was destroyed and Isondiga steamed downriver, but ran aground in the process. She was burned on Dalton's orders[35] on December 21.[6]

References

  1. ^ a b Canney 2015, pp. 140–141.
  2. ^ Luraghi 1996, p. 68.
  3. ^ Canney 2015, pp. 136, 141–142.
  4. ^ a b Canney 2015, p. 142.
  5. ^ a b "Isondiga". Naval History and Heritage Command. Retrieved December 14, 2023.
  6. ^ a b Official Records 1921, p. 256.
  7. ^ Canney 2015, pp. 141–142.
  8. ^ Melton 2012, p. 262.
  9. ^ a b Melton 2012, p. 182.
  10. ^ Melton 2012, pp. 204–205, 218.
  11. ^ Melton 2012, pp. 218, 221–222.
  12. ^ Browning 2002, p. 204.
  13. ^ Browning 2002, pp. 204–205.
  14. ^ Melton 2012, p. 471, fn. 49.
  15. ^ Browning 2002, pp. 205–207.
  16. ^ Melton 2012, p. 229.
  17. ^ Browning 2002, p. 207.
  18. ^ Melton 2012, p. 238.
  19. ^ Melton 2012, p. 242.
  20. ^ Melton 2012, pp. 243–244.
  21. ^ Melton 2012, pp. 261–262.
  22. ^ Melton 2012, pp. 264–265.
  23. ^ Melton 2012, pp. 277–278.
  24. ^ Melton 2012, p. 278.
  25. ^ Melton 2012, pp. 284–285.
  26. ^ Melton 2012, p. 287.
  27. ^ Melton 2012, p. 314.
  28. ^ Melton 2012, p. 337.
  29. ^ Browning 2002, pp. 329, 337.
  30. ^ a b c Luraghi 1996, p. 332.
  31. ^ Melton 2012, p. 385.
  32. ^ Melton 2012, pp. 218, 386.
  33. ^ Luraghi 1996, p. 331.
  34. ^ Browning 2002, p. 336.
  35. ^ a b Melton 2012, p. 389.
  36. ^ Browning 2002, pp. 336–337.

Sources

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