Freebooter
Tenderfoot
- Mar 8, 2009
- 7
- 0
Hello,
One of my pet projects, or stories of interest, is the loss of the Haitian Casemate Ironclad "Triumph" off of Cape Hattaras in immediate Post Civil War years. Originally it was a huge 204' Confederate built casemate ironclad, one of the best and strongest of our (South's) Navy, the CSS Atlanta. The U.S. Navy captured it, repaired it, and renamed it the USS Atlanta. Then at the end of the war Haiti bought it and renamed it the "Triumph". On the way to Haiti it sunk off of Cape Hattaras.
As far as I know no one has ever found this large ironclad ship. How deep is the water in that area? It is so big, seems it would be easy to find. It had a powerful complement of cannon on board too. I would love for someone to find it one day and they publish info and pics on what all they found, inside or outside. In case any one is interested, below is some pertinant info on the ship, size, armament, etc.:
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CSS Atlanta (1862-1863), later USS Atlanta (1864-1869)
CSS Atlanta, an 1006-ton ironclad ram, was originally built in Scotland in 1861 as the merchant steamship Fingal. In November 1861 she ran the blockade into Savannah, Georgia, with a large cargo of weapons and military supplies. After Union forces closed the exits from Savannah, preventing her further use as a blockade runner, Fingal was converted to an casemate ironclad and renamed Atlanta. She made her first appearance as a Confederate warship in mid-1862.
Atlanta made two efforts to attack Federal warships blockading the coast and rivers leading to Savannah. The first, in early 1863, was thwarted by obstructions blocking the route to the sea. In June 1863 Atlanta made her second attempt, targeting blockaders in Wassau Sound. There, on the 17th, she encountered the U.S. Navy monitors Nahant and Weehawken. In a brief battle, Atlanta went aground and was overwhelmed by Weehawken's superior firepower, forcing her to surrender.
The captured ironclad was taken into the Union Navy as USS Atlanta, commissioning for service in February 1864. She was stationed on the James River, Virginia, to support the operations of the army under General Grant. On 21 May 1864, she fired on Confederate cavalry that were attacking Fort Powhatan. A year later, with the Civil War over, Atlanta went north and decommissioned at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in June 1865. After several years "in ordinary", she was sold in May 1869. Reportedly, she subsequently became the Haitian warship Triumph and disappeared at sea off Cape Hatteras in December 1869.
Atlanta
Casemate ram
Dimensions: length 204', beam 41', draft 15'9"
Displacement: 1,006 tons
Speed: 7 knots
Crew: 165
Armor: 4" casemate
Armament: Two 7" and two 6.4" Brooke rifles, spar torpedo. NOTE: All four Brooke Rifles are at the Washington Navy Yard, Wash., D.C..
Authorized: 1862
Atlanta (ex-Fingal) [Images]: One of the best ironclads built by the Confederacy. Converted by Tift at Savannah GA to essentially the same plan as CSS Mississippi. Original iron hull surrounded and surmounted by squared-off second hull and casemate. Launched summer 62. Commissioned 22 Nov 62. Moved downriver toward Fort Pulaski to St. Augustine Creek 19 Jan 63 but abandoned attempt to reach the fort. On station near Fort Jackson Mar 63. Moved down from Elba Island to Wilmington River 10 Jun 63. Engaged USS Weehawken and USS Nahant in Wassaw Sound GA 17 Jun 63, damaged (hit by four out of five shots fired by Weehawken), run aground, and captured. Taken into Federal service; see USS Atlanta. Commanders: Cdr. William McBlair (62-Feb 63), Cdr. Arthur Sinclair (Feb-May 63), Cdr. William A. Webb (May-Jun 63).
/Users/David/Desktop/Drawing of CSS Atlanta.jpg
One of my pet projects, or stories of interest, is the loss of the Haitian Casemate Ironclad "Triumph" off of Cape Hattaras in immediate Post Civil War years. Originally it was a huge 204' Confederate built casemate ironclad, one of the best and strongest of our (South's) Navy, the CSS Atlanta. The U.S. Navy captured it, repaired it, and renamed it the USS Atlanta. Then at the end of the war Haiti bought it and renamed it the "Triumph". On the way to Haiti it sunk off of Cape Hattaras.
As far as I know no one has ever found this large ironclad ship. How deep is the water in that area? It is so big, seems it would be easy to find. It had a powerful complement of cannon on board too. I would love for someone to find it one day and they publish info and pics on what all they found, inside or outside. In case any one is interested, below is some pertinant info on the ship, size, armament, etc.:
----------------------------------
CSS Atlanta (1862-1863), later USS Atlanta (1864-1869)
CSS Atlanta, an 1006-ton ironclad ram, was originally built in Scotland in 1861 as the merchant steamship Fingal. In November 1861 she ran the blockade into Savannah, Georgia, with a large cargo of weapons and military supplies. After Union forces closed the exits from Savannah, preventing her further use as a blockade runner, Fingal was converted to an casemate ironclad and renamed Atlanta. She made her first appearance as a Confederate warship in mid-1862.
Atlanta made two efforts to attack Federal warships blockading the coast and rivers leading to Savannah. The first, in early 1863, was thwarted by obstructions blocking the route to the sea. In June 1863 Atlanta made her second attempt, targeting blockaders in Wassau Sound. There, on the 17th, she encountered the U.S. Navy monitors Nahant and Weehawken. In a brief battle, Atlanta went aground and was overwhelmed by Weehawken's superior firepower, forcing her to surrender.
The captured ironclad was taken into the Union Navy as USS Atlanta, commissioning for service in February 1864. She was stationed on the James River, Virginia, to support the operations of the army under General Grant. On 21 May 1864, she fired on Confederate cavalry that were attacking Fort Powhatan. A year later, with the Civil War over, Atlanta went north and decommissioned at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in June 1865. After several years "in ordinary", she was sold in May 1869. Reportedly, she subsequently became the Haitian warship Triumph and disappeared at sea off Cape Hatteras in December 1869.
Atlanta
Casemate ram
Dimensions: length 204', beam 41', draft 15'9"
Displacement: 1,006 tons
Speed: 7 knots
Crew: 165
Armor: 4" casemate
Armament: Two 7" and two 6.4" Brooke rifles, spar torpedo. NOTE: All four Brooke Rifles are at the Washington Navy Yard, Wash., D.C..
Authorized: 1862
Atlanta (ex-Fingal) [Images]: One of the best ironclads built by the Confederacy. Converted by Tift at Savannah GA to essentially the same plan as CSS Mississippi. Original iron hull surrounded and surmounted by squared-off second hull and casemate. Launched summer 62. Commissioned 22 Nov 62. Moved downriver toward Fort Pulaski to St. Augustine Creek 19 Jan 63 but abandoned attempt to reach the fort. On station near Fort Jackson Mar 63. Moved down from Elba Island to Wilmington River 10 Jun 63. Engaged USS Weehawken and USS Nahant in Wassaw Sound GA 17 Jun 63, damaged (hit by four out of five shots fired by Weehawken), run aground, and captured. Taken into Federal service; see USS Atlanta. Commanders: Cdr. William McBlair (62-Feb 63), Cdr. Arthur Sinclair (Feb-May 63), Cdr. William A. Webb (May-Jun 63).
/Users/David/Desktop/Drawing of CSS Atlanta.jpg
