SUWANE /a/k/a Pampero vs. Governor

[Daniel in NC]

Darren in NC, RGecy...help please.

Does anyoe have any info regarding the Suwanee, a side wheller that founderewd sometime in Dec. 1866. I know only a little about her history... I believe she was a neutral cargo vessel (after her refitting) and was captured in route to New Orleans, turned to the dark side a/k/a the Federal Union and foundered offshore in the warm waters of SC. My question is where she lies now and why she is so mistaken as the Governor...a few relics have been brought up from one or the other such as belt buckles... and most interesting are the belt buckles. Most buckles that I have seen are typical US or CSA...what outfit is SNY.

Thanks in advance for any insight.

-Daniel

 

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[Darren in NC]

Hello Daniel,

Why do you think the Governor is the Suwanee? I am not familiar with the arguments. Robert may have more info, but here is a piece Lee Spence wrote in 1997...


"Several people have recently contacted me asking for information about the
wreck of the steamer Governor.

The following has been taken (slightly abridged) from entry #273, pages
128-130, of my book Shipwrecks, Pirates & Privateers: Sunken Treasures of the
Upper South Carolina Coast, 1521-1865 (Narwhal Press, 1996).

The steamer Governor, Captain Phillips, under charter by the United States
Navy as a troop transport, foundered in thirteen fathoms of water in a
hurricane on November 2, 1861. She was carrying a battalion of four hundred
"fine Marines" under Major John G. Reynolds. Seven of Governor's crew were
drowned or crushed to death. The remainder of the people were saved by the
United States gunboats Sabine, Captain Ringgold; Isaac Smith; and Rover. The
crew of the Sabine was awarded a gold medal by the "Life Saving Benevolent
Association of New York." The Governor had a small supply of stores on board.
Nearly all of the arms were saved, but the haversacks, knapsacks, canteens
and 9000 cartridges of ammunition were lost. (Note One: The "Lytle-Holdcamper
Steamship List" shows the United States transport Governor as wrecked off
Hatteras, North Carolina, and gives the date as November 20, 1861, but the
file card notes used in its preparation show the location as off Charleston.
The Ocean Atlas of the Carolina Margin also lists her as wrecked off Hatteras
and gives the date of loss as October 31, 1861. Most contemporary accounts
give the date as November 2, 1861, and place the wreck further south. At
least one contemporary account states that she foundered off Charleston,
South Carolina.) [Note Two: The Governor was built by Samuel Sneeden at New
York, New York, in 1846 of "white oak, etc. and fastened in an excellent
manner." Her hull had been extensively repaired in 1858. She measured 644
81/95 tons, 230'3" in length, 28'3" in breadth, 10'3" in depth, and 7' in
draft. She had one deck, no masts, a square stern and a billet head. She had
condensing engines and her boiler was mounted on deck. She was issued a
certificate of steam enrollment at the port of New York on March 28, 1846.
She was owned by Albert Dailey and Company of New York. The Governor was
described as a staunch vessel built to "run on the sound between New York and
Providence, R.I." However, "never in her best days (was she) adapted to a sea
voyage."] (Note Three: Erik Heyl in his book Early American Steamers shows
the Governor as 235'x28'2"x10'1"; 650 tons; vertical beam engine; cylinder
48" diameter with 11' stroke; and 30' diameter water wheels. Heyl has a
drawing of the steamer based on an illustration in "Leslie's Weekly" and a
painting at the Mariner's Museum at Newport News, Virginia.") [Note Four: In
1989, my friend Randy Lathrop and I dove on the wreck of an unidentified
wooden hulled sidewheel steamer approximately 22.8 miles off Little River
Inlet (South Carolina, North Carolina line). The wreck was in 78' of water at
Loran-C coordinates 45333.5/59483.5. The wreck had been discovered by Captain
Billy Long, a commercial fisherman, who had put divers (Blaine Garren, Randy
McCormick and Hampton Shupen) down on the wreck shortly before Lathrop and I
were asked to make our dive. Long's divers had tentatively identified the
wreck as that of a blockade runner. However, Lathrop and I found New York
State Militia and regular United States belt buckles. One buckle appeared to
be a pre-Civil War type of buckle used by officers of the United States
Marines. The numerous buckles, musket parts, sword handles, haversack hooks,
knapsack fastenings, canteen necks and other items we observed, appear to be
evidence that the wreck may be that of a Federal transport lost during or
immediately after the war, and that it may even be the Governor. At the first
Battle of Manassas (Bull Run), Major Reynolds had commanded a battalion of
U.S. Marines, supporting the 14th Regiment of the New York State Militia,
which could explain the New York militia buckles we found.] (Note Five: Local
dive charter boats routinely carry divers out to this wreck.) [Note Six: Some
people believe that Captain Long's wreck may actually be that of the Suwanee,
which was lost on December 4, 1866, while carrying arms and ammunition for
the Mexican Republic, or even another vessel. The Suwanee (ex-Pampero) was a
sidewheel, wooden hulled steamer, of 350 tons. She was built in Baltimore,
Maryland, in 1850, and was first home ported at Washington, D.C. However, the
Suwanee is shown in the "Lytle-Holdcamper List" as foundered without loss of
life off Cape Romano, Florida.]

I hope the above information proves useful.
Lee

Dr. E. Lee Spence
underwater archaeologist
1629 Meeting St.
Charleston, SC 29405

 

[Daniel in NC]

Thanks Darren.

In Gary Gentile's book he seems to think this same wreck is the Suwanee. Also explains that SNY belt buckles...thanks again.

 

[Darren in NC]

Hmmm...interesting, Daniel. I'll ask Chris Amer, SC's chief underwater archaeologist, and see what his take is on it. It might be something we can collaborate with the state on. Wanna go diving?

 

[Daniel in NC]

Definitely. I talked to an employee of Coastal Diving out of Little River. He told me that they had always believed the wreck to be the Governor until they found a cannon with a manufacturer's date on it that precludes it from being the Governor. He said that they have found around a dozen of the NY militia buckles and on about every dive the find bullets and mini balls. He also said they believe there is more of a debris field that hasn't been found (most of the wreck is under the sand except for the boilers, condensors and some of the wooden structure). Im not sure about all of this; its all second hand knowledge but intriguing none the less. In any event, this wreck has not yet been positively identified so there's always that chance of identifying it.

I'd love to go diving, just let me know when. I think you may already have my email address if not let me know and I'll shoot it to you again.

Daniel