# CSS Charleston

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History Confederate States Name Charleston Namesake Charleston, South Carolina Ordered Fall 1862 Builder James M. Eason, Charleston Laid down December 1862 Launched 1863 Commissioned September 1863 Nickname(s) Ladies' Gunboat Fate Destroyed to avoid capture, 17/18 February 1865 General characteristics Type Casemate ironclad Displacement 600 long tons (610 t) Length 189 ft (57.6 m) Beam 34 ft (10.4 m) Draft 12 ft 6 in (3.8 m) Depth 14 ft (4.3 m) Propulsion 1 shaft, 1 steam engine Speed 6 kn (11 km/h; 6.9 mph) Complement 150 officers and men Armament 2 × 9 in (229 mm) smoothbore Dahlgren guns 4 × 7 in (178 mm) muzzle-loading Brooke rifles 1 x Spar Torpedo Armor 4 in (102 mm)

**CSS *Charleston*** was a [casemate ironclad](/source/Casemate_ironclad) [ram](/source/Ram_(ship)) built for the [Confederate Navy](/source/Confederate_Navy) (CSN) at [Charleston, South Carolina](/source/Charleston%2C_South_Carolina) during the [American Civil War](/source/American_Civil_War). Funded by the [State of South Carolina](/source/State_of_South_Carolina) as well as donations by patriotic women's associations in the city, she was turned over to the Confederate Navy and defended the city until advancing [Union](/source/Union_Army) troops that threatened Charleston caused her to be destroyed in early 1865 lest she be captured. Her wreck was [salvaged](/source/Marine_salvage) after the war and the remains have been obliterated by subsequent [dredging](/source/Dredging).

## Construction and description

[James M. Eason](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=James_M._Eason&action=edit&redlink=1) was awarded a contract by the State of South Carolina to build a larger ironclad at Charleston in November 1862 after he finished the casemate ram [CSS *Chicora*](/source/CSS_Chicora). Funds were also contributed by the city's "Ladies' Gun-boat Association",[1] which led to *Charleston*'s nickname of the "Ladies' Gunboat". He began construction the next month and completed the ship in September 1863.[2]

*Charleston* was 189 feet (57.6 m) [long overall](/source/Length_overall) and had a [beam](/source/Beam_(nautical)) of 34 feet (10 m). Her [depth of hold](/source/Glossary_of_nautical_terms_(A-L)#depth_of_hold) was 14 feet (4.3 m)[2] and she had a [draft](/source/Draft_(hull)) 12 ft 6 in (3.8 m). The ship had a [displacement](/source/Displacement_(ship)) of 600 long tons (610 t). *Charleston*'s propulsion system is unknown,[3] but her engine had a diameter of 36 inches (910 mm) and her propeller was 8 feet 6 inches (2.6 m) in diameter.[4] At any rate, she was credited with a speed of 6 [knots](/source/Knot_(unit)) (11 km/h; 6.9 mph). The ship was armed with two 9-inch (229 mm) [smoothbore](/source/Smoothbore) guns[2] at the ends of the ship,[5] probably [Dahlgren guns](/source/Dahlgren_gun),[6] and four [muzzle-loading](/source/Muzzle-loading_rifle) [Brooke rifles](/source/Brooke_rifle) on the broadside[5] that fired 90–110-pound (41–50 kg) projectiles,[4] which would make them 7-inch (178 mm) guns[7] although their exact type is unknown.[8] *Charleston* was also fitted with a [wrought-iron](/source/Wrought_iron) [ram](/source/Naval_ram). The ship's armor was 4 inches (102 mm) thick. All together, her ram and armor weighed 600 long tons (610 t).[4] Her crew numbered 150 officers and enlisted men.[2]

## Service

Once completed, *Charleston* served as the [flagship](/source/Flagship) of the CSN's [Charleston Squadron](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Charleston_Squadron&action=edit&redlink=1) together with the rams [*Palmetto State*](/source/CSS_Palmetto_State) and *Chicora*. Her only [captain](/source/Captain_(nautical)) was [Commander](/source/Commander) [Isaac N. Brown](/source/Isaac_N._Brown). The ship was set on fire and blown up with 10 long tons (10 t) of [gunpowder](/source/Gunpowder) in the [Cooper River](/source/Cooper_River_(South_Carolina)) on the night of 17/18 February 1865 to prevent her capture by the Union Army once the city was evacuated by the Confederates.[9] The wreck was salvaged to a depth of 12 feet (3.7 m) below low water by Benjamin Maillefort in 1872–73 and the site has been thoroughly dredged to deepen the channel, destroying any remains.[10] Its last known location was at [32°47′29″N 79°55′21″W / 32.79139°N 79.92250°W / 32.79139; -79.92250](https://geohack.toolforge.org/geohack.php?pagename=CSS_Charleston&params=32_47_29_N_79_55_21_W_type:event)[11]

## References

1. **[^](#cite_ref-1)** Scharf, pp. 671–72

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-s9_2-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-s9_2-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-s9_2-2) [***d***](#cite_ref-s9_2-3) Silverstone, p. 153

1. **[^](#cite_ref-3)** Gaines, p. 143

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-s71_4-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-s71_4-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-s71_4-2) Scharf, p. 671

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-l8_5-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-l8_5-1) Luraghi, p. 278

1. **[^](#cite_ref-6)** Olmstead, Turk & Tucker, pp. 243–44

1. **[^](#cite_ref-7)** Olmstead, Turk & Tucker, p. 126

1. **[^](#cite_ref-8)** Still, pp. 82–83

1. **[^](#cite_ref-9)** Luraghi, pp. 289, 336–37, Gaines, p. 143

1. **[^](#cite_ref-10)** Gaines, p. 144

1. **[^](#cite_ref-11)** ["Siege of Charleston"](http://www.numa.net/expeditions/siege-of-charleston/). [National Underwater and Marine Agency](/source/National_Underwater_and_Marine_Agency). Retrieved 12 December 2013.

## Bibliography

- Bisbee, Saxon T. (2018). *Engines of Rebellion: Confederate Ironclads and Steam Engineering in the American Civil War*. Tuscaloosa, Alabama: University of Alabama Press. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [978-0-81731-986-1](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-0-81731-986-1).

- Canney, Donald L. (2015). *The Confederate Steam Navy 1861-1865*. Atglen, Pennsylvania: Schiffer Publishing. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [978-0-7643-4824-2](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-0-7643-4824-2).

- Gaines, W. Craig (2008). *Encyclopedia of Civil War Shipwrecks*. Baton Rouge, Louisiana: Louisiana State University Press. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [978-0-8071-3274-6](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-0-8071-3274-6).

- Koehler, R. B. & Sileo, Thomas (2008). "Question 40/43: Fates of Confederate Ironclads". *Warship International*. **XLV** (4): 276–277. [ISSN](/source/ISSN_(identifier)) [0043-0374](https://search.worldcat.org/issn/0043-0374).

- Luraghi, Raimondo (1996). [*A History of the Confederate Navy*](https://archive.org/details/historyofconfede0000lura). Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [1-55750-527-6](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/1-55750-527-6).

- Olmstead, Edwin; Stark, Wayne E. & Tucker, Spencer C. (1997). *The Big Guns: Civil War Siege, Seacoast, and Naval Cannon*. Alexandria Bay, New York: Museum Restoration Service. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [0-88855-012-X](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/0-88855-012-X).

- [Scharf, J. Thomas](/source/John_Thomas_Scharf) (1887). [*History of the Confederate States Navy*](https://archive.org/stream/cu31924032779609/). New York: Rogers & Sherwood.

- Silverstone, Paul H. (2006). *Civil War Navies 1855–1883*. The U.S. Navy Warship Series. New York: Routledge. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [0-415-97870-X](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/0-415-97870-X).

- Silverstone, Paul H. (1984). *Directory of the World's Capital Ships*. New York: Hippocrene Books. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [0-88254-979-0](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/0-88254-979-0).

- Still, William N. Jr. (1985) [1971]. *Iron Afloat: The Story of the Confederate Armorclads*. Columbia, South Carolina: University of South Carolina Press. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [0-87249-454-3](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/0-87249-454-3).

v t e Ironclad warships of the Confederate States Navy Albemarle Arctic Arkansas Atlanta Baltic Charleston Chicora Columbia Fredericksburg Georgia Huntsville Louisiana Manassas Mississippi I Missouri Muscogee Nashville Neuse North Carolina II Palmetto State Phoenix Raleigh Richmond Savannah Stonewall Tennessee I Tennessee II Texas Tuscaloosa Virginia Virginia II Wilmington List of ships of the Confederate States Navy

v t e Shipwrecks and maritime incidents in 1865 Shipwrecks 1 Jan: San Jacinto 12 Jan: CSS Columbia 15 Jan: Patapsco 24 Jan: CSS Drewry 24 Jan: CSS Scorpion 26 Jan: Dai Ching c. Jan: Lelia 6 Feb: Favorita 15 Feb: Merrimac 18 Feb: CSS Charleston 18 Feb: CSS Chicora 18 Feb: CSS Indian Chief 18 Feb: CSS Palmetto State 18 Feb: CSS Peedee 18 Feb: Daring 25 Feb: CSS Chickamauga 27 Feb: Arizona 1 Mar: Harvest Moon 2 Mar: CSS Rob Roy 12 Mar: Althea 14 Mar: CSS Neuse 28 Mar: Milwaukee 29 Mar: Osage Mar: CSS Spray 1 Apr: Bertrand 1 Apr: Rodolph 3 Apr: CSS Beaufort 3 Apr: CSS Fredericksburg 3 Apr: CSS Hampton 3 Apr: CSS Patrick Henry 3 Apr: CSS Richmond 3 Apr: CSS Roanoke 3 Apr: CSS Virginia II 12 Apr: CSS Huntsville 12 Apr: CSS Tuscaloosa 13 Apr: USS Ida 14 Apr: Sciota 17 Apr: CSS Chattahoochee 17 Apr: CSS Jackson 22 Apr: Black Hawk 24 Apr: O. M. Pettit 24 Apr: CSS Webb 27 Apr: Sultana c. Apr: Rose 8 May: Glasgow 12 May: Fiery Star 20 May: City of Dunedin c. May: Race Horse 8 Jun: Admiral Du Pont 8 Jun: Jequitinhonha 28 Jun: Brunswick Jun: USS Bloomer 4 Jul: Agnes 30 Jul: Brother Jonathan 4 Aug: Smerch 9 Aug: Pewabic 18 Aug: Hugh Lindsay 23 Aug: Commodore McDonough 16 Sep: Lone Star 22 Sep: Pink 7 Oct: Duncan Dunbar 25 Oct: Republic 6 Nov: Jacob Bell 10 Nov: Patroon 13 Nov: Aenid 19 Nov: City of Launceston 27 Nov: Fairlie 3 Dec: Indian River 5 Dec: Neptune 16 Dec: USS New Ironsides 30 Dec: Huntress 31 Dec: Goldena Other incidents 4 Jan: HMS Cadmus 14 Jan: HMS Geyser 14 Jan: HMS Terrible 3 Mar: HMS Niger 13 Jul: HMS Eclipse 9 Aug: Ipswich 10 Oct: HMS Sepoy 10 Nov: HMS Bristol 1 Dec: HMS Research 20 Dec: Tararua Unknown: Ironsides ← 1864 1866 →

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [CSS Charleston](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CSS_Charleston) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CSS_Charleston?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.