# CSS Spray

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CSS Spray History Confederate States Name Spray Laid down New Albany, Indiana Maiden voyage 1850 In service 1863-1865 Captured May 12, 1865 General characteristics Class & type Steam gunboat Type Tugboat Tonnage 118 Draft 6.5 ft (2.0 m) Installed power 70 h.p. Propulsion 1 high pressure steam boiler, side paddle wheels Speed 12 knots (22 km/h; 14 mph) (cruising) Armament 2 or 3 light cannons

The **CSS *Spray*** was a steam-powered, [side-paddle wheel](/source/Paddle_wheel) [tugboat](/source/Tugboat) built in [New Albany, Indiana](/source/New_Albany%2C_Indiana) originally fitted as a mercantile ship before becoming a [gunboat](/source/Gunboat) in the [Confederate States Navy](/source/Confederate_States_Navy) and used in the [St. Marks](/source/St._Marks%2C_Florida), [Newport, Florida](/source/Newport%2C_Wakulla_County%2C_Florida) area.

## History

### As the civilian *Spray*

In 1850, [Daniel Ladd](/source/Daniel_Ladd), a [Newport, Florida](/source/Newport%2C_Wakulla_County%2C_Florida) cotton and general mercantile businessman, purchased the *Spray* for $15,000. The *Spray* operated as far south as [Cedar Key, Florida](/source/Cedar_Key%2C_Florida), up the [Apalachicola River](/source/Apalachicola_River) to [Columbus, Georgia](/source/Columbus%2C_Georgia), up the [Suwannee River](/source/Suwannee_River) and west to [New Orleans](/source/New_Orleans) transporting cotton, naval stores, hides, tobacco, beeswax. It first sailed into St. Marks, Florida in 1850.[1]

[USS *Mohawk*](/source/USS_Mohawk_(1858)) in chase of CSS *Spray* into Mark's river.

### As CSS *Spray*

As a confederate vessel and refitted, the *Spray* operated in the vicinity of the naval station at St. Marks during 1863–1865, and was the object of much attention by the Federal forces in that vicinity. On September 12, 1863, the captain of the *[USS Stars and Stripes](/source/USS_Stars_and_Stripes)* reported an unsuccessful attack on the *Spray* up river on the [St. Marks River](/source/St._Marks_River). The *CSS Spray* was said to be the only Confederate States Navy vessel to operate exclusively in Florida waters.

In February 1864, Federal troops in two naval expeditions of 14 ships landed at St. Marks. Their mission was to capture [Tallahassee, Florida](/source/Tallahassee%2C_Florida), [Fort Ward](/source/Fort_Ward_(Florida)), [Port Leon](/source/Port_Leon), and burn the nuisance gunboat CSS *Spray*.[2] The mission failed.

March 6, 1865, the crew of *Spray* participated in the [Battle of Natural Bridge](/source/Battle_of_Natural_Bridge) with a complement of 25 men.[3]

The *Spray*'s fate is specious in that it was reported as burned/scuttled by Confederates on St. Marks River in a few accounts and yet survived into the early 20th century by the accounts of the Ladd family.[1]

### Commanders

- Lt. Charles W. Hays, [CSN](/source/Confederate_States_Navy) (1863)[4]

- Lt. Henry. L. Lewis, CSN (1864).

Henry Lewis was born in [Virginia](/source/Virginia) and appointed to the CSN from Virginia. He was formerly a lieutenant with the U.S. Navy. Lewis also commanded the [CSS *Rappahannock*](/source/CSS_Rappahannock) from 1862 to 1863 before taking command of the *Spray* in 1864.[5] [6]

## References

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-Ladd_Family_History_1-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-Ladd_Family_History_1-1) ["Ladd Family History"](https://web.archive.org/web/20091124042006/http://www.laddfamily.com/New%20Port/Wakulla%20Ladds.htm). Archived from [the original](http://www.laddfamily.com/New%20Port/Wakulla%20Ladds.htm) on 2009-11-24. Retrieved 2009-07-16.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-2)** De Quesada, A. M., A history of Florida forts: Florida's Lonely Outposts, History Press, 2006, [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [978-1-59629-104-1](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-1-59629-104-1)]

1. **[^](#cite_ref-3)** [Battle of Natural Bridge](http://www.joe.com)

1. **[^](#cite_ref-4)** ["Muster Roll of the Confederate Steam Boat Spray"](https://web.archive.org/web/20100501082156/http://mailer.fsu.edu/~rthompso/cw/allen/app_c.html). Archived from [the original](http://mailer.fsu.edu/~rthompso/cw/allen/app_c.html) on 2010-05-01. Retrieved 2009-07-16.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-5)** [Library of Virginia, Military Records](http://www.lva.virginia.gov/whatwehave/mil/connavy/ship_results.asp?page=8&ship=)

1. **[^](#cite_ref-6)** [Haze Gray: Naval History](http://www.hazegray.org/danfs/csn/s.txt)

## Sources

- Gaines, W. Craig, Encyclopedia of Civil War shipwrecks, LSU Press, April 2008, [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [978-0-8071-3274-6](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-0-8071-3274-6)

v t e Shipwrecks and maritime incidents in 1864 Shipwrecks 3 Jan: Grafton 10 Jan: USS Iron Age 15 Jan: Lottie Sleigh 1 Feb: USS Smith-Briggs 2 Feb: USS Underwriter 17 Feb: USS Housatonic 17 Feb: H. L. Hunley 22 Feb: USS Linden 27 Feb: Westward Ho! 6 Mar: USS Peterhoff 21 Mar: USS Clifton 28 Mar: USS Kingfisher 1 Apr: Maple Leaf 15 Apr: USS Eastport 15 Apr: Emma 18 Apr: Bombshell 19 Apr: USS Southfield 22 Apr: USS Petrel 26 Apr: Homer 30 Apr: Grecian 5 May: USS Covington 5 May: USS Signal 6 May: USS Commodore Jones 7 May: CSS Roanoke 7 May: USS Shawsheen 10 May: Invercauld 16 May: John Williams 17 May: Marchioness 22 May: USS Columbine 1 Jun: Daring 12 Jun: USS Lavender 14 Jun: USS Courier 19 Jun: CSS Alabama 19 Jun: Alvin Clark 24 Jun: USS Queen City 27 Jun: Mary Robinson 25 Jul: USS Undine 5 Aug: CSS Gaines 5 Aug: USS Philippi 5 Aug: USS Tecumseh 7 Aug: CSS Phoenix 8 Aug: USS Violet 11 Aug: James Funk 11 Aug: William Bell 12 Aug: Adriatic 31 Aug: Mary Bowers c. Aug: Houqua 3 Sep: USS Brandywine 23 Sep: USS Antelope 27 Sep: CSS North Carolina 7 Oct: USS Aster 27 Oct: CSS Albemarle 4 Nov: USS Elfin 4 Nov: USS Key West 4 Nov: USS Tawah 4 Nov: USS Undine 5 Nov: CSS Spray 11 Nov: USS Tulip 25 Nov: Nuestra Señora del Triunfo 28 Nov: CSS Florida 7 Dec: USS Narcissus 9 Dec: USS Bazely 9 Dec: USS Otsego 12 Dec: CSS Resolute 14 Dec: HMS Bombay 19 Dec: CSS Water Witch 21 Dec: CSS Georgia 21 Dec: CSS Isondiga 21 Dec: CSS Savannah 24 Dec: USS Louisiana 30 Dec: USS Annie 30 Dec: USS Rattler c. Dec: J. M. Chapman c. Dec: USS Monarch Unkn: Carolina Unkn: Duke of Roxburgh Other incidents 17 Feb: USS St. Clair 10 May: USS Mound City 9 Jun: John Bowes Jun: HMS Liverpool 14 Jul: HDMS Dannebrog 13 Aug: HMS Enterprise 24 Aug: SMS Grille Aug: HMS Urgent 1 Sep: Avalon 1 Sep: HMS Eclipse 5 Oct: Nubia 7 Oct: CSS Florida (Bahia incident) 20 Oct: HMS Eclipse 20 Oct: Snaefell Unkn: Kingfisher ← 1863 1865 →

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