| CSS Georgia (battery) | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Career |  |
| Name: | CSS Georgia |
| Laid down: | 1862 |
| Launched: | 1863 |
| Commissioned: | 1863 |
| Decommissioned: | December 21, 1864 |
| Fate: | Destroyed to prevent capture |
| General characteristics | |
| Length: | 250 ft (76 m) |
| Beam: | 60 ft (18 m) |
| Complement: | 200 officers and men |
| Armament: | 4 to 9 guns |
CSS Georgia, also known as State of Georgia and Ladies' Ram, was built in Savannah, Georgia in 1862 and was originally designed to be an ironclad gunboat.[1] Funding in the amount of $115,000 for her construction was provided by the Ladies' Gunboat Association.[2]
Placed under command of Lieutenant Washington Gwathmey, CSN, she was employed in defending the river channels below Savannah, training her batteries against the Union advance.[2] It is believed she lacked effective locomotive power for offensive engagement and was subsequently anchored in the Savannah River, protecting both Savannah and Fort Jackson as a "Floating Battery" rather than her intended design as a gunboat.[1] The CSS Georgia had only been in operation for 20 months when Sherman's March to the Sea ended in Savannah on December 21, 1864; it was on that day the Confederates chose to destroy her rather than abandon the ship for Union use; in her 20-month life she never fired one shot.[1]
After settling to the bottom of Savannah River, the wreck lay unnoticed for over 100 years; it was during a dredging operation in 1968 that the wreck site was found.[1] As dredging continued over the years, the site was avoided; however possible accidental impacts from dredging equipment and anchors intended to mark site location may have damaged the ship.[1] Today all that remains are a portion of the forward and aft casemate, along with remnants of the ship's engines including boilers, shafts, propellers, and condensers.[2] Several cannon were found near the wreck as well, along with assorted ordnance.[2]
As of May 2012, the Army Corp of Engineers at a budgeted cost of $14 million is planning to raise the ship to accommodate further dredging of the river.[3]
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 Watts, Gordon P; James Jr, Stephen R. (2007-02). "In Situ Archaeological Evaluation of the CSS Georgia Savannah Harbor, Georgia". http://sav-harbor.com/Cultural%20Resources/CSS_Georgia_Site_Investigation_Report.pdf. Retrieved 2012-05-07.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 Anuskiewicz, Richard J; Garrison, Ervan G. (1992). "Underwater archaeology by braille: Survey methodology and site characterization modeling in a blackwater environment - A study of a scuttled confederate ironclad, CSS Georgia.". American Academy of Underwater Sciences. http://archive.rubicon-foundation.org/9029. Retrieved 2011-01-11.
- ↑ Russ Bynum (5 May 2012). "Civil War shipwreck in the way of Ga. port project". http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2012/05/05/civil_war_shipwreck_in_the_way_of_ga_port_project/. Retrieved 7 May 2012.
 |
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Shipwrecks. |
Coordinates: 32°5′5″N 81°2′9″W / 32.08472°N 81.03583°W This article incorporates text from the public domain Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships.
| ||||||||
The original article can be found at CSS Georgia (battery) and the edit history here.