Seal of the Department of the Navy

This is a list of ships of the Confederate States Navy (CSN), used by the Confederate States of America during the American Civil War between 1861 and 1865. Included are some types of civilian vessels, such as blockade runners, steamboats, and privateers which contributed to the war efforts by the CSN. Also included are special types of floating batteries and harbor defense craft.

CSN Warships

The Secretary of the CS Navy, Stephen Mallory, was very aggressive on a limited budget in a land-focused war, and developed a two-pronged warship strategy of building ironclad warships for coastal and national defense, and commerce raiding cruisers, supplemented with exploratory use of special weapons such as torpedo boats and torpedoes.

Batteries

Based upon the successful employment of ironclad warships, particularly batteries, at the Battle of Kinburn, Britain and France decided to focus on armor plated warships, starting with coastal battery designs. Initial ocean going ironclad cruisers, such as the French Gloire and the British HMS Warrior were only just emerging in 1859 and 1860, and were beyond the budget and timeline necessary for rapid force deployment that the CS Navy needed for immediate coastal defenses in 1861.

Therefore, the Confederate Congress voted $2 million in May 1861 to buy ironclads from overseas, and in July and August started work on construction and converting wooden ships locally. On 12 October 1861, the Manassas became the first ironclad to enter battle when she fought Union warships on the Mississippi. In February 1862, the even larger Virginia joined the Confederate Navy, having been built at Norfolk. The Confederacy built a number of ships designed as versions of the Virginia, of which several saw action. In the failed attack on Charleston on April 7, 1863, two small ironclads, Palmetto State and Chicora participated in the successful defense of the harbor. For the later attack at Mobile Bay, the Union faced the Tennessee.

Ironclad steam powered batteries

Ex-CSS USS Atlanta on the James River, photo by Mathew Brady
CSS Chicora
CSS Muscogee also known as CSS Jackson
Ex-CSS USS Tennessee
Ex-USS Merrimac/CSS Virginia
CSS Albemarle

The CS Navy ironclad steamer batteries were all designed for national coastal defense.

Ironclad floating batteries

CS Navy ironclad floating batteries lacked steam engines for propulsion and were towed into firing positions.

Wooden floating batteries

The Floating Battery of Charleston Harbor

CS Navy wooden floating batteries were towed into firing positions, and as in the case at Charleston Harbor, used for makeshift defense.

Cruisers

CS Navy cruisers were ocean-going ships designed primarily for the Confederate Navy's strategy of guerre de course. Confederate States Navy cruisers were typically lightly armed, with a couple of large guns or a pivot gun, and often very fast. The Navy planned to add ironclad cruisers to their fleet, successfully procuring one, but too late to be of benefit for the war.

Wooden cruisers

Ironclad cruisers

But the CS Navy attempts to procure ironclad cruisers from overseas were frustrated as European nations confiscated ships being built for the Confederacy. Only the Stonewall was completed and successfully delivered, and she arrived in American waters just in time for the end of the war.

Gunboats

Top picture CSS Lady Davis May 18, 1861
CSS Teaser at the right
CSS Governor Moore

Torpedo boats

Photograph of a captured David class torpedo boat (possibly CSS David herself), taken after the fall of Charleston in 1865

CSN Support ships

Government blockade runners

CSS Robert E Lee
CSS William G Hewes later USS Malvern
CSS Florida renamed USS Henderick Hudson
CSS Lady Sterling renamed USS Hornet

Government steamers

Federal ram USS Queen of the West attacks CSS City of Vicksburg.

Government transports

CSS Planter

Cutters

Hospital ships

Tenders and tugs

Uncle Ben captured 1861

Civilian auxiliary

Privateers

Privateer submersible torpedo boats

Civilian steamers

Civilian transports

Civilian blockade runners

Ella and Annie as USS Malvern

Foreign blockade runners


CS Army

CSA cotton-clads

USS (ex-CSS) Little Rebel
USS {later CSS} Queen of the West
CSS Stonewall Jackson
CSS Governor Moore after the fight
Ex-CSS USS General Bragg
Ex-CSS General Price
CSS Webb burned April 1865

Used for river defense, CS Army cottonclads were typically more lightly armored and reinforced than a regular ironclad, such as the General Sterling Price, which was converted by placing a 4-inch oak sheath with a 1-inch iron covering on her bow, and by installing double pine bulkheads filled with compressed cotton bales. Many of the cottonclads were outfitted with rams.

River Defense Fleet cotton-clads:

Other CS Army cotton-clads:

Other CSA Boats

Prizes

Undetermined

See also

References

  1. ^ "Albemarle". Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. Navy Department, Naval History and Heritage Command. Retrieved 2020-02-29.
  2. ^ "Arkansas (Ironclad Ram)". Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. Navy Department, Naval History and Heritage Command. Retrieved 2020-02-29.
  3. ^ "Atlanta". Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. Navy Department, Naval History and Heritage Command. Retrieved 2020-02-29.
  4. ^ "Baltic". Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. Navy Department, Naval History and Heritage Command. Retrieved 2020-02-29.
  5. ^ "Charleston". Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. Navy Department, Naval History and Heritage Command. Retrieved 2020-02-29.
  6. ^ "Chicora". Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. Navy Department, Naval History and Heritage Command. Retrieved 2020-02-29.
  7. ^ "Columbia". Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. Navy Department, Naval History and Heritage Command. Retrieved 2020-02-29.
  8. ^ "Eastport". Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. Navy Department, Naval History and Heritage Command. Retrieved 2020-02-29.
  9. ^ "Fredericksburg". Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. Navy Department, Naval History and Heritage Command. Retrieved 2020-02-29.
  10. ^ "Huntsville". Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. Navy Department, Naval History and Heritage Command. Retrieved 2020-02-29.
  11. ^ "Louisiana". Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. Navy Department, Naval History and Heritage Command. Retrieved 2020-02-29.
  12. ^ "Manassas". Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. Navy Department, Naval History and Heritage Command. Retrieved 2020-02-29.
  13. ^ "Milledgeville". Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. Navy Department, Naval History and Heritage Command. Retrieved 2020-02-29.
  14. ^ "Mississippi". Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. Navy Department, Naval History and Heritage Command. Retrieved 2020-02-29.
  15. ^ "Missouri". Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. Navy Department, Naval History and Heritage Command. Retrieved 2020-02-29.
  16. ^ "Mobile". Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. Navy Department, Naval History and Heritage Command. Retrieved 2020-02-29.
  17. ^ "Muscogee". Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. Navy Department, Naval History and Heritage Command. Retrieved 2020-02-29.
  18. ^ "Nashville". Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. Navy Department, Naval History and Heritage Command. Retrieved 2020-02-29.
  19. ^ "Neuse". Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. Navy Department, Naval History and Heritage Command. Retrieved 2020-02-29.
  20. ^ "North Carolina". Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. Navy Department, Naval History and Heritage Command. Retrieved 2020-02-29.
  21. ^ "Palmetto State". Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. Navy Department, Naval History and Heritage Command. Retrieved 2020-02-29.
  22. ^ "Raleigh". Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. Navy Department, Naval History and Heritage Command. Retrieved 2020-02-29.
  23. ^ "Richmond". Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. Navy Department, Naval History and Heritage Command. Retrieved 2020-02-29.
  24. ^ "Savannah". Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. Navy Department, Naval History and Heritage Command. Retrieved 2020-02-29.
  25. ^ a b "Tennessee". Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. Navy Department, Naval History and Heritage Command. Retrieved 2020-02-29.
  26. ^ "Texas". Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. Navy Department, Naval History and Heritage Command. Retrieved 2020-02-29.
  27. ^ "Tuscaloosa". Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. Navy Department, Naval History and Heritage Command. Retrieved 2020-02-29.
  28. ^ "Virginia". Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. Navy Department, Naval History and Heritage Command. Retrieved 2020-02-29.
  29. ^ "Virginia II (Ironclad Steam Sloop)". Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. Navy Department, Naval History and Heritage Command. Retrieved 2020-02-29.
  30. ^ "Wilmington". Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. Navy Department, Naval History and Heritage Command. Retrieved 2020-02-29.
  31. ^ "Arctic". Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. Navy Department, Naval History and Heritage Command. Retrieved 2020-03-06.
  32. ^ "Georgia". Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. Navy Department, Naval History and Heritage Command. Retrieved 2020-02-29.
  33. ^ "Phoenix". Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. Navy Department, Naval History and Heritage Command. Retrieved 2020-03-06.
  34. ^ "Danube". Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. Navy Department, Naval History and Heritage Command. Retrieved 2020-03-06.
  35. ^ "Memphis". Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. Navy Department, Naval History and Heritage Command. Retrieved 2020-03-06.
  36. ^ "New Orleans". Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. Navy Department, Naval History and Heritage Command. Retrieved 2020-02-29.
  37. ^ Page 77, Clowes, William Laird, Four Modern Naval Campaigns, pub Unit Library, 1902, reprinted Cormarket Press, ISBN 0-7191-2020-9
  38. ^ More old Peruvian ships, page 1, American and French made ships
    See also Spanish Wikipedia article on BAP Union.
  39. ^ Chesneau, Roger & Kolesnik, Eugene M, eds. (1979). Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1860–1905. Greenwich: Conway Maritime Press. ISBN 0-8317-0302-4.
  40. ^ "Anglo-Norman". Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. Navy Department, Naval History and Heritage Command. Retrieved 2020-03-14.
  41. ^ "David". Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. Navy Department, Naval History and Heritage Command. Retrieved 2020-03-06.
  42. ^ "Gunnison". Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. Navy Department, Naval History and Heritage Command. Retrieved 2020-03-06.
  43. ^ "Hornet". Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. Navy Department, Naval History and Heritage Command. Retrieved 2020-03-06.
  44. ^ "Juno". Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. Navy Department, Naval History and Heritage Command. Retrieved 2020-03-06.
  45. ^ Lettens, Jan. "CSS Midge (+1865)". Wrecksite. Retrieved 6 March 2020.
  46. ^ "Scorpion". Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. Navy Department, Naval History and Heritage Command. Retrieved 2020-03-06.
  47. ^ "Squib". Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. Navy Department, Naval History and Heritage Command. Retrieved 2020-03-06.
  48. ^ "St. Patrick". Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. Navy Department, Naval History and Heritage Command. Retrieved 2020-03-06.
  49. ^ "Torch". Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. Navy Department, Naval History and Heritage Command. Retrieved 2020-03-06.
  50. ^ "Wasp". Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. Navy Department, Naval History and Heritage Command. Retrieved 2020-03-06.
  51. ^ "Satellite". Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. Navy Department, Naval History and Heritage Command. Retrieved 2020-02-29.
  52. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q Anderson, George W. (1969). Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. Vol. II. Washington DC: United States Government Printing Office. pp. 584&585.
  53. ^ "White Cloud". Confederate Ships. Naval History and Heritage Command, US Navy. Retrieved 5 January 2024.

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