CSS Albemarle Civil War Confederate Ironclad Ram

CSS Albemarle
Civil War Confederate Ironclad Ram

CSS Albemarle (1864-1864)

CSS Albemarle , a relatively small ironclad ram, was built at Edwards Ferry, North Carolina. Commissioned in April 1864 under the command of Commander J.W. Cooke , CSN, she almost immediately went into action. On 19 April 1864, Albemarle attacked U.S. ships off Plymouth, N.C., sinking USS Southfield and driving away USS Miami and two other gunboats. With their waterborne communications severed, the Union forces were forced to surrender Plymouth to the Confederates.

Just over two weeks later, on 5 May, Albemarle , accompanied by the steamers Cotton Plant and Bombshell , steamed out into the North Carolina Sounds and attacked another U.S. Navy force, consisting of the "Double-ender" gunboats Sassacus , Wyalusing and Mattabesett , converted ferryboat Commodore Hull and small gunboat Ceres . Though Sassacus made a valiant attempt to sink the Albemarle by ramming, she was badly damaged in return. The Confederate ironclad was but lightly damaged in the engagement, which threatened the entire Union position on North Carolina's internal waters.

Desperate circumstances yield desperate responses, and on the night of 27-28 October 1864, Lieutenant William B. Cushing , USN, took the torpedo boat Picket Boat Number One upriver to Plymouth and bravely attacked Albemarle at her berth, sinking her with a spar torpedo. Following the Union recapture of the town, Albemarle was refloated. Taken to the Norfolk Navy Yard in April 1865, she remained there until sold in October 1867.

19th Century photographic reproduction of an artwork
Confederate navy vessel

At the Norfolk Navy Yard, Virginia, after salvage, circa 1865.
Two ladies are standing on her deck, near a section of displaced casemate armor.
Confederate ship Virginia Naval Yard class type ram

The Hunt for the Albemarle: Anatomy of a Gunboat War
The Confederate ironclad Albemarle was the key to the river wars in North Carolina.

Wolf of the Deep: Raphael Semmes and the Notorious Confederate Raider CSS Alabama
In July 1862, the Confederate captain Raphael Semmes received orders to report to Liverpool, where he would take command of a secret new British-built steam warship.

Confederate Ironclad 1861-65
Every aspect of Confederate ironclads is covered: design, construction, armor, armament, life on board, strategy, tactics, and actual combat actions.

Ironclad of the Roanoke: Gilbert Elliott's Albemarle
The story of a Confederate Ironcald that was a powerful force until sunk by a Union Torpedo Boat after its brief stormy life. Ironic in the fact it was built in a Cornfield. Confederate Ingenunity at it finest!

Ironclads and Big Guns of the Confederacy : The Journal and Letters of John M. Brooke
Information about the Confederate Navy's effort to supply its fledgling forces, the wartime diaries and letters of John M. Brooke tell the neglected story of the Confederate naval ordnance office, its innovations, and its strategic vision.

The Hunley: Submarines, Sacrifice, and Success in the Civil War
Information on the contruction of the first successful submarine and the mishaps that plagued it. The photos and illustrations are great. You really get the feeling of the importance of this vessel and the dedication of the crew and the designers of the submarine

Halftone reproduction of a photograph taken after the ship was salvaged, 1865
CSS albermarle Confederate Ram ship

Engraving published in "Harper's Weekly", May 1864, depicting CSS Albemarle driving off USS Miami , after ramming and sinking USS Southfield (foreground), 19 April 1864.

U.S.S. Sassacus and C.S.S. Albemarle
19th Century photograph of an artwork, depicting USS Sassacus ramming the Confederate ironclad, during Albemarle 's engagement with Federal gunboats on Albemarle Sound, North Carolina, 5 May 1864.
Sassacus was hit in a boiler and disabled during this action. Albemarle was not significantly damaged by the ramming or by gunfire.

Cushings Daring and Successful Exploit
Artwork by Bacon, published in "Deeds of Valor"
It depicts the attack on CSS Albemarle by a torpedo launch commanded by Lieutenant William B. Cushing, USN, at Plymouth, North Carolina, 27 October 1864.
The torpedo boat is shown crashing over Albemarle 's protective log boom to deliver its torpedo against the ironclad's hull.

Sunk off Plymouth, North Carolina, circa 1865. She had been sunk on 27-28 October 1864 by a torpedo boat. One section of her armored casemate has been displaced.
Photographed by W.B. Rose for A.J. Smith of New Berne, NC. Taken from the wharf at Plymouth, with the swamp and woods opposite the town in the background.

American Civil War Naval Book Titles
Confederate Ironclad vs Union Ironclad: Hampton Roads 1862 The Ironclad was a revolutionary weapon of war. Although iron was used for protection in the Far East during the 16th century, it was the 19th century and the American Civil War that heralded the first modern armored self-propelled warships. Release date Nov. 2008	Year on a Monitor and the Destruction of Fort Sumter Personal view of the Civil War Navy. The monitor saw action in several significant naval assaults by the Union's Squadron. It took part in the failed Federal attack on Sumter in April 1863. The "Nahant" also participated in the capture of the Confederate Ram "Atlanta," and in the assault on Fort Wagner	Blockaders, Refugees, and Contrabands: Civil War on Florida'S Gulf Coast, 1861-1865 Coastal Florida had a refugee crisis as the war progressed. Escaped slaves ("contrabands") sought out the blockaders. Some joined the U.S. Navy. White men and their families sought to avoid conscription or vengeful neighbors/regulators and eventually sought refuge with the blockaders	War, Technology, and Experience aboard the USS Monitor The experience of the men aboard the Monitor and their reactions to the thrills and dangers that accompanied the new machine. The invention surrounded men with iron and threatened their heroism, their self-image as warriors, even their lives
Confederate Submarines and Torpedo Vessels 1861-65 Interesting information and many excellent illustrations. It addresses the CSA David class torpedo boats and the Hunley (and its predecessors), as well as Union examples such as the Alligator and the Spuyten Duyvil	Reign of Iron: The Story of the First Battling Ironclads, the Monitor and the Merrimack The first ironclad ships to fight each other, the Monitor and the Virginia (Merrimack), were the unique products of American design genius	The Civil War on Hatteras Island North Carolina New light on the experiences of Civil War soldiers stationed on the Outer Banks. It follows the crucial maritime battles along the Outer Banks and the famous Burnsides Expedition. Aa fascinating history of how one of America's most treasured islands played a significant part in the Civil War	Confederate Phoenix: The CSS Virginia The CSS Virginia of the Confederate States Navy destroyed two of the most formidable warships in the U.S. Navy. Suddenly, with this event, every wooden warship in every navy in the world became totally obsolete

American Military Gear Recruiter and History
United States Marines gear history and support of Semper Fi Fund

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U.S. National Park Service
U.S. Library of Congress
US Naval Archives

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