CSS Saint Patrick
Confederate Torpedo Boat
American Civil War

Saint Patrick (Confederate torpedo boat, 1864-1865)

Saint Patrick , a small semi-submersible torpedo boat, was privately built at Selma, Alabama, in 1864. Operating under the Confederate Army's control, but with a C.S. Navy commanding officer, she attacked USS Octorara in Mobile Bay on 28 January 1865. However, her torpedo misfired, and the Union ship was not damaged. St. Patrick was able to escape the return fire and return to Mobile.

"Incident on board the 'Octorara', January 26, 1865"

Line engraving published in "Harper's Weekly", February 1865, depicting the attack on USS Octorara by the Confederate torpedo boat St. Patrick , in Mobile Bay, Alabama.


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.


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American Civil War Naval Book Titles

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
Confederate Blockade Runner 1861-65
The blockade runners of the Civil War usually began life as regular fast steam-powered merchant ships. They were adapted for the high-speed dashes through the Union blockade which closed off all the major Southern ports, and for much of the war they brought much-needed food, clothing and weaponry to the Confederacy
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.
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

Civil War History Documentary DVD Movie Titles

Halls of Honor
The U.S. Navy Museum takes you on an informed and entertaining romp through one of North America s oldest and finest military museums. The museum has been in continuous operation at the Washington Navy Yard since the American Civil War
Raise The Alabama
She was known as "the ghost ship." During the Civil War, the CSS Alabama sailed over 75,000 miles and captured more than 60 Union vessels. But her career came to an end in June of 1864 when she was sunk by the USS Kearsarge off the coast of Northern France
The Civil War - A Film by Ken Burns
Here is the saga of celebrated generals and ordinary soldiers, a heroic and transcendent president and a country that had to divide itself in two in order to become one
Civil War Combat: America's Bloodiest Battles
The violent mayhem of the hornet's nest at Shiloh, the valiant charge on the sunken road at Antietam, the carnage in the wheat field at Gettysburg, and the brutal fighting at Cold Harbor


American Military Gear Recruiter and History
United States Marines gear history and support of Semper Fi Fund
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Sources:
U.S. National Park Service
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US Naval Archives