CSS Selma
Confederate Navy Side-wheel Gunboat
American Civil War

CSS Selma (1861-1864), named Florida in 1861-62.
Later USS Selma (1864-1865)

CSS Selma , a 320-ton side-wheel gunboat, was built in 1856 at Mobile, Alabama, as the civilian coastal steamer Florida . Taken over by the Confederate Government in April 1861, she was converted to a warship, retaining the name Florida . She served in the New Orleans, Lake Ponchartrain, Mississippi Sound and Mobile Bay areas throughout her career, successfully engaging the U.S. Navy ship Massachusetts on 19 October 1861 and the USS Montgomery on 4 December of that year. The gunboat was renamed Selma in July 1862. She was sunk by a snag near Mobile in February 1863, but was quickly repaired and returned to service.

During the Battle of Mobile Bay on 5 August 1864, Selma , commanded by First Lieutenant Peter U. Murphey , was one of three Confederate gunboats that joined CSS Tennessee in fighting the Union fleet as it passed Fort Morgan. After the Federal ships had entered Mobile Bay, USS Metacomet was sent in chase of the Selma . Following an hour's pursuit, the Confederate ship was hit by gunfire and forced to surrender.

Immediately taken into U.S. Navy service as USS Selma , she helped bombard Fort Morgan later in August and served in Mobile Bay until January 1865, when she was transferred to New Orleans, Louisiana. Selma decommissioned in July 1865 and was sold at that time to civilian owners. She thereafter operated as a merchant steamer under the same name. On 24 June 1868, the SS Selma foundered off the mouth of the Brazos River, Texas.

"Battle of Mobile Bay, August 5, 1864"
Reproduction of an 1864 pen & ink drawing by George S. Waterman, C.S.N., depicting the action as seen from above and inside the entrance to Mobile Bay.
Confederate ships present are (as identified on the drawing): Selma , Morgan , Gaines (shown twice, in the battle line, and beached off Fort Morgan after the battle) and Tennessee.
Union monitors shown are (from the front of the line): Tecumseh (sinking after striking a mine), Manhattan , Winnebago and Chickasaw. The leading two steam sloops in the Union line are Brooklyn and Hartford .
Small diagram in the lower right represents the various efforts by Union ships to ram the Tennessee later in the action.

Capture of CSS Selma by USS Metacomet , 5 August 1864
Engraving by Winham, "from a War-time sketch", published in "Battles and Leaders of the Civil War", depicting an incident of the Battle of Mobile Bay.


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






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

Life in Mr. Lincoln's Navy
A tantalizing glimpse into the hardships endured by the naval leadership to build and recruit a fighting force. The seaman endured periods of boredom, punctuated by happy social times and terrifying bouts of battle horror

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

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

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
United States Army History Timeline

Sources:
U.S. National Park Service
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US Naval Archives