CSS Neuse
Encyclopedia
The CSS Neuse was an ironclad warship
of the Confederate States Navy
during the American Civil War
. The remains of the ship can now be seen at an exhibit in Kinston, North Carolina
as the CSS Neuse State Historic Site and Governor Caswell Memorial. The ship is listed on the National Register of Historic Places
.
(her namesake) in North Carolina
from the small village of Whitehall (present day Seven Springs
). She was designed similarly to the . Her hull structure was 158 feet (48.2 m) long by 34 feet (10.4 m) wide made of mostly pine
wood, abundant in the region. Many delays were incurred due to the lack of materials, mostly wrought iron
for her deck plating. The Confederate Army exercised priority over the Navy on use of the railroads.
rifled cannon
(similar to a Parrott rifle
). Each weighed more than 12,000 pounds.
under Maj. Gen. William Tecumseh Sherman
.
Bids are being place on the final resting site of the CSS Neuse in a climate controlled site in downtown Kinston.
As there are only 3 surviving civil war era ironclads in existence , CSS Neuse, USS Cairo , CSS Jackson
soon Cairo will be the only one out doors in the brutal Southern climate.
Ironclad warship
An ironclad was a steam-propelled warship in the early part of the second half of the 19th century, protected by iron or steel armor plates. The ironclad was developed as a result of the vulnerability of wooden warships to explosive or incendiary shells. The first ironclad battleship, La Gloire,...
of the Confederate States Navy
Confederate States Navy
The Confederate States Navy was the naval branch of the Confederate States armed forces established by an act of the Confederate Congress on February 21, 1861. It was responsible for Confederate naval operations during the American Civil War...
during the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
. The remains of the ship can now be seen at an exhibit in Kinston, North Carolina
Kinston, North Carolina
Kinston is a city in Lenoir County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 23,688 at the 2000 census. The population was estimated at 22,360 in 2008. It has been the county seat of Lenoir County since its formation in 1791 . Kinston is located in North Carolina's Inner Banks...
as the CSS Neuse State Historic Site and Governor Caswell Memorial. The ship is listed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
.
Construction
A contract for the construction on the CSS Neuse was signed on 17 October 1862 by the shipbuilding company of Thomas Howard and Elijah Ellis and the Confederate Navy. Work began in October on the bank across the Neuse RiverNeuse River
The Neuse River is a river rising in the Piedmont of North Carolina and emptying into Pamlico Sound below New Bern. Its total length is approximately , making it the longest river entirely contained in North Carolina. The Trent River joins it at New Bern. Its drainage basin, measuring in area,...
(her namesake) in North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
from the small village of Whitehall (present day Seven Springs
Seven Springs, North Carolina
Seven Springs is a town in Wayne County, North Carolina, United States. The 2006 population was estimated at 85. It is included in the Goldsboro, North Carolina Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:Seven Springs is located at ....
). She was designed similarly to the . Her hull structure was 158 feet (48.2 m) long by 34 feet (10.4 m) wide made of mostly pine
Pine
Pines are trees in the genus Pinus ,in the family Pinaceae. They make up the monotypic subfamily Pinoideae. There are about 115 species of pine, although different authorities accept between 105 and 125 species.-Etymology:...
wood, abundant in the region. Many delays were incurred due to the lack of materials, mostly wrought iron
Wrought iron
thumb|The [[Eiffel tower]] is constructed from [[puddle iron]], a form of wrought ironWrought iron is an iron alloy with a very low carbon...
for her deck plating. The Confederate Army exercised priority over the Navy on use of the railroads.
Armament
She was fitted with two 6.4 inches (162.6 mm) BrookeJohn Mercer Brooke
John Mercer Brooke was an American sailor, engineer, scientist, and educator. He was instrumental in the creation of the Transatlantic Cable, and was a noted marine and military innovator.-Early life and career:...
rifled cannon
Brooke rifle
The Brooke rifle was a type of rifled, muzzle-loading naval and coast defense gun designed by John Mercer Brooke, an officer in the Confederate States Navy. They were produced by plants in Richmond, Virginia and Selma, Alabama between 1861 and 1865 during the American Civil War...
(similar to a Parrott rifle
Parrott rifle
The Parrott rifle was a type of muzzle loading rifled artillery weapon used extensively in the American Civil War.-Parrott Rifle:The gun was invented by Robert Parker Parrott, a West Point graduate. He resigned from the service in 1836 and became the superintendent of the West Point Foundry in Cold...
). Each weighed more than 12,000 pounds.
Service history
Launched in November 1863, Neuse sailed in April 1864 for duty on the inland waters of North Carolina as part of the force under Comdr. R. F. Pinkney, CSN. Shortly thereafter she grounded off Kinston and remained fast for almost a month. She never left the river, and in March 1865 she was burned by the Confederates to escape capture by the Union ArmyUnion Army
The Union Army was the land force that fought for the Union during the American Civil War. It was also known as the Federal Army, the U.S. Army, the Northern Army and the National Army...
under Maj. Gen. William Tecumseh Sherman
William Tecumseh Sherman
William Tecumseh Sherman was an American soldier, businessman, educator and author. He served as a General in the Union Army during the American Civil War , for which he received recognition for his outstanding command of military strategy as well as criticism for the harshness of the "scorched...
.
Recovery
Nearly a century later the remains of the ship were discovered. It was raised in 1963. Later the ship was installed beside the river at the Governor Caswell Memorial in Kinston.Bids are being place on the final resting site of the CSS Neuse in a climate controlled site in downtown Kinston.
As there are only 3 surviving civil war era ironclads in existence , CSS Neuse, USS Cairo , CSS Jackson
CSS Muscogee
CSS Muscogee also known as CSS Jackson was a Confederate States Navy ironclad ram, powered by a steam driven screw and deployed on the Chattahoochee River during the American Civil War....
soon Cairo will be the only one out doors in the brutal Southern climate.