The Battle of Fort Fisher, N.C.

Tuesday, December 22, 2009

Talking About the CSS Georgia

A recent entry on Craig Swann's To the Sound of Guns blog about Civil War battlefields and markers was about a cannon recovered from the CSS Georgia and the ship itself.

Mike Stroud of Bluffton, SC, went to Fort Jackson outside Savannah, Georgia to take pictures of the CSS Georgia's cannon. The ship was sunk by Confederates right off the fort when Sherman was about to occupy the city.

A 24-pounder Howitzer has been recovered from the Georgia. It likely was mounted over the forward spar deck and used for close quarter action. Mike got lots of close up shots of it.


AN UNEVENTFUL HISTORY

That pretty well describes the history of the CSS Georgia. It was built with money raised by the Ladies Gunboat Association of Savannah and launched in May 1862. The ship was a part of the Savannah River Squadron.

It had the capability of carrying ten cannons: four on each broadside and one fore and one aft. The ship was severely underpowered and essentially served as a floating battery, moored by Fort Jackson. The cause was the use of railroad iron being used instead of rolled iron which caused the vessel to be too heavy.

It was scuttled December 10, 1864.

Also recovered from the ship is a 32-pounder rifled and banded Navy gun. Three other guns are still in the wreck: a 6-pounder cannon, VIII-inch Navy shell gun and another banded 32-pounder.

For some good pictures:
http://markerhunter.wordpress.com/?s=css+georgia

Looking Forward to These Being Recovered. Maybe put one in the CSS Neuse II in Kinston, NC. --Old B-Runner

No comments: