There was one US Navy ship that was blown up to destroy a fort. Well, that was the plan any way.
There have been four US Navy ships by the name of the Louisiana, and one Confederate one. The newest is the SSBN-743 USS Louisiana, the 18th and last Trident submarine launched in 1996. The first was a sloop built Dec. 1812 that operated in the War of 1812 and helped protect New Orleans.
The second USS Louisiana is the one we're interested in which and was a side wheel steamer commissioned in 1861. It joined the North Atlantic Blockading Squadron and helped defend Washing, NC, in Dec. 1862. It was blown up off Fort Fisher on Christmas Eve, 1864, in an attempt to knock the fort's earthen walls down.
It was 295 tons, 143 feet long. 27 feet beam, carried a crew of 85 and armed with an 18 inch Dahlgren smoothbore, 1 32-pdr, and 1 12-pdr D. rifle..
In 1994, a state underwater archaeologist and students from East Carolina University conducted a survey of wrecks off Fort Fisher and found many, but no trace of the Louisiana. Not surprising since it was loaded with gunpowder when ignited.
The third USS Louisiana was BB-19, a battleship that was commissioned in 1906.
Talk About a Show, --B-R'er
The Battle of Fort Fisher, N.C.
