Again, the Weehawken only served in the Union Navy for less than a year.
On April 27, 1863, it led the fleet against Confederate defenses in Charleston Harbor and was hit 53 times and had a torpedo blow up under her, but suffered no real damage.
After repairs, the Weehawken was posted to Wassaw Sound, Georgia, and while there, June 17th, along with the monitor USS Nahant, forced the ironclad CSS Atlanta to surrender. In July, it participated in the attack on Fort Wagner on Morris Island. Then on September 7th, the Weehawken grounded near Fort Sumter and was seriously damaged by gunfire before getting off.
Repaired again, while moored on a moderate gale on December 6, 1863, the ship sank bow first in five minutes in thirty feet of water. Four officers and 27 men died. A Court of Inquiry was held. It was found that the Weehawken had recently taken on board an amount of heavy ammunition in its forward compartments. This reduced the forward free board, causing water to enter an open hawse pipe and hatch.
So, That's the Story. --B-Runner
The Battle of Fort Fisher, N.C.
