The Georgia & South Carolina Coast
Bars, sounds and blockade water
Low barrier islands, shifting bars and shallow sounds line a coast with few deep natural harbours.
Charleston and Savannah stood behind bars that shifted with every storm, and a vessel that missed the channel found shoal water at once. Hurricanes sweep the coast in late summer, and the long low shoreline offers no shelter to a ship caught offshore. During the Civil War the blockade concentrated shipping and fighting on these approaches, and blockade runners and warships were lost in numbers on the bars.
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Records in These Waters
Historical ListingAmazon
AH-WR-1716Charleston, South Carolina
December 19–20, 1861 · Whaling Bark (or Barque)
AvailableAntoinette
AH-WR-1743Murray’s Inlet, South Carolina
About April 26, 1863 · Schooner
Historical ListingArcher
AH-WR-1727Charleston, South Carolina
December 19–20, 1861 · Whaling Ship
AvailableBeatrice
AH-WR-0609Sullivan's Island, South Carolina
1864 · Blockade Runner
AvailableCelt
AH-WR-0603Sullivan's Island, South Carolina
1865 · Blockade Runner
AvailableChase
AH-WR-1742Cape Romain, South Carolina
A few days after April 26, 1862 · Schooner
AvailableColonel Long
AH-WR-1744Off the Georgia coast
1861 · Fishing Schooner
AvailableComet
AH-WR-1745Hawkinsville, Georgia
November or December 2, 1865; source gives alternatives · Side-Wheel Steamer
AvailableConstance
AH-WR-0602Isle of Palms, South Carolina
1864 · Blockade Runner
Historical ListingCSS Chicora
AH-WR-0547Charleston, South Carolina
1865 · Ironclad Ram
Historical ListingCSS Columbus
AH-WR-1741Ogeechee River, Georgia
1864; exact date not established · Screw Steamer
Historical ListingCSS Firefly
AH-WR-1746Savannah, Georgia
1864 · Side-Wheel Steamer
Historical ListingCSS Georgia
AH-WR-0792Savannah River, near Fort Jackson, Savannah, Georgia
1864 · Ironclad Floating Battery
Historical ListingCSS Georgiana
AH-WR-0117Isle of Palms, South Carolina
1863 · Blockade Runner
Historical ListingCSS Isondiga
AH-WR-1047Savannah River, Savannah, Georgia
1864 · Gunboat
Historical ListingCSS Nashville
AH-WR-0598Richmond Hill, Georgia
1863 · Side-Wheel Steamer / Commerce Raider
Historical ListingCSS Palmetto State
AH-WR-0548Charleston, South Carolina
1865 · Ironclad Ram
Historical ListingCSS Pee Dee
AH-WR-0358Mars Bluff, South Carolina
1865 · Gunboat
Historical ListingCSS Resolute
AH-WR-1048Savannah River, near the railroad bridge, Savannah, Georgia
1864 · Gunboat
Historical ListingCSS Savannah
AH-WR-1050Savannah River, Savannah, Georgia
1864 · Ironclad Ram
Historical ListingCSS Stono
AH-WR-0600Sullivan's Island, South Carolina
1863 · Screw Steamer / Gunboat
Historical ListingCSS Water Witch
AH-WR-0549White Bluff, near Savannah, Georgia
1864 · Side-Wheel Gunboat
AvailableDare
AH-WR-1043North Inlet, Georgetown, South Carolina
1864 · Blockade Runner
AvailableDelta Diamond
AH-WR-0875Ossabaw Island, Georgia
Date not established · Tugboat · 55 ft deep
Historical ListingDove
AH-WR-1731Charleston, South Carolina
January 25–26, 1862 · Whaling Bark
AvailableEdisto
AH-WR-1052Bull's Bay, South Carolina
1862 · Blockade Runner
AvailableElizabeth
AH-WR-1733Cape Romain, South Carolina
1862 · Schooner
AvailableEtiwan
AH-WR-0610Fort Johnson, James Island, Charleston Harbor, South Carolina
1864 · Blockade Runner
AvailableFlora
AH-WR-0608Sullivan's Island, South Carolina
1864 · Blockade Runner
AvailableFrederick W. Day
AH-WR-0872Charleston, South Carolina
1914 · Sailing Schooner · 40-60 deep
AvailableGeorge Washington
AH-WR-1734Cape Romain, South Carolina
1862 · Schooner
Historical ListingH. L. Hunley
AH-WR-0604Sullivan's Island, South Carolina
1864 · Submarine
Historical ListingHAZAR
AH-WR-0874Charleston, South Carolina
2025 · Torpedo Retriever Vessel
Historical ListingHelen
AH-WR-1041Charleston Harbor bar, South Carolina
1864 · Blockade Runner
AvailableHenry Bacon (dredge)
AH-WR-0877Ossabaw Island, Georgia
Date not established · Dredge · 55 ft deep
Historical ListingHMB Savannah
AH-WR-1045Savannah River, Savannah, Georgia
1779 · Armed Ship
Historical ListingJubilee
AH-WR-1706Charleston, South Carolina
January 25–26, 1862 · Bark
Historical ListingKensington
AH-WR-1704Charleston, South Carolina
December 19–20, 1861 · Ship
Historical ListingLeonidas
AH-WR-1703Charleston, South Carolina
December 19–20, 1861 · Bark
Historical ListingMajestic
AH-WR-1717Charleston, South Carolina
January 25–26, 1862 · Ship
Historical ListingMarcia
AH-WR-1728Port Royal, South Carolina
1862 · Bark
Historical ListingMaria Theresa
AH-WR-1702Charleston, South Carolina
December 19–20, 1861 · Whaling Ship
AvailableMary Bowers
AH-WR-0359Charleston, South Carolina
1864 · Blockade Runner
Historical ListingMeteor
AH-WR-1729Tybee Island, Georgia
Early 1862 · Ship
AvailableMinho
AH-WR-0607Sullivan's Island, South Carolina
1862 · Blockade Runner
Historical ListingNew England
AH-WR-1712Charleston, South Carolina
January 25–26, 1862 · Whaling Ship
AvailableNorseman
AH-WR-0360South Carolina coast
Early 20th century · Freighter
Historical ListingOld Savannah
AH-WR-1049Savannah River, Savannah, Georgia
1863 · Gunboat
AvailablePlanter
AH-WR-0119Cape Romain, South Carolina
1876 · Side-Wheel Steamer
Historical ListingPotomac
AH-WR-1718Charleston, South Carolina
December 19–20, 1861 · Whaling Ship
AvailablePresto
AH-WR-0601Sullivan's Island, South Carolina
1864 · Blockade Runner
AvailablePrince Albert
AH-WR-1470Fort Moultrie, Sullivan's Island, South Carolina
1864 · Blockade Runner
AvailableQueen of the Wave
AH-WR-1042Mouth of the North Santee River, South Carolina
1863 · Blockade Runner
AvailableRaccoon
AH-WR-1468Sullivan's Island, South Carolina
1863 · Blockade Runner
Historical ListingRebecca Sims
AH-WR-1705Charleston, South Carolina
December 19–20, 1861 · Whaling Ship
AvailableResearcher
AH-WR-0873Charleston, South Carolina
Date not established · Ship · 60-90 deep
Historical ListingRobin Hood
AH-WR-1644Charleston, South Carolina
December 1861 · Sailing Whaler
RegisteredRuby
AH-WR-0546Folly Island, South Carolina
1863 · Blockade Runner
AvailableSarah
AH-WR-1732Cape Romain, South Carolina
1862 · Schooner
AvailableSenasqua
AH-WR-0876Ossabaw Island, Georgia
Date not established · Tugboat · 55 ft deep
Historical ListingSouth America
AH-WR-1723Tybee Island, Georgia
Early December 1861 · Bark
AvailableSS Bloody Marsh
AH-WR-0606Approximately 80 miles offshore of South Carolina, near the Georgia state line
1943 · Oil Tanker · 1837 ft deep
RegisteredSS Central America
AH-WR-0224Offshore of Charleston, South Carolina
1857 · Sidewheel Steamship · About 7,200 feet deep
Historical ListingStephen Young
AH-WR-1713Charleston, South Carolina
January 25–26, 1862 · Brig
AvailableStonewall Jackson
AH-WR-1469Sullivan's Island, South Carolina
1863 · Blockade Runner
AvailableSusan Richards
AH-WR-0794Georgetown, South Carolina
2019 · Tugboat · 120 ft deep
AvailableSylvanus
AH-WR-1046Doboy Sound, Georgia
1864 · Schooner
Historical ListingTenedos
AH-WR-1643Charleston, South Carolina
December 1861 · Sailing Whaler
AvailableTheodore Stoney
AH-WR-1051Bull's Bay, South Carolina
1862 · Blockade Runner
Historical ListingUSCGC Comanche
AH-WR-0871Charleston, South Carolina
Sold by the Coast Guard in 1948; scuttled as an artificial reef in 1992. · Coast Guard Cutter · 90-105 deep
Historical ListingUSS Dai Ching
AH-WR-0599Combahee River, near Beaufort, South Carolina
1865 · Steam Gunboat
Historical ListingUSS George Washington
AH-WR-0605Port Royal Ferry, near Beaufort, South Carolina
1863 · Armed Transport Steamer
Historical ListingUSS Grampus
AH-WR-1422Off Charleston, South Carolina
1843 · Naval Schooner
Historical ListingUSS Harvest Moon
AH-WR-0545Georgetown, South Carolina
1865 · Side-Wheel Steamer / Gunboat
Historical ListingUSS Housatonic
AH-WR-0223Charleston, South Carolina
1864 · Sloop Of War · 25 to 30 feet deep
Historical ListingUSS Keokuk
AH-WR-0242Charleston, South Carolina
1863 · Ironclad
Historical ListingUSS Patapsco
AH-WR-0118Charleston Harbor, South Carolina
1865 · Monitor
Historical ListingUSS Vermilion
AH-WR-0793Georgetown, South Carolina
1988 · Attack Cargo Ship · 120 ft deep
Historical ListingUSS Weehawken
AH-WR-0241Charleston, South Carolina
1863 · Monitor
AvailableVenus
AH-WR-1044Savannah River, Savannah, Georgia
1779 · Transport
Historical ListingWilliam Lee
AH-WR-1722Charleston, South Carolina
December 19–20, 1861 · Whaling Ship
