AH-WR-0041

Circassian

Cargo Ship · United Kingdom · Lost 1876 · Long Island & the New York Approaches

A stranded iron cargo ship off Bridgehampton whose 1876 breakup in a winter storm killed ten Shinnecock salvagers along with crew and salvors, a tragedy still remembered in the Shinnecock community.

Become Captain of Record See Shipwreck on Map

Artistic recreation based on recorded historical documents. See the documented evidence.

Interpretive Reconstruction, drawn to convey the vessel's era, type and general form. See the documented evidence.

The Vessel and Her Loss

Circassian was an iron-hulled British cargo ship that ran aground on a sandbar off Mecox Bay near Bridgehampton, Long Island, in December 1876. Salvage crews, including many men from the nearby Shinnecock Nation, worked for weeks trying to free her. A violent storm on December 29 finally broke the ship apart while people were still aboard, killing 28 people, including ten Shinnecock salvagers. The disaster remains a solemn part of Shinnecock and East End Long Island history.

Vessel

Built: Not established
Builder: Not established
Yard: Not established
Material: Iron
Length: Not established
Beam: Not established
Tonnage: Not established
Propulsion: Sail
Owners: Not established

Loss

Date: December 29, 1876
Cause: Storm
Location: Off Mecox Bay, near Bridgehampton, Long Island
Water: Atlantic Ocean
Voyage: New York
Cargo: Not established
Aboard: Not established
Lives lost: 28
Master: Not established

The Wreck Today

Depth: Not established
Condition: Not established
Orientation: Not established
Discovered: Not established
Protection: Not established

Position

Coordinates: 40.90° N 72.33° W
Accuracy: General area only
Nearest: Bridgehampton, Long Island, New York
Region: Long Island & the New York Approaches

General area only: coordinate of Mecox Bay from the USGS Geographic Names Information System, marking the named place of loss recorded for this vessel, not a surveyed wreck position.

Evidence

Overall confidence: Partially documented (65/100)

The vessel's builder, year built, and precise dimensions are not established in the sources reviewed.

Southampton History Museum
Loss narrative, salvage effort, and casualty details.
New York Almanack
Additional historical context and Shinnecock community impact.
USGS Geographic Names Information System (via MyTopo) — Mecox Bay
coordinate of the named place of loss (Mecox Bay)