AH-WR-0547

CSS Chicora

Ironclad Ram · Confederate States of America · Lost 1865 · The Georgia & South Carolina Coast

A Confederate ironclad ram that fought Union blockaders off Charleston, burned by her own crew as the city fell in 1865.

Artistic recreation based on recorded historical documents.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

Historically Reconstructed. Drawn from partial documentation of this vessel together with her known class and configuration. See the documented evidence.

The Vessel and Her Loss

CSS Chicora was one of two ironclad rams built at Charleston in 1862 to defend the harbor. On 31 January 1863 she and CSS Palmetto State attacked the Union blockading squadron, disabling several ships. Chicora continued to defend Charleston through the long siege of the city. When Confederate forces evacuated Charleston on 18 February 1865, her crew burned and scuttled her in the harbor to keep her from Union hands.

Vessel

Built: 1862
Builder: James M. Eason
Yard: Charleston, South Carolina
Material: Iron
Length: 172 ft
Beam: 35 ft
Tonnage: 850
Propulsion: Steam engine, single screw
Owners: Confederate States Navy

Loss

Date: February 18, 1865
Cause: Intentional sinking
Location: Charleston Harbor, South Carolina
Water: Charleston Harbor
Voyage: Not established
Cargo: Not established
Aboard: Not established
Lives lost: Not established
Master: Not established

The Wreck Today

Depth: Not established
Condition: Not established in the sources reviewed
Orientation: Not established
Discovered: Not established
Protection: Not established

Position

Coordinates: 32.76° N 79.90° W
Accuracy: General area only
Nearest: Charleston, South Carolina
Region: The Georgia & South Carolina Coast

General area only: coordinate of Charleston Harbor from the USGS Geographic Names Information System, marking the named body of water of loss recorded for this vessel, not a surveyed wreck position.

Evidence

Overall confidence: Documented (75/100)

Precise wreck location and present condition in Charleston Harbor are not established in the sources reviewed.

Naval History and Heritage Command
Build, armament, service, and loss details.
USGS Geographic Names Information System — Charleston Harbor, South Carolina
coordinate of the named place of loss