Maple Leaf
Sidewheel Steamer · United States · Lost 1864 · Florida's Atlantic Coast
A Union Army transport sunk by a Confederate mine in the St. Johns River, later excavated as one of the richest Civil War archaeological sites.
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The Vessel and Her Loss
Maple Leaf was a Canadian-built sidewheel steamer chartered by the Union Army as a transport during the Civil War. On 1 April 1864 she struck a Confederate mine in the St. Johns River near Mandarin Point and sank with the loss of four lives. Buried in river mud, the wreck was rediscovered in 1984 and extensively excavated, yielding one of the largest collections of well-preserved Civil War artifacts ever recovered. The site is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Vessel
- 1851
- Not established
- Kingston, Canada West
- Wood
- 181 ft
- Not established
- Not established
- Steam, side wheel
- Union Army (chartered)
Loss
- April 1, 1864
- Enemy action
- St. Johns River near Mandarin Point, Florida
- St. Johns River
- Jacksonville, Florida
- Army supplies, officers' personal baggage
- Not established
- 4
- Not established
The Wreck Today
- 20 ft
- Buried in river mud, well preserved
- Not established
- 1984
- Listed on the National Register of Historic Places
Position
- 30.15° N 81.68° W
- Approximate position
- Mandarin Point, Florida
Evidence
Overall confidence: Well documented (90/100)
National Park Service National Register of Historic Places
Construction, loss, and significance
St. Johns Archaeological Expeditions
Excavation findings and artifact analysis
