AH-WR-0548

CSS Palmetto State

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

A Confederate ironclad that rammed and forced the surrender of a Union warship off Charleston before being burned in the city's 1865 evacuation.

Artistic recreation based on recorded historical documents.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 Palmetto State was completed at Charleston in 1862 as one of two locally built ironclad rams defending the harbor. On 31 January 1863, in a predawn attack, she rammed and forced the surrender of USS Mercedita before withdrawing with CSS Chicora. She continued in Charleston's defense through the siege years. When Confederate forces abandoned the city on 18 February 1865, her crew scuttled and burned her to prevent capture.

Vessel

Built: 1862
Builder: Not established
Yard: Charleston, South Carolina
Material: Iron
Length: 174 ft
Beam: 43 ft
Tonnage: Not established
Propulsion: Steam, 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