CSS Virginia II
Ironclad · Confederate States · Lost 1865 · Chesapeake Bay
The flagship and most powerful ironclad of the James River Squadron was burned at Chaffin's Bluff in April 1865, her broken hull still resting beneath the river's silt.
The Vessel and Her Loss
CSS Virginia II was completed in 1864 at the William Graves shipyard in Richmond, named to honor the original Merrimack conversion and carrying the heaviest battery of the James River Squadron. As flagship, she led the squadron's defense of the river and fought at Trent's Reach. On April 3, 1865, as Richmond fell, she was burned to the waterline at Chaffin's Bluff by her own crew. Post-war salvage removed much of her iron, and magnetometry has since confirmed her broken hull beneath the silt.
Vessel
- 1864
- William Graves Shipyard
- Richmond, Virginia
- Wood with iron armor
- 197 ft
- 47.5 ft
- Not established
- Steam engine
- Confederate States Navy, James River Squadron
Loss
- April 3, 1865
- Intentional sinking
- Chaffin's Bluff, James River
- James River
- Not established
- Munitions
- 150
- 0
- John Dunnington
The Wreck Today
- 20 ft
- Badly broken under silt; confirmed by magnetometry.
- Not established
- 1980s
- Protected historical resource
Position
- 37.38° N 77.37° W
- Approximate position
- Richmond, Virginia
Approximate wreck position near Chaffin's Bluff, confirmed by magnetometry.
Evidence
Overall confidence: Documented (85/100)
The wreck position is approximate and the remains lie broken under silt.
Specifications and destruction details.
NUMA expedition reports, James River
Survey confirmation of the wreck site.
