AH-WR-0359

Mary Bowers

Blockade Runner · Confederate States of America · Lost 1864 · The Georgia & South Carolina Coast

A Confederate blockade runner that grounded near Charleston in 1864, coming to rest atop the wreck of the earlier runner Georgiana.

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Artistic recreation based on recorded historical documents.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

Mary Bowers was a Confederate blockade-running steamer attempting to reach Charleston during the Civil War. On 27 February 1864 she ran aground near the harbor entrance, sinking directly atop the wreck of the blockade runner Georgiana, lost the previous year. The layered wreck site is a notable feature for maritime archaeologists. Details of her cargo and crew are not well documented.

Vessel

Built: Not established
Builder: Not established
Yard: Not established
Material: Iron
Length: Not established
Beam: Not established
Tonnage: Not established
Propulsion: Steam, side wheel
Owners: Not established

Loss

Date: February 27, 1864
Cause: Grounding
Location: Near Charleston Harbor, South Carolina, atop the wreck of Georgiana
Water: Atlantic Ocean
Voyage: Charleston, South Carolina
Cargo: Not established
Aboard: Not established
Lives lost: Not established
Master: Not established

The Wreck Today

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

Position

Coordinates: 32.78° N 79.76° W
Accuracy: Approximate position
Nearest: Charleston, South Carolina
Region: The Georgia & South Carolina Coast

Historical accounts and a SCIAA (state archaeology) survey report describe Mary Bowers as having run aground and wrecked directly atop the Georgiana wreck site off Isle of Palms, so the Georgiana position is used as an approximate location.

Evidence

Overall confidence: Partially documented (60/100)

Vessel dimensions and cargo are not firmly established in the sources reviewed.

South Carolina Institute of Archaeology and Anthropology
Loss location and relationship to Georgiana wreck
SCIAA Archaeology of Naval Operations at Charleston Harbor
wreck position