Phantom
Blockade Runner · Confederate States of America · Lost Circa 1863, exact date not established in sources reviewed · The Outer Banks
A little-known Confederate blockade runner lies wrecked off Topsail Island, with iron ingots from her cargo recovered over the years.
Become Captain of Record
The Vessel and Her Loss
Phantom was a screw-driven Confederate blockade runner working the Bermuda-Wilmington run when she ran aground on the shoals off Topsail Inlet, reportedly on her third voyage. Local divers and collectors have recovered iron ingots stamped with a London foundry mark from the wreck, some of which are displayed at a local museum. Much of her documented history remains thin compared to the better-known Cape Fear runners.
Vessel
- Not established
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- Iron
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- Steam, screw
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Loss
- Circa 1863, exact date not established in sources reviewed
- Grounding
- Topsail Inlet, near Topsail Island, North Carolina
- Atlantic Ocean
- Bermuda → Wilmington, North Carolina
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The Wreck Today
- Approximately 30 feet
- Lies roughly 200 yards offshore; iron ingots marked 'Pomtifex & Wood, London' have been recovered from the site.
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Position
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- Position not established
- Topsail Island, North Carolina
Evidence
Overall confidence: Sparsely documented (45/100)
The exact date of loss, vessel dimensions, and full identification of the wreck as Phantom are not firmly established in the sources reviewed.
Wreck location, general description, and recovered artifacts.
"Saw the Elephant"--The Civil War blog, Topsail Island Missiles and More Museum visit
Description of recovered iron ingots and wreck location.
