AH-WR-1490

USS Aster

Tug · United States · Lost 1864 · The Outer Banks

A Union navy tug lost on Carolina Shoal while chasing a blockade runner in 1864.

Artistic recreation based on recorded historical documents.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

Aster was a steam tug built in 1864 and bought by the Navy for the blockade off Wilmington. On 8 October 1864, while chasing a blockade runner near New Inlet, she ran aground on Carolina Shoal. Unable to free her, her crew set her on fire to keep her out of Confederate hands.

Vessel

Built: 1864
Builder: Not established
Yard: Not established
Material: Wood
Length: Not established
Beam: Not established
Tonnage: Not established
Propulsion: Steam, single screw
Owners: Not established

Loss

Date: October 8, 1864
Cause: Grounding
Location: Carolina Shoal, near New Inlet
Water: Atlantic Ocean
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
Orientation: Not established
Discovered: Not established
Protection: Not established

Position

Coordinates: 33.99° N 77.88° W
Accuracy: General area only
Nearest: Kure Beach, North Carolina
Region: The Outer Banks

Pin marks the named place of loss, not a surveyed wreck position.

Evidence

Overall confidence: Partially documented (70/100)

Exact wreck position, depth and present condition are not established in the sources reviewed.

Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships, Naval History and Heritage Command
Service history and loss.
Official Records of the Union and Confederate Navies in the War of the Rebellion
Loss date, circumstances and the vessels involved.