AH-WR-1481

USS Shawsheen

Sidewheel Gunboat · United States · Lost 1864 · Chesapeake Bay

A small Union gunboat disabled by shore guns and destroyed while clearing mines on the James River.

Artistic recreation based on recorded historical documents.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

Shawsheen was a small steamer bought by the Navy and armed for the inland waters of Virginia and North Carolina. On 7 May 1864, while dragging the James River for Confederate torpedoes near Turkey Island, she was hit by Confederate artillery, which damaged her boiler. Confederate troops boarded her, took her crew prisoner and blew her up.

Vessel

Built: Not established
Builder: Not established
Yard: Not established
Material: Wood
Length: Not established
Beam: Not established
Tonnage: Not established
Propulsion: Steam, side paddle wheels
Owners: Not established

Loss

Date: May 7, 1864
Cause: Enemy action
Location: James River near Turkey Island, Virginia
Water: James River
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: 37.39° N 77.27° W
Accuracy: General area only
Nearest: Turkey Island, Henrico County, Virginia
Region: Chesapeake Bay

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.