AH-WR-1479

USS Southfield

Sidewheel Gunboat · United States · Lost 1864 · The Outer Banks

A converted Staten Island ferry rammed and sunk by the ironclad CSS Albemarle off Plymouth 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Artistic recreation based on recorded historical documents.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

Southfield was a New York ferryboat bought by the Navy in 1861 and armed as a gunboat for the North Carolina sounds. On 19 April 1864, during the Battle of Plymouth, the Confederate ironclad CSS Albemarle rammed her in the Roanoke River and she sank quickly. Her loss helped the Confederates retake Plymouth.

Vessel

Built: 1857
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: April 19, 1864
Cause: Enemy action
Location: Roanoke River off Plymouth, North Carolina
Water: Roanoke 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: 35.87° N 76.75° W
Accuracy: General area only
Nearest: Plymouth, North Carolina
Region: The Outer Banks

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

Evidence

Overall confidence: Documented (75/100)

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.