AH-WR-1480

USS Underwriter

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

A Union gunboat captured at anchor by a night boarding party and burned in the Neuse 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Artistic recreation based on recorded historical documents.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

Underwriter was a steam tug bought by the Navy and armed as a gunboat in the North Carolina sounds. Early on 2 February 1864, while anchored in the Neuse River off New Bern, she was boarded by Confederate sailors rowing down the river under John Taylor Wood. Unable to move her, they set her on fire and she burned and blew 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: February 2, 1864
Cause: Enemy action
Location: Neuse River off New Bern, North Carolina
Water: Neuse 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: 35.10° N 77.03° W
Accuracy: General area only
Nearest: New Bern, 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.
North Carolina Office of State Archaeology, Underwater Archaeology Branch
Wreck site and Cape Fear blockade-runner context.