Venus
Transport · Great Britain · Lost 1779 · The Georgia & South Carolina Coast
A Revolutionary War transport scuttled in the Savannah River in 1779 to block the approach of French and American forces.
Become Captain of Record
The Vessel and Her Loss
Venus was a merchant vessel in British service at Savannah during the American Revolution. In September 1779, as a combined French and American force besieged the city, the British deliberately sank Venus, along with other vessels including the armed ship HMB Savannah, in the river to obstruct the channel. The wreck site has since been the subject of archaeological survey in the Savannah River shipping channel.
Vessel
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- Wood
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- Sail
- British forces at Savannah
Loss
- September 1, 1779
- Intentional sinking
- Savannah River, near Savannah, Georgia
- Savannah River
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The Wreck Today
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- Subject to archaeological study in the Savannah River shipping channel; artifacts recovered are curated by Georgia state agencies.
Position
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- Savannah River, Savannah, Georgia
Evidence
Overall confidence: Partially documented (55/100)
Precise dimensions and full identity of the vessel are not established in the sources reviewed.
Georgia Department of Natural Resources, Historic Preservation Division
Identification of Venus as one of the vessels scuttled in the Savannah River during the 1779 siege.
