CSS ''Raleigh'' was originally a small, iron-hulled, propeller-driven towing
steamer operating on the
Albemarle and Chesapeake Canal
The Albemarle and Chesapeake Canal was built by a corporation in 1856-1860 to afford inland navigation between the Chesapeake Bay and the Albemarle Sound. It is really two canals, thirty miles (50 km) apart, one eight and one-half miles (13. ...
. She was taken over by the State of
North Carolina
North Carolina () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States. The state is the 28th largest and 9th-most populous of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, Georgia and ...
in May 1861, and transferred to the
Confederate States
The Confederate States of America (CSA), commonly referred to as the Confederate States or the Confederacy was an unrecognized breakaway republic in the Southern United States that existed from February 8, 1861, to May 9, 1865. The Confeder ...
the following July. Her commanding officer during 1861–1862 was Lieutenant
Joseph W. Alexander. Her entire service was in coastal waters of North Carolina and
Virginia
Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth ar ...
and in the James River as part of the
James River Squadron
The James River Squadron was formed shortly after the secession of Virginia during the American Civil War. The squadron was part of the Virginia Navy before being transferred to the Confederate States Navy. The squadron is most notable for its ...
.
''Raleigh'' supported
Fort Hatteras and Fort Clark on August 28–29, 1861; took part in an expedition on October 1 to capture
United States Army
The United States Army (USA) is the land warfare, land military branch, service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight Uniformed services of the United States, U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army o ...
steamer ''
Fanny'' with valuable stores on board; and accompanied
CSS ''Sea Bird'' when she reconnoitered
Pamlico Sound
Pamlico Sound ( ) is a lagoon in North Carolina which is the largest lagoon along the North American East Coast, extending long and 15 to 20 miles (24 to 32 km) wide. It is part of a large, interconnected network of lagoon estuaries that i ...
on January 20, 1862. She was also active in defense of
Roanoke Island against an amphibious assault by overwhelming Federal forces on February 7–8, 1862, and at
Elizabeth City, North Carolina
Elizabeth City is a city in Pasquotank County, North Carolina, Pasquotank County, North Carolina, United States. As of the 2020 census, it had a population of 18,629. Elizabeth City is the county seat and largest city of Pasquotank County. It ...
2 days later. Thence ''Raleigh'' escaped through
Dismal Swamp Canal
The Dismal Swamp Canal is a canal located along the eastern edge of the Great Dismal Swamp in Virginia and North Carolina in the United States. Opened in 1805, it is the oldest continually operating man-made canal in the United States. It is par ...
to
Norfolk, Virginia.
On March 8–9, 1862, ''Raleigh'' was tender to
CSS ''Virginia'' during the historic
Battle of Hampton Roads, for which she received the thanks of the
Confederate Congress
The Confederate States Congress was both the provisional and permanent legislative assembly of the Confederate States of America that existed from 1861 to 1865. Its actions were for the most part concerned with measures to establish a new na ...
.
With the Federal recapture of
Norfolk Navy Yard
The Norfolk Naval Shipyard, often called the Norfolk Navy Yard and abbreviated as NNSY, is a U.S. Navy facility in Portsmouth, Virginia, for building, remodeling and repairing the Navy's ships. It is the oldest and largest industrial facility tha ...
in May 1862, ''Raleigh'' steamed up the James River, but thereafter a shortage of crew members restricted her to flag-of-truce or patrol service.
''Raleigh'', renamed ''Roanoke'' near the end of the war, was destroyed by the Confederates on April 4, 1865 upon the evacuation of
Richmond, Virginia.
Commanders
The commanders of the CSS ''Raleigh'' were:
[Coski (1996), John M. ''Capital Navy: The Men, Ships and Operations of the James River Squadron'', Campbell, CA: Savas Woodbury Publishers. .]
* Lieutenant Joseph W. Alexander (1861–1862)
* Lieutenant
Maxwell T. Clarke (1863-June 1864)
* Lieutenant
Mortimer Murray Benton (during June 1864)
*
Master's Mate
Master's mate is an obsolete rating which was used by the Royal Navy, United States Navy and merchant services in both countries for a senior petty officer who assisted the master. Master's mates evolved into the modern rank of Sub-Lieutenant in t ...
A.E. Albertson (July 31, 1864-)
* Acting Master
W. Frank Shippey (October–December 1864)
* Lieutenant
William Wonder Pollock (January 1865-end of war)
References
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Raleigh CSS (1861)
Raleigh (1861)
Shipwrecks of the American Civil War
Shipwrecks in rivers
Ship fires
1861 ships
Maritime incidents in April 1865
Scuttled vessels