''Prony'' was a

French Navy The French Navy (french: Marine nationale, lit=National Navy), informally , is the maritime arm of the French Armed Forces and one of the five military service branches of France. It is among the largest and most powerful naval forces in t ...

corvette A corvette is a small warship. It is traditionally the smallest class of vessel considered to be a proper (or " rated") warship. The warship class above the corvette is that of the frigate, while the class below was historically that of the slo ...

warship during the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states th ...

that ran aground and was lost off Ocracoke Inlet, North Carolina. It proved impossible to refloat the vessel, and efforts at assistance were hampered by both the weather and the fact that she had run aground in an area where Union and Confederate forces were opposing each other.

History

''Prony'', a mixed sailing ship and steamer, was built in Brest from 1844 and launched in 1847 (Jacques Vichot, ''Répertoire des navires de guerre français'', 1967, p. 111). In 1854 it was sent to the South Seas along with a small fleet to claim possession of

New Caledonia ) , anthem = "" , image_map = New Caledonia on the globe (small islands magnified) (Polynesia centered).svg , map_alt = Location of New Caledonia , map_caption = Location of New Caledonia , mapsize = 290px , subdivision_type = Sovereign st ...

Prony Bay Prony Bay or Baie de Prony is a bay of the southern end of New Caledonia. A number of small streams flow into the bay, including the Rivière Bleue and the Ruisseau de la Bergerie. Deposits of red clay increased between 1955 and 1968 due to exten ...

is named after this ship.

Loss

''Prony'' had left

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...

harbor on 20 October with the intention of observing as a neutral the activity of the Union Navy blockading the port of

Charleston Charleston most commonly refers to: * Charleston, South Carolina * Charleston, West Virginia, the state capital * Charleston (dance) Charleston may also refer to: Places Australia * Charleston, South Australia Canada * Charleston, Newfoundlan ...

. She arrived off Charleston on 30 October, staying there for two days before heading north, intending to return to New York. She was caught in a storm on 4 November off Ocracoke Inlet. Despite some efforts being made to save her, it proved impossible. No loss of life occurred. At the time of her loss, ''Prony'' was under the command of ''

Capitaine de corvette Corvette captain is a rank in many navies which theoretically corresponds to command of a corvette (small warship). The equivalent rank in the United Kingdom, Commonwealth, and United States is lieutenant commander. The Royal Canadian Navy use ...

'' De Fontanges with a crew of 140 and 6 30-pound guns. She was of roughly 700 tons burthen and her engines were of .

References

* * Corvettes of France Shipwrecks of the American Civil War Shipwrecks of the Carolina coast Maritime incidents in November 1861 1847 ships {{France-mil-ship-stub