CSS ''George Page'', a 410-ton sidewheel steamship, was originally built as a transport at

Washington, D.C. ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...

in 1853. She was attached to the Quartermaster's Department of the

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 ...

, until captured by the Confederates at nearby Aquia Creek,

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 ...

in May 1861, when she became a part of the

Virginia Navy A Virginia State Navy (or Virginia Navy) existed twice. During the American Revolutionary War, the provisional government of the Virginia Colony authorized the purchase, outfitting, and manning of armed vessels to protect the colony's waters fro ...

. In June 1861 Virginia transferred her vessels to the

Confederate States Navy The Confederate States Navy (CSN) was the Navy, naval branch of the Confederate States Armed Forces, established by an act of the Confederate States Congress on February 21, 1861. It was responsible for Confederate naval operations during the Amer ...

and ''George Page'', commanded by

Lieutenant A lieutenant ( , ; abbreviated Lt., Lt, LT, Lieut and similar) is a commissioned officer rank in the armed forces of many nations. The meaning of lieutenant differs in different militaries (see comparative military ranks), but it is often ...

Charles Carroll Simms Charles Carroll Simms (1824–1884) a native of Virginia, became a United States Navy midshipman in 1839. He served in the U.S. Navy for more than two decades, achieving the rank of Lieutenant in 1854. He was dismissed from the service in April 186 ...

, CSN, was fitted out for river defense service, and sometime later renamed ''City of Richmond''. Her upper works may have been removed at this time. She operated in the

Potomac River The Potomac River () drains the Mid-Atlantic United States, flowing from the Potomac Highlands into Chesapeake Bay. It is long,U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map. Retrieved Augu ...

in the vicinity of

Quantico Creek Quantico Creek is a U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map accessed August 15, 2011 partially tidal tributary of the Potomac River in eastern Prince William County, Virginia. Quantico C ...

. On July 7, 1861, she was damaged by gunfire from USS ''Pocahontas''. ''George Page'' was destroyed by her crew upon abandonment of the Evansport batteries on March 9, 1862.

References

Ships built in Washington, D.C. 1853 ships Ships of the Confederate States Navy Shipwrecks of the American Civil War Virginia in the American Civil War Shipwrecks in rivers Maritime incidents in March 1862 Scuttled vessels {{AmericanCivilWar-ship-stub