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