CSS Chicora

CSS Chicora was a <a href="/facts/Confederate_States/jMSDM4q3">Confederate</a> <a href="/facts/Ironclad/woAQJfj3">ironclad</a> ram that fought in the <a href="/facts/American_Civil_War/A9FT3ksD">American Civil War</a>. It was built under contract at <a href="/facts/Charleston,_South_Carolina/dB8lmPF2">Charleston</a>, <a href="/facts/South_Carolina/lQQX84IS">South Carolina</a> in 1862. James M. Eason built it to <a href="/facts/John_L._Porter/VUHWyBIk">John L. Porter</a>'s plans, using up most of a $300,000 State appropriation for construction of marine batteries; Eason received a bonus for "skill and promptitude." Its iron shield was 4 inches (102 mm) thick, backed by 22 inches (559 mm) of oak and pine, with 2-inch (51 mm) armor at its ends. <a href="/facts/Keel/Ep5vCBc4">Keeled</a> in March, it was <a href="/facts/Ship_commissioning/aPxGm7yB">commissioned</a> in November, <a href="/facts/Commander/0AASADmo">Commander</a> <a href="/facts/John_Randolph_Tucker_(naval_officer)/3GfPNPcA">John Randolph Tucker</a>, <a href="/facts/Confederate_States_Navy/y1DjJ5yw">CSN</a> assuming command.
In thick, predawn haze on January 31, 1863, Chicora and <a href="/facts/CSS_Palmetto_State/psVMhWG9">CSS Palmetto State</a> raided the Federal blockading force of unarmored ships lying just outside the entrance to Charleston Harbor. With ram and gun, Palmetto State forced <a href="/facts/USS_Mercedita/xLK6gI5A">USS Mercedita</a> to surrender, then disabled <a href="/facts/USS_Keystone_State_(1853)/LKEygaHy">USS Keystone State</a>, who had to be towed to safety. Chicora meanwhile engaged other <a href="/facts/United_States/P0sCdLe5">Union</a> ships in a long-range gun duel, from which it emerged unscathed to withdraw victoriously to shelter inside the harbor.

It took part in the defense of the forts at Charleston on April 7 when they were attacked by a squadron of ironclad monitors under <a href="/facts/Rear_admiral_(United_States)/wGa6RoC0">Rear Admiral</a> <a href="/facts/Samuel_Francis_du_Pont/pPgxwC5X">Samuel Francis du Pont</a>, <a href="/facts/United_States_Navy/xYK0fUou">USN</a>. The Federal ships were forced to retire for repairs and did not resume the action.
Chicora was actively employed in the fighting around Charleston during 1863 and 1864. Its valuable services included the transporting of troops during the evacuation of <a href="/facts/Morris_Island/8M0pn2tK">Morris Island</a>, and the bombardment of Forts <a href="/facts/Fort_Sumter/haPaTXwD">Sumter</a>, <a href="/facts/Fort_Gregg/kdTt0cLu">Gregg</a>, and <a href="/facts/Fort_Wagner/IxRAbfdd">Wagner</a>. In August 1863 she had the distinction of furnishing the first volunteer officer and crew for the Confederate Submarine Torpedo Boat <a href="/facts/CSS_Hunley/dCBcV5CV">H. L. Hunley</a>.

<blockquote>
"A Lieutenant's commission in the Confederate States Navy was conferred on me, with orders to report for duty on the ironclad Chicora at Charleston. My duties were those of a deck officer, and I had charge of the first division. On the occasion of the attack upon the blockading squadron ... It was my part, on the memorable morning, to aim and fire one effective shell into the Keystone State while running down to attack us, which (according to Captain LeRoy's report), killing twenty-one men and severely wounding fifteen, caused him to haul down his flag in token of surrender. The enemy now kept at a respectful distance while preparing their ironclad vessels to sail up more closely. Our Navy Department continued slowly to construct more of these rams, all on the same general plan, fit for little else than harbor defense." -- William T. Glassell, Lt. CSN

</blockquote>
It was destroyed by the Confederates when Charleston was evacuated on February 18, 1865.

<h3>Notes</h3>

<h3>Bibliography</h3>
<ul><li>Bisbee, Saxon T. (2018). Engines of Rebellion: Confederate Ironclads and Steam Engineering in the American Civil War. Tuscaloosa, Alabama: University of Alabama Press. <a href="/facts/ISBN_(identifier)/15AdSPa9">ISBN</a> 978-0-81731-986-1.</li>
<li>Canney, Donald L. (2015). The Confederate Steam Navy 1861-1865. Atglen, Pennsylvania: Schiffer Publishing. <a href="/facts/ISBN_(identifier)/15AdSPa9">ISBN</a> 978-0-7643-4824-2.</li>
<li>Koehler, R. B. & Sileo, Thomas (2008). "Question 40/43: Fates of Confederate Ironclads". Warship International. XLV (4): 276–277. <a href="/facts/ISSN_(identifier)/DPAflDvU">ISSN</a> <a href="https://search.worldcat.org/issn/0043-0374">0043-0374</a>.</li>
<li>Olmstead, Edwin; Stark, Wayne E. & Tucker, Spencer C. (1997). The Big Guns: Civil War Siege, Seacoast, and Naval Cannon. Alexandria Bay, New York: Museum Restoration Service. <a href="/facts/ISBN_(identifier)/15AdSPa9">ISBN</a> 0-88855-012-X.</li>
<li>Silverstone, Paul H. (2006). Civil War Navies 1855–1883. The U.S. Navy Warship Series. New York: Routledge. <a href="/facts/ISBN_(identifier)/15AdSPa9">ISBN</a> 0-415-97870-X.</li>
<li>Silverstone, Paul H. (1984). Directory of the World's Capital Ships. New York: Hippocrene Books. <a href="/facts/ISBN_(identifier)/15AdSPa9">ISBN</a> 0-88254-979-0.</li>
<li>Still, William N. Jr. (1985) [1971]. Iron Afloat: The Story of the Confederate Armorclads. Columbia, South Carolina: University of South Carolina Press. <a href="/facts/ISBN_(identifier)/15AdSPa9">ISBN</a> 0-87249-454-3.</li>
<li>Coker, PC, "Charleston's Maritime Heritage 1670–1865", Charleston, CokerCraft Press 1987</li>
<li>Prisoners of the Civil War; The Paragon Agency, Publishers; 2001</li>
<li> This article incorporates text from the <a href="/facts/Public_domain/YWKMDKw4">public domain</a> <a href="/facts/Dictionary_of_American_Naval_Fighting_Ships/1eWoFXWn">Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships</a>.</li></ul>

CSS Chicora open-in-new

CSS Chicora