CSS Tuscaloosa (ironclad)
Encyclopedia
CSS Tuscaloosa was a screw ironclad steamer
ram in the Confederate States Navy
that was laid down by the Confederate Naval Works at Selma in 1862.
on February 7, 1863, prior to being ready for duty. Tuscaloosa proceeded downriver under her own power to Mobile
for completion. She had 4 in (10.2 cm) armor plate that was delivered by the Shelby Iron Company
of Shelby County
and the Atlanta Rolling Mill
.
Under the command of Charles H. McBlair, Tuscaloosa served in the waters around Mobile. She escaped up the Spanish River following the Battle of Mobile Bay
on August 5, 1864. The city of Mobile held out another eight months, with the upper portion of Mobile Bay
remaining in Confederate hands. She, along with the CSS Huntsville
, was scuttled where the Spanish River splits off from the Mobile River
on the north side of Blakeley Island, just north of Mobile, on April 12, 1865 to prevent her capture following the surrender of the city. Her crew and material were put aboard CCS Nashville
. The wreck was located in the river in 1985.
Steamboat
A steamboat or steamship, sometimes called a steamer, is a ship in which the primary method of propulsion is steam power, typically driving propellers or paddlewheels...
ram in the Confederate States Navy
Confederate States Navy
The Confederate States Navy was the naval branch of the Confederate States armed forces established by an act of the Confederate Congress on February 21, 1861. It was responsible for Confederate naval operations during the American Civil War...
that was laid down by the Confederate Naval Works at Selma in 1862.
History
Tuscaloosa was launched at Selma, AlabamaSelma, Alabama
Selma is a city in and the county seat of Dallas County, Alabama, United States, located on the banks of the Alabama River. The population was 20,512 at the 2000 census....
on February 7, 1863, prior to being ready for duty. Tuscaloosa proceeded downriver under her own power to Mobile
Mobile, Alabama
Mobile is the third most populous city in the Southern US state of Alabama and is the county seat of Mobile County. It is located on the Mobile River and the central Gulf Coast of the United States. The population within the city limits was 195,111 during the 2010 census. It is the largest...
for completion. She had 4 in (10.2 cm) armor plate that was delivered by the Shelby Iron Company
Shelby Iron Company Railroad
The Shelby Iron Company Railroad was an Alabama railroad company that started during the American Civil War. The Shelby Iron Company Railroad was built to connect the Shelby Iron Company in Shelby County, Alabama, to the Alabama and Tennessee River Railroad at Columbiana, Alabama, a distance of...
of Shelby County
Shelby County, Alabama
Shelby County is a county of the U.S. state of Alabama and a part of the Birmingham–Hoover–Cullman Combined Statistical Area. It is named in honor of Isaac Shelby, Governor of Kentucky. The county seat of Shelby County is Columbiana. As of 2010 U.S. Census the population was 195,085. Shelby...
and the Atlanta Rolling Mill
Atlanta Rolling Mill
The Atlanta Rolling Mill was constructed in 1858 by Lewis Schofield and James Blake and soon after, Schofield and William Markham took it over and transformed it into the South's second most productive rolling mill, after the Tredegar Iron Works in Richmond, Virginia.Their specialty was re-rolling...
.
Under the command of Charles H. McBlair, Tuscaloosa served in the waters around Mobile. She escaped up the Spanish River following the Battle of Mobile Bay
Battle of Mobile Bay
The Battle of Mobile Bay of August 5, 1864, was an engagement of the American Civil War in which a Federal fleet commanded by Rear Adm. David G. Farragut, assisted by a contingent of soldiers, attacked a smaller Confederate fleet led by Adm...
on August 5, 1864. The city of Mobile held out another eight months, with the upper portion of Mobile Bay
Mobile Bay
Mobile Bay is an inlet of the Gulf of Mexico, lying within the state of Alabama in the United States. Its mouth is formed by the Fort Morgan Peninsula on the eastern side and Dauphin Island, a barrier island on the western side. The Mobile River and Tensaw River empty into the northern end of the...
remaining in Confederate hands. She, along with the CSS Huntsville
CSS Huntsville
CSS Huntsville was a Confederate ironclad floating battery built at Selma, Alabama from 1862 to 1863.-Huntsville:Huntsville was ordered on May 1, 1862 by the Confederate States Navy. She was launched at the Confederate Naval Works at Selma on February 7, 1863 and finished in Mobile. She was...
, was scuttled where the Spanish River splits off from the Mobile River
Mobile River
The Mobile River is located in southern Alabama in the United States. Formed out of the confluence of the Tombigbee and Alabama rivers, the approximately river drains an area of of Alabama, with a watershed extending into Mississippi, Georgia, and Tennessee. Its drainage basin is the...
on the north side of Blakeley Island, just north of Mobile, on April 12, 1865 to prevent her capture following the surrender of the city. Her crew and material were put aboard CCS Nashville
CSS Nashville (1864)
CSS Nashville was a large side-wheel steam ironclad built by the Confederates at Montgomery, Alabama intended to exploit the availability of riverboat engines. Launched in mid-1863, Nashville was taken to Mobile, Alabama for completion in 1864. Part of her armor came from the...
. The wreck was located in the river in 1985.