Sacrifices of the Confederate Navy:

The North Carolina Built Ironclads

The Story of the CSS Albemarle

The Ship
The Builder
Her Captains
Her Career, Hard Luck
and Sacrifice

CSS Albemarle
Planned by John L. Porter, Chief Constructor CSN
Built by Gilbert Elliott at Edwards Ferry, NC

Armor: Two layers of 2 iron plates (one horizontal, one vertical)

Backing: 4 vertical oak; 5 horizontal pine; 12x13 vertical oak
Battery: 2 6.4 inch Brooke Rifles
Length Between Perpendiculars: 152 feet
Beam above water: 34 feet
Draft: 9 feet
Tonnage: 376 tons

Gilbert Elliott

Her Builder

Captain James W. Cooke, CSN

January 1864 June 1864

Construction

Contract Let: October 10, 1862

Launched: October 7, 1863

Sacrifice and Hard Luck

Cornfield Ironclad
Shortage of materials
(iron and properly dried
wood)
Political tug-of-war
between Flag Officer
William F Lynch and
Governor Zebulon
Vance
Operational tug-of-war
between Lynch, Cooke
and Elliot

Sacrifice and Hard Luck

Poorly equipped with
machinery that was
substandard, constantly
needing repair
Poor working conditions for
the crew
Acting Master Long
described the ship to His
friend, Hubbard Minor as the
poorest ironclad in the
Confederacy and warned
him that You must not
expect too much of the
Albemarle

All Hands to Quarters!

Battle of Plymouth
April 17, 1864

Sacrifice or Bad Luck?

The Death
of
Charles Flusser

Battle of Albemarle Sound

May 5, 1864

 Engaged seven Union gunboats alone

After returning to port, she never faced her foes
again

Commander John N. Maffit, CSN

June 1864 September 1864

Lt. Alexander F. Warley, CSN

September 1864 November 1864

The Sinking of the CSS Albemarle

October 27, 1864

Sacrificed to the River of Death

Lt. William B. Cushing
Sentries that were
asleep
Ineffective log boom

The Aftermath

Her Sacrifice was long and

injurious

Teredo Worms
The termites of the sea

Whats Left?

Ships bell and one piece of

ballast at the Port O Plymouth
Museum, Plymouth, NC
Iron plates at the Portsmouth
Naval Shipyard Museum
Ships Smokestack at the
Museum of the Albemarle,
Elizabeth City, NC
Two Naval Ensigns at the
Museum of the Confederacy,
Richmond, VA
6.4 inch Brooke Rifle in front of
the old NATO Headquarters,
Norfolk Naval Base, Norfolk, VA

Replicas

Both located at the Port O Plymouth Museum, Plymouth, NC

Sources:
Ironclad of the Roanoke by Robert G.
Elliot
The Hunt for the Albemarle by John Hinds
Official Records of the Union and
Confederate Navies in the War of the
Rebellion