Question of the Week: Which Civil War warship you would spend a month on?
What type of warship would you rather spend a month on: monitor-style ironclad, the converted CSS Virginia, a city-class river ironclad, or a Confederate commerce raider?
What type of warship would you rather spend a month on: monitor-style ironclad, the converted CSS Virginia, a city-class river ironclad, or a Confederate commerce raider?
CSS Virginia. The most comfortable mode of service. Fairly roomy, calm water sailing, always close to base for supplies, probably time allowed for shore visits.
CSS Shenandoah.
That would also be my choice. Sailed around the world for the most part and wasn’t sunk.
I’d spend the the month of April on the city-class gunboat Carondelet and make the run past Island No. 10, Plum Point Bend and the Battle of Memphis with Walke.
USS Kineo
CSS Alabama!
I think I would choose the commerce raider, only from the standpoint that there would be more fresh air and ventilation (working above deck, etc.) than any of the ironclad mentioned above. But, never having been on the open ocean, the other choices might be preferable if I’m prone to seasickness.
The original Arizona
One that didn’t sink
It would have to be the commerce raider CSS Florida. Her builder, W. C. Miller, was my great-great-great grandfather and her delivery captain, James Alexander Duguid was my great-great grandfather. It would have been pretty exciting to tread those (in)famous decks.
I would have liked to spent the Month of April onboard the city-class gunboat Carondolet and to have made the nightime dash past Island No. 10.
The sidewheel steamer “River Queen”. It was used to transport US Grant’s dispatches. It also saw some iconic moments like the meeting Abe Lincoln had with Grant, Gen. Sherman, and Admiral Porter in late March, 1865 to discuss strategy and how to finish the war. It also held the Hampton Roads Conference, which attempted to negotiate an ending to the war and also involved Lincoln’s presence.
Confederate Commerce Raider; join the Confederate Navy and see the world
USS WYOMING during their summer 1863 WESTPAC cruise fighting rebel Japanese warlords in the Straits of Shimonoseki.
Definitely not the Sultana! Imagine heading home from being POW and surviving that, to die when you are this close to home, freedom and survival!!
The River Queen
I admire the folks who would want to spend their time on one of those City-Class dungeons in the Brown Water Navy in the hot, humid Mississippi River region barreling along at 7-8 knots. LOL As for me, I opt for the USS Kearsarge and the Blue Water Navy.
Captain Nemo’s incredible Nautilis, zipping about in the Southern Hemispheres, avoiding malaria, Yellow Fever, Commodore Wilkes, “Old Beeswax” and David Dixon “Gasbag” Porter.
CSS Alabama! What great fun! What’s more, its Captain, Raphael Semmes, was idolized by Jule Verne, who made him the model for Captain Nemo in ‘20,000 Leagues Under the Sea’ and several more of his novels. My brother-in-law grew up in Mobile with descendants of Semmes and has great stories about the family.