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{{Infobox ship image
|Ship image=CSSChicoraVignette.jpg
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{{Infobox ship career
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|Ship country=Confederate States
|Ship flag={{shipboxflag|Confederate States of America|naval}}
|Ship name=''Chicora''
|Ship namesake=[[Chicora]]
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|Ship ordered=1862
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|Ship laid down=March 1862
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|Ship commissioned=November 1862
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|Ship fate=Burned 18 February 1865
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|Ship displacement=approximately 850 tons
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|Ship length={{convert|172.5|ft|m|abbr=on}}
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|Ship complement=150 officers and men
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'''CSS ''Chicora''''' was a [[Confederate States|Confederate]] [[ironclad]] ram that fought in the [[American Civil War]]. It was built under contract at [[Charleston, South Carolina|Charleston]], [[South Carolina]] in 1862. [[James M. Eason]] built it to [[John L. Porter]]'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 {{convert|4|in|mm|0}} thick, backed by {{convert|22|in|mm|0}} of oak and pine, with {{convert|2|in|mm|adj=on}} armor at its ends. [[Keel]]ed in March, it was [[Ship commissioning|commissioned]] in November, [[Commander]] [[John Randolph Tucker (naval officer)|John Randolph Tucker]], [[Confederate States Navy|CSN]] assuming command.

In thick, predawn haze on January 31, 1863, ''Chicora'' and {{ship|CSS|Palmetto State}} raided the Federal blockading force of unarmored ships lying just outside the entrance to Charleston Harbor. With ram and gun, ''Palmetto State'' forced {{USS|Mercedita}} to surrender, then disabled {{USS|Keystone State|1853|6}}, who had to be towed to safety. ''Chicora'' meanwhile engaged other [[United States|Union]] ships in a long-range gun duel, from which it emerged unscathed to withdraw victoriously to shelter inside the harbor.

[[File:Confederate ironclads Chicora and Palmetto State in Charleston harbor.png|thumb|CSS ''Chicora'' and ''Palmetto State'' at anchor in Charleston 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 [[Rear admiral (United States)|Rear Admiral]] [[Samuel Francis du Pont]], [[United States Navy|USN]]. 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 [[Morris Island]], and the bombardment of Forts [[Fort Sumter|Sumter]], [[Fort Gregg|Gregg]], and [[Fort Wagner|Wagner]]. In August 1863 she had the distinction of furnishing the first volunteer officer and crew for the Confederate Submarine Torpedo Boat [[CSS Hunley|''H. L. Hunley'']].

<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.

==References==

===Notes===
{{Reflist|30em}}

===Bibliography===
* {{cite book |last1=Bisbee |first1=Saxon T. |title=Engines of Rebellion: Confederate Ironclads and Steam Engineering in the American Civil War |publisher=University of Alabama Press |location=Tuscaloosa, Alabama |isbn=978-0-81731-986-1|date=2018}}
* {{cite book |last1=Canney |first1=Donald L. |title=The Confederate Steam Navy 1861-1865 |date=2015 |publisher=Schiffer Publishing|location=Atglen, Pennsylvania |isbn=978-0-7643-4824-2}}
* {{cite journal |last1=Koehler |first1=R. B.|last2=Sileo|first2=Thomas |title=Question 40/43: Fates of Confederate Ironclads |journal=Warship International |date=2008 |volume=XLV |issue=4 |pages=276–277 |issn=0043-0374|name-list-style=amp}}
* {{cite book|last1=Olmstead|first1=Edwin|last2=Stark|first2=Wayne E.|last3=Tucker |first3=Spencer C.|date=1997|title=The Big Guns: Civil War Siege, Seacoast, and Naval Cannon|publisher=Museum Restoration Service|location=Alexandria Bay, New York |isbn=0-88855-012-X|name-list-style=amp}}
* {{cite book|last=Silverstone|first=Paul H.|title=Civil War Navies 1855–1883 |publisher=Routledge |location=New York|year=2006|series=The U.S. Navy Warship Series |isbn=0-415-97870-X}}
* {{cite book|last=Silverstone|first=Paul H.|title=Directory of the World's Capital Ships|year=1984 |publisher=Hippocrene Books|location=New York|isbn=0-88254-979-0}}
* {{cite book|last=Still|first=William N. Jr.|title=Iron Afloat: The Story of the Confederate Armorclads|isbn=0-87249-454-3|orig-date=1971|year=1985|publisher=University of South Carolina Press|location=Columbia, South Carolina}}
* Coker, PC, "Charleston's Maritime Heritage 1670–1865", Charleston, CokerCraft Press 1987
* Prisoners of the Civil War; The Paragon Agency, Publishers; 2001
* {{DANFS}}

==External links==
* {{commons category-inline|CSS Chicora (ironclad)}}

{{CSN ironclads}}
{{1865 shipwrecks}}
{{coord missing|South Carolina}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Chicora}}
[[Category:Ironclad warships of the Confederate States Navy]]
[[Category:Ships built in Charleston, South Carolina]]
[[Category:Shipwrecks of the American Civil War]]
[[Category:Shipwrecks of the Carolina coast]]
[[Category:1862 ships]]
[[Category:Ship fires]]
[[Category:Maritime incidents in February 1865]]

CSS Chicora - Revision history

imported>Monkbot: /* top */ task 22: convert table-based ship infobox to {{Infobox ship}};

imported>Trappist the monk: cite repair;