CSS Oregon - Revision history

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 {{Short description|Sidewheel steamer}}
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 '''CSS ''Oregon''''' was a wooden [[sidewheel steamer]] that served as a [[gunboat]] in the [[Confederate States Army]] <!--Yes, she was operated by the Army, not the Navy--> during the [[American Civil War]]. Built in 1846 for the Mobile Mail Line, she transported mail between [[New Orleans, Louisiana]], and [[Mobile, Alabama]], before the war.  In 1861, she was seized by the [[Governor of Louisiana]], [[Thomas Overton Moore]], and served as a [[Blockade runners of the American Civil War|blockade runner]] before being selected for use by the Confederate Army.  After transferring men and supplies to [[Ship Island]], she was formally converted into a gunboat and armed with four cannon.  Remaining behind on [[Lake Pontchartrain]] when many Confederate warships were transferred up the [[Mississippi River]], ''Oregon'' served in the [[Mississippi Sound]] and [[Pass Christian]] areas.  She took part in several minor actions involving [[USS New London|USS ''New London'']], two of which resulted in the Confederates moving into shallow water to avoid close-range action, and the third ending when the Confederate ships abandoned the Pass Christian area.  In April 1862, [[Union (American Civil War)|Union]] pressure confined her and other Confederate ships to Lake Pontchartrain.  Later that month, with Union forces closing in on New Orleans, ''Oregon'' was sunk as a [[blockship]].  Her wreck was removed and destroyed in the early 1870s.
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Reverted 1 edit by Ser Amantio di Nicolao (talk) to last revision by Citation bot

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{{Short description|Sidewheel steamer}}
{{good article}}
{|{{Infobox ship begin}}
{{Infobox ship image
|Ship image=SS California Poster Sharpened.jpg
|Ship caption=CSS ''Oregon'' is described as similar to the wooden [[steamship]] SS ''California'' seen above, although with only one mast
}}
{{Infobox ship career
|Hide header=
|Ship country= Confederate States
|Ship flag={{shipboxflag|Confederate States of America|1863}}
|Ship name=''Oregon''
|Ship namesake=
|Ship owner=
|Ship operator=
|Ship builder=
|Ship original cost=
|Ship yard number=
|Ship way number=
|Ship laid down=1846
|Ship launched=
|Ship acquired=1861
|Ship commissioned=
|Ship struck=
|Ship fate=Scuttled in April 1862
|Ship notes=
|Ship badge=
}}
{{Infobox ship characteristics
|Hide header=
|Header caption=
|Ship class=
|Ship type=
|Ship tonnage=
|Ship displacement=532 tons
|Ship tons burthen=
|Ship length={{convert|216|ft|10|in|m|abbr=on|sigfig=2}}
|Ship beam={{convert|26|ft|6|in|m|abbr=on|sigfig=2}}
|Ship height=
|Ship draft={{convert|9|ft|6|in|m|abbr=on|sigfig=2}}
|Ship hold depth=
|Ship decks=
|Ship propulsion=Steam engines
|Ship sail plan=
|Ship speed=
|Ship boats=
|Ship complement=
|Ship armament=1 × 8 in (203 mm) gun, 1 × 32 pounder (15 kg), two howitzers
|Ship notes=
}}
|}

'''CSS ''Oregon''''' was a wooden [[sidewheel steamer]] that served as a [[gunboat]] in the [[Confederate States Army]]  during the [[American Civil War]]. Built in 1846 for the Mobile Mail Line, she transported mail between [[New Orleans, Louisiana]], and [[Mobile, Alabama]], before the war. In 1861, she was seized by the [[Governor of Louisiana]], [[Thomas Overton Moore]], and served as a [[Blockade runners of the American Civil War|blockade runner]] before being selected for use by the Confederate Army. After transferring men and supplies to [[Ship Island]], she was formally converted into a gunboat and armed with four cannon. Remaining behind on [[Lake Pontchartrain]] when many Confederate warships were transferred up the [[Mississippi River]], ''Oregon'' served in the [[Mississippi Sound]] and [[Pass Christian]] areas. She took part in several minor actions involving [[USS New London|USS ''New London'']], two of which resulted in the Confederates moving into shallow water to avoid close-range action, and the third ending when the Confederate ships abandoned the Pass Christian area. In April 1862, [[Union (American Civil War)|Union]] pressure confined her and other Confederate ships to Lake Pontchartrain. Later that month, with Union forces closing in on New Orleans, ''Oregon'' was sunk as a [[blockship]]. Her wreck was removed and destroyed in the early 1870s.

== Construction and pre-war career ==
''Oregon'' was built at [[New York City]] in 1846.{{sfn|Gaines|2008|p=71}} A [[sidewheel steamer]], she also had a single [[mast (sailing)|mast]]. With a [[hull (watercraft)|hull]] that was made from wood,{{sfn|Silverstone|1989|p=230}} she had one deck and a [[billethead]].<ref name="DANFS">{{cite web |title=Oregon |url=https://www.history.navy.mil/content/history/nhhc/research/histories/ship-histories/confederate_ships/oregon.html |publisher=Naval History and Heritage Command |access-date=30 January 2022}}</ref> She was {{convert|216|ft|10|in|m|sigfig=2}} long, had a [[beam (nautical)|beam]] of {{convert|26|ft|6|in|m|sigfig=2}}, weighed 532 tons, and had a [[draft (nautical)|draft]] of {{convert|9|ft|6|in|m|sigfig=2}}.{{sfn|Gaines|2008|p=71}}{{sfn|Silverstone|1989|p=230}} ''Oregon'' is reported by the ''[[Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships]]'' to have resembled the steamer [[SS California (1848)|''California'']]. Built for the Mobile Mail Line,<ref name="DANFS" /> ''Oregon'' was used to transport mail between [[Mobile, Alabama]], and [[New Orleans, Louisiana]].{{sfn|Gaines|2008|p=71}} As of April 1861, the Geddes family of New Orleans and [[Cincinnati, Ohio|Cincinnati]] had a 60 percent ownership stake in the vessel, with the remainder being in the hands of two Mobile residents: R. A. Heirn and Samuel Wolff.<ref name="DANFS" /> Heirn had been listed as the ship's [[master (naval)|master]] in 1854.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Geddes |first1=R. |title=For Mobile Direct - Daily U.S. Mail Line |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/93770328/r-a-heirn/ |access-date=30 January 2022 |work=The Times-Picayune |date=February 7, 1854 |page=6 |volume=XVIII |issue=12}}</ref>

==American Civil War==
After the outbreak of the [[American Civil War]] in April 1861, [[Governor of Louisiana]] [[Thomas Overton Moore]] had the ship seized.<ref name="DANFS" /> While the [[United States Navy]] had a number of vessels at the beginning of the war, the Confederates had to build a navy from nothing with limited infrastructure and manufacturing. At a decided disadvantage in the naval sphere, the Confederates relied heavily on [[blockade runners of the American Civil War|blockade running]] and to a lesser degree [[privateering]].{{sfn|Smith|2003|pp=30{{endash}}31}} ''Oregon'' repeatedly ran the [[Union blockade]],{{sfn|Silverstone|1989|p=230}} and under the command of [[Captain (naval)|Captain]] A. P. Boardman made 92 "entrance and clearances" to ports through the blockade.<ref name="DANFS" /> Both the [[Confederate States Army]] and the [[Confederate States Navy]] were selecting vessels for military service, and ''Oregon'' and the steamer [[CSS J. D. Swain|''J. D. Swain'']] were chosen by the Confederate Army that summer.{{sfn|Chatelain|2018|pp=174{{endash}}175}} ''Oregon'' was armed with an 8-inch (20cm) [[columbiad]] and a 12-pounder (5 kg) [[howitzer]], while ''J. D. Swain'' was armed with a 32-pounder (15 kg) [[rifled artillery|rifled cannon]] and another howitzer.{{sfn|Bova|1997|p=67}}

In July, the two ships participated in a joint Army-Navy expedition.{{sfn|Chatelain|2018|pp=174{{endash}}175}} [[Launch (boat)|Launches]] from the [[Union Navy|Union]] blockading force were harassing the [[Confederate States of America|Confederate]] coastline, and the Confederates formed an expedition to counter the threat. About 135 sailors and [[Confederate States Marine Corps|marines]] were loaded onto ''Oregon'' and ''J. D. Swain'', and the two ships left [[Lake Pontchartrain]] on July 5 and headed to [[Bay St. Louis, Mississippi]]. After spending the next day unsuccessfully looking for Union vessels, the vessels landed at [[Ship Island]], which was located in a strategic place off of the Confederate coastline. The sailors and marines began constructing a small fortification, while ''Oregon'' inspected two fishing boats in the area before releasing them.{{sfn|Chatelain|2020|pp=33{{endash}}36}} The four cannons on the Confederate ships were taken ashore to defend the island.{{sfn|Bova|1997|p=68}} ''Oregon'' and ''J. D. Swain'' returned to New Orleans on July 7, and the former returned with the steamer [[CSS Gray Cloud|CSS ''Gray Cloud'']] the next day to bring further men and supplies for the fort.{{sfn|Chatelain|2020|pp=33{{endash}}36}} On July 13, ''Oregon'' and the steamer [[CSS Arrow (1861)|CSS ''Arrow'']] attempted to lure the gunboat [[USS Massachusetts (1860)|USS ''Massachusetts'']] into the range of the Confederate cannon on Ship Island, but the Union vessel remained at a distance.{{sfn|Chatelain|2018|p=179}}{{sfn|Bova|1997|p=71}}

[[File:Mississippi-Alabama barrier islands.png|thumb|left|Map of [[Mississippi Sound]], showing the locations of [[Horn Island (Mississippi)|Horn Island]] and [[Ship Island (Mississippi)|Ship Island]]]]

''Oregon'' was one of two ships that was used to run supplies to the position on Ship Island. The Confederate Army eventually fitted her as a [[gunboat]] and placed her under the command of Captain Abraham L. Myers.{{sfn|Chatelain|2018|pp=175{{endash}}176}} She was armed with one 8-inch (203 mm) cannon, one 32-pounder (15 kg) gun, and two small howitzers.{{sfn|Gaines|2008|p=71}}{{sfn|Chatelain|2018|p=176}} Worried that the garrison at Ship Island could be easily cut off by the Union Navy and starved into submission, Confederate [[Major General (CSA)|Major General]] [[David Twiggs]] ordered the island abandoned on September 13. ''Oregon'' helped evacuate supplies from the island, and the withdrawal was completed on September 16.{{sfn|Chatelain|2020|p=37}} In late 1861 and early 1862, much of the Confederate fleet in New Orleans was transferred up the [[Mississippi River]] to support the Confederate defenses of [[Columbus, Kentucky]], but ''Oregon'' remained behind, serving on Lake Pontchartrain and intended to help other ships defend the coasts of Louisiana and Mississippi.{{sfn|Chatelain|2020|pp=75{{endash}}77}} On December 7, 1861, the gunboat [[CSS Pamlico|CSS ''Pamlico'']] sighted Union vessels entering [[Mississippi Sound]]. ''Oregon'' was present at [[Mississippi City, Mississippi]], to transport equipment for a [[powder mill]] from there to New Orleans, and joined ''Pamlico'' in confronting the Union ships, which turned out to be the steamers [[USS New London|USS ''New London'']] and [[USS De Soto (1859)|USS ''De Soto'']]. Remaining in shallow water that the Union vessels could not enter, the Confederates fired on them with two rifled cannon. ''Oregon'' and ''Pamlico'' ignored a challenge from ''New London'' for a closer quarters fight, and the Union ships withdrew.{{sfn|Chatelain|2020|p=136}}

''Pamlico'' then escorted ''Oregon'' back to New Orleans, where the latter unloaded the power mill equipment, which increased the city's capacity for gunpowder production. After meeting a blockade runner in [[Lake Borgne]], ''Pamlico'' and ''Oregon'' attempted to escort her into the [[Gulf of Mexico]] on December 20, but were detected by Union forces near Ship Island and forced to withdraw back to Lake Borgne.{{sfn|Chatelain|2018|pp=183{{endash}}184}} On March 25, 1862, ''Oregon'' was escorted by ''Pamlico'' to the [[Pass Christian]] area to deliver supplies and then on her own moved towards Ship Island to scout Union positions. Withdrawing to Pass Christian after being sighted, she was pursued by ''New London''. ''Oregon'' and ''Pamlico'' moved to engage the Union ship, and began firing from a range of {{convert|2,000|yds|m|sigfig=2}}. Two of ''Pamlico''{{'}}s cannons were unable to be fired safely due to defective ammunition, and after ''Pamlico''{{'}}s third cannon was rendered unusable after a projectile became stuck in the barrel, the two ships withdrew into shallow water, where ''New London'' could not pursue. The Union ship fell back several hours later.{{sfn|Chatelain|2020|pp=140{{endash}}141}}

On April 3, ''New London'', the steamer [[USS John P. Jackson|USS ''John P. Jackson'']], and the [[Troopship|troop transport]] [[USS Henry Lewis|USS ''Henry Lewis'']] left [[Biloxi, Mississippi]], to move against Pass Christian.{{sfn|Chatelain|2020|p=142}} ''Pamlico'', ''Oregon'', and the gunboat [[CSS Carondelet|CSS ''Carondelet'']] were mobilized to counter the threat. In an action offshore of Pass Christian, Confederate fire forced ''Henry Lewis'' to withdraw,{{sfn|Chatelain|2018|p=190}} and the other Union vessels suffered light damage. ''Oregon'' suffered a hit to her [[ship's wheel]],{{sfn|Chatelain|2020|p=143}} and her [[maritime pilot|pilot]] was wounded when a projectile entered the [[pilothouse]].{{sfn|Chatelain|2020|p=190}} With ''Carondelet''{{'}}s wheel also damaged in the battle and the steamer [[USS Hatteras (1861)|USS ''Hatteras'']] approaching, the Confederate vessels withdrew to Lake Pontchartrain and the Union forces moved on to Pass Christian. The 1,200 troops aboard ''Henry Lewis'' landed, and the area was captured. With Union forces preparing to attack New Orleans, ''Oregon'', ''Pamlico'', ''Carondelet'', ''Arrow'', and the gunboat [[CSS Bienville|CSS ''Bienville'']] remained at Lake Pontchartrian, guarding [[Chef Menteur Pass]] and the [[Rigolets]].{{sfn|Chatelain|2020|pp=142{{endash}}143}}

On April 24, Union Navy forces under [[Flag Officer#United States|Flag Officer]] [[David Glasgow Farragut]] pushed passed the Confederate defenses at [[Fort Jackson (Louisiana)|Fort Jackson]] and [[Fort St. Philip]], and then moved past the defenses at [[Chalmette, Louisiana]], the next day. New Orleans was largely indefensible after the fall of those positions, and ''Oregon'' was [[scuttling|sunk]] as a [[blockship]]. Naval historian Neil P. Chatelain states that she was sunk in the Rigolets between Lake Pontchartrain and Lake Borgne,{{sfn|Chatelain|2020|pp=169{{endash}}171}} while historian W. Craig Gaines places the sinking in either the [[Tchefuncte River]] or the [[Bogue Falaya River]].{{sfn|Gaines|2008|p=71}} The wreck later interfered with the escape of other Confederate vessels from Lake Pontchartrain,{{sfn|Chatelain|2018|p=193}} and remained there until a contractor for the [[United States Army Corps of Engineers]] removed it between 1872 and 1873. Any iron debris was removed by the contractor, while the rest of the wreck was burned on shore.{{sfn|Gaines|2008|p=71}}

== References ==
{{reflist}}

==Sources==
* {{cite journal |last1=Bova |first1=Gregory D. |title=Ship Island: The Unwanted Key to the Confederacy |journal=Civil War Regiments |date=1997 |volume=5 |issue=4 |pages=61{{endash}}79 |publisher=Savas Publishing}}
* {{cite journal |last1=Chatelain |first1=Neil P. |title=The Confederacy's Lake Pontchartrain Naval Squadron: A Cooperative Defense of the Coastal Approaches to New Orleans, 1861-1862 |journal=Louisiana History |date=2018 |volume=59 |issue=2 |pages=167{{endash}}195 |jstor=26475479}}
* {{cite book |last1=Chatelain |first1=Neil P. |title=Defending the Arteries of Rebellion: Confederate Naval Operations in the Mississippi River Valley, 1861{{endash}}1865 |date=2020 |publisher=Savas Beatie |location=El Dorado Hills, California |isbn=978-1-61121-510-6}}
{{Cite Gaines 2008|ref={{sfnRef|Gaines|2008}}}}
* {{cite book |last=Silverstone |first=Paul H. |title=Warships of the Civil War Navies |publisher=Naval Institute Press |location=Annapolis, Maryland |date=1989 |isbn=0-87021-783-6}}
* {{cite book |last=Smith |first=Steven D. |chapter=The Submarine H. L. Hunley: Confederate Innovation and Southern Icon |title=Archaeological Perspectives on the American Civil War |editor-last1=Geier |editor-first1=Clarence R. |editor-last2=Potter |editor-first2=Stephen R. |publisher=University Press of Florida |date=2003 |orig-year=2000 |isbn=0-8130-2651-2}}

{{CSN gunboats}}
{{1862 shipwrecks}}

{{coord missing|Louisiana}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Oregon}}
[[Category:Gunboats of the Confederate States Navy]]
[[Category:Ships built in New York City]]
[[Category:Shipwrecks of the American Civil War]]
[[Category:1846 ships]]
[[Category:Maritime incidents in April 1862]]
[[Category:Scuttled vessels]]