CSS ''Raleigh'' was originally a small, iron-hulled, propeller-driven towing steamer operating on the Albemarle and Chesapeake Canal. She was taken over by the State of North Carolina in May 1861, and transferred to the Confederate States the following July. Her commanding officer during 1861–1862 was Lieutenant

Joseph W. Alexander Dr. Joseph W. Alexander, DVM, (1947) is an American educator from the U.S. state of Oklahoma. He served as the Oklahoma Secretary of Science and Technology under Governor of Oklahoma Brad Henry, having been appointed by Henry in 2004 and leav ...

. Her entire service was in coastal waters of North Carolina and Virginia and in the James River as part of the James River Squadron. ''Raleigh'' supported Fort Hatteras and Fort Clark on August 28–29, 1861; took part in an expedition on October 1 to capture United States Army steamer ''

Fanny Fanny may refer to: Given name * Fanny (name), a feminine given name or a nickname, often for Frances In slang * A term for the vulva, in Britain and many other parts of the English-speaking world * A term for the buttocks, in the United States ...

'' with valuable stores on board; and accompanied CSS ''Sea Bird'' when she reconnoitered Pamlico Sound on January 20, 1862. She was also active in defense of

Roanoke Island Roanoke Island () is an island in Dare County, North Carolina, Dare County, bordered by the Outer Banks of North Carolina, United States. It was named after the historical Roanoke (tribe), Roanoke, a Carolina Algonquian people who inhabited the ar ...

against an amphibious assault by overwhelming Federal forces on February 7–8, 1862, and at Elizabeth City, North Carolina 2 days later. Thence ''Raleigh'' escaped through Dismal Swamp Canal to

Norfolk, Virginia Norfolk ( ) is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. Incorporated in 1705, it had a population of 238,005 at the 2020 census, making it the third-most populous city in Virginia after neighboring Virginia Be ...

. On March 8–9, 1862, ''Raleigh'' was tender to CSS ''Virginia'' during the historic

Battle of Hampton Roads The Battle of Hampton Roads, also referred to as the Battle of the ''Monitor'' and ''Virginia'' (rebuilt and renamed from the USS ''Merrimack'') or the Battle of Ironclads, was a naval battle during the American Civil War. It was fought over t ...

, for which she received the thanks of the Confederate Congress. With the Federal recapture of Norfolk Navy Yard in May 1862, ''Raleigh'' steamed up the James River, but thereafter a shortage of crew members restricted her to flag-of-truce or patrol service. ''Raleigh'', renamed ''Roanoke'' near the end of the war, was destroyed by the Confederates on April 4, 1865 upon the evacuation of

Richmond, Virginia (Thus do we reach the stars) , image_map = , mapsize = 250 px , map_caption = Location within Virginia , pushpin_map = Virginia#USA , pushpin_label = Richmond , pushpin_m ...

Commanders

The commanders of the CSS ''Raleigh'' were:Coski (1996), John M. ''Capital Navy: The Men, Ships and Operations of the James River Squadron'', Campbell, CA: Savas Woodbury Publishers. . * Lieutenant Joseph W. Alexander (1861–1862) * Lieutenant Maxwell T. Clarke (1863-June 1864) * Lieutenant

Mortimer Murray Benton Mortimer () is an English surname, and occasionally a given name. Norman origins The surname Mortimer has a Norman origin, deriving from the village of Mortemer, Seine-Maritime, Normandy. A Norman castle existed at Mortemer from an early point; ...

(during June 1864) * Master's Mate A.E. Albertson (July 31, 1864-) * Acting Master W. Frank Shippey (October–December 1864) * Lieutenant

William Wonder Pollock William is a masculine given name of Norman French origin.Hanks, Hardcastle and Hodges, ''Oxford Dictionary of First Names'', Oxford University Press, 2nd edition, , p. 276. It became very popular in the English language after the Norman conques ...

(January 1865-end of war)

References

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Raleigh CSS (1861) Raleigh (1861) Shipwrecks of the American Civil War Shipwrecks in rivers Ship fires 1861 ships Maritime incidents in April 1865 Scuttled vessels