The Stone Fleet consisted of a fleet of aging ships (mostly whaleships) purchased in

New Bedford New Bedford (Massachusett: ) is a city in Bristol County, Massachusetts. It is located on the Acushnet River in what is known as the South Coast region. Up through the 17th century, the area was the territory of the Wampanoag Native American pe ...

and other New England ports, loaded with stone, and sailed south during the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by state ...

by the

Union Navy The Union Navy was the United States Navy (USN) during the American Civil War, when it fought the Confederate States Navy (CSN). The term is sometimes used carelessly to include vessels of war used on the rivers of the interior while they were und ...

for use as

blockship A blockship is a ship deliberately sunk to prevent a river, channel, or canal from being used. It may either be sunk by a navy defending the waterway to prevent the ingress of attacking enemy forces, as in the case of at Portland Harbour in 1914 ...

s. They were to be deliberately sunk at the entrance of

Charleston Harbor The Charleston Harbor is an inlet (8 sq mi/20.7 km²) of the Atlantic Ocean at Charleston, South Carolina. The inlet is formed by the junction of Ashley and Cooper rivers at . Morris and Sullivan's Islands shelter the entrance. Charleston ...

, South Carolina in the hope of obstructing

blockade runner A blockade runner is a merchant vessel used for evading a naval blockade of a port or strait. It is usually light and fast, using stealth and speed rather than confronting the blockaders in order to break the blockade. Blockade runners usual ...

s, then supplying Confederate interests. Although some sank along the way and others were sunk near Tybee Island, Georgia, to serve as breakwaters, wharves for the landing of Union troops, the majority were divided into two lesser fleets. One fleet was sunk to block the south channel off

Morris Island Morris Island is an 840-acre (3.4 km²) uninhabited island in Charleston Harbor in South Carolina, accessible only by boat. The island lies in the outer reaches of the harbor and was thus a strategic location in the American Civil War. The ...

, and the other to block the north channel near Rattlesnake Shoals off the present day Isle of Palms in what proved to be failed efforts to block access the main shipping channels into Charleston Harbor.Spence 1995, pp. 142–152, 159–164

History

Various old ships, specifically purchased by the Navy for this purpose, were loaded with stone and sand, or filled with dirt, then towed to a designated spot and sunk as a hazard to all craft that passed. Twenty-four whaleships were sunk in Charleston Harbor by Captain

Charles Henry Davis Charles Henry Davis ( – ) was an American rear admiral of the United States Navy. While working for the U.S. Coast Survey, he researched tides and currents, and located an uncharted shoal that had caused wrecks off of the coast of New Yor ...

, beginning on 19 December 1861. A second fleet of 12 to 20 vessels was sunk in nearby Mafitt's Channel in 1862. The operation was under the direction of Samuel Francis DuPont, Flag Officer commanding the South Atlantic Blockading Squadron. Confederate general

Robert E. Lee Robert Edward Lee (January 19, 1807 – October 12, 1870) was a Confederate general during the American Civil War, towards the end of which he was appointed the overall commander of the Confederate States Army. He led the Army of Nort ...

called the measure "an abortive expression of the malice and revenge" of the North. The event inspired

Herman Melville Herman Melville (born Melvill; August 1, 1819 – September 28, 1891) was an American novelist, short story writer, and poet of the American Renaissance period. Among his best-known works are ''Moby-Dick'' (1851); '' Typee'' (1846), a r ...

to write the poem entitled, "The Stone Fleet".

List of ships in the Stone Fleet

* , a 318-ton bark-rigged whaleship of

Fairhaven, Massachusetts Fairhaven (Massachusett: ) is a town in Bristol County, Massachusetts, United States. It is located on the South Coast of Massachusetts where the Acushnet River flows into Buzzards Bay, an arm of the Atlantic Ocean. The town shares a harbor wit ...

, purchased on 30 October 1861 and laden with 325 tons of stone. Sunk as an obstruction at Charleston, South Carolina, on 19 or 20 December 1861. * , a 329-ton bark-rigged whaleship of

Edgartown, Massachusetts Edgartown is a tourist destination on the island of Martha's Vineyard in Dukes County, Massachusetts, United States, for which it is the county seat. It was once a major whaling port, with historic houses that have been carefully preserved. To ...

, purchased on 1 November 1861. Laden with 300 tons of stone she was sunk in the main channel off Charleston, South Carolina on 20 December 1861. * (ship) 322 tons. Purchased by the Navy on 28 October 1861 at a cost of $3,360. Sunk at the entrance to Charleston Harbor on 20 December 1861. Captained by William North. *''Augustus Holly'', a

schooner A schooner () is a type of sailing vessel defined by its rig: fore-and-aft rigged on all of two or more masts and, in the case of a two-masted schooner, the foremast generally being shorter than the mainmast. A common variant, the topsail schoo ...

purchased at

Baltimore Baltimore ( , locally: or ) is the List of municipalities in Maryland, most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland, fourth most populous city in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, and List of United States cities by popula ...

by the Union Navy on 13 August 1861. Records of her use are missing, and it is questionable whether she was actually used for this purpose. *''Corea'' was a 336-ton armed store ship of the

Royal Navy The Royal Navy (RN) is the United Kingdom's naval warfare force. Although warships were used by Kingdom of England, English and Kingdom of Scotland, Scottish kings from the early medieval period, the first major maritime engagements were foug ...

captured by fishermen from New Bedford, Massachusetts during the

American Revolution The American Revolution was an ideological and political revolution that occurred in British America between 1765 and 1791. The Americans in the Thirteen Colonies formed independent states that defeated the British in the American Revolu ...

, and later served as a whaleship. Reportedly she was not sunk and was in service with the US Army as late as 8 January 1862.Spence 1995, p. 151 * ''Cossack'' was a 254-ton bark beached on Tybee Island, Georgia, to act as a wharf for the landing of troops on 8 December 1861. * ''Courier'' (ship) 381 tons * ''Fortune'' (bark) 292 tons, whaleship * ''Frances Henrietta'', was a whaleship from New Bedford, Massachusetts. She was purchased for $4,000 by George Morgan and R.H. Chappell on 19 October 1861. There is evidence she was transferred to the US Army and was still afloat as late as 8 January 1862.Spence (1995), pp. 151–152. * ''Garland'', a 243-ton ship from New Bedford, Massachusetts that was captained by

Rodney French Rodney French was an American abolitionist, politician, and merchant who served as Mayor of New Bedford, Massachusetts. Early life French was born on May 2, 1802, in Berkley, Massachusetts to Samuel and Celia (Crane) French. Samuel French held ...

. French had been elected leader of the fleet by his fellow captains and went by the title "Commodore of the stone fleet". The ''Garland'' was the last of its fleet to arrive because French took a coastal route while the other ships sailed offshore and held a good wind. Sunk on 19 or 20 December 1861. * ''Harvest'', was a whaleship that operated out of New England. She was purchased on 21 October 1861, by Morgan and Chappell for $4,000. She arrived off Savannah, Georgia, on 4 December. Records state that she was retained for use as a coal scow. *''Herald'' was a 274-ton whaleship active in the Pacific. Her home port was New Bedford, Massachusetts, owner and master George H. Cash. She was purchased for $4,000 and sunk along with 15 other vessels on 20 December 1861, about four miles south-southeast of Fort Sumter and three miles east-southeast of the light on Morris Island.Spence (1995), p. 146. * ''Kensington'' was a 357-ton wooden, ship-rigged vessel purchased for $4,000 at New Bedford, Massachusetts, on 28 October 1861. She departed 20 November and arrived Port Royal, South Carolina by 17 December. She was presumably sunk in the main channel leading into Charleston Harbor on 21 December, about four miles south-southeast of Fort Sumter and three miles east-southeast of the light on Morris Island. * ''L. C. Richmond'', was a 341-ton whaleship that began service in Pacific in 1834. She was purchased for $4,000 and with Captain Martin Malloy, she sailed from New Bedford on 20 November 1861. She was sunk along with 15 other vessels on 20 December, about four miles south-southeast of Fort Sumter and three miles east-southeast of the light on Morris Island. * ''Leonidas'', was originally built as a whaling

bark Bark may refer to: * Bark (botany), an outer layer of a woody plant such as a tree or stick * Bark (sound), a vocalization of some animals (which is commonly the dog) Places * Bark, Germany * Bark, Warmian-Masurian Voivodeship, Poland Arts, ...

of 231 tons, 320 feet long. It was active in the Pacific Ocean in 1849, captained by Captain Swift of New Bedford, Massachusetts. From 1850 to 1854, it was partially owned, and captained by, Benjamin Smith Clark Jr. It was purchased on 27 October 1861 by the US Navy for $3,050. It sailed from New Bedford in charge of Master John Howland on 20 November,. Exactly one month later, it was intentionally sunk, along with 15 other vessels, about four miles south-southeast of Fort Sumter and three miles east-southeast of the light on Morris Island. * ''Lewis'' was a sailing ship of 308 tons. It was purchased on 20 October 1861. It ran aground and bilged near Tybee Island in December 1861. She was 101 feet in length, 26 feet 2 inches in breadth, 13 feet 1 inch in depth of hull, with two decks, three masts, a square stern, no galleries and a billet head.Spence 1995, p. 142 * ''Maria Theresa'', was a 330-ton ship purchased on 31 October 1861 for $4,000. It was sunk, along with 15 other vessels about four miles south-southeast of Fort Sumter and three miles east-southeast of the light on Morris Island. * , a ship purchased at

Mystic, Connecticut Mystic is a village and census-designated place (CDP) in Groton and Stonington, Connecticut, United States. Historically, Mystic was a significant Connecticut seaport with more than 600 ships built over 135 years starting in 1784. Mystic Seap ...

on 4 November 1861, and sunk on 9 January 1862. * , a whaleship of 404 tons, sunk as a breakwater for Union troops invading Tybee Island in December 1861. *''Peter DeMill'', was a 300-ton bark purchased on 9 November 1861 and beached with ''South America'' and ''Cossack'' on 8 December to serve as a wharf during the landing of Union troops at Tybee Island, Georgia, at the mouth of the Savannah River. *, an old 356-ton whaleship purchased on 1 November 1861 at Nantucket, and sunk on 9 January 1862. * (ship) or ''Rebecca Simms'' or ''Rebecca Ann'', 400 tons. Built as a general trading ship in 1801, she was eventually refitted as a whaleship, and, by 1850, was sailing from New Bedford. ''Rebecca Sims'' was acquired by the Navy at Fairhaven, Massachusetts, on 21 October 1861, stripped of all unnecessary equipment, filled with stone, and, under the command of her previous master, James M. Willis, sent south. On 19–20 December, she and 16 other ships were sunk in the main channel of Charleston Harbor. * ,

East Indiaman East Indiaman was a general name for any sailing ship operating under charter or licence to any of the East India trading companies of the major European trading powers of the 17th through the 19th centuries. The term is used to refer to vesse ...

(trading vessel), 395 tons, 400 feet. Purchased by the Navy at Mystic, Connecticut, on 20 October 1861. Sunk in the main channel of Charleston, South Carolina, in December 1861. * ''Sarah M. Kemp'', was a schooner purchased at Baltimore, Maryland, on 13 August 1861. The ship was to be sunk in the channel leading into the North Carolina sounds; however, no record of her final disposition has been found. * , a 606-ton whaleship purchased on 9 November 1861 at New London, Connecticut. She was beached with ''Peter Demill'' and ''Cossack'' on 8 December 1861 to serve as a wharf during the landing of troops at Tybee Island, Georgia, at the mouth of the Savannah River. * (bark), 245 tons, 300 feet, mentioned in Melville's poem. Purchased for the Navy at New London, Connecticut, on 16 October 1861 by George D. Morgan and R. H. Chappell. Under Master O. Sisson she was loaded with blocks of granite from New England and sailed on 20 November 1861. On 19–20 December ''Tenedos'' and 15 other ships were sunk off the bar of Charleston's main channel.

List of ships in the second fleet

* ''America'' (ship) 418 tons * ''Dove'' (bark) 151 tons * ''Edward'' (bark) 274 tons * ''Emerald'' (ship) 518 tons * ''India'', (ship, 366 tons) was purchased at New Bedford, Massachusetts, on 14 November 1861, and sunk in the Maffitt's Channel approach to Charleston on 26 January 1862. * ''Jubilee'' (bark) 233 tons * ''Majestic'' (bark) 297 tons * ''Marcia'' (bark) 356 tons * ''Margaret Scott'' (bark) 330 tons This ship was bought from the US Marshall in New Bedford, after it had been confiscated as a slave ship. She was sunk 20 January 1862 in Maffitt's Channel in Charleston harbor. A woman named Margaret Scott had been executed in 1692 as one of the Salem Witches. * ''Mechanic'' (ship) 335 tons * ''Messenger'' (bark) 216 tons * USS ''Montezuma'' 424 tons * ''Newburyport'' (ship), of 341 tons, had been launched at Newbury in 1834 * (ship) 368 tons * (bark) 274 tons * (bark) 261 tons, missing off

Charleston, SC Charleston is the largest city in the U.S. state of South Carolina, the county seat of Charleston County, and the principal city in the Charleston–North Charleston metropolitan area. The city lies just south of the geographical midpoint of ...

, 25 January 1862. * (brig) 200 tons * (ship) * ''Valparaiso'' (ship) 402 tons * was a bark of 311 tons, built as a whaler in 1836. Mentioned in Melville's poem as the ''Lee''.

References

Bibliography

* ''Treasures of the Confederate Coast: the "real Rhett Butler" & Other Revelations'' by Dr. E. Lee Spence, (Narwhal Press, Charleston/Miami, 1995)
OCLC: 32431590
* ''Shipwreck Encyclopedia of the Civil War: South Carolina & Georgia, 1861-1865'' by Edward Lee Spence (Sullivan's Island, S.C., Shipwreck Press, 1991
OCLC: 24420089
* ''Shipwrecks of South Carolina and Georgia : (includes Spence's List, 1520-1865)'' by E. Lee Spence, Sullivan's Island, S.C. (Sullivan's Island 29482, Sea Research Society, 1984
OCLC 10593079
* ''Shipwrecks, Pirates & Privateers: Sunken Treasures of the Upper South Carolina Coast, 1521-1865'' by E. Lee Spence, (Narwhal Press, Charleston/Miami, 1995) * {{cite book, editor-last=Phillips , editor-first=Stephen Willard , year=1937 , title=Ship registers of the district of Newburyport, Massachusetts, 1789–1870, oclc=3025487, url=https://hdl.handle.net/2027/mdp.39015020914993?urlappend=%3Bseq=228

External links