CSS Gaines ?

[flyfisher]

I know the CSS Gaines, which faught in the Battle of Mobile Bay, sunk after being being damaged in the battle. I've read it sunk in two fathoms up inside the Bay behind Fort Morgan.

Does anyone know if the wreck has ever been discovered, recovered etc.

Of course, the Tecumseh is still out there in the pass as you come out of Mobile Bay off Fort Morgan. I wonder if they'll ever try to recover it?

 

[Borderruffian]

NUMA surveyed her in 89.

Confederate gunboat, Gaines. This was a hastily constructed sidewheel steamer 202 feet in length with a 38 foot beam. Planned by a crew of 130, it mounted one 8 inch rifled gun and five 32 pounders. She fought a good fight against the Union fleet before being run aground behind Fort Morgan to avoid capture.
After a few passes using our EG&G sidescan sonar and the Schoenstedt gradiometer, we received a very heavy mag reading indicating the presence of boilers. The sonar, however, recorded nothing of interest, except a nearby sunken barge. We went over the side in only five feet of water and immediately found several clusters of coal. Then, using steel probes we struck iron plate and other hard objects three feet below the bottom.
The Gaines site could prove an excellent excavation project during low tide.

http://www.numa.net/expeditions/survey_of_civil_war_ships.html

 

[Savez]

NUMA surveyed her in 89.

Confederate gunboat, Gaines. This was a hastily constructed sidewheel steamer 202 feet in length with a 38 foot beam. Planned by a crew of 130, it mounted one 8 inch rifled gun and five 32 pounders. She fought a good fight against the Union fleet before being run aground behind Fort Morgan to avoid capture.
After a few passes using our EG&G sidescan sonar and the Schoenstedt gradiometer, we received a very heavy mag reading indicating the presence of boilers. The sonar, however, recorded nothing of interest, except a nearby sunken barge. We went over the side in only five feet of water and immediately found several clusters of coal. Then, using steel probes we struck iron plate and other hard objects three feet below the bottom.
The Gaines site could prove an excellent excavation project during low tide.

http://www.numa.net/expeditions/survey_of_civil_war_ships.html

That would be awesome!

 

[flyfisher]

Thanks so much for that. You know what's cool is I have snorkeling gear and a boat. I fish that water all the time as we live in Fairhope. The only problem is that it's so muddy there's almost no visibility. It sounds like much of it's below the mud in the bay. Heck...being a fisherman, it would be worth looking for if for no other reason than to find that sunken barge. I'm sure it's thick with speckled trout and redfish if nobody knows it's there.

Also, I wonder why they've never tried to raise the Tecumseh. I go past it often...it's well marked...as you pass Fort Morgan and head into the Gulf. It always give me a funny feeling knowing there are 94 men buried down there. I guess it would be awfully expensive.

 

[flyfisher]

Phillipi Quote

NUMA surveyed her in 89.

Confederate gunboat, Gaines. This was a hastily constructed sidewheel steamer 202 feet in length with a 38 foot beam. Planned by a crew of 130, it mounted one 8 inch rifled gun and five 32 pounders. She fought a good fight against the Union fleet before being run aground behind Fort Morgan to avoid capture.
After a few passes using our EG&G sidescan sonar and the Schoenstedt gradiometer, we received a very heavy mag reading indicating the presence of boilers. The sonar, however, recorded nothing of interest, except a nearby sunken barge. We went over the side in only five feet of water and immediately found several clusters of coal. Then, using steel probes we struck iron plate and other hard objects three feet below the bottom.
The Gaines site could prove an excellent excavation project during low tide.

http://www.numa.net/expeditions/survey_of_civil_war_ships.html

This is a strange quote from that article you linked.

"We had expected to find the remains the Philippi buried, but because it lies on the bank and is scoured by the action of the tides in and out of the channel much of the wreck is exposed."

We live in Fairhope, AL (down near Mobile) and I fish these waters frequently. I can tell you the Philippi is not visible...nor have I ever heard of any references to it by others. It ran aground in the shoal water on the west side of the entrance to Mobile Bay...nearer to Fort Gaines. A boat would be easily visible on those shoals...or against the bank. Hurricanes would've smashed it anyway, I'm sure.

I hope I'm wrong and would love to see it. If anybody's from down this way and has any specific information, would you please pass it along?

Thx.