Ironclad CSS Texas - "CSS Never Sail"

[usnhm1625]

CSS Texas was the third and last Columbia-class (or Tennessee-class according to some sources) casemate ironclad built for the Confederate Navy during the American Civil War. Not begun until 1864 and intended to become part of the James River Squadron, she saw no action before being captured by Union forces while still fitting out. CSS Texas was reputed to have been one of the very best constructed Confederate ironclads,second only to CSS Mississippi.

Complement 50 officers and men. Armamenttwo rifled pivot canons, two rifled broadside canons.

At the time of Robert E. Lee's evacuation of Richmond on 3 April 1865, she was left unfinished but still intact at the Richmond Navy Yard. She was one of only two vessels (the other being the small iron-hulled gunboat CSS Beaufort) which escaped destruction by retreating Confederate forces, because attempts to set her ablaze proved unsuccessful. Captured when Richmond fell the following day, both ironclad and gunboat were appropriated "for use in the Navy", as per Union Admiral David D. Porter

As the war was winding down, and unlike her captured sister ship Tennessee. Texas was not commissioned into the Union Navy. She saw no active service, except for a trial run on 22 June 1865 with her engines apparently installed, the one and only time Texas was known to have sailed under her own power. She was eventually laid up at the Norfolk yard until 15 October 1867, when she was sold at auction for scrapping to J. N. Leonard & Co. of New Haven, Connecticut, having originally cost $218,068 to construct.

 

[Pollaco]

$218,068.00 , how much would that be in today's dollars?

 

[Championhilz]

$218,068.00 , how much would that be in today's dollars?

$3,997,750 in 2021 dollars

 

[usnhm1625]

$218,068.00 , how much would that be in today's dollars?

$3,964,168.64. 3.9 million and 54 cents.

 

[7th Mississippi Infantry]

CSS/USS Texas Project

Bringing back the Past for Fun and Learning!

theuniversalfoundation.com

 

[bdtex]

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CSS Texas was the third and last Columbia-class (or Tennessee-class according to some sources) casemate ironclad built for the Confederate Navy during the American Civil War. Not begun until 1864 and intended to become part of the James River Squadron, she saw no action before being captured by Union forces while still fitting out. CSS Texas was reputed to have been one of the very best constructed Confederate ironclads,second only to CSS Mississippi.

Complement 50 officers and men. Armamenttwo rifled pivot canons, two rifled broadside canons.

At the time of Robert E. Lee's evacuation of Richmond on 3 April 1865, she was left unfinished but still intact at the Richmond Navy Yard. She was one of only two vessels (the other being the small iron-hulled gunboat CSS Beaufort) which escaped destruction by retreating Confederate forces, because attempts to set her ablaze proved unsuccessful. Captured when Richmond fell the following day, both ironclad and gunboat were appropriated "for use in the Navy", as per Union Admiral David D. Porter

As the war was winding down, and unlike her captured sister ship Tennessee. Texas was not commissioned into the Union Navy. She saw no active service, except for a trial run on 22 June 1865 with her engines apparently installed, the one and only time Texas was known to have sailed under her own power. She was eventually laid up at the Norfolk yard until 15 October 1867, when she was sold at auction for scrapping to J. N. Leonard & Co. of New Haven, Connecticut, having originally cost $218,068 to construct.

Thank you so much for that informative post. As a native Texan and direct descendant of Confederate veterans, I am embarrassed to say that I had not heard of this before now.

 

[usnhm1625]

Thank you so much for that informative post. As a native Texan and direct descendant of Confederate veterans, I am embarrassed to say that I had not heard of this before now.

Your welcome, that's what I love about this site. So much to learn from. I really like finding out about the little things that don't get much attention.

 

[7th Mississippi Infantry]

The CSS Texas is indeed an interesting ironclad.

Here is a previous thread that will provide a little more insight for those interested:

THE EVOLUTION OF THE IRONCLAD CSS TEXAS | Naval War - At Sea & Along Inland Waterways

Name: CSS Texas This vessel intended to be the third of John LPorter’s “189ft PP” type ironclad gunboats Originally designed with a long casemate, mounting 6 guns behind 4” iron armour. The casemate ends, and stern were initially planned to be elliptical as in CSS Virginia, subsequently...

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