Steam Ship (SS) Jeff Davis Key Tag??

[HeritageHunter]

Hi everyone! Any maritime experts out there explain this one? Found in New Orleans along with this key near it.. Few questions.. 1. Could this be from the Steam Ship Jeff Davis gunner boat confederacy? 2. What is station B on a steam Ship? 3. Do you think this is a key tag of some sort? Also found near it were civil war naval buttons bullets, part of a US plate. Looking up the origin on the use of the word wheelhouse is early 19th century, then it goes pilot house, then bridge.. Naval prefix history with the word wheelhouse most likely places this mid to late 19th cen. Large military steamship would have had stations the crew was responsible for.. In 1907 Theodore Roosevelt decreed all US naval ships to hold the name USS.. This would have been a privateer confederate ship later captured by the Union (hence the artifacts, extra pictures in the thread below) let me know your thoughts! Thanks

 

[archieclement]

Could it be the WWII liberty ship SS Jefferson Davis?

 

[UCVRelics]

I'm going with the SS Jeff Davis which plyed the Miss river in New Orleans and the key went to one of the outside stations (B) just outside the wheelhouse.

 

[HeritageHunter]

UPDATE This ship you posted in the picture is a Yukon Steamboat? Nothing related to the Mississippi? Did you make up the part on its usage in the Mississippi? Only curious here..

 

[UCVRelics]

Was this boat turned into a confederate blockade boat from the wiki pages?

No, That key is way post Civil War and is not for the one on wiki

 

[HeritageHunter]

The key tag was dug in a pit containing civil war artifacts, here are the buttons and bullets and really bad US plate from literally 12 inches away from where this tag was found.. not metal detected but 6 feet down..

 

[UCVRelics]

The key tag was dug in a pit containing civil war artifacts, here are the buttons and bullets and really bad US plate from literally 12 inches away from where this tag was found.. not metal detected but 6 feet down..

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The Jeff Davis you are refering to was never in New Orleans and while attempting to enter harbor at Saint Augustine, Florida, in mid-August 1861, Jefferson Davis went aground and was lost.

 

[HeritageHunter]

I think your confused. There are 2 Jefferson Davis ships. First one is the famous non steam Ship Privateer ship that ran aground off St Augustine coast. The one I'm referring to was a confederate gun boat early part of the war before everything was CSS.. it worked up and down the Mississippi River (new Orleans) especially in Naval blockades.. it was a privately hired ship.. The earlier picture you posted was of a ship way up in the Yukon.. completely not connected to this tag... All of the evidence is pointing to the one and only SS Jeff Davis confederate steam Ship that was hired but privately ran.. Found in New Orleans ..

 

[archieclement]

I think your confused. There are 2 Jefferson Davis ships. First one is the famous non steam Ship Privateer ship that ran aground off St Augustine coast. The one I'm referring to was a confederate gun boat early part of the war before everything was CSS.. it worked up and down the Mississippi River (new Orleans) especially in Naval blockades.. it was a privately hired ship.. The earlier picture you posted was of a ship way up in the Yukon.. completely not connected to this tag... All of the evidence is pointing to the one and only SS Jeff Davis confederate steam Ship that was hired but privately ran.. Found in New Orleans ..

All the evidence being you want it to be?

You ask, and no one has said they thought the items were linked to a civil war ship, but suddenly somehow its gone to

All of the evidence is pointing to the one and only SS Jeff Davis confederate steam Ship that was hired but privately ran.. Found in New Orleans ..

All the evidence being none? Wish I had a $1 for every newer item I have found near old items...........

 

[HeritageHunter]

This is steam ship related that's where we start. If you look up the military history on SS prefix it cannot be anything else.. if we look at the evidence around the object it certainly should help to confirm its origin.. Being part of a large vessel having commanding stations is also evidence.. I posted this on one of thee largest US navy history sites and this is the information coming in.. You have yet to prove otherwise but comments that are not helpful to the lost history.. look up the history on naval prefixes and start with your education there.. it's going to take time to let the naval experts from the other site share information.. What was found cannot be made up, it's here now..

 

[archieclement]

This is steam ship related that's where we start. If you look up the military history on SS prefix it cannot be anything else.. if we look at the evidence around the object it certainly should help to confirm its origin.. Being part of a large vessel having commanding stations is also evidence.. I posted this on one of thee largest US navy history sites and this is the information coming in.. You have yet to prove otherwise but comments that are not helpful to the lost history.. look up the history on naval prefixes and start with your education there.. it's going to take time to let the naval experts from the other site share information.. What was found cannot be made up, it's here now..

It was you asking the question if it was civil war, as far as from this thread there has been nothing suggesting it is Civil War, but believe whatever you wish, just don't know why you would have asked then............

Saying its steamship related does not tie it to ACW, as its already been demonstrated there were later ships bearing name. Liberty ships used SS as well. I didn't need to look up SS to know its not confined to the ACW...........

 

[UCVRelics]

This is steam ship related that's where we start. If you look up the military history on SS prefix it cannot be anything else.. if we look at the evidence around the object it certainly should help to confirm its origin.. Being part of a large vessel having commanding stations is also evidence.. I posted this on one of thee largest US navy history sites and this is the information coming in.. You have yet to prove otherwise but comments that are not helpful to the lost history.. look up the history on naval prefixes and start with your education there.. it's going to take time to let the naval experts from the other site share information.. What was found cannot be made up, it's here now..

I think that dating the key will give you the answer you are seeking.

 

[HeritageHunter]

It was you asking the question if it was civil war, as far as from this thread there has been nothing suggesting it is Civil War, but believe whatever you wish, just don't know why you would have asked then............

Saying its steamship related does not tie it to ACW, as its already been demonstrated there were later ships bearing name. Liberty ships used SS as well. I didn't need to look up SS to know its not confined to the ACW...........

So in 1907 Theodore Roosevelt decreed all US ships to have USS on any US naval vessel... The information is getting very interesting..

 

[archieclement]

So in 1907 Theodore Roosevelt decreed all US ships to have USS on any US naval vessel... The information is getting very interesting..

Indeed you do know SS designates a civilian ship and not military? I take it your just now discovering the terminology to find it interesting.

Why I certainly wouldn't jump to SS indicating a Confederate ship. Confederate naval ships used CSS. So I would think it certainly remains there is multiple possibilities as to the ship. So would disagree on what's been presented, to say its 100% any one of them.

I mainly found it odd in first post you don't know, hence are asking.......then later suggest 100% its some Confederate ship, when no one has suggested that.

Personally UCV has rather extensive history with relics, if he says the key is postwar, I'll accept its postwar.

 

[grimshaw27]

Hey all, I'm new here and joined specifically to respond to this post. I don't claim to know anything about the origins of these finds. I just wanted to provide the coincidental context that led me here. My 2nd great grandfather was a steamboat captain on the Yukon River in the 1910's, captained several vessels through the 20's and ultimately drowned when his steamboat capsized on the Mississippi River near Lake Providence in 1932. I stumbled upon this post after finding a picture of him in the BC Archives sitting in the crew quarters of the SS Jeff Davis. This is purely for speculative fun, but his father was a captain in the Civil War and had a steamboat business on the Yukon. Maybe you found relics from my long-lost grandfathers.

This is William Jacob Dobler (1872-1932)

This is his father, William Daniel Dobler (1845-1917)

 

[JackADriscoll]

JEFF DAVIS - IMO 5070347

Information, photos and AIS vessel tracker for the Ship JEFF DAVIS (IMO 5070347)

www.shipspotting.com

I find this to be our more likely culprit that

 

[JOHN42768]

Hey all, I'm new here and joined specifically to respond to this post. I don't claim to know anything about the origins of these finds. I just wanted to provide the coincidental context that led me here. My 2nd great grandfather was a steamboat captain on the Yukon River in the 1910's, captained several vessels through the 20's and ultimately drowned when his steamboat capsized on the Mississippi River near Lake Providence in 1932. I stumbled upon this post after finding a picture of him in the BC Archives sitting in the crew quarters of the SS Jeff Davis. This is purely for speculative fun, but his father was a captain in the Civil War and had a steamboat business on the Yukon. Maybe you found relics from my long-lost grandfathers.

This is William Jacob Dobler (1872-1932)

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This is his father, William Daniel Dobler (1845-1917)

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Welcome, enjoy

 

[7thWisconsin]

Hey all, I'm new here and joined specifically to respond to this post. I don't claim to know anything about the origins of these finds. I just wanted to provide the coincidental context that led me here. My 2nd great grandfather was a steamboat captain on the Yukon River in the 1910's, captained several vessels through the 20's and ultimately drowned when his steamboat capsized on the Mississippi River near Lake Providence in 1932. I stumbled upon this post after finding a picture of him in the BC Archives sitting in the crew quarters of the SS Jeff Davis. This is purely for speculative fun, but his father was a captain in the Civil War and had a steamboat business on the Yukon. Maybe you found relics from my long-lost grandfathers.

This is William Jacob Dobler (1872-1932)

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This is his father, William Daniel Dobler (1845-1917)

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View attachment 529627

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Welcome! Have you ever visited the Klondike in Whitehorse or the Keno in Dawson City? The steamboats he would have worked on the Yukon would have been very similar.

 

[RedRover]

Some notices of the SS Jeff Davis at New Orleans, in the early 20th Century.

Times-Picayune, New Orleans, 4-17-1921.

New Orleans Item, 1-19-1926.


Just previous to last:

New Orleans Item, 1-4-1926.


From 1922, some description of the SS Jeff Davis at New Orleans...

New Orleans States, 4-16-1922.



From 1930:

Times-Picayune, 12-28-1930.

 

[Biscoitos]

Jefferson Davis was a well known politician long before the Civil War. Is it possible this object was from a pre war steamboat or steamship and was later disposed of,with some of the obviously Civil War period items?