Wilmington Ship Builder James Cassidey

[DaveBrt]

A letter in the A&IG files from the President of the Raleigh & Gaston RR, Dr. Wm. J. Hawkins, reveals a plan to build a substantial iron works on the Deep River (30 miles SW of Raleigh, NC). The letter, August 11, 1864, refers to an April 1, 1864 letter on the same subject and involves Lt. Col. F. W. Sims, Chief of the RR Bureau.

Three men are the subject of the letters, both having to do with detailing the men to work on the new company. The letters say that ten men had each contributed $100,000 to found the company (name not given) and that they had a contract with the Nitre & Mining Bureau, whose inspector said that the work was progressing with energy.

Since the N&M Bureau records fed the Richmond fire, I have had little luck identifying the company, its shareholders, its locations, etc. The only thing I have found that might be of slight use is the name of the next door neighbor of one of the detail men. The neighbor was James Cassidey, listed in the 1860 Census at Wilmington as a 68 year old Ship Builder, with total estate value of $80,000. Cassidey survived the war and is in the Amnesty Papers.

I'm guessing that Cassidey was one of the investors. However, other than the Census entry, the only thing I can find on him is the note that he is related to National Archives Vessel Papers M-13 and P-10.

Can any of you shed any more light on Mr. Cassidey's wartime activities or relation to the two vessels? Have any of you got any firm information on this Deep River Iron Works (not the coal and iron mines, but the iron works).

 

[rebelatsea]

A letter in the A&IG files from the President of the Raleigh & Gaston RR, Dr. Wm. J. Hawkins, reveals a plan to build a substantial iron works on the Deep River (30 miles SW of Raleigh, NC). The letter, August 11, 1864, refers to an April 1, 1864 letter on the same subject and involves Lt. Col. F. W. Sims, Chief of the RR Bureau.

Three men are the subject of the letters, both having to do with detailing the men to work on the new company. The letters say that ten men had each contributed $100,000 to found the company (name not given) and that they had a contract with the Nitre & Mining Bureau, whose inspector said that the work was progressing with energy.

Since the N&M Bureau records fed the Richmond fire, I have had little luck identifying the company, its shareholders, its locations, etc. The only thing I have found that might be of slight use is the name of the next door neighbor of one of the detail men. The neighbor was James Cassidey, listed in the 1860 Census at Wilmington as a 68 year old Ship Builder, with total estate value of $80,000. Cassidey survived the war and is in the Amnesty Papers.

I'm guessing that Cassidey was one of the investors. However, other than the Census entry, the only thing I can find on him is the note that he is related to National Archives Vessel Papers M-13 and P-10.

Can any of you shed any more light on Mr. Cassidey's wartime activities or relation to the two vessels? Have any of you got any firm information on this Deep River Iron Works (not the coal and iron mines, but the iron works).

That's new to me Dave, Cassidey was the guy who's yard built the helpless, hapless and hopeless North Carolina !

 

[5fish]

Shipbuilder Benjamin W. Beery could have played a role? They seem to know each other...

After the war, Cassidey's Shipyard merged with Benjamin W. Beery's adjoining works at the foot of Nun Street and was renamed Cassidey & Beery. In 1881 S. W. Skinner took over the facility, and by 1911 the Cape Fear Machine Works had moved onto the site.

1867 – Cassidey & Beery (not sure if Capt. Beery was connected with the Cassidey brothers marine railway)

During the Civil War, Benajmin Washington Beery and his brothers operated a shipyard on Eagles Island, constructing a number of vessels, including the Confederate ironclad CSS North Carolina. Meanwhile, James Cassidey and his family operated a shipyard and outfitting station across the Cape Fear (on the riverfront between Nun and Church streets), turning out the ironclad CSS Raleigh in 1863. The Cassidey and Beery interests merged after the war, operating a "marine railway" (essentially, a drydock facility).

 

[5fish]

Here?

https://www.ncpedia.org/iron-and-steel-industry

At the outbreak of the Civil War, 49 ironworks were known to be active in the state, mostly in Lincoln, Cherokee, Cleveland, Surry, and Cumberland Counties. When the Confederacy lost its access to northern iron manufacturers, efforts were made to invigorate the iron industry in North Carolina. In 1861 the Sapona Iron Company built a furnace at Ore Hill (now known as Mount Vernon Springs) in Chatham County on the site of John Wilcox's eighteenth-century ironworks, operating it throughout the war. George Lobdell and J. M. Heck, founders of the Cape Fear Iron and Steel Company, operated the Endor Furnace near the Deep River in Lee County beginning in 1862. Iron ore was transported by boat from nearby mines to the furnace. The resulting iron stock was shipped to Fayetteville, where railroad wheels were fabricated. In February 1865 the Congress of the Confederate States passed a bill to build a foundry and arsenal in the Deep River Valley. Construction began but was ceased when the war ended.

 

[5fish]

Here is the approval Confederate Congress... little late:

https://books.google.com/books?id=V... and arsenal in the Deep River Valley&f=false

 

[5fish]

Here is his RIP..

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/7083098/james-cassidey

James Cassidey owned the 2nd
shipyard in Wilmington. His yard,
smaller than the Beery yard still
managed to build the Condederate
Ironclad "CSS Raleigh".
The Shipyard was across the river
from Downtown Wilmington.

 

[5fish]

Here is Beery RIP...

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/7074586/benjamin-w-beery

Beery ran Beery's Shipyard
before the Civil War and turned
to building Craft for the War
effort. The 1st major vessel
built was a Sea going Tug named
"Mariner". Beery was commission
ed Captain by the Confederacy
and given command of the
Mariner. Beery remained in
command until early 62 and gave
up command to return to the
"Confederate Shipyard". Three
vessels were built including
the Ironclad "CSS Raleigh"
along with the "Retribution
and the Yadkin". After Ft Fish-
er fell Bragg ordered the de-
strucion of the Yard and
the almost complete Ironclad
"Wilmington".

 

[Bil R]

Hello Dave,

Just to add to the above, the vessels alluded to are the Phantom (P-10) and the Merrimack (M-13). The Phantom was a custom built 2nd generation runner that represented the smaller, faster vessels intended to run from off shore ports to blockaded ports. She was built in Liverpool in 1862 was of 266 tons, 190' in length and screw propelled. She had two boilers, twin stacks and was wrecked off Topsail Island on her third run inbound on 23 September 1863. She was initially intended to run in lead ingots.

The Merrimack was built for the Chinese opium trade and purchased in the UK in 1862. Her investors declared bankruptcy after her arrival in Bermuda and she was purchased by the CS government. After her run into Wilmington her engines needed an overall and she was sold off. A group of local investors (Cassidy, et al) bought her and started repairs. During this time they sold her to Anderson of Tredegar and she was captured on her first run out on 24 July 1863. She was of 635 tons, 230' x 30', paddlewheel and twin funnels. She sank in a storm while in USN service on 15 February 1865.

All the best,
Bil

 

[DaveBrt]

Hello Dave,

Just to add to the above, the vessels alluded to are the Phantom (P-10) and the Merrimack (M-13). The Phantom was a custom built 2nd generation runner that represented the smaller, faster vessels intended to run from off shore ports to blockaded ports. She was built in Liverpool in 1862 was of 266 tons, 190' in length and screw propelled. She had two boilers, twin stacks and was wrecked off Topsail Island on her third run inbound on 23 September 1863. She was initially intended to run in lead ingots.

The Merrimack was built for the Chinese opium trade and purchased in the UK in 1862. Her investors declared bankruptcy after her arrival in Bermuda and she was purchased by the CS government. After her run into Wilmington her engines needed an overall and she was sold off. A group of local investors (Cassidy, et al) bought her and started repairs. During this time they sold her to Anderson of Tredegar and she was captured on her first run out on 24 July 1863. She was of 635 tons, 230' x 30', paddlewheel and twin funnels. She sank in a storm while in USN service on 15 February 1865.

All the best,
Bil

Thanks Bil. I had not made the connections from the Vessel Papers notation; here is my page on the Merrimack.

http://csa-railroads.com/Essays/The_Merrimac_and_the_Railroad.htm

 

[USS ALASKA]

Sir, according to 'Wilmington, North Carolina, to 1861' by Alan D. Watson, James Cassidey retired in 1855 and turned the business over to his son, Jesse J. Cassidey. Perhaps another avenue for approach.
151

Cheers,
USS ALASKA

 

[USS ALASKA]

Have any of you got any firm information on this Deep River Iron Works (not the coal and iron mines, but the iron works).

Sir, not sure how 'firm' this is...apparently there was talk before the war about the establishment of a National Foundry on the Deep River. Could what you are looking for be a continuation of that?

https://books.google.com/books?id=S...onal Foundry in the deep river valley&f=false

https://books.google.com/books?id=_...jAA#v=onepage&q=Deep River Iron Works&f=false

HTHs,
USS ALASKA

 

[DaveBrt]

Sir, not sure how 'firm' this is...apparently there was talk before the war about the establishment of a National Foundry on the Deep River. Could what you are looking for be a continuation of that?

View attachment 261836

https://books.google.com/books?id=Sng1AQAAMAAJ&pg=PA75&lpg=PA75&dq=National+Foundry+in+the+deep+river+valley&source=bl&ots=SJUUDol3ps&sig=ACfU3U0OGsPlr5t0on01_8OXEorNeMj_UA&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjjnMSzl53gAhVLON8KHRRaBOMQ6AEwBnoECBcQAQ#v=onepage&q=National Foundry in the deep river valley&f=false

View attachment 261837

https://books.google.com/books?id=_6gsDwAAQBAJ&pg=PT196&dq=Deep+River+Iron+Works&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiv77Lzlp3gAhVBh-AKHWkqARIQ6AEIKjAA#v=onepage&q=Deep River Iron Works&f=false

HTHs,
USS ALASKA

Yes, this is the same story. There are some articles in the Fayetteville and Wilmington newspapers, too. What I am after is what the Confederates actually managed to get done and what their plans were. I know of the extension of the Western RR and the attempt to build the Chatham RR from Raleigh to the same place, but I have found nothing useful about the works themselves.