The Struggles of Secession

Howell Cobb had a plan to protect the Chattahoochee River. With defenses laid along the route from the Gulf and northward, he also planned to have a fleet of small, ocean-going vessels. But, once the Confederacy gave up Apalachicola, the CSS Chattahoochee was relegated to river defense. “In Oct, 1861, Lt. Augustus McLaughlin, commanding the Confederate Navy Yard in Columbus, contracted with planter and entrepreneur David S. Johnson for construction of the Chattahoochee in Saffold in Early County. “1 The site was picked because of its sawmill and abundant timber. It also had a labor force of 90 slaves. It called for delivery in 120 days at $47,500. Johnston ran into production troubles from the start.

The slaves could handle the rough, heavy work, but he needed skilled craftsmen. He took at ads promising exemptions to skilled laborers. As spring passed into summer, Lt. McLaughlin was getting impatient. He also suspected that Johnston was using his Navy Yard for his own private dealings and not prioritizing the Chattahoochee. McLaughlin demanded a timetable and full accounting of the activities there. Johnston finally delivered the ship on Dec. 8, 1862…10 months late. Even then navy carpenters were still working on board the ship another 2 months. “The CSS Chattahoochee would carry a complement of almost 120 personnel, and her armament would consist of four 32 pounder smoothbore cannon, a 32 pounder rifled cannon and a 9 inch smoothbore cannon.” 2 Mechanical problems plagued the Chattahoochee and her boil exploded in May 1863 and it sunk near Blountstown, FL. Damage was surprisingly light, and it was raised in August and taken to Columbus for repairs. Work did not begin till Dec. 1863 and by the end of April 1864 the ship was ready to sail again. This made an even more amazing feat with the scarcity of materials. Despite this, McLaughlin still earned a good reputation and he had also constructed the ironclad ram, Jackson (Muscogee) and the torpedo boat, Viper, not to mention the Chattahoochee.

Lt. George Gift served on the Chattahoochee and he referred to his fellow officers as “as splendid ser: some of them are sons of the old aristocracy, who are carrying on the traditions most creditably.” This seems to support the separation by castes in Southern society when he then refers to the sailors as “ridiculous, odd, delinquent, buzzard and worser sorts.” Gift even had one of his men hung up by his wrists on a hook for four hours just for swearing. In May of 1863, thirteen men had deserted from the Chattahoochee. Two of the men, J.C. Cook and Elias Lee, made it to the USS Port Royal off Apalachicola and took the Oath of Allegiance. Lee joined the US Navy and served on board the Port Royal as their pilot.

In April of 1865, the Federals under Major General Wilson captured Columbus. Wilson ordered the destruction of ‘everything within reach that could be made useful for the continuance of the Rebellion’. The Navy yard was hit hard and McLaughlin was unable to relocate his facilities before Wilson’s arrival. The ram Jackson was set ablaze and adrift by the Yankees. It burned to the waterline and sunk thirty miles downriver. The Chattahoochee suffered a similar fate but was burned and set adrift by the Navy yard personnel to keep it out of Yankee hands. It ran aground at Race Pass, twelve miles south of Columbus. The Viper escaped to Eufaula, only to be captured a few weeks later.

In the early 1960’s the ship was discovered and a part of the hull brought back to Columbus along with the original steam engines built at the Naval Ironworks. This ship represents the only Confederate Navy gunboat to survive the war. The remains are on display at the National Civil War Naval Museum in Columbus, GA.

1 Williams, David, Rich Man’s War: Caste, Class and Confederate Defeat in the Lower Chattahoochee Valley, Univ. of Georgia Press, Athens, GA 1998.

2 Foenander, Terry: http://www.tfoenander.com/tragic.html

Historic Navy Ships Assoc.: http://www.hnsa.org/ships/chatta.htm

National Civil War Naval Museum: http://www.portcolumbus.org/exhibits/csschattahoochee.php