Civil War Confederate Ships M through R

United States   U.S. Civil War    Confederate Navy in the Civil War    Civil War Confederate Ships M through R

Introduction
The information below comes from Series II, Volume 1 of the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Navies. Digital copy at Archive.org.

Ship names beginning with M

 * Macon. Fitted out at Savannah, Ga., in 1864. Class: Wooden gunboat propelled by steam. Taken to Augusta after the fall of Savannah and held until the war was over. Formerly known as the Ogeechee. For more information, see page 258


 * Manassas. Purchased in 1861, and converted into an ironclad ram at Algiers, La. Class: Steamer; iron-plated ram. Sunk in battle below New Orleans, La., April 24, 1862. Formerly Enoch Train, built in Boston in 1855. For more information, see page 259


 * Manassas. Seized at New Berne, N.C. Class: Revenue cutter. Soon dismantled. For more information, see page 259


 * McRae. Purchased at New Orleans, La., 1861. Class, Steamer; wood. Sunk in the Mississippi River, April 28, 1862. The McRae was formerly called the Marquis de la Habanu. For more information, see page 259. Muster roll for July - November 1861.


 * Mariner (Privateer). Fitted out at Wilmington, N.C.; commissioned July 14, 1861. Class: Screw steamer; propeller. For more information, see page 259 


 * Merrimack, see Virginia.


 * Missouri. Built in Red River, La. Class: Steam sloop; ironclad. Surrendered to Federal authorities at Alexandria, La., June 3, 1865. For more information, see page 259. Muster roll for October, November, and December 1863.


 * Milldgeville. Constructed at Savannah, GA., by Mr. Willink. Class: Steamer; ironclad. Burned to the water's edge and sunk in the river at Savannah, Ga., December, 1864.


 * Mississippi. Built by contract of Navy Department with N.&amp; A.F. Tift, Jefferson City, La. Class: Ironclad; three-screw gunboat. Set on fire by her officers to prevent capture by Union Fleet, April 15, 1862. Construction commenced October 14, 1861; launched april 19, 1862, at New Orleans, La. No guns or ammunition were on board of her when destroyed. For more information, see page 260,


 * Mobile. Class: Screw steamer. Burned by Confederates in Yazoo River May, 1863. Ready for plating when destroyed. For more information, see page 260


 * Morgan. Bought at Mobile, Alabama, in 1861. Class: Side-wheel merchant steamer. Burned by the Confederates at the fall of Mobile in 1865. Escaped to Mobile but slightly injured in engagement with Farragut's fleet, August 5, 1864. For more information, see page 260. Muster roll for January - December 1862, April - December 1863, January 1864.


 * Morgan. Class: Revenue cutter. For more information, see page 260


 * Morning Light. Captured from the Federals off Sabine Pass, January 21, 1863. Class: Sailing ship; wood. Burned by Confederates, January 23, 1863, off Sabine Pass, Tex. For more information, see page 260


 * Muscogee. Built at Columbus, Ga. Class: Center-wheel steamer; ironclad. Burned at the close of the war. For more information, see page 260


 * Music (Privateer). Fitted out at New Orleans, La.; commissioned May 15, 1861. Class: Steamer. For more information, see page 261

Ship names beginning with N

 * Nansemond. Built at Norfolk in 1862. Class: Steamer; wood. Burned by the Confederates, April 4, 1865, at the evacuation of Richmond. For more information, see page 261


 * Nashville. Seized in the port of Charleston, S.C., in 1861 by the Confederate Government and fitted as a cruiser. Class: Side-wheel merchant steamer. Sold to private parties in 1862 and became the blockade runner Thomas L. Wragg. Subsequently became the privateer Rattlesnake and was destroyed by the Federals in Ogeechee River in 1863. For more information, see page 261


 * Nashville. Built at Mongomery, Ala., and taken to Mobile for completion. Class: Side-wheel steamer; ironclad. Surrendered to Federal officers at Nanna Hubba Bluff, Tombigee River, Ala., May 10, 1865. For more information, see page 261


 * Neptune. Fitted out at Galveston, Tex, 1862. Class: Steamer; wood. Sunk in action with U.S.S. Harriet Lane at Galveston, Tex., January 1,1863. For more information, see page 261


 * Neuse. Built on Nuese River in 1864. Class: Steamer; ironclad. Burned by the Confederates in 1865 upon the approach of Sherman's Army. For more information, see page 261


 * New Orleans (Floating Battery). Fitted out at New Orleans, La. Class: Floating battery. Sunk in Mississippi River on evacuation of Island No. 10. For more information, see page 261


 * Nina. Class: Steam gunboat. For more information, see page 262


 * North Carolina. Built at Wilmington in 1863. Class: Steamer; Ironclad. Sprung aleak while at anchor in Cape Fear River and sunk, September, 1864. For more information, see page 262

Ship names beginning with O

 * Olustee, see Tallahassee.


 * Oreto, see Florida.

Ship names beginning with P

 * Palmetto State. Built at Charleston. Class: Ironclad sloop. Burned by the Confederates at the evacuation of Charleston in 1865. For more information, see page 262


 * Pamlico. Purchased at New Orleans, La., and fitted out by Captain Rousseau under orders of July 10, 1861. Class: Side-wheel river steamer. Burned by the Confederates on Lake Pontchartrain, in 1862. Engaged the U.S.S. New London, March 25, 1862; and on April 4, 1862, in company with the Carondelet and Oregon, engaged three gunboats. For more information, see page 262


 * Patrick Henry.Seized by Virginia State authorities and afterwards purchased by the Confederate Government. Class: Side-wheel merchant steamer. Burned at Richmond, Va., by the Confederates, April 4, 1865. The Patrick Henry was formerly known as the Yorktown. After the action at Drewrys Bluff, May 15, 1862, became schoolship of C.S. naval school. For more information, see page 262


 * Pedee. Built at Mars Bluff, Great Pedee River, January, 1865. Class: Wooden screw gunboat. Sunk 110 miles from Georgetown, S.C., in the Pedee River. She was named the Pedee. Her machinery was brought from England. Her battery was to consist of 4 32-pounders and two pivots. She is reported to have been a fine vessel. For more information, see page 262


 * Petrel, see Aiken.


 * Phoenix. Class: Ironclad floating battery. Destroyed by the Confederates at the fall of Mobile in 1865. For more information, see page 262


 * Pickens. Class: Revenue cutter, formerly. For more information, see page 263


 * Pioneer. Built at New Orleans. La., in 1862. Class: Privateer; submarine propeller. Has round conical ends and is painted black; carries a magazine of explosive matter; manned by two or more men. Commissioned March 31, 1862. For more information, see page 263


 * Plymouth. Seized by the Confederates at Gosport Navy, in 1861. Class: Sailing sloop of war. Burned at the evacuation of Norfolk in 1862. For more information, see page 263


 * Polk. Class: Side-wheel river steamer. Burned in Yazoo River in 1862. For more information, see page 263
 * Pontchartrain. Class: Side-wheel river steamer. Burned by the Confederates in 1863 on the Arkansas River to avoid capture. Formerly Lizzie Simmons. January and February, 1862 was converted into a man-of-war. Was a new boat. For more information, see page 263

Ship names beginning with Q

 * Queen of the West. Captured from the Federals at Fort DeRussey on Red River, February 14, 1863. Class: Iron protected steam ram. Sunk in battle in April, 1863, on the Atchafalaya River. In conjunction with the C.S.S. Webb she captured the Indianola, February 24, 1863. She was an ordinary steamboat of the western rivers and converted by the Federals into a ram. For more information, see page 263

Ship names beginning with R

 * R.E. Lee.


 * R.J. Breckinbridge.


 * Raleigh. Class: Steam gunboat. In James River. For more information, see page 263


 * Raleigh. Built at Wilmington in 1864. Class: Ironclad sloop. Wrecked on Wilmington Bar, May 7, 1864. In Cape Fear River. For more information, see page 263


 * Rappahannock. Purchased in London, Great Britain, November, 1863, from the British Government. Class: Steam sloop cruiser. Was in England at the close of the war and fell into possession of the United States. She was formerly H.B.M. Victor. After being purchased she was taken to Calais, but on account of complications with the French Government she never put to sea. She was built in the River Thames in 1857 for H.M. Government. For more information, see page 264


 * Rappahannock. Captured by the Confederates at Point Lookout, June 29, 1861. Class: Side-wheel steamer. Burned at Fredericksburg, April, 1862. Formerly she was the Saint Nicholas. For more information, see page 264


 * Rattlesnake. Class: Steam ship. Destroyed February 28, 1863. by U.S. Moniter Montuak, Commander John L. Worden, U.S.N. Formerly Nashville, Commissioned November 5, 1862. For more information, see page 264


 * Rescue. Class: Schooner Number of crew 30. For more information, see page 264


 * Resolute. Class: Side-wheel steamer. Captured and destroyed by Federal Field Battery on Savannah River, December 12, 1864. Used as a transport and tender and for the residence of the crew of the Savannah; also used as a receiving ship alongside of the Savannah. June 3, 1864; she had 7 officers and 28 men. For more information, see page 264


 * Resolute. Purchased. Class: Gunboat. Burned, April 24, 1862, in Mississippi River. For more information, see page 264


 * Retribution. Captured by Confederates in Cape Fear River. Class: Steam tug. Sold at public sale in Nassau, March 3, 1863. Originally employed at Buffalo, New York, upon Lake Erie. Just prior to the outbreak of the rebellion, she was taken into the service of the United States and brought to the Atlantic Coast. About January 28, 1863, she captured the schooner Hanover, and on February 19, the American brig Emily Fisher; Janruary 10, 1863, the brig J.P. Elliot. For more information, see page 264


 * Richmond. Class: Ironclad. Scuttled at Richmond, Va., April 4, 1865, by Confederates. Model name same as the Merrimack. For more information, see page 265


 * Roanoke. Purchased at Norfolk in 1861. Class: Gunboat; screw; iron. Blown up at Richmond, Va., April 4, 1865, by the Confederates. Formerly a tug-boat, the Raleigh. For more information, see page 265


 * Robert Habersham.


 * Robert McClelland. Seized at New Orleans by Louisiana State Authorities, January 31, 1861. Class: U.S. Revenue Cutter. For more information, see page 265