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NavSource Online: "Old Navy" Ship Photo Archive

CSS Manassas

Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons

Civil War Medal

Iron-clad Ram:

Built in 1855 as the steam propeller Enoch Train at Medford, MA. by J. O. Curtis

Acquired by merchant CAPT J. A. Stevenson as a privateer and fitted out at Algiers, LA. as an iron-clad ram

Commissioned as a Confederate privateer, 12 September 1861

Seized by Flag Officer G. N. Rollins, CSN, for use in the lower Mississippi River

During the Civil War Manassas:

Participated in Flag Officer Hollins' attack on the Federal blockading squadron at Head of Passes, Mississippi River, 12 October 1861

Purchased by the Confederate Government in December 1861 and commissioned CSS Manassas

Participated in the engagement of 24 April 1862 during which Flag Officer Farragut, USN, on his way to New Orleans, ran his fleet past the Confederate forts Jackson and St. Philip

Ran aground, 24 April 1862

Final Disposition, exploded and sank after floating free

Specifications:
Displacement 387 t.
Length 143'
Beam 33'
Depth of Hold 17'
Draft unknown
Speed unknown
Complement 36
Armament one 64-pdr later replaced by one 32-pdr
Propulsion steam

Click On Image For Full Size Image	Size	Image Description	Contributed By
	74k	Wash drawing of CSS Manassas by R.G. Skerrett, 1904. US Naval History and Heritage Command Photo # NH 608	Robert Hurst
	127k	Pencil sketch of CSS Manassas made by J.A. Chalaron in 1861, after he had visited the ship while she was under conversion in dock at Algiers, Louisiana. US Naval History and Heritage Command Photo # NH 79598. Donation of Major General Jim Dan Hill, U.S. Army (Retired)	Robert Hurst
	152k	Blueprint reproduction of a tracing of CSS Manassas made, 9 July 1903, from the original 1861 pencil sketch by J.A. Chalaron. US Naval History and Heritage Command Photo # NH 46621.	Robert Hurst
	152k	Line engraving published in "Harper's Weekly", 1862, depicting the Federal blockading fleet near the mouth of the Mississippi River. Also shown, in left center, is what appears to be CSS Manassas. She attacked Union warships at Southwest Pass, 12 October 1861. US Naval History and Heritage Command Photo # NH 59013.	Robert Hurst
	140k	"The Battle at the Southwest Pass -- The Ram 'Manassas' attacking the 'Richmond.' -- Sketched by an Officer of the 'Richmond'." A line engraving published in "Harper's Weekly", 1861, depicting CSS Manassas attacking USS Richmond near the Head of Passes, Mississippi River, on 12 October 1861. Other ships depicted include the U.S. sailing sloops of war USS Vincennes and USS Preble (in left center and at right). US Naval History and Heritage Command photo # NH 59012	Robert Hurst
	471k	Lithograph depicting the engagement of CSS Manassas and USS Richmond, 12 October 1861. *Richmond* was rammed and seriously damaged. *Manassas* was also damaged, mainly by the force of her own ramming effort but was repaired. Engraving from Le Monde Illustre, 1861. Courtesy of the Library of Congress. National Museum of the U.S. Navy	Robert Hurst
	158k	"The Splendid Naval Triumph on the Mississippi, April 24th, 1862" Colored lithograph, published by Currier & Ives, 1862. The original print bears the following descriptive text: "Destruction of the Rebel gunboats, rams and iron clad batteries by the Union Fleet under Flag Officer Farragut. The attack was commenced on the 18th of April and continued until the 25th resulting in the capture of Forts Jackson, St. Phillip, Livingston, Pike and the city of New Orleans, as well as the destruction of all the enemy gunboats, rams, floating batteries (iron clad), fire rafts, booms and chains. The enemy with their own hands destroying cotton and shipping valued at from eight to ten millions of dollars. 'The sight of this night attack was awfully grand, the river was lit up with blazing rafts filled with pine knots and the ships seemed to be fighting literally amidst flames and smoke.'" In this view, ships are identified as (starting at top left center, up the river, running down to the right, then across toward the left): Confederate steamers; USS Cayuga (leading the Union column), USS Pensacola, burning confederate steamer, USS Varuna, USS Oneida, USS Mississippi (engaging the ram CSS Manassas), USS Richmond, USS Kineo, USS Hartford (flagship, in collision with a fire raft), USS Brooklyn and USS Winona. A Confederate fire raft is in the lower right. Fort St. Phillip is shown at right and Fort Jackson at left. Courtesy of the U.S. Navy Art Collection, Washington, D.C.	Tommy Trampp
098611208	203k	A hand-colored lithograph of Como. Farragut's fleet, passing the forts on the Mississippi, 24 April 1862. USS frigate Mississippi destroying the ram CSS Manassas. United States Library of Congress's Prints and Photographs division digital ID pga.06574.	Robert Hurst
	137k	Line engraving published in "Virtue", depicting the battle, which took place on the lower Mississippi River during the night of 24 April 1862. A key to the forts and specific U.S. and Confederate ships is given at the bottom of the view. The ships include USS Varuna (in action with Confederate gunboats), USS Brooklyn, USS Pawnee (not shown), USS Hartford (Farragut's flagship, with a fire raft alongside), USS Pensacola, USS Mississippi, CSS Louisiana (exploding), CSS Manassas and Federal mortar vessels. US Naval History and Heritage Command photo # NH 59071	Robert Hurst
098605221	125k	Art work depicting the ramming of USS Brooklyn, by CSS Manassas, during the battle of Forts Jackson and St. Philip, on the Mississippi River below New Orleans, 24 April 1862. Published in "Deeds of Valor", Volume II, page 20, by the Perrien-Keydel Co. Detroit, 1907.	Robert Hurst
	382k	The Union frigate USS Mississippi attempts to ram the Confederate ironclad CSS Manassas, during the Battle of Forts Jackson and St. Philip. "Battles and Leaders of the Civil War, being for the most part contributions by Union and Confederate officers, based upon “the Century War Series", Vol. 2., pg. 71., 1887.	Robert Hurst
	17k	Confederate ram CSS Manassas damages a Federal ship at the Battle of New Orleans. Naval History and Heritage Command. Photo	Robert Hurst
	184k	Marylander Thomas A Menzies served as an Engineer in the Confederate States Navy aboard the Confederate States Ironclad Ram CSS Manassas. An original note taken from an autograph album while a Prisoner of War , inscribed "Yours Truly Thomas A Menzies C.S Navy. Engineer Steam Ram "Manassas" captured after destruction of said vessel April 28th 1862 Near Forts Jackson and St Philip Mississippi River, La, Bastile Warren June 23rd 1862 Address New Orleans". Menzies also served on the Ironclad CSS Louisiana at New Orleans and the Ironclad CSS Savannah at Savannah, Georgia after POW Exchange.	Tommy Trampp