Salvaging the War: 19th Century Marine Salvage in Hampton Roads - Anna Gibson Holloway
Channel: Anna Holloway
Date: 2021-05-21

The waters of Hampton Roads can be difficult even for the most seasoned pilot. But obstructions to navigation caused by actions during the American Civil War created additional hazards that required clearing before vessels could freely move throughout the roadstead. The United States Army and Navy both solicited proposals – often in opposition to one another - to remove these obstructions as early as 1862. However, salvage operations lasted decades beyond the end of the war as wrecks proved difficult to raise. Numerous salvage companies attempted the removal of USS Cumberland, USS Congress, and CSS Virginia to name the most prominent, with varying degrees of success. Stories of treasure below the waters grew with each attempt, and the sounds of underwater blasting became commonplace in Hampton Roads throughout the 1860s and 70s. Some wrecks, such as the ironclad ram Virginia, continued to wreak her vengeance on Hampton Roads, sinking several vessels from her watery grave before succumbing to experienced wreckers (and being turned into souvenir trinkets). This paper will focus on the most prominent attempts to clear the waters, using archival sources, memoirs, and contemporary newspaper and magazine accounts to highlight 19th century salvage technology and some of the technological innovations used in Hampton Roads for this purpose.

The views and opinions expressed in this presentation reflect solely those of the author. They do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the Naval History and Heritage Command, the U.S. Navy, the Department of Defense, or the Federal Government.

This presentation was part of a panel at the Society for Military Historians, Norfolk, VA 21 May 2021