Ram Neuse, Marker F-15
Posted by: 
showbizkid
N 35° 16.098 W 077° 37.214
18S E 261654 N 3905945
The Ram Neuse or CSS Neuse is a confederate ironclad ram, destroyed by the Confederates to avoid Union capture. The remains were salvaged in 1963 and are now on public display near this marker.
Waymark Code: WMGNG
Location: North Carolina, United States
Date Posted: 07/07/2006
Views: 46
The CSS Neuse was one of 22 ironclads commissioned by the Confederate navy. Having a wide, flat bottom, the vessel resembled a river barge. When completed, the twin-screw steamer was plated with iron armor and measured 158 feet long and 34 feet wide. Delays in construction, low water, and lack of ground support prevented the gunboat from entering combat below Kinston. When Union troops occupied Kinston in March 1865, the Neuse was burned by its crew, resulting in a large explosion in her port bow, which sank the vessel.
The muddy waters of the Neuse River preserved the gunboat for nearly 100 years. Private efforts to recover the ship began in 1961, but poor weather, lack of funds, and ownership controversies prevented the ship from being raised until 1963. A year later the hull was transported to the site where it now rests on public display.
Amazingly, nearly 15,000 artifacts were recovered from the ship. The Neuse collection, one of the largest for a Confederate naval vessel, provides valuable insight into 19th-century shipbuilding and naval warfare.
CSS Neuse on display:
Visit Instructions:Photos of your visit to the marker are required, but PLEASE, no old vacation photos taken just because it was there!
Comments about your visit, interesting nearby areas and any significant information you may have on this waymark are encouraged.
Most of all, enjoy the History that North Carolina has to offer! From the Mountains to the Ocean .. it's all here!