We Are The Alabama

The USS Hatteras a Union gunboat was sunk off the coast of Galveston, Texas January 11^th 1863 by the CSS Alabama.

The USS Hatteras was a1450 ton iron hulled side wheeled steamer, which was outfitted with four 32 pounder cannon as a gunboat.  She started life as the St Mary and was purchased by the Union Navy September 25^th 1861.  Fitted out at the Philadelphia Navy Yard she was commissioned the USS Hatteras and place in command of Commander George F Emmons October 1861.

Serving as a part of the blockading fleet near the coast of Galveston, Texas on January 11^th 1863 the USS Hatteras was ordered to give chase to as unknown ship that had been sighted on the horizon.  Beginning the pursuit about 3 pm the Hatteras followed the other ship as it moved closer to shore.  Finally coming into hailing distance of the other ship Hatteras’ Captain Homer C Blake made a request of identity.  The reply was, "Her Britannic Majesty’s Ship Vixen."  The commander of the Hatteras was suspicious and ordered the British inspected.  Once the longboat from the Hatteras moved toward the mysterious ship, a new reply came, "We are the CSS Alabama."

At this point the CSS Alabama which was commanded by Raphael Semmes pulled down the Union Jack and raised the Confederate flag.  She opened on the Hatteras with heavy cannon.  For 20 minutes the two ships exchanged fire at a distance of less than 200 yards.  Hearing the guns and seeing the flashes the Union squadron now about 15 miles away sent the USS Brooklyn a cruiser to find out what was going on.

By this time the Hatteras was already on fire and beginning to go down.  The Captain had the magazines flooded to prevent an explosion, then had a single shot fired with the bow gun to admit surrender and request assistance.  The Alabama sent over boats to remove the Hatteras’ crew, removing the last of them as the ship went under.  The whole action took only about 45 minutes.  Of the 126 crew members on the Hatteras 2 were killed and 5 wounded.  Six men managed to escape back to the squadron.  The Alabama had only 2 men wounded in the action.

Going On To Shore

The USS Hatteras pulled into Cedar Key, Florida January 16^th 1862 destroying some Confederate ships and damaging the community.

The USS Hatteras was a 1,126 ton steamer, which was outfitted by the Union Navy at the Philadelphia Navy Yard as a gunboat, and assigned to Confederate blockading duty.  She started life as the St Mary and was purchased on September 25^th 1861.  She was placed under the command of Commander George F Emmons in October 1861.  The Hatteras sailed to Key West, Florida in November 1861 becoming a part of the South Atlantic Blockading Squadron.

She was assigned to Cedar Key, Florida, and moved there on January 7^th 1862.  After blocking the harbor for nine days, on January 16^th 1862, she made a raid on the shore.  The men on the ship burned seven blockade runners found in the harbor.  Then they moved on to burning the Florida Railroad wharf, the depot, a telegraph office and several flatcars.  To end the day the Hatteras took the Confederate garrison located in Cedar Key, capturing the commanding officer and about 20 men.

A Blockade Runner Down

The USS Hatteras a Union blockade gunboat was sunk off the Galveston, Texas coast January 14th 1863.


The USS Hatteras a 1,126 ton side-wheeled steamer, was purchased from Harlan and Hollingworth of Wilmington, Delaware by the Union Navy September 25th 1861. She was fitted in the Philadelphia Naval Yard and placed under the command of Commander George F Emmons. She sailed for Key West, Florida November 13th 1861 to be part of the South Atlantic Blockading Squadron. By January the Hatteras had captured and burnt several blockage runners and a 22 man garrison in Cedar Keys. The Hatteras was then transferred to Berwick, Louisiana to be part of the Gulf Blockading Squadron. On January 27th 1862 she engaged the CSS Mobile, but did little damage. The Hatteras was very successful in the Gulf of Mexico, most ships taken as they made a run for either Havana, Cuba or the Sabine River in Texas.

The Hatteras was under new command January 6th 1863 when she was order to join Admiral David Farragut’s squadron off the coast of Galveston, Texas. On January 14th 1863 she had a run with the CSS Alabama. The Alabama under the command of Raphael Semmes began racking the Hatteras with her guns. For twenty minutes the ships fired at each other from about 25 to 200 yards. The Union Cruiser the Brooklyn was sent to render aid, but the Hatteras had already been hit twice and was beginning to sink. The Captain of the Hatteras flooded her magazines to prevent explosions, surrendered and asked for assistance. The CSS Alabama sent boats to help remove the crew of the Hatteras, with the last of the men pulling away as the Hatteras sank. It took about forty-five minutes.

Of the 126 men on the Hatteras, two were killed and five wounded. Six men managed to escape, but rest were taken to Port Royal, Jamaica to await parole.

For more information about this subject I recommend the web site Civil War Shipwrecks (1861-1865)