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{{Short description|American Civil War Confederate ironclad}}
{{good article}}
{|{{Infobox ship begin}}
{{Infobox ship image
|Ship image=Battle of Trent's Reach.jpg
|Ship caption=''Fredericksburg'' (far right) during the Battle of Trent's Reach in 1865
}}
{{Infobox ship career
|Hide header=
|Ship country=Confederate States
|Ship flag={{shipboxflag|Confederate States of America|naval}}
|Ship name=''Fredericksburg''
|Ship namesake=[[Fredericksburg, Virginia]]
|Ship operator=[[Confederate States Navy]]
|Ship ordered=
|Ship awarded=
|Ship builder=
|Ship original cost=
|Ship laid down= 1862
|Ship launched= June 11, 1863
|Ship christened=
|Ship completed= 
|Ship commissioned= March 1864
|Ship fate= Destroyed to prevent capture, April 3, 1865
}}
{{Infobox ship characteristics
|Hide header=
|Header caption=
|Ship type=[[Casemate ironclad]]
|Ship tonnage= 700
|Ship length= * {{convert|188|ft|m|abbr=on|1}} ([[o/a]])
* {{convert|170|ft|m|abbr=|1}} ([[p/p]])
|Ship beam= {{convert|40|ft|3|in|m|abbr=on}}  
|Ship depth={{cvt|9|ft|m|1}}
|Ship draft= {{convert|9|-|10|ft|m|abbr=on|1}} or {{convert|13|ft|6|in|m|abbr=on}}
|Ship propulsion=*2 × shafts 
*2 × [[Marine steam engine#direct action|direct-action steam engines]]
|Ship speed= {{convert|5|kn|lk=in}}  
|Ship range=
|Ship endurance=
|Ship power=3 × [[boiler]]s
|Ship complement=*150 officers and men
* 20 to 25 [[Confederate States Marines|marine]]s
|Ship armament=*1 × {{cvt|7|in|0}} [[Brooke rifle]]
*2 × {{cvt|6.4|in|0}} Brooke rifles
*1 × {{cvt|10|in|0}} [[Columbiad]]
|Ship armor=
|Ship notes=
}}
|}

'''CSS{{refn|Confederate States Ship.{{sfn|Silverstone|2006|p=xviii}}|group=Note}} ''Fredericksburg''''' was a [[casemate ironclad]] that served as part of the [[James River Squadron]] of the [[Confederate States Navy]] during the [[American Civil War]]. [[Laid down]] in 1862 and [[Ship launching|Launched]] the following year, she did not see action until 1864 due to delays in receiving her armor and guns. After passing through the obstructions at [[Drewry's Bluff]] in May 1864, she participated in several minor actions on the [[James River]] and fought in the [[Battle of Chaffin's Farm]] from September 29 to October 1. On January 23 and 24, 1865, she was part of the Confederate fleet at the [[Battle of Trent's Reach]], and was one of only two Confederate ships to make it past the obstructions at [[Trent's Reach]].  After the Confederate attack failed, ''Fredericksburg'' withdrew with the rest of the James River Squadron. On April 3, as the Confederates were abandoning Richmond, ''Fredericksburg'' and the other vessels of the James River Squadron were burned.  Her wreck was located in the 1980s, buried under [[sediment]].

==Background and description==
In mid-1862, ''Fredericksburg'' was [[laid down]] by the [[Confederate States Navy]] in the [[Rocketts Landing]] area of [[Richmond, Virginia]] to a plan by the Chief Naval Constructor, [[John L. Porter]]. The ship was one of the ironclads built to Porter's shallow-[[draft (nautical)|draft]] "diamond hull" configuration with a flat bottom and hull sides that met the base of the casemate at a 90° angle. By substituting straight lines and angles for the traditional keel and curving frame of the hull, Porter optimized his design to be quickly built by ordinary carpenters, rather than highly skilled [[shipwright]]s that were in short supply in the Confederacy, at the cost of being able to mount fewer guns than those ironclads built with traditional hulls. Their shallow draft and flat bottom restricted these ships to rivers and inland waters.{{sfn|Canney|2015|pp=47, 56}}

Porter supervised the work of constructing ''Fredericksburg'',{{sfn|Coski|2005|p=85}} but it is uncertain how exactly he followed his design as surviving documents disagree in many ways. The plan showed an [[long overall|overall length]] of {{convert|188|ft|m|1}} and a [[length between perpendiculars]] of {{convert|170|ft|m|1}} with a maximum [[beam (ship)|beam]] of {{convert|40|ft|3|in|m|1}}, a moulded beam of {{convert|34|ft|m|1}} and a [[Glossary of nautical terms (A-L)#depth of hold|depth of hold]] of {{cvt|9|ft|m|1}}.{{sfn|Canney|2015|p=56}} The naval historian Saxon T. Bisbee quotes a beam of {{convert|40|ft|1}} with a depth of hold of {{convert|10|ft|10|in|m}} and a [[draft (hull)|draft]] of {{convert|9|to|10|ft|m|1}}{{sfn|Bisbee|2018|p=160}} while US Navy historian Paul J. Marcello provides a figure of {{convert|13|ft|6|in|m}} for the ironclad's draft.<ref name="DANFS">Marcello</ref> She had a [[tonnage]] of 700 [[long tons]].{{sfn|Silverstone|2006|p=154}}{{refn|No surviving document specifies the exact type of tonnage for ''Fredericksburg''.{{sfn|Silverstone|2006|p=xi}}|group=Note}} The ship's [[casemate]] was shaped like a rectangle and Porter's plan showed two [[pilothouses]] on the casemate's roof, although operational reports from her [[captain (nautical)|captain]] make no mention of the rear pilothouse.{{sfn|Canney|2015|p=56}}

The [[Tredegar Iron Works]] in Richmond was contracted to produce her propulsion system,{{sfn|Bisbee|2018|p=160}} although Bisbee believes that it is possible that the Richmond-based Shockoe Foundry may have produced them.{{sfn|Bisbee|2018|pp=89{{en dash}}90}} The ship was propelled by a pair of {{convert|24|in|cm|adj=mid|-diameter|0}} [[marine steam engine#Direct acting|direct-acting steam engines]] that each drove a {{convert|7|ft|adj=on|m|1}} propeller. Porter's plan shows ''Fredericksburg'' as having three horizontal [[steam boiler|boilers]] measuring 7 feet tall, {{convert|5|ft|m|1}} in diameter, and {{convert|15|ft|m|1}} long, but it is not known if the final construction varied from the blueprints or not. Bisbee believes that the boilers probably were of the [[fire-tube boiler|fire-tube]] type.{{sfn|Bisbee|2018|pp=193–194}} ''Fredericksburg'' could move at a speed of about {{convert|5|kn|lk=in}} and had a crew of 150.<ref name="DANFS" /> She also carried about 20 to 25 [[Confederate States Marines]] in case of a battle that required [[naval boarding]].{{sfn|Coski|2005|p=113}}

''Fredericksburg'' eventually received her armament of one {{convert|7|in|0|adj=on}} [[Brooke rifle]] on a [[pivot gun|pivot mount]] in the [[bow (ship)|bow]], two {{convert|6.4|in|0|adj=on}} Brooke rifles, one on each [[broadside (naval)|broadside]] and a {{convert|10|in|cm|adj=on|1}} [[Columbiad]] [[Muzzleloader|muzzle-loading]] [[smoothbore]] gun on a pivot mounting in the stern.{{sfn|Canney|2015|p=56}}{{sfn|Coski|2005|p=155}} Naval historian Paul H. Silverstone states that she was armed with one {{convert|11|in|cm|adj=on|1}} smoothbore cannon, an {{convert|8|in|cm|adj=on|1}} [[rifled cannon]], and two {{convert|6.4|in|cm|adj=on|1}} rifled cannons,{{sfn|Silverstone|2006|p=154}} and naval historian W. Craig Gaines states that she was armed with four {{convert|6|in|cm|adj=on|1}} rifled cannons.{{sfn|Gaines|2008|p=180}}

Gaines states that she had {{convert|4|in|cm|1}} of [[wrought iron|wrought-iron]] armor.{{sfn|Gaines|2008|p=180}} The area where the casemate met the [[deck (ship)|deck]] was armored with {{convert|2|in|cm}} of iron, and the armor extended below the [[waterline]].{{sfn|Coski|2005|p=78}} The top of the casemate consisted of 2-inch-thick iron bars, spaced {{convert|9|in|cm|0}} apart. After the Battle of Chaffin's Farm in September–October 1864, the ship's captain recommended that additional iron bars be positioned between the bars to better protect the crew, although it is uncertain if this was ever done.{{sfn|Canney|2015|pp=56–57}} ''Fredericksburg'' had less armor than ''Virginia II'', which gave her a lighter draft but made her comparatively weaker.{{sfn|Coski|2005|p=78}}

==Construction and career==
[[File:Drewry's Bluff view downriver.jpg|thumb|right|alt=Curving river with thick trees on both sides|View of the [[James River]] from [[Drewry's Bluff]], 2009]]

Named for the [[Fredericksburg, Virginia|Virginia city]],{{sfn|Silverstone|1984|p=51}} ''Fredericksburg''{{'}}s construction was partially funded from monies raised by women's organizations for ship construction; the ship was one of several ironclads sometimes known as the "Ladies Gunboats".{{sfn|Still|1985|pp=86–87}} An attempt to [[ship launching|launch]] the warship on June 6, 1863, failed when the Confederates were unable to get her into the water, but another on June 11 was successful.{{sfn|Coski|2005|pp=85{{en dash}}86}} Her [[fitting out]] was prolonged by a lack of iron,{{sfn|Luraghi|1996|p=274}} which was in short supply in the Confederacy. The shortage led to work on the ironclad {{ship|CSS|Virginia II}} being delayed until after ''Fredericksburg'' was armored, as there was not enough metal available to work on both ships at the same time.{{sfn|Coski|2005|p=86}} The ship was complete, except for her armament by November 30.<ref name="DANFS" /> High waters on the [[James River]] in early 1864 threatened to wash away stockpiles of timber and inundate the shipyard's [[wharves]], further delaying her completion.{{sfn|Canney|2015|p=56}}

In March, ''Fredericksburg'' was commissioned{{sfn|Luraghi|1996|p=288}} and taken to [[Drewry's Bluff]] on the [[James River]], where she was [[fitted out]], placed under the command of [[Commander]] Thomas R. Rootes.<ref name="DANFS" /> She was assigned to the [[James River Squadron]].{{sfn|Bisbee|2018|pp=160{{en dash}}161}} The James River Squadron had been commanded by [[Captain (naval)|Captain]] [[French Forrest]] until May 6, when Captain [[John K. Mitchell]] replaced Forrest. As of April 30, ''Fredericksburg{{'}}''s armament was reported to be close, but not quite, complete, and she was still not fully ready when Mitchell took command. By May 15, she was fully ready for combat.{{sfn|Coski|2005|pp=151{{endash}}156}}

The vessels of the James River Squadron could not initially move downriver beyond Drewry's Bluff, as the river had been obstructed there in 1862 to prevent [[Union (American Civil War)|Union]] incursions up the river.{{sfn|Coski|2005|pp=157{{en dash}}160}}  [[Pilings]] had been driven into the river which was also blocked with stone-filled cribs and [[blockship]]s.{{sfn|McPherson|2012|p=109}}  However, in May 1864, the obstructions were partially dismantled to allow for a Confederate offensive against the Union vessels in the James.  On May 23, ''Fredericksburg'' passed through the remainder of the obstructions, and ''Virginia II'' and the ironclad {{ship|CSS|Richmond}} passed through the next day.  [[General officers in the Confederate States Army#General|General]] [[P. G. T. Beauregard]] placed [[artillery batteries]] along the south side of the river to support the naval advance, but ''Fredericksburg'' suffered boiler damage on May 29 that required a day to repair.{{sfn|Coski|2005|pp=157{{en dash}}160}} Mitchell was aware that the Union would have strong advantages in a naval battle, and he and his officers declined to attack.{{sfn|Coski|2005|pp=160{{endash}}161}}  Union [[Lieutenant General (United States)|Lieutenant General]] [[Ulysses S. Grant]] moved across the James as part of an advance against Richmond<ref name="DANFS" /> in June, and established a [[supply depot]] at [[City Point, Virginia|City Point]] on the James.  The primary goal of the Union naval forces on the James became to protect City Point, and to further that goal, five blockships were sunk at [[Trent's Reach]],{{sfn|Coski|2005|p=163}} which was {{convert|20|miles}} upriver from City Point.{{sfn|McPherson|2012|p=219}}

On June 21, the James River Squadron and a Confederate shore battery known as Battery Dantzler bombarded Union ships stationed at Trent's Reach.  The naval fire was at a range of almost {{convert|2|mi|km}} and was not effective.{{sfn|Coski|2005|pp=164{{en dash}}166}}  Union forces under the command of [[Major General (United States)|Major General]] [[Benjamin Butler]] began building the [[Dutch Gap Canal]] in August to try to bypass Confederate land defenses in the area.{{sfn|Coski|2005|p=166}} On August 13, Confederate naval forces fired on the Union troops building the canal.<ref name="DANFS" />  ''Fredericksburg'' participated in the action, along with ''Virginia II'', ''Richmond'', and the [[gunboat]]s {{ship|CSS|Drewry}}, {{ship|CSS|Nansemond}}, and {{ship|CSS|Hampton}}.  The Confederate vessels fired approximately 147 shots during the engagement, but did little damage.{{sfn|Coski|2005|pp=166{{en dash}}167}} The shooting lasted from 06:00 to 18:00,{{sfn|Coski|2005|p=166}} and about 30 Union soldiers were killed or wounded.{{sfn|Still|1985|p=178}}  Union return fire damaged ''Fredericksburg{{'}}''s [[funnel (ship)|smokestack]].  Four days later, the three ironclads helped repulse a small Union attack against a Confederate position at Signal Hill, which was the location of a Confederate battery downstream from Drewry's Bluff.{{sfn|Coski|2005|pp=165{{en dash}}167}}{{sfn|Still|1985|p=178}}

On September 29, Butler's Union [[Army of the James]] attacked the Confederate land positions in the [[Battle of Chaffin's Farm]].<ref name="DANFS" />  The three Confederate ironclads were in the area, and were called upon to fire at the Union lines.{{sfn|Still|1985|p=179}}  Union troops took [[Fort Harrison]], but were unable to capture [[Chaffin's Bluff]]. The ironclads participated in the fighting from September 29 to October 1.  Their fire was effective and they suffered little damage, although a rifled cannon on ''Fredericksburg'' burst on September 30.  The Union gains on land allowed them to construct a battery known as Fort Brady on the now-captured Signal Hill upriver from Battery Dantzler.  While Battery Danztler still controlled part of the river for the Confederates and prevented Union ships from travelling upriver to Fort Brady, the Confederate vessels were unable to move downriver to Battery Danztler.{{sfn|Coski|2005|pp=167{{en dash}}169}}  On October 22, while patrolling the river, the James River Squadron was surprised by the presence of a Union shore battery which had been recently constructed upstream from Fort Brady.{{sfn|Coski|2005|p=170}}  The three ironclads moved against the battery to allow the wooden gunboats of the fleet to escape, before falling back to Chaffin's Bluff.<ref name="DANFS" />  ''Fredericksburg'' suffered minor damage during the engagement,{{sfn|Still|1985|p=180}} with her smokestack and the roof to her casemate damaged.{{sfn|Coski|2005|p=171}}

===Trent's Reach===
{{main|Battle of Trent's Reach}}
[[File:The photographic history of the Civil War - thousands of scenes photographed 1861-65, with text by many special authorities (1911) (14760492744).jpg|thumb|left|alt=Black-and-white photo of a cannon overlooking a river curve|A wartime view from Battery Dantzler]]
On October 24, ''Fredericksburg'' was sent upriver to the Rocketts area, where she was given a replacement cannon for the gun that had burst and had the roof of her casemate protected with iron bars.{{sfn|Coski|2005|p=172}}  ''Fredericksburg'', ''Virginia II'', and ''Richmond'' went down to Fort Brady on December 7 and exchanged fire with the Union position.<ref name="DANFS" /> Rootes did not command ''Fredericksburg'' due to illness from December 1864 until February 1865.  [[Lieutenant]] Francis E. Shepperd commanded her for a time during December 1864, and from January 14 through 25, 1865.{{sfn|Coski|2005|p=252}}  By the beginning of 1865, the situation was becoming bleaker for the Confederates due to several military defeats, and it was decided to risk an attack against the Union fleet on the James in hopes of breaking the [[Union blockade|blockade]] on the river and destroying the depot at City Point.<ref name="DANFS" />  The Union obstructions at Trent's Reach had been damaged by high water, and part of the Union fleet had been transferred to [[North Carolina]] for operations against [[Fort Fisher]].{{sfn|Coski|2005|pp=195{{en dash}}196}}  On the night of January 23/24, the Confederate fleet, composed of ''Fredericksburg'', ''Richmond'', ''Virginia II'', ''Hampton'', ''Drewry'', ''Nansemond'', the gunboats {{ship|CSS|Torpedo}} and {{ship|CSS|Beaufort}}, and the [[torpedo boat]]s {{ship|CSS|Hornet}}, {{ship|CSS|Wasp}}, and {{ship|CSS|Scorpion}} moved downriver towards Trent's Reach.  ''Fredericksburg'' was in the lead as she had the lightest draft.  The ships successfully passed Fort Brady in the darkness, but ''Torpedo'' [[ran aground]] not long after and had to be abandoned.{{sfn|Coski|2005|pp=198{{en dash}}200}}

''Fredericksburg'' was able to cross the Union obstructions at Trent's Reach at about 01:30 on January 24,{{sfn|Coski|2005|p=200}} but suffered [[hull (watercraft)|hull]] damage during the process.{{sfn|Bisbee|2018|p=161}}  The damage caused the ship to spring a leak.  While ''Hampton'' also passed the obstructions,{{sfn|Coski|2005|p=202}} none of the other Confederate ironclads could.{{sfn|Bisbee|2018|p=161}}  ''Virginia II'' ran aground, and the Confederates decided not to push further that night and recalled ''Fredericksburg'' and ''Hampton'' back across the obstructions.  ''Drewry'' also became grounded and was abandoned; Union fire sank her later in the morning and the resulting explosion pushed ''Scorpion'' towards Union lines, where she was captured.  ''Fredericksburg'' withdrew to Battery Dantzler.{{sfn|Coski|2005|pp=203{{en dash}}204}}  Union vessels arrived during the morning and reached the obstructions, firing on the now-freed ''Virginia II'', and ''Richmond'' who were still in the process of moving upriver towards the battery.  The two Confederate ironclads were able to reach the safety of Battery Dantzler, which provided fire support, striking the gunboat [[USS Massasoit|USS ''Massasoit'']]. Union forces also brought up a [[Drummond light]] so that the river could be illuminated during nighttime.  While the Confederates considered another attempt through the obstructions that night, it was decided not to risk a movement, and the surviving vessels of Mitchell's squadron withdrew to Chaffin's Bluff.{{sfn|Coski|2005|pp=204{{en dash}}208}}  In addition to the hull damage from crossing the obstructions, ''Fredericksburg'' also lost an anchor during the affair.{{sfn|Coski|2005|p=211}}

Shortly after the battle at Trent's Reach, Mitchell was replaced as commander of the James River Squadron by [[Admiral]] [[Raphael Semmes]].<ref name="DANFS" />  Lieutenant Alphonse Barbot took command of ''Fredericksburg'' in February.{{sfn|Coski|2005|p=252}} ''Fredericksburg'' was repaired, but did not see further action.{{sfn|Bisbee|2018|p=161}}  On April 3, Semmes was informed that the Confederates were abandoning Richmond.<ref name="DANFS" />  The vessels of the James River Squadron were taken upriver from Chaffin's Bluff to the obstructions at Drewry's Bluff, and the ships, including the ironclads, were burned early that morning.{{sfn|Coski|2005|pp=218{{en dash}}220}} The men of the James River Squadron served on land, moving with the Confederate government to [[Danville, Virginia]], before eventually surrendering in North Carolina.<ref name="DANFS" />  The wreck of ''Fredericksburg'' survived later [[dredging]] operations,{{sfn|Coski|2005|pp=238{{en dash}}239}} despite being incompletely removed in 1871 and 1872,{{sfn|Gaines|2008|p=180}} and the site was rediscovered in the 1980s.{{sfn|Coski|2005|pp=238{{en dash}}239}}  ''Fredericksburg'' lies parallel to the river, buried under {{convert|6|ft|m}} to {{convert|15|ft|m}} of [[sediment]].<ref name="DANFS" />  Bisbee reports that the site has been heavily disturbed.{{sfn|Bisbee|2018|p=162}}

==Notes==
{{reflist|group=Note}}

==Citations==
{{Reflist}}

==Sources==
* {{cite book |last1=Bisbee |first1=Saxon T. |title=[[Engines of Rebellion: Confederate Ironclads and Steam Engineering in the American Civil War]] |publisher=University of Alabama Press |location=Tuscaloosa, Alabama |isbn=978-0-81731-986-1|date=2018}}
* {{cite book |last1=Canney |first1=Donald L. |title=The Confederate Steam Navy 1861&ndash;1865 |date=2015 |publisher=Schiffer Publishing|location=Atglen, Pennsylvania |isbn=978-0-7643-4824-2}}
* {{cite book |last=Coski |first=John M. |title=Capital Navy: The Men, Ships, and Operations of the James River Squadron |publisher=Savas Beatie |date=2005 |orig-year=2006 |location=New York |isbn=978-1-932714-15-9}}
{{Cite Gaines 2008}}
* {{cite book |last=Luraghi |first=Raimondo |title=A History of the Confederate Navy |publisher=Naval Institute Press |date=1996 |translator-last=Coletta |translator-first=Paolo E. |location=Annapolis, Maryland |isbn=978-1-55750-527-9}}
*{{cite web |last1=Marcello |first1=Paul J. |title=Fredericksburg 1862–1865 |url=https://www.history.navy.mil/content/history/nhhc/research/histories/ship-histories/confederate_ships/fredericksburg.html |website=Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships |publisher=Naval History and Heritage Command |access-date=15 June 2022 |date=5 October 2015 |ref=none}}
* {{cite book |last=McPherson |first=James M. |author-link=James M. McPherson |title=War on the Waters: The Union & Confederate Navies, 1861{{endash}}1865 |publisher=University of North Carolina Press |location=Chapel Hill, North Carolina |date=2012 |isbn=978-0-8078-3588-3}}
* {{cite book|last=Silverstone|first=Paul H.|title=Civil War Navies 1855–1883 |publisher=Routledge |location=New York|year=2006|series=The U.S. Navy Warship Series|isbn=978-0-415-97870-5}}
* {{cite book|last=Silverstone|first=Paul H.|title=Directory of the World's Capital Ships|year=1984 |publisher=Hippocrene Books|location=New York|isbn=0-88254-979-0}}
* {{cite book|last=Still|first=William N. Jr. |author-link=William N. Still Jr. |title=Iron Afloat: The Story of the Confederate Armorclads|isbn=978-0-87249-454-1|orig-year=1971 |year=1985|publisher=University of South Carolina Press|location=Columbia, South Carolina}}

{{CSN ironclads}}
{{1865 shipwrecks}}
{{coord missing|Virginia}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Fredericksurg}}
[[Category:Ironclad warships of the Confederate States Navy|Fredericksburg]]
[[Category:Shipwrecks of the James River]]
[[Category:Shipwrecks of the Virginia coast]]
[[Category:Shipwrecks of the American Civil War]]
[[Category:Ships built in Richmond, Virginia]]
[[Category:1863 ships]]
[[Category:Maritime incidents in April 1865]]
[[Category:Scuttled vessels]]