CSS Texas (1865) facts for kids
One of the few surviving plan drawings of ironclad CSS Texas: a cross-section through the boiler area.
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Quick facts for kids History |
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 Confederate States |
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| Name | Texas |
| Namesake | State of Texas |
| Launched | January 1865 |
| Captured | 4 April 1865 |
| Fate | Sold, 15 October 1867 |
| General characteristics | |
| Class and type | Columbia-class casemate ironclad |
| Length | 217 ft (66.1 m) |
| Beam | 48.5 ft (14.8 m) |
| Draft | 13.5 ft (4.1 m) |
| Propulsion | steam |
| Complement | 50 officers and men |
| Armament | two rifled pivot canons, two rifled broadside canons |
The CSS Texas was a special type of warship called a casemate ironclad. It was built for the Confederate Navy during the American Civil War. The Texas was the third and last ship of its kind in the Columbia class.
Construction on the Texas began in 1864. It was meant to join the James River Squadron. However, the war ended before the ship was fully ready. Union forces captured the Texas while it was still being finished. Many people believed the CSS Texas was one of the best-built Confederate ironclads. Only the CSS Mississippi was thought to be better.
Contents
Building the CSS Texas
The CSS Texas was designed by John L. Porter. He was the main naval designer for the Confederacy. The Texas was part of a group of three ironclads planned in 1863-1864. The other two ships were the CSS Tennessee (1863) and the CSS Columbia.
Launch and Capture
The first part of the ship's bottom, called the keel, was laid down. This happened at the Rocketts Naval Yard near Richmond, Virginia. The Texas was launched in mid-January 1865. This was around the same time its sister ship, the Columbia, was damaged beyond repair.
When Confederate General Robert E. Lee left Richmond on April 3, 1865, the Texas was still unfinished. It was left at the Richmond Navy Yard. Confederate forces tried to burn their ships so the Union couldn't use them. But they couldn't set the Texas on fire.
Union Takes Over
The Union forces captured Richmond the next day. They took control of the Texas. Union Admiral David Dixon Porter said the ship's engines and some armor parts were not yet installed. These parts were found undamaged in warehouses.
Admiral Porter ordered all the parts moved to the Norfolk Naval Shipyard. The Texas itself was towed downstream by three tugboats. A Union monitor ship, the USS Sangamon, helped with the move. This happened on May 3-4, 1865.
After the War
The war was ending, so the Texas was not used by the Union Navy. Unlike its sister ship Tennessee, it never saw active service. The Texas had only one known trip under its own power. This was a trial run on June 22, 1865, after its engines were installed.
The ship was kept at the Norfolk yard until October 15, 1867. Then, it was sold at an auction to J. N. Leonard & Co. for scrap metal. The Texas had cost $218,068 to build.
Ship Design and Features
The Texas was an ironclad with a special armored section called a casemate. This casemate was shaped like an octagon, not a simple rectangle. It was built this way because of shortages of war materials. This design also meant the ship needed fewer crew members.
The casemate had eight openings for cannons, called gun ports. Six of these were for two main cannons that could turn (pivot cannons). These cannons could fire from three front positions and three back positions.
Armament and Armor
We don't know all the exact details about the Texass weapons. However, its sister ship, the Tennessee II, had four 6.4-inch and two 7.0-inch Brooke rifles. It also had a special torpedo attached to its front. The Tennessee IIs armor was made of three layers of 2-inch iron plate. Its pilot house, where the ship was steered, was part of its sloped side-armor.
The Tennessee II could go about 5 knots (about 5.7 miles per hour). It had a crew of about 133 sailors. It's not clear how similar the Texas would have been if it had been fully completed. The Texas faced many material shortages during its building.
Some records suggest the Texas was planned to go faster, around 10 knots. Both the Tennessee II and Texas ended up with different details. This was due to a lack of materials like iron plates for armor, and different cannons and engines. Designers also added improvements to the Texas based on what they learned from battles.
Dimensions and Power
Union forces recorded details about the Texas's size and engines. These details were put into official war records. The ship was 217 feet long and 48.6 feet wide. It was designed to sit 13 feet deep in the water, or 13.6 feet when fully loaded.
The Texas had two engines, each powering a separate propeller. Two large boilers heated by furnaces provided the steam for the engines. An inspecting Union officer thought the Texas had "(...) one of the best and most valuable hulls built by the Rebels." The only mention of the ship's June 22 trial run was in these official records.
The CSS Texas in Movies
The CSS Texas is a big part of the 2005 movie Sahara. This movie is based on a popular novel by Clive Cussler. In both the book and movie, treasure hunters look for a legendary Civil War ironclad. This ship was supposedly carrying a secret cargo of gold.
A Fictional Journey
In the movie's story, the CSS Texas is almost finished. It escapes Richmond just before the city falls. The ironclad fights its way through the Union blockade on the James River. Then, it disappears from history. It is carrying the last of the Confederate gold.
A century later, the ship is found buried in a dried-up river in Africa. This is very unlikely for a river ironclad without sails. The adventurers manage to use the ship's old cannons. They fight off an African warlord and his soldiers. The Texas gets shot up, but they win.
In the end, the Texas and its historical contents are given to the Smithsonian Institution. But the adventurers secretly move the gold to another place in Africa.
Movie vs. History
In Cussler's novel, the Texas is said to go 14 knots. It has four heavy cannons. For the movie, two versions of the Texas were built. One was a smaller model for filming. The other was a full-sized set for the outside and inside of the ship.
These movie versions didn't look exactly like the real Texas. Instead, they were a mix of the famous CSS Virginia and other designs. The Columbia-class ships, like the Texas, had larger and differently shaped casemates.
