List of shipwrecks in March 1863

The list of shipwrecks in March 1863 includes all ships sunk, foundered, grounded, or otherwise lost during March 1863.

2 March

List of shipwrecks: 2 March 1863

Ship	Country	Description
Atalanta	United States	American Civil War: The 141-ton sternwheel paddle steamer struck a bridge on the Cumberland River at Clarksville, Tennessee. The impact caused her cabin to separate from her hull.[1]
John A. Parks	United States	American Civil War: The 1,047-ton full-rigged ship, on a voyage from Hallowell, Maine, to Montevideo, Uruguay, and Buenos Aires, Argentina, carrying a cargo of white pine lumber, was captured and burned by the screw sloop-of-war CSS Alabama ( Confederate States Navy) in the North Atlantic Ocean near 29°15′N 38°20′W / 29.250°N 38.333°W / 29.250; -38.333 (John A. Parks).[2][3][4]

4 March

List of shipwrecks: 4 March 1863

Ship	Country	Description
Frederick Greff	United States Army	The 46-ton sidewheel paddle steamer exploded.[5]
Ida	Confederate States of America	American Civil War, Union blockade: Pursued by the schooner USS James S. Chambers ( United States Navy) while attempting to run the Union blockade with a cargo of liquor, the schooner was beached by her crew at Sanibel Island, Florida, after which the crew of James S. Chambers destroyed her.[3][6]

5 March

List of shipwrecks: 5 March 1863

Ship	Country	Description
City of Peterborough	United Kingdom	The vessel collided with the barque Tuspan ( France) about 200 nautical miles (370 km) south of the Isles of Scilly. There were five dead and eight survivors[7]
Josephine	Confederate States of America	American Civil War, Union blockade: The sloop, attempting to run the Union blockade, ran aground near Fort Morgan at the mouth of Mobile Bay on the coast of Alabama while trying to evade the gunboat USS Aroostook and screw steamer USS Pocahontas (both  United States Navy). Aroostook and Pocahontas then destroyed her with gunfire.[3]

6 March

List of shipwrecks: 6 March 1863

Ship	Country	Description
Star of Peace	United States	American Civil War: The 941-ton clipper, bound from Calcutta, India, to Boston, Massachusetts, with a cargo of hides and 1,000 tons of saltpeter, was captured and burned in the Atlantic Ocean by the screw sloop-of-war CSS Florida ( Confederate States Navy).[8][3][9]

10 March

List of shipwrecks: 10 March 1863

Ship	Country	Description
Petee	Confederate States of America	American Civil War, Union blockade: The 6-ton sloop, attempting to run the Union blockade with a cargo of salt, was captured and destroyed off Indian River Inlet, Florida, by the bark USS Gem of the Sea ( United States Navy).[3][10]

12 March

List of shipwrecks: 12 March 1863

Ship	Country	Description
Senator	United States	The 121-ton sidewheel paddle steamer was wrecked at the entrance to the harbor at San Pedro, California, with the loss of two lives.[11]

13 March

List of shipwrecks: 13 March 1863

Ship	Country	Description
Aldebaran	United States	American Civil War: The schooner, carrying a cargo of provisions and clocks, was captured and burned in the North Atlantic Ocean at 29°18′N 51°04′W / 29.300°N 51.067°W / 29.300; -51.067 (Aldebaran) by the screw sloop-of-war CSS Florida ( Confederate States Navy).[3][8][12]
CSS Natchez	Confederate States Navy	American Civil War: Confederate forces burned the 800-ton cottonclad gunboat on the Yazoo River in Mississippi 1 mile (1.6 km) below Burtonia Lnding and about 25 miles (40 km) above Yazoo City, Mississippi, to prevent her capture by approaching United States Navy gunboats.[13][14]
Thirty-fifth Parallel	Confederate States of America	American Civil War: The sidewheel paddle steamer, disabled since striking trees on 10 March, was burned by her crew on the Tallahatchie River in Mississippi to prevent her capture by the approaching ironclad gunboat USS Baron DeKalb and river gunboat USS Chillicothe (both  United States Navy).[13][15][16][17]

14 March

List of shipwrecks: 14 March 1863

Ship	Country	Description
USS Mississippi	United States Navy	American Civil War, Battle of Port Hudson: The paddle frigate, heavily damaged and disabled by Confederate artillery fire, ran aground and was abandoned on the Mississippi River at Port Hudson, Louisiana. She floated back into the current, drifted downstream, and exploded violently when the flames reached her magazines.[8][3]
Jemima	Confederate States of America	American Civil War, Union blockade: The 50-ton schooner was captured and destroyed on the York River at Milford Haven, Virginia, by boat crews from the armed screw steamer USS Crusader ( United States Navy).[18]
Unidentified schooner	Confederate States of America	American Civil War, Union blockade: The schooner, a blockade runner in ballast, was captured and destroyed on the York River at Milford Haven, Virginia, by boat crews from the armed screw steamer USS Crusader ( United States Navy).[3][19]

15 March

List of shipwrecks: 15 March 1863

Ship	Country	Description
Prinzesa	United Kingdom	Carrying US$140,000 in U.S. gold bullion and specie, the schooner foundered in shallow water off the northern end of Moreton Island off Redcliffe, Queensland, Australia.[20]

19 March

List of shipwrecks: 19 March 1863

Ship	Country	Description
CSS Georgiana	Confederate States Navy	American Civil War, Union blockade: Operating as a blockade runner with a cargo of merchandise, ammunition, cannons, Pattern 1853 Enfield rifle muskets, swords, military supplies, and gold, the 580-ton screw steamer was badly damaged by the gunboat USS Wissahickon ( United States Navy) and deliberately run aground on Long Island on the coast of South Carolina. Her entire crew and all of her passengers escaped. Sailors from Wissahickon then boarded her and set her on fire to prevent her recapture by Confederate forces. She burned for several days, suffering several explosions.[21]

22 March

List of shipwrecks: 22 March 1863

Ship	Country	Description
Bio Bio	United States	The 822-ton sidewheel paddle steamer burned at New Orleans, Louisiana.[22]

23 March

List of shipwrecks: 23 March 1863

Ship	Country	Description
Kingfisher	United States	American Civil War: The 120-ton whaler, a schooner with a crew of 23, was captured and burned in the South Atlantic Ocean between Brazil and Africa near the equator at 01°26′S 26°30′W / 1.433°S 26.500°W / -1.433; -26.500 (Kingfisher) by the screw sloop-of-war CSS Alabama ( Confederate States Navy).[2][3][23]

24 March

List of shipwrecks: 23 March 1863

Ship	Country	Description
Emma	Unknown	American Civil War, Union blockade: Under the control of a United States Navy prize crew, the 70-ton schooner ran aground off the coast of Florida near the mouth of the Ocklockonee River in Apalachee Bay and was burned to prevent her recapture by Confederate forces. She had been captured on 23 March by a boat expedition from the bark USS Amanda ( United States Navy).[24]

25 March

List of shipwrecks: 25 March 1863

Ship	Country	Description
Charles Hill	United States	American Civil War: The 699-ton full-rigged ship, carrying a cargo of salt from Liverpool, England, to Montevideo, Uruguay, was captured and burned in the North Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Brazil near the equator at 01°23′N 26°30′W / 1.383°N 26.500°W / 1.383; -26.500 (Charles Hill) by the screw sloop-of-war CSS Alabama ( Confederate States Navy).[2][3][25]
USS Lancaster	United States Navy	American Civil War: The sidewheel ram was sunk by Confederate artillery in the Mississippi River off Port Hudson, Louisiana.
Nora	United States	American Civil War: The schooner, carrying a cargo of salt from Liverpool, England, to Calcutta, India, was captured and burned in the South Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Brazil near the equator at 1°12′49″S 26°32′45″W / 1.21361°S 26.54583°W / -1.21361; -26.54583 (Nora) by the screw sloop-of-war CSS Alabama ( Confederate States Navy).[3][2][26]

29 March

List of shipwrecks: 29 March 1863

Ship	Country	Description
Absalom	United Kingdom	The ketch was wrecked without loss of life on the South Spit at the Heads while attempting to exit the Macleay River in New South Wales, Australia. She and her cargo were a total loss.
CSS Vicksburg	Confederate States of America	American Civil War: The 635-ton sidewheel paddle steamer, lacking her machinery and serving as a wharf boat at Vicksburg, Mississippi, caught fire, broke free of her moorings, and drifted down the Mississippi River past Union forces. The fire destroyed her.[27][28]

30 March

List of shipwrecks: 30 March 1863

Ship	Country	Description
M. J. Colcord	United States	American Civil War: The bark, carrying a cargo of provisions from New York City to Cape Town, was captured and burned in the Atlantic Ocean by the screw sloop-of-war CSS Florida ( Confederate States Navy).[8][3]

Unknown date

List of shipwrecks: Unknown date 1863

Ship	Country	Description
Gipsy	New Zealand	The schooner ran aground while trying to enter the mouth of the Buller River, New Zealand towards the end of March. Two lives were lost due to the capsizing of a canoe during the rescue of the crew.[29]
Star of the West	Confederate States of America	American Civil War, Vicksburg Campaign: The paddle steamer, also referred to as CSS St. Philip, was scuttled as a blockship in the Tallahatchie River near Greenwood, Mississippi.
Young Harry	United States	Bound for Matamoros, Mexico, with a cargo of flour, clothes, and other goods, the brig was wrecked on the coast of Texas, 6 miles (10 km) from the mouth of the Rio Grande.

References