Lockwood Folly Inlet and the Civil War Wrecks

From the January 31, 2004 Saltwater Central.com .

Several local boats have been damaged on the Civil war wrecks and there has been one indirect loss of life from them.  According to locals, the main culprit is the USS Iron Age.

The blockade runner Elizabeth was on its 8th run of the blockade at Wilmington.  It was 216 feet long, 623 ton sidewheel steamer which had left Nassau September 19, 1863.  Some twelve miles from Fort Caswell, guarding the Old Inlet approach to the Cape Fear River and Wilmington, N.C., when it ran aground at Lockwood Folly Inlet and was set on fire when it was determined they couldn't get it off.

The blockade runner Bendigo cleared Wilmington and ran the blockade on December 16, 1863.  It was its second trip through the blockade.  The Bendigo 178 tons, iron-hulled sidewheel steamer.  It was 162 feet long, 20.1 foot beam and drew 10.9 feet  of water.  It may have been called the Milly at one time.

--Old B-Runner