Blockade Runner Elizabeth

From the July 8, 2015, FaceBook  "This Is Oak Island."

The remains of the blockade runner Elizabeth are above water at low tide.  It was previously named the Atlantic and was a 216 foot long, 623 ton sidewheel steamer.

The Atlantic was seized in New Orleans by Brigadier General Mansfield and had made eight successful runs through the blockade before running aground.

The remains are owned by the State of North Carolina and is listed on the NRHP as part of an archaeological region.

Until 1954 the paddle wheel could be seen from the shore, but Hurricane Hazel destroyed it.  Now you can only see what is left of the smokestacks.

Do not attempt to swim out to it.

--Old  B-Runner

USS Iron Age-- Part 3: Blockade Runners Elizabeth and Bendigo Run Aground At Lockwood's Folly Inlet

In late 1863, the blockade runner Elizabeth ran aground off Lockwood's Folly Inlet.  In January 1864, the blockade runner Bendigo, coming in from Nassau saw the wreck of the Elizabeth and thought it to be a blockading Union ship.

Standard practice at this point was the blockade runner to attempt passing between the Union ship and the shore, which was what the Bendigo attempted to do.  Of course, the Eliazabeth was aground and there wasn't much chance of passing by it.

The Bendigo ran aground  Hard aground with no chance of getting off.

Locals helped salbage some of the cargo.  The ship was set afire and abandoned.

--Old B-Runner

Lockwood Folly Inlet Civil War Wrecks-- Part 3: Elizabeth, Bendigo and the USS Iron Age

The inlet is called by two names:  Lockwood Folly Inlet and Lockwood's Ferry Inlet.

The USS Iron Age is the main problem with boats in the inlet.

The Elizabeth is west of the current channel and visible at low tide.  Is this the one the man took pictures of with his drone?    The Iron Age is southeast of the Elizabeth and the Bendigo is northwest of the Elizabeth.

There are at least four Civil War wrecks at the inlet.  A map also shows one called the Lisa Marie  there in the inlet shallows.

--Old B-Runner

Lockwood Folly Inlet Civil War Wrecks-- Part 2

The captain of the Bendigo saw what he thought was a blockader as he skirted the shore, but it was actually the blockade runner Elizabeth.  In evasive action, which required passing to the shore side of the other ship, the Bendigo ran hard aground.

The blockading ships USS Fort Jackson, Iron Age, Montgomery and Daylight came to investigate.  Once they determined they could not refloat the Bendigo, they riddled the ship with gunfire.  The Montgomery and Iron Age themselves ran aground.  The Montgomery was able to get off, but not the USS Iron Age.

--Old B-R'er

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