C.S.S. Neuse
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Search Kinston
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The site of the C.S.S. Neuse, a civil war ironclad ramming vessel and the Richard Caswell Memorial rest on the banks of the Neuse River and tell the stories that span two American wars. Click small pictures for alarger view.
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The CSS Neuse was one of twenty-two ironclads commissioned by the Confederate Navy.
Having a wide, flat bottom, the vessel resembled a river barge. When completed,
the twin-screw steamer was plated with iron armor and measured 158 feet long
and 34 feet wide.
Construction of the ship began in the fall of 1862 in Whitehall (Seven Springs)
on the Neuse River. The vast pine forests of eastern North Carolina provided the
needed lumber, and local carpenters served as shipwrights. Work on the ship was
interrupted by a Union raid through the area in December. | 
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Still incomplete, the Neuse was launched in 1863. The workers floated the vessel
downstream to Kinston to be fitted with machinery, guns, and armor.
Transportation problems and manufacturing difficulties delayed the completion of
the ship. The Neuse never received all its intended armor due to these obstacles.
However, the Neuse steamed out of Kinston in late April 1864
to participate in a attack on New Bern. Unfortunately the river was low and the
new ironclad ran aground en route. A river rise allowed the ship to return to its
mooring in mid-May. |
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Lack of troop support and obstructions in the river forced the ship to remain
idle for the next ten months. In March of 1865 the hopes of the Confederacy were
faltering and Union forces approached Kinston. Commander Joseph Price realized
there was no alternative but to scuttle his vessel. On March 12, the Neuse was burned by its crew, resulting in a large explosion in the port bow which sank the ship.
Known locally as "the gunboat," the Neuse remained in the river for nearly one hundred years. Private efforts to recover the ship began in 1961, but poor weather, lack of funds, and ownership controversies prevented the ship from being raised until 1963. A year later the hull was transported to the West Vernon Avenue
location. | 
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Hours and Location
The CSS Neuse and Governor Caswell Memorial
Location Map
Hwy. 70 Business, Kinston
9 am - 5 pm Monday - Saturday; 1 pm - 5 pm Sunday
Free Admission
Interpretive tours with sound and light show by appointment
Visitor Center, Parking, Restrooms, and Picnic Area available
(252) 522-2091
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