The CSSAtlantawas an ironclad transformation effort which used the iron-hull and Scottish-built engines of SSFingal to fashion one of the Confederacy’s most powerful warships. The ironclad; however, had a deep draft which limited its operational area below Savannah. This coupled with a very rash and impetuous captain, Commander William Webb, resulted inAtlanta’s capture in a brief engagement with the monitors USSWeehawkenand USSNahant. The ironclad soon became the USSAtlantaand served until 1865 in the James River. It was later sold to Haiti and floundered en route without a trace.

SSFingal

TheAtlantahad its genesis from the merchant ship SSFingal. This merchant ship was constructed at the J & G Thomson’s Clyde Bank Iron Shipyard at Govan in Glasgow, Scotland. TheFingal’s dimensions were:Read more