Brownwater Ironclad

BROWN WATER IRONCLAD: CSS NEUSEPRESENTED BY MATTHEW YOUNGOn May 14, the Cape Fear Civil War Round Table will host Matthew Young, Site Manager of the CSS Neuse Museum in Kinston to learn about the ironclad ship intended to contest U.S. Navy supremacy on the sounds, the Neuse typified the challenges faced by the Confederacy as it tried to build a navy from a baseline of zero.Matt Young grew up in Columbus, Georgia, graduated from Columbus State University in 2002 with a BA in History and achieved an MA in History from New Hampshire University in 2022. Since 2014, he has led the CSS Neuse Museum as Site Manager, bringing years of expertise from his work with the National Infantry Museum and the National Civil War Naval Museum in his hometown of Columbus, Georgia. On October 17, 1862 the Confederate Navy Department signed a contract to construct an ironclad gunboat to be called the CSS Neuse, named for the river that runs through the northern part of the state. The ship was to be completed by March 1, 1863, so work began right away but delays prevented the ship from ever achieving the mission it was intended for. The saga of the construction of the Neuse is a veritable catalog of shortages, problems, and setbacks that typify the challenges faced by the Confederate navy. Unlike its sister ship, the CSS Albemarle, the Neuse saw no action until the end of the war when U.S. land forces reached Kinston. The ship helped cover the retreat of the Confederate army from Kinston after the Battle of Wise Fork, and was then scuttled.The May 14 meeting begins at 7 p.m. Doors open at 6:30. Come and hear the story of the “Brownwater Ironclad.” As usual, the meeting will be held in Elebash Hall at the rear of St. John’s Episcopal Church at 1219 Forest Hills Drive in Wilmington. The centrally located meeting place is near Independence Mall. The church parking lot and entrance to the meeting room is easily accessed via Park Avenue off of Independence Boulevard. All are welcome. For more information about membership, check out the Round Table’s website at www.cfcwrt.org See you there!