The
S.S. Pevensey, or what is left of it,
lies in the ocean waters off Pine Knoll Shores near the dismantled Iron Steamer
Pier, now the area of one
of our ocean beach accesses. The wreck is so heavy and imbedded so deeply in
sand that, according to David Moore, curator of the North Carolina Maritime
Museum in Beaufort, “It isn’t going anywhere” and still lies 100 yards off the
beach. In the past, at low tide, part of this iron-hulled, side-wheel steamer could still be seen. Now,
only at an extreme low tide when the moon, sun, and force of nature are fully
aligned will a beach goer be lucky to see a glimpse of the wreckage.
This
type of ship was commonly used by Confederate forces to run the Union blockade
during the American Civil War. According to the North Carolina Department of
Cultural Resources, the S.S. Pevensey
was forced aground by the Union Supply Ship New
Berne on June 9, 1864. It should be noted the Pevensey had been chased by an armed Union side-wheeler just the
day before and had tossed part, but not all, of its cargo into the sea in order
to escape capture or destruction. Reportedly, the Pevensey was not armed.
Northam
Iron Works of Southampton, England, built this wooden ship with an iron-plated
hull for Charles Lungley of London. The paddlewheel was designed in a special
way to avoid excessive noise and splashing, minimizing detection as it traveled
in the dark of night.
Unfortunately,
on the night of June 9, 1864, after several successful runs from its home base
in Bermuda, the Pevensey unwittingly
passed its destination on the Cape Fear River. She still contained cargo that
was most likely intended to resupply Confederate troops at Fort Fisher or Fort
Caswell in Wilmington, but missed the entrance to the Cape Fear River, the route to both forts. According
to an account of the grounding of the wreck and subsequent capture of its crew found
in the Official Records of the Union and
Confederate Navies in the War of Rebellion, by US Naval Officer T.A. Harris
from on board the New Berne, the
cargo contained, “. . . arms, blankets, shoes, cloth, clothing, lead, bacon and
numerous packages marked to individuals” as well as tompions (weather
protectors for Whitworth cannons), leading to speculation that there were guns
(perhaps cannons) underneath the musket boxes. Instead of the Cape Fear River,
the Pevensey found itself in the
waters off the coast of Bogue Banks heading northeast toward Union-occupied
Beaufort.
Most
of the east coast waters were patrolled by Union ships to keep the South from
exporting and importing valuable goods and getting supplies to Confederate
troops. Navigating under cover of night, although necessary, must have been
extremely difficult since the shoreline was mostly uninhabited, making it
difficult to see landmarks. Apparently, the captain did not realize his ship
had missed her destination and was traveling at a slow pace until it was
spotted and pursued by the Union supply ship
New Berne. As the Pevensey tried
to distance herself from the pursuing New
Berne, cargo was thrown overboard to lighten the load and allow the
Pevensey to pick up speed; but, as the New
Berne got closer, she let loose shots that damaged and stopped the Pevensey. Unable to continue, the Pevensey turned north toward the beach
and ran aground. Lowering six auxiliary boats, it carried the crew, with the
exception of one left onboard to set the boiler to explode, and made for the
beach, actually believing they had a chance of escaping. The crew and prisoners
were captured by Union Calvary troops and taken to Fort Macon.
In
2000, Surface Interval Diving Company (SIDCO), based in Beaufort and greatly
interested in diving projects related to the Civil War, was asked by the North
Carolina Department of Cultural Resources to undertake an archaeological survey
of the Pevensey wreckage. The dives
made in 2001 and 2002 were extremely difficult due to murky waters, strong
currents and an inordinate amount of maritime and human debris. SIDCO’s
excellent website indicates that diving into the site of the wreckage of the Pevensey was like “diving into a . . .
Dempsey Dumpster.” If you frequently walk the beach, you will come across all
sorts of debris brought in with the tides from the days when the Iron Steamer
fishing pier was operating. One can imagine strong gusts of wind sweeping all
sorts of fishing equipment and personal items into the surf that ended up
trapped inside this wreck.
SIDCO’s
website indicates that its divers worked closely with the North Carolina
Department of Cultural Resources, the Underwater Archaeology Branch of the North
Carolina Maritime Museum, the Graveyard of the Atlantic Museum, the National
Park Service and the United States Coast Guard. SIDCO’S account of the Pevensey has historical facts not found
on other online sites, including an actual report of the ship’s capture written
from the New Berne by US Naval Lieutenant
T.A. Harris, mentioned above. It also includes extensive details, drawings and
diagrams of what the internal structure of the Pevensey would have contained. Those interested in this information
can visit sidco.org. There is also a drawing by SIDCO’s curator, Bobby Willis,
of what the iron-hulled, side-wheel steamer looked like. SIDCO credits the Official Records of the Union and
Confederate Navies in the War of the Rebellion for some details listed on
its site.
Underwater
exploration requires a great deal of funding, and SIDCO is always in need of
private funds and grateful when they are generously given. The diving
exploration of the S.S. Pevensey was
funded by the state of North Carolina, and when the report and initial
assessment of the first two dives were completed, funding dried up and the
diving project was halted.
The
story doesn’t end here. In 2011, a large wooden structure embedded with pieces
of metal was found partially buried in sand by Jim Francesconi, director with
the North Carolina Marine Fisheries, who was on the beach near the Clamdigger
Inn removing tires washed ashore by a hurricane.
Mr. Francesconi alerted Pine
Knoll Shores Public Services Director Ernie Rudolph. It was thought this structure
was part of the wreck Pevensey. Because
the caulking and tar were believed to be of the Civil War period, the structure
was taken to the NC Maritime Museum in Beaufort for examination and verification.
Unfortunately, there was not enough evidence to prove this theory, and the
museum didn’t study it further.
In
2005, the North Carolina Office of Archives and History placed a North Carolina
Historic Marker near the site of the old Iron Steamer Pier, and a dedication
ceremony was held on September 10, 2014.
Special
thanks goes to David Moore, nautical archaeology curator for the NC Maritime
Museum, and Nautical Archaeologist Consultant Rob Reedy for their assistance
with this article. Both men serve as consultants to SIDCO.
The story of the Iron Steamer Pier & Motel which was built at the site of the wreckage is contained in an associated post.
The story of the Iron Steamer Pier & Motel which was built at the site of the wreckage is contained in an associated post.
Post Author: Barbara
Milhaven
To
contact the author or The History Committee