Mary Bowers
blockade runner · Confederate States of America · Lost 1864
Status: located · Curator Verified
Research & Discovery: Dr. E. Lee Spence — Marine Archaeologist
Significance
The Mary Bowers was a Confederate blockade runner that met her end attempting to slip past the Union naval blockade of Charleston Harbor. She ran aground under fire and was abandoned by her crew. Like many blockade runners, she was a sleek, low-profile vessel designed for speed rather than cargo capacity. Her wreck site has yielded artifacts reflecting the desperate material shortages of the Confederacy in the war's final year.
Technical Details
| Vessel Type | blockade runner |
|---|---|
| Flag / Nation | Confederate States of America |
| Built | 1862 |
| Length | 60 m |
| Tonnage | 400 tons |
| Cargo | Blockade goods: textiles, medicines, military supplies |
| Date Lost | November 1864 |
| Cause of Loss | grounding |
| Conflict | American Civil War |
| Body of Water | Atlantic Ocean |
| Region | South Carolina, USA |
| Country | United States |
| Coordinates | 32.65°, -79.85° |
| Discovery Year | 1968 |
| Discovered By | Dr. E. Lee Spence |
Sources & Citations
- [1] Spence, E. Lee. Treasures of the Confederate Coast. 1995.
- [2] Official Records of the Union and Confederate Navies in the War of the Rebellion. 1922.
Related Wrecks
- H.L. Hunley (1864) — South Carolina, USA
- Norseman (1864) — South Carolina, USA
- USS Housatonic (1864) — South Carolina, USA
- CSS Georgiana (1863) — South Carolina, USA
- Stonewall Jackson (1863) — South Carolina, USA
- Minho (1862) — South Carolina, USA