Located along the Chattahoochee River, the National Civil Naval Museum houses many Civil War naval relics from the Confederate and Union sides of the conflict. The first question many of its twenty-five thousand yearly visitors ask is, “Why is a naval museum located in Columbus?” The Chattahoochee River played a key role in the Civil War. Although true, it is far from a major body of water. The Chattahoochee connects with the Gulf of Mexico at Apalachicola, Florida. Columbus was an integral part of the Confederate infrastructure as a construction and manufacturing hub for munitions and uniforms. The last major land battle of the Civil War was fought in Columbus, and the town was burned to the ground afterward.
The CSS Jackson, the largest of the four surviving Civil War ironclads, is on display at the museum. Launched at Columbus in December 1864, it saw no action and was set ablaze and adrift by Union troops in what is considered the last land battle of the Civil War. It burned for two weeks until it sank in the middle of the river. Although the wreck’s location was known, it remained at the bottom of the Chattahoochee River for 100 years until 1961, when hull raising began. Even today, the hull still carries the burn marks from 1865. The Columbus Jaycee Club played a key role in raising funds and volunteer support.
The museum also displays the wreckage of CSS Chattahoochee, a full-scale replica of the USS Water Witch, a replica of the USS Hartford’s captain’s cabin, a ship’s boat from the USS Hartford, a replica of the USS Monitor’s turret, and both interior and exterior views of the CSS Albermarle. Many other artifacts have been meticulously preserved and are on display.
The museum houses the largest collection of Civil War-related naval flags, including ship flags, coastal fort flags, and pennants in the county, and they are prominently displayed at the museum.
The museum offers guided daily tours. Brandon Gilland, an education associate at the museum, is well-versed in all aspects of the exhibits. I also enjoyed meeting the museum’s archivist, Jeff Seymour. I have included a short interview with Jeff from C-Span from February 2015.
https://www.c-span.org/video/?324715-1/css-jackson-national-civil-war-naval-museum
The National Civil War Naval Museum is well worth your time, and a visit will immerse you in Civil War and U.S. naval history.
