USS Weehawken, a 1335-ton Passaic class monitor built at Jersey City, New Jersey, was commissioned in mid-January 1863. A few days later, while en route to Port Royal, South Carolina, she encountered a heavy winter storm and proved that ships of her type could successfully handle such weather. In early February, Weehawken joined the South Atlantic Blockading Squadron to participate in combat operations along the Atlantic coast from South Carolina to Florida.
On 7 April 1863, Weehawken led a strong force of new ironclads in a close attack on Fort Sumter, guardian of the entrance to Charleston harbor, S.C. This attack, which demonstrated some of the limitations of monitor-type armored warships, ended after several of the attacking ships were damaged. Weehawken was struck by over fifty enemy cannon projectiles and shaken by the explosion of a nearby mine. After receiving repairs, she was sent to Georgia waters, where, on 17 June 1863, she encountered and quickly captured the Confederate ironclad Atlanta.
After this victory, which made her the object of great fame, Weehawken returned to the Charleston area, where she spent the summer of 1863 participating in regular bombardments of Confederate positions ashore. These greatly assisted in the capture of Fort Wagner on Morris Island and reduced Fort Sumter to rubble, though that position remained as strong or stronger than ever. During one of these attacks, on 7 September 1863, Weehawken grounded and was exposed to heavy fire from the forts. With the assistance of other monitors, she was successfully refloated on the following day.
The repaired Weehawken was back on the Charleston blockade in early October. While moored off Morris Island in rising seas on 6 December 1863, she began to taken on water forward. Due to faulty trim and debris in her bilges, the influx overwhelmed her pumps and the ship sank rapidly. Over thirty of Weehawken's officers and men were lost with her.
This page features, or provides links to, all our views related to USS Weehawken
For additional views related to USS Weehawken, see:,
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Photo #: NH 60351 USS Weehawken (1863-1863) 19th Century photograph of an artwork, depicting Weehawken in stormy seas. U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph. Online Image: 99KB; 740 x 445 pixels |
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Photo #: NH 75618 USS Weehawken (1863-1863) Wash drawing by R.G. Skerrett, 1902, depicting the ship in heavy seas. Courtesy of the U.S. Navy Art Collection, Washington, D.C. U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph. Online Image: 95KB; 740 x 450 pixels |
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Photo #: NH 58710 USS Weehawken (1863-1863) Line engraving by G. Perkins, published in "Harper's Weekly", 7 February 1863, depicting Weehawken riding out a heavy storm off the Atlantic coast on 20 January 1863, in a test of the monitor's seaworthiness. U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph. Online Image: 149KB; 740 x 565 pixels |
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Photo #: NH 73852 USS Weehawken (1863-1863) 19th Century engraving depicting Weehawken in a harbor. U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph. Online Image: 79KB; 740 x 440 pixels |
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Photo #: NH 61430 USS Weehawken (1863-1863) Engraving published in "Harper's Weekly", 3 February 1866 as part of a larger print entitled "The Iron-clad Navy of the United States. See Photo # NH 73986 for the complete print. U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph. Online Image: 76KB; 740 x 315 pixels |
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Photo #: NH 59387 "The Ericsson Devil and 'Weehawken'" Engraving published in "Harper's Weekly", January-June 1863, depicting USS Weehawken pushing the mine-clearing raft designed by John Ericsson for use in Charleston harbor, South Carolina. U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph. Online Image: 62KB; 740 x 280 pixels |
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The following view was taken from USS Weehawken, but does not include any of her structure:
For additional views related to USS Weehawken, see:,
If you want higher resolution reproductions than the digital images presented here, see: "How to Obtain Photographic Reproductions." |
Page made 18 September 2001