From one civil war to another

December 22, 2006 11:25 AM

We all know of Confederate General Stonewall Jackson,but what about the ironclad built in his name? Courtesy of the United States Naval Historical Center, her history comes to life in photographic form. Built in Europe, she was captured at the end of the war and sent to rest in the Washington Naval Yards. From there, the Stonewall was sold to Japan and rechristened the Kotetsu. She passed hands from the Shogunate to the Emperor, and later received her last name of Azuma. Under the Emperor's forces, she played a role in perhaps the most important naval battle of the Meiji Restoration.
posted by Atreides (8 comments total)

What a terribly interesting story.
posted by saladin at 11:37 AM on December 22, 2006

This is good.
posted by killdevil at 11:52 AM on December 22, 2006

Holy crap, I'm interested in both naval and US Civil War history and knew nothing of this.

The CSN* really jumped out ahead in early innings with ironclad design -- CSS Tennesee has been called possibly the most powerful warship afloat for a brief period prior to the Battle of Mobile Bay. But thanks to John Ericsson's "cheesebox on a raft" design for the USS Monitor, the era of sail-powered warships was pretty much over.

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*The "secesh" even managed to build a submarine that made the first successful attack in naval history, the CSS H. L. Hunley.
posted by pax digita at 12:03 PM on December 22, 2006

This was not the last warship named for Jackson. In addition to some minor noncombatants (which were news to me), SSBN 634 was named for him.

It's also not the only ship named after a Confederate. There was also a USS Robert E Lee, SSBN 601.

Eat nuclear fire, Billy Yank!
posted by ROU_Xenophobe at 12:42 PM on December 22, 2006

We all know of Confederate General Stonewall Jackson.
lies.
posted by wumpus at 1:13 PM on December 22, 2006

Sigh.

(Thomas Jonathan Jackson, the guy who before the war flouted Virginia law by funding and conducting a Sunday school where free blacks and even some slaves learned to read G*d's Word.)

SSBNs did deterrence patrols ("We Hide With Pride") -- thank G*d they never got used for their designed purpose, or this thread likely would not be taking place.

Two surface combatants, both destroyers, have been named for famed CSN commerce raider Raphael Semmes, though -- DD-18 and DD-189.
posted by pax digita at 1:20 PM on December 22, 2006

bravo!
posted by nola at 3:18 PM on December 22, 2006

Great post. BotW imho.
posted by washburn at 10:30 PM on December 22, 2006