The ss republic was a sidewheel steamship, originally named ss tennessee (also called css tennessee, uss tennessee, and uss mobile for a time), lost in a hurricane off the coast of georgia in october 1865, en route to new orleans. In 2003, the shipwreck was located 100 miles (160 km) off the coast of savannah, georgia, and the artifacts are on display in select museums, along with video stories about passengers and crew members. The ship was built in baltimore, maryland, by shipbuilder john a. Robb, for the famous war of 1812 veteran, james hooper, president of the baltimore and southern steam packet company, and launched in 1853, as the tennessee. It began service as a merchant ship en route to the baltimore-charleston route. Shortly thereafter, he was sent on the first transatlantic crossing by steamship baltimore, sailing to southampton, england, and le havre, france. Shortly thereafter, tennessee was used to open the first regular passenger steamship service between new york city and central america. During the california gold rush, tennesseans transported "49'ers" to the eastern coasts of panama and nicaragua to travel to the sierra nevada mountains of california. The tennessee delivered the last group of "immigrants" who volunteered as mercenary soldiers for william walker in nicaragua and, after the defeat of walker's forces, took home hundreds of heartbroken and defeated survivors. The tennessee for several years regularly served the vera cruz, mexico-new orleans route, often transporting immigrants to the united states, as well as large sums of mexican gold and silver. She was moored in new orleans harbor when the american civil war began on april 12, 1861. At the outbreak of the civil war, she became trapped in the port of new orleans, louisiana, and was captured for use as a confederate blockade runner as the css tennessee in 1861, although she was never able to escape the blockade of the port of new orleans. After the union capture of new orleans, the ship was placed into union armed service, including as flagship of united states navy admiral david g. Farragut for the conclusion of the mississippi campaign. As uss tennessee, she was not only a fast and effective blockade ship in the west gulf squadron, but also a powerful gunboat used to bombard ft. Morgan during the battle of mobile bay. In september 1864, she was renamed uss mobile to allow a famous confederate armored ship to be named after tennessee after her capture. This second css tennessee had been taken during a dramatic encounter at mobile bay. The uss mobile was damaged in a hurricane off the mouth of the rio grande in october 1864, and sent to new york for repairs. Upon inspection, the ship was judged too expensive to refit and was taken out of united states navy commission in december 1864. She was sold at auction in march 1865, renamed ss republic, repaired, and soon returned to the new york-new orleans route carrying passengers and cargo. She was lost on her fifth civilian voyage after the war. The republic left new york on october 18, 1865, bound for new orleans. According to her captain, she was carrying passengers and a cargo of $400,000 in coins, primarily $10 and $20 gold pieces, intended for use as hard currency after the civil war. The city of new orleans, captured largely intact by the union in 1862, had been the southern center of the federal war efforts and was a prosperous and busy city, but because of the war, "hard money" (or gold and silver currency) was very scarce. On the fifth day of their voyage, a hurricane off the coast of georgia proved too strong for the ship. By night, her hull was leaking so badly that the fire in the boiler was extinguished, and she stalled in heavy seas, taking on water faster than her crew and passengers could rescue her. At 4 p. M. On october 25, 1865, she sank. Passengers and crew escaped in four lifeboats and a makeshift raft, but 40-foot seas throughout the night made keeping them afloat a serious challenge. It was not until two days later, on october 27, that the survivors, now desperate with thirst, were found by the sailing ship horace beals. On october 29, the steamer general hooker had been sent to search for the republic, and met up with horace beals. The passengers were transferred and taken to charleston. Most of the passengers and crew survived, although several were lost on the raft before they could be rescued. All the coins were lost. Unknown date
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