Pen-and ink drawing of CSS David, showing external and internal plan
Career
Laid down:
Launched:	1863
Commissioned:	1863
Decommissioned:	1865?
Status:	unknown
General Characteristics
Displacement:
Length:	50 feet
Beam:	6 feet
Draft:	5 feet
Propulsion and power:	Steam engine
Speed:
Complement:	4 officers and men
Armament:	1 spar torpedo

CSS David was built as a private venture by T. Stoney at Charleston, South Carolina in 1863, and put under the control of the Confederate States Navy. The cigar-shaped boat carried a 60- or 70-pound explosive charge on the end of a spar projecting forward from her bow. Designed to operate very low in the water, David resembled in general a submarine; she was, however, strictly a surface vessel. Operating on dark nights, and using anthracite coal which burns without smoke, "David" was nearly as hard to see as a true submarine. Drawing of CSS David, from the U.S. Naval Historical Center. ... Image File history File links Confederate_Battle_Flag. ... A spar torpedo is a weapon consisting of a bomb placed at the end of a long pole, or spar, and attached to a boat. ... This article is about the city in South Carolina. ... Official language(s) English Capital Columbia Largest city Columbia Area  - Total  - Width  - Length  - % water  - Latitude  - Longitude Ranked 40th 82,965 km² 320 km 420 km 6 32°430N to 35°12N 78°030W to 83°20W Population  - Total (2000)  - Density Ranked 26th 4,012... 1863 (MDCCCLXIII) is a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Saturday of the Julian calendar). ... CSN Jack CSS Alabama, a ship of the Confederate States Navy The Confederate States Navy was the branch of the Confederate States armed forces responsible for naval operations during the American Civil War. ... HMS Vanguard, a Vanguard-class nuclear ballistic missile (SSBN) submarine HMCS Windsor, a Victoria-class diesel-electric hunter-killer (SSK) submarine HMAS Rankin, a Collins-class diesel-electric guided missile (SSG) submarine USS Virginia, a Virginia-class nuclear attack (SSN) submarine A submarine is a specialized watercraft that can operate... Anthracite coal Anthracite (Greek Ανθρακίτης, literally a form of coal, from Anthrax [Άνθραξ], coal) is a hard, compact variety of mineral coal that has a high luster. ...

On the night of October 5, 1863, David, commanded by Lieutenant William T. Glassell, CSN, slipped down Charleston Harbor to attack the casemated ironclad steamer USS New Ironsides. The torpedo boat approached undetected until she was within 50 yards of the blockader. Hailed by the watch on board New Ironsides, Glassell replied with a blast from a shotgun and David plunged ahead to strike. Her spar torpedo detonated under the starboard quarter of the ironclad, throwing high a column of water which rained back upon the Confederate vessel and put out her boiler fires. Her engine dead, David hung under the quarter of New Ironsides while small arms fire from the Federal ship spattered the water around the torpedo boat. October 5 is the 278th day of the year (279th in Leap years). ... A Lieutenant is a military, paramilitary or police officer. ... William T. Glassell was born January 15, 1831 in Culpepper County, Virginia. ... Ironclad warships, frequently shortened to just ironclads, were ships sheathed with thick iron plates for protection. ... Steamer can refer to a Steamboat or Steamship or a Soft-shell Clam or mussel (generally cooked by steaming) Any of a number of cooking appliances and cooking utensils that cook by steaming, such as a rice cooker. ... USS New Ironsides was a broadside ironclad United States Civil War ship, named in honor of USS Constitution, who earned the nickname Old Ironsides during her engagement with HMS Guerrière in the War of 1812. ... A torpedo boat is a relatively small and fast naval ship designed to launch torpedoes at larger surface ships. ... A spar torpedo is a weapon consisting of a bomb placed at the end of a long pole, or spar, and attached to a boat. ... Starboard is the nautical term (used on boats and ships) that refers to the right side of a vessel as perceived by a person facing towards the bow. ... Ironclad warships, frequently shortened to just ironclads, were ships sheathed with thick iron plates for protection. ...

Believing that their vessel was sinking, Glassell and two others abandoned her; the pilot, Walker Cannon, who could not swim, remained on board. A short time later, Assistant Engineer J. H. Tomb swam back to the craft and climbed on board. Rebuilding the fires, Tomb succeeded in getting David's engine working again, and with Cannon at the wheel, the torpedo boat steamed up the channel to safety. Glassell and Seaman James Sullivan, David's fireman, were captured. New Ironsides, though not sunk, was seriously damaged by the explosion. Seaman can be a generic term for sailor. ... For the Olympic athlete, see James P. Sullivan. ...

The next 4 months of David's existence are obscure. She or other torpedo boats tried more attacks on Union blockaders; reports from different ships claim three such attempts, all unsuccessful, during the remainder of October 1863. On March 6, 1864, David attacked USS Memphis in the North Edisto River. The torpedo boat struck the blockader first on the port quarter, but the torpedo did not explode. Memphis slipped her chain, at the same time firing ineffectively at David with small arms. Putting about, the torpedo boat struck Memphis again, this time a glancing blow on the starboard quarter; once more the torpedo missed fire. Since Memphis had now opened up with her heavy guns, David, having lost part of her stack when rammed, retreated up the river out of range. Memphis, uninjured, resumed her blockading station. Look up October in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... March 6 is the 65th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (66th in Leap years). ... 1864 (MDCCCLXIV) was a leap year starting on Friday (see link for calendar) of the Gregorian calendar or a leap year starting on Sunday of the 12-day-slower Julian calendar. ... See USS Memphis The second USS Memphis was a 7‑gun screw steamer, built by William Denny & Bros. ...

Photograph of a captured David-class torpedo boat (possibly CSS David herself), taken after the fall of Charleston in 1865

David's last confirmed action came on April 18, 1864 when she tried to sink the screw frigate USS Wabash. Alert lookouts on board the blockader sighted David in time to permit the frigate to slip her chain, avoid the attack, and open fire on the torpedo boat. Neither side suffered any damage. Photograph of CSS David-type torpedo , from the U.S. Naval Historical Center. ... Photograph of CSS David-type torpedo , from the U.S. Naval Historical Center. ... April 18 is the 108th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (109th in leap years). ... A screw frigate is a naval steam-powered frigate using a screw propeller for locomotion. ... The first USS Wabash was a steam screw frigate of the United States Navy that served during the American Civil War. ...

The ultimate fate of David is uncertain. Several torpedo boats of this type fell into Union hands when Charleston was captured in February 1865. David may well have been among them.
Look up February in Wiktionary, the free dictionary February is the second month of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 1865 is a common year starting on Sunday. ...

Reference

This article includes text from the public domain Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. The public domain comprises the body of all creative works and other knowledge—writing, artwork, music, science, inventions, and others—in which no person or organization has any proprietary interest. ... The Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships (DANFS for short) is the primary reference work for the basic facts about every ship ever used by the United States Navy. ...