Artifacts representing all aspects of Naval Operations
- Rifles, Carbines and incredibly ugly pistols are all part of the significant collection of weapons on display at Port Columbus.
- Edged weapons including officer's swords, US and Confederate Navy cutlasses and boarding pikes make especially interesting viewing.
- Other weapons related items such as belts, cartridge boxes and even an original Confederate Navy gunpowder passbox for a 7-inch Brooke Rifle are displayed.
- Since the navies were the smallest branches of the Civil War armed forces, uniform pieces are incredibly rare. Many excellent examples are shown.
- One white shirt was owned by a ship’s "boy" which features his name stenciled on the inside.
- A Confederate Navy enlisted hat is the only one known in the nation.
- nearly 200 pieces of original iron plate from the Jackson are on display
- each 14-foot long piece is 2 inches thick by 7 inches wide and weighs more than 700 pounds.
- this is the largest display of Confederate ironcladding in the National Civil War Naval Museum at Port Columbus.
- behind the cladding is an 1860’s Gulf Coast schooner, the Virginia, supposed to be an original blockade runner and built in Mobile, Alabama.
- other craft on display in the boatshed outside the museum are the reproduction scale ironclad vessels and reproduction row and motor launches used in living history demonstrations both at the museum and at remote locations.
The Rarest of the Rare
Weapons Collection
Powder Monkey Uniforms
Iron plating off the CSS Jackson
CSS Chattahoochee
A recent acquisition of Port Columbus was the personal possessions of the second commander of the CSS Chattahoochee, J.J. Guthrie. His sword and original order from the Confederate Navy Department to take command of the Chattahoochee are on display in a new exhibit installed near the remains of the ship inside the museum.
Uniform of Commander Catesby a.p. R. Jones, skipper of the CSS Virginia in its fight with the USS Monitor
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