Naval Support

The official records of the navies have a report showing a number of ships stationed in the James River on April 1st, 1865.  Since I am modelling late March, 1865, this is useful in terms of what ships might be in the area of City Point.  Once identified, further searches on Wikipedia show some details and images of these vessels.

Navy Tug,  City Point, Virginia. (crop of LC-DIG-cwpb-01736)

Here is a picture of an armed sidewheel tug anchored at City Point.  Tugs were essential in keeping the port operating efficiently.  I suspect that this could be the USS General Putnam.  Aside from duties as a tug, the USS General Putnam was involved in patrol duties in many rivers in Virginia throughout the war.

Ex-Blockage Runner - Hope at City Point (crop of  LC-USZ62-102109)

Frequently, after adjudication by a prize court,  the US Government would purchase captured blockade runners.  Because of their speed, once armed, they made ideal vessels to use to pursue other blockade runners.  This is the former blockage runner Hope, that was captured on October 22,1864.  She was purchased in prize court by a private investor.  The US Government chartered her from March 17,1865 through September 4,1865, presumably for use as a transport. There are several images of her on the James River during this period.

The Transports

City Point, Virginia. Transports on James River  (crop of LC-DIG-cwpb-01736)

The following interesting image shows how artillery is moved by sea.  I'm guessing the limber chests are stored below deck.

Crop of Library of Congress item LC-DIG-cwbp-00637

The James River

When modeling the James River and vessels on it, it can be helpful to understand the nature of the river.   The river runs fromthe Appalacian Mountains to near the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay.  The head of navigation is at the falls at Richmond.  This is what made Richmond so important.  Though the head of navigation is at Richmond, navigating to that point, involves following a narrow channel.  Much of the area of the river is actually shallow flats, with depths of only a few feet.

Take a look at this natical chart of the area around City Point.  It is a crop of a civil war era US Navy chart of the James River, found in the Library of Congress digitized online archives.

It should be clear that any boats that draw more than a few feet, have no choice, but to stay in the channel that brushes alongside the wharfs at City Point.  The accounts of the Battle of Trent's Reach in January, 1865 are as much accounts of the groundings of the Confederate attackers when they strayed from the narrow channel as anything else.    Finally, period photographs of City Point, show the that the shoal areas are indeed, devoid of vessels.

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