The Florida Aquarium and The Florida Department of State will join-up to host a live underwater dedication ceremony this Tuesday morning for the USS Narcissus, a Civil War tug boat which sank off Egmont Key in 1866.
The tug was on its way to New York when she hit a storm near the mouth of Tampa Bay, resulting in the loss of all on board. Prior to her demise, the Narcissus patrolled the Mississipi Sound for the Union Army with the West Gulf Blockading Squadron, a squadron which watched the 3,500 miles of Atlantic and Gulf coastline that bordered Confederate territory. The blockade was part of a Union naval strategy aimed at preventing the south from trading and receiving crucial military supplies during the war. During its time on the water, the Narcissus took part in the cleanup of the Union won Battle of Mobile Bay, captured the Confederate sloop Oregon, and sunk from a torpedo strike. She was eventually raised from the water, repaired, and assigned as a dispatch boat until the end of the war.
The dedication will honor the USS Narcissus as Florida's twelfth Underwater Archaeological Preserve and feature — with assistance from Florida Aquarium SCUBA divers — a live interactive underwater dedication ceremony from the resting place of the USS Narcissus.
The event will take place at The Florida Aquarium, in their Vinik Channelside Room, at 10:30 a.m. on Tuesday. Some direct descendants of the USS Narcissus crew will be in attendance, as well as Florida Secretary of State Ken Detzner, amongst others.
For more information, visit The Florida Aquarium website.
This article appears in Jan 15-21, 2015.