THE WRECK
OF THE
CLOTILDA
The Clotilda’s unique design and
dimensions helped scholars identify it
more than 100 years after it had been
scuttled in the Mobile-Tensaw Delta
of Alabama. Archaeologists combed
through hundreds of original sources
for clues to find the historic vessel
and confirm its identity. Insurance
documents proved to be key pieces
of evidence, providing detailed
descriptions of the schooner, including
its construction materials: southern
yellow pine planks, white oak frames,
and copper sheathing.2 Cargo Hold
The Clotilda’s cramped hold, only seven feet high, was
originally designed to transport cargo, not people.
Planks were laid down at the bottom of the hull, where
110 people endured the six-week voyage.1 Copper Sheathing
The hull was sheathed in copper to protect it from
decay and ocean waves. Only five schooners built
in the Mobile area at the time were insured for
transatlantic sailing, which required this protective
copper sheathing.3 Measurements
The Clotilda’s dimensions, recovered from insurance
documents, were unique and crucial to the wreck’s
identification. The boat was the only Gulf-built
schooner of its kind: 86 feet long with a 23-foot beam.According to Captain Foster, after the voyage he
burned Clotilda to the waterline and sank the ship in
about 20 feet of water in the Mobile River. Later at-
tempts to hide her location included using dynamite
to blast the wreck. Archaeologists found the wreck
buried in silt using 3D scanners, magnetometers, and
other technology.Hard at WorkTHOM TENERY
MAIN ILLUSTRATION: NOWAKOWSKI, NG STAFF. ART: THOM TENERYJASON TREAT AND KELSEYBOLTS: MARK THIESSEN/NGSMARK THIESSEN/NGS3
WaterlineRiver bottomAN IRON DRIFTBOLT WAS FOUND
ALONGSIDE THE HULL OF THE WRECK.METAL FASTENERS, SUCH
AS NAILS, SPIKES, AND BOLTS,
WERE MADE OF HAND-
FORGED PIG IRON AND WERE
COMMON IN SCHOONERS
BUILT IN MOBILE IN THE
MID-19TH CENTURY.