The wreckage of Teche, a steamship, lies buried below the surface at this site. The steamer, built in 1860, was originally named Sam Sugg and then Tom Sugg. It was constructed for commercial use with a small side-wheeled shallow draft western-style hull design. The Confederate Army subsequently converted the ship to a cottonclad warship to command the White River during the Civil War. After capture in Arkansas by the Union Army, Sugg was re-commissioned as U.S.S. Tensas, converted to an armored gunboat, outfitted with two 24-pounder howitzers and designated Tinclad No. 39 in the Third Division of the Mississippi Squadron. In 1865 after decommissioning, E.B. Trinidad of New Iberia purchased Tensas at an auction and renamed her Teche. The Attakapas Mail Transportation Company used Teche for trade between Morgan City and New Iberia, docking at the foot of the Weeks Street Landing. In 1868 after a wreck, the vessel was pulled against the shore for salvage. In 2004, Teche was discovered sunken at the present location and was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2008. The Bayou Teche Museum in New Iberia has an exhibit dedicated to the shipwreck.
SHIP STATISTICSClass........ Tinclad river gunboatBuilt ...... 1860 Commissioned
(CSN)....... UnknownPurchased by U.S. Navy...... September 29, 1863 Commissioned U.S. Navy ...... 1863Final Decommissioning ......August 17, 1865 Displacement.... . 62 tonsLength ....... 90 ft.Beam (width)...... 22 ft.Draft (depth)...... 3 ft., 6 in.Propulsion... Sidewheel Steamer Two engines - 11" cylinder diameter 3 ft. length of piston strokeArmament .....Two, 24-poundersShipwreck Identification Number ......... 16IB80
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