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Its a popular dive site and is about 6 miles from Little River Inlet. The fishing is good there including spadefish and cobia.
The General Sherman started out as the Princess Royal in 1861. In 1863 she became the USS Princess Royal after becoming captured by the US Navy. In 1865 her name was changed to the General Sherman. When she was built she was a blockade running design. In 1863 she left London for Newfoundland, Nova Scotia, Bermuda and then on to Charleston, S.C. carrying marine engines, guns, small arms, and other contaband. The USS UNADILLA headed off the Princess Royal and forced her ashore where she was seized by a prize crew of her captor. She was taken to Philadelphia where she was sold brought $342,000 in prize court. She was purchased by the navy for $112,000 on Mar 18,1863 and renamed he USS Princess Royal and fitted as a gunship. She was armored and armed with two 30 pound Parrott rifles, one 11" Dahlgren gun and four 24 pound Howitzers. She was commissioned 29 May 1863, Comdr. M. B. Woolsey in command.
Assigned to the West Gulf Blockading Squadron, Princess Royal participated in the engagement with Confederate forces at Donaldsonville, La., 28 June 1863. The USS Kineo and the USS Winona also participated in the engagement. Then ordered to the Texas coast, she captured the British schooner Flying Scud near Matamoros 12 August, and assisted in seizing the schooner Wave 22 August. Continuing her patrols into 1864 she took Neptune off Brazoa de Santiago, 19 November 1864; ran down the schooner Flash six days later;assisted by the USS Chocura she seized the schooner Alabama, 7 December; and captured Cora off Galveston, 19 December. On 7 February 1865, she assisted the USS Bienville in the capture of her last prize, the schooner Anna Sophia in Galveston Bay. Five months later Princess Royal was ordered north, arriving at Philadelphia 21 July. She was decommisioned and sold at public auction 17 August 1865 to Samuel Cook for $54,175.
The Princess Royal had her name changed to General Sherman. An American merchant W.B.Preston arranged with Meadows and Co, a British firm in Tientsin China, to send the General Sherman to Korea.She sailed on July 29, 1866 to Chefoo, China commanded by Captain Page and Chief Mate Wilson.She left Chefoo for Korea on August 9th with Preston, George Hogarth , 13 Chines and 3 malaysians. A missionary Robert Thomas was also onboard as an interpreter. The ships cargo was cotton goods, tin, glass and other items for trade.The ship was heavily armed and Asian members of the crew boasted that the would loot from the Koreans if they would not trade. The ship entered the Tae-dong River and dropped anchor near Kupsumun hoping to trade with local merchants for leopard skins, rice, paper, gold and gingseng.
Governor Park Kyoo Soo sent an emissary to investigate the ship's presence. The emissary informed them that Korea did not trade with foreigners and that only the King could change this law; and that the governor had no authority to deal with the foreigners. He then offered to provide them with some provisions. They asked for flour and eggs. They then sailed upriver to the Crow Rapids. Due to heavy rains and a lunar tide the ship was able to pass the rapids and sail upriver. Gov. Park sent Lee Hyon-ik, the deputy commander of the Pyongyang garrison, to the ship with four eggs and a message to leave now or they would be killed. The water level dropped and the ship was stranded. The Koreans attacked with fire arrows and cannons. The ship responded withy cannon fire. The battle raged for 4 days.
The Koreans then tried a turtle boat.The small boats were overlaid with iron plating and covered with spikes to prevent the enemy from boarding them. Ports along the side allowed oars to protrude, with guns also pointing in all directions. The boats' flat bottoms enabled them to navigate easily in shallow water. The boat had a large turtlehead at the bow to use as a ram. The shots from the turtle boats were ineffective. They then tried to tie 3 boats together and set them on fire. The fires went out before reaching the Sherman. A second set was repelled by the Sherman. A third set reached the ship and set it on fire. The crewman were killed as they tried to escape. Those who made it to shore were killed by the crowds. Korean reports say the ship was burned to its iron ribs. However it seems that the ship was not destroyed.The cannons were placed on display and her anchor chains were hung over the gates at Pyongyang. The ship was iron hulled and it appears it returned to the US in 1868.
In 1868 she was purchased from Cook by the William Weld Co of Boston. She was put into New Orleans service with 4 other steamers . She left New York on Jan 4, 1874 with 4 passengers and a crew of 42 and a cargo of general merchandise. She ran into bad weather and at 2AM on Jan 7, she spang a leak that her pumps could not handle.She headed to the nearest shore and anchored near Little River. Two schooners the Spray and the Florence removed all of the passengers and baggage and a small amount of cargo. A steam tug , Brandt, put a line on her and started to tow her. When mthey reached Tubs Inlet 27 miles from Cape Fear the Sherman sunk.
Sources:
http://www.homeofheroes.com/wallofhonor/korea1871/2_hermit.html
http://www.gregormacgregor.com/Tod&Macgregor/princess_royal_115.htm
http://www.kimsoft.com/2000/shermanr.htm
http://www.history.navy.mil/danfs/p11/princess_royal.htm