There are a few old steam boats in the panhandle, some actually above water or at least used to be slightly above water. That was back in some black rivers, and I would have to say with the size prop and keel and the size of the boats, they must have at the very least drawn 3' maybe 4'. Those steam engines and all that went with it-boilers and burners, tanks, and of course the steam engine, HUGE flywheel , transmission and shafts weighed tons, and of course the weight of the boat and all its contents. Those engines had huge torque, but low RPMs. They could and had to swing a large prop to use the torque at such low RPMs. So if 3' draft, they could have ran all over that area, if they stayed offshore a little. Or a little more! Even if 4' draft, they still could have been all over that area. I do know that once in the Suwannee, it is deep. Even way up there. I mean deep enough for any boat to get through. I am not so sure on the other rivers in the area. Santa Fe is deep enough for that size boat. The Withalacochee is deep. Apalachacola is deep, some shallow areas, (There is a swamp about 10 miles from Appalachicola that is fairly shallow that the river runs through) but a 3' to 4' boat could do it. Edit Note! I dont think these boats were civil war boats, just normal boats. But being steam, I am sure they are old boats. Maybe Barney could chime in.
anybody got ideas? 
