FAMOUS

SHIPS

            Soon after the beginning of the Civil War, President Lincoln proclaimed a naval Blockade of all southern ports.  By the second year of war, only Wilmington, N. C. and Charleston, S. C. were open for the South.  The Confederate strategy, beside the use of blockade runners, was to keep ships at sea where they could seize or destroy Northern shipping.  These ships were known as “Commercial Raiders”.  The Yankees referred to them as pirates!

Captain John Taylor Wood, a Confederate sea captain, eyeing the steamers coming into Wilmington, had been looking for a suitable ship to be used as a raider.  He found the Atlanta, an iron, double screwed, former English ferry.  She was built in 1862 for the London Chatham Railway Co., but quite possibly, actually for the Confederacy.  A 200 foot long ship, making up to 15 knots easily, she had made several blockade runs between Bermuda and Wilmington before the Confederates bought her. 

            She was armed with one rifled 100 pounder amidship, one rifled 32 pounder forward, and one long Parrott aft.  Ahe was re-commissioned as the TALLAHASSEE July 10, 1864.

            On the night of August 4, she slipped out of Wilmington.  After two days of delays by tide and shoals in the Cape Fear River, she made her way to the open sea with Captain Wood and a crew of 20 officers and 110 men aboard.  They cruised northward as far as Maine, burning or scuttling 25 union vessels, bonding 5 and releasing two during the period August 11 to 17.  No ship, including the great records of Alabama, Shenandoah, and Florida  had done as well in such a short space of time. 

            After two weeks at sea, Captain Wood needed to refuel and make repairs.  He headed for Halifax, Nova Scotia and dropped anchor off George’s Island, in the middle of the harbor, on August 18.

            When news of the Tallahassee’s victories reached Union Navy Secretary Gideon Wells, more than a dozen Union vessels were sent to scout the Atlantic waters for the Tallahassee.

            By international law, the Tallahassee could stay in this neutral port for only 24 hours—hardly time enough to refuel and make needed repairs.  That meant they would have to challenge several Union warships, spoon to be poised to attack them a few south of the port’s main channel.

            Captain Wood called on the Briitish authorities in Halifax, Commanding Officer Sir James Hope, aboard HMS Duncan, and Lt. Gov. Sir Richard Graves MacDonnell.  These two gave Wood a cold reception, pointing out the Queen’s Proclamation of Neutrality that besides the 24-hour stay, except in the case of distress, they were also allowed to take on only enough supplies and coal to reach the nearest port.

            The main Confederate agent in Halifax was Benjamin Weir.  He engaged in the risky business of supplying the South through blockaded ports.  With his aid, the Tallahassee was covertly able to take on coal from the brig Marie Griefswold”. 

            The broken main mast had not yet been replaced so Captain Wood requested a 12-hour extension.  MacDonnell replied, “As I am persuaded that I can rely on you not taking unfair advantage of the indulgence which I concede.  I do so the more readily because I find that you have not attempted to ship more than the quantity of coals necessary for your immediate needs.”

            The American Consul in Halifax, Judge Mortimer Jackson, was in touch with Navy Secretary Wells, and the pressure increased to  force the rebel ship out of port so she could be dealt with by the waiting force of five ships. 

            Captain Wood asked Wier for a good pilot to enable him to get out of the harbor.  Jack Fleming, an experienced pilot from the nearby village of Ketch Harbor was Weir’s choice.

            Harbor pilots made their living by guiding water craft safely in and out of harbors.  They often had to compete with each other by rowing out to meet a ship the minute she was first sighted.  They had to be superb oarsmen to get the job.

            Halifax Harbor is divided into two channels: the main (or western) channel, which most shipping used, and the eastern channel, a constricted, shallow strait, also known as the East passage.

            Fleming said that it was Spring tide, and 14 feet of water might be found through the narrow and crooked East passage.  It would take close, precise operation of the twin screws tpo “fish-tail” through the crooked seaway.  Fleming would take the job starting with a high tide at 10:00 that evening. 

            On the night of August 19, at 9 o’clock, bidding goodbye to many king Haligonians, some of whom remained on-board to the last, the Tallahassee steamed slowly toward East Passage.  All lights were extinguished.  In a remarkable feat of seamanship, Fleming took the ship through what most people thought was impossible for a 200-foot ship to navigate.  By midnight, they could feel the pulsations of “old mother ocean” and they knew they had slipped by the Yankees.  Fleming lowered his rowboat and bid the Tallahassee “adieu”.

            Captain Wood returned to Wilmington, bonding one more ship along the way.  Tallahassee’s career was not over however.  She was re-named Olustee, up-gunned and made another cruise under command of one of Wood’s lieutenants, seizing six more Yankee vessels.

              To be continued next month.