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By tk Friday Mac Civil War P 93. From April/July 1864, Atlanta, had run four trips with war supplies for the South, from Bermuda to Wilmington, it was here that the ship was seen by Mallory, and he bought the ship for $125,000, and in July, commenced work to convert her for a role as a Confederate Cruiser, named CSS Tallahassee. She was manned with three guns, a rifled 32 pounder forward, a rifled 100 pounder amidships, and finally, a heavy Parrott aft. Lieutenant John Taylor Wood was named as her Captain, he just happened to have as his uncle, the Southern President, Jefferson Davis. Wood had joined the US Navy at the Annapolis Academy in April 1847, and on graduation was second in his class in 1853. With the advent of the Civil War, Wood sold his Maryland farm, and moved his family down to Richmond, he had been involved in training gunners for Virginia ( Merrimack ) at Portsmouth, and was on board for the historic battle with Monitor. By the time Wood joined Tallahassee, her crew of 120, with Lieutenant William H. Ward as executive, and boarding officer, John Tynan as chief engineer, and Charles Jones as paymaster, were ready to take the ship to sea. On the 4th. of August 1864, Wood took his ship down Cape Fear River to Smith's Island, secured to a buoy under Fort Fisher, the island divided this river into two channels, six miles apart. New Inlet with Fort Fisher on guard, and Old Inlet protected by Fort Caswell. At high tidemark that evening, without a moon, Wood headed down the deeper of the two exits, New Inlet, after only sailing a short distance, the ship grounded on an area known as the Rip, not an auspicious start to a raiding career. Two hours wasted in gaining freedom, now postponing his run for a day, only to go aground again, this time it took three steamers, all straining together to pull the ship free. Now it was the 6th. of August, and the Old Inlet channel was tried, at 2200 ( 10PM ) Wood crept slowly down the channel, his ship bounced over the bar, at last the open sea beckoned, only to face a ring of Union warships in two cordons, an inner ring of slower ships around the river mouth, and a secondary ring of faster ships. Faced with the threat of so many Union guns, it was not a case of fighting ones way past, Wood could but rely on his speed and the ensuing blackness of the night. Turning to his engineer, Wood ordered:"Open her out, sir....let her go for all she is worth." The increased speed caused a flurry of sparks to fly from the funnels, signalling the Civil War P 94. impending escape attempt by Tallahassee. Two Union ships loomed up ahead, but Wood steered his vessel in between them, steaming so close to one of them, the order to fire the guns was clearly heard, the shot passing between his funnels. Having raised her speed to 15 knots the Raider was assisted by her low freeboard, and three further Union blockaders were passed unobserved, but still to be negotiated were more Union ships about 50 miles to seaward. Two more pursuers were shaken off by speed, but a third and a fourth ship appeared, the latter opening fire when Tallahassee failed to stop as ordered, all shots fortunately missed their mark, the last of the blockade avoided, within 24 hours, Wood had managed to outwit, and outrun, 11 of the 50 ships used by the Wilmington blockading Squadron. Now free, for three days Wood steamed north along the Gulf Stream, several ships stopped but all flying British colours, now at last an American, on the 11th. of August, 80 miles off Sandy Hook, Sarah A. Boyce, was captured, rather than bring attention to a fire, holes were chopped into the hull, and the ship scuttled. Off New York, was a pilot boat obviously touting for business, and fooled by the American flag on display, the pilot, sporting a high hat and a large sparkling gold watch as he stepped on board, looked aft, and was amazed to see a Confederate flag fluttering in the breeze, a moment before it was the Stars and Stripes, he suddenly realised his lovely pilot boat James Funk would be burned. But Wood had other ideas, he sent 2 officers and 20 men to James Funk, telling them to overhaul ships, pilot them to him in Tallahassee, and he would then decide on their disposal. This ploy worked well, soon, two brigs, Carrie Estelle and A. Richards, and the barque Bay Estate had all fallen to this plot, and the schooner Carroll bonded for $10,000 and given the task of landing all the 40 odd prisoners safely on shore. A second pilot boat came sniffing around the growing fleet of ships, but became suspicious and left in a hurry, Wood gave chase, and his guns caused William Bell, to luff her sails and be captured. Now all prizes were disposed of by burning them. The 12th. of August was another productive day, 6 prizes taken including, the 989 ton Adriatic, with 170 German immigrants, they were transferred to Suilote, a bark captured earlier, this was bonded, as was the 222 ton Robert E. Packer on her way to Richmond full of lumber, prisoners from Atlantic, Spokane, and the brig Billow all went over to Suilote, and the other ships except Billow, were burned. Wood thought he had scuttled Billow, but she stayed afloat, and USS Grand Gulf Civil War P 96. Wood told the Governor he also needed an extension to replace his mainmast, this was granted, but the Captain really did nor intend to stay, he anticipated the arrival of Union warships at any time, he wanted to off, and he hired the reportedly best Halifax pilot, Jock Fleming to get them immediately to sea. At 0100 ( 1AM ) on the high tide of the 20th. of August, Tallahassee made for the inlet, one hour later she was clear, and headed south, he had let it drop in Halifax, that when he left, he intended to attack the Northern fishing fleet in the Gulf of St. Lawrence. Wood had timed his departure well, at 0615 ( 6.15 AM ) USS Pontoosuc arrived at Halifax, but his quarry had flown. Welles, as Wood had hoped sent off his warships, seeking Talahassee in the Gulf of St.Lawrence, but of course, to no avail. Wood did not have sufficient coal to continue cruising, he was making for Bermuda, but on board, yellow fever broke out, he curtailed taking the course to Bermuda, and decided to make for home at Wilmington. On the way, a small 127 ton brig Roan became the final capture of this Raider, her time as such was finished, to regain Wilmington, a number of blockading Union ships were avoided, and on the 26th. of August at 2230 ( 10.30 PM ) Talahassee anchored under the guns of Fort Fisher, her raiding days under Wood were at an end. Wood made a recommendation she be retained as a Raider, and with her name changed to CSS Olustee, under Lieutenant William H. Ward, the ship made a brief sortie along the North Atlantic coast to destroy 6 ships. CSS Chickamauga. Now, the sister ship to Tallahassee, Edith, became the new Confederate cruiser, CSS Chickamauga, with Lieutenant John Wilkinson being given command. He ran into all the same problems experienced by Woods, the ship had been a successful blockade runner, but did not have the qualities needed for success as a Raider, she was fast, but could only stay at sea as long as the coal supply held up. On the 26th. of October, the ship made for the open sea, she also grounded on the bar, backed herself free, tried once more, and eventually cleared the obstruction, and made it out into the open sea. She was seen at once by USS Dumbarton,and chased by it and two more Union ships, but speed saved the ship, and she was off. The US ship reported that the Talahassee was again out, fooled by Ckickamauga looking exactly the same. For five days, Wilkinson headed north, grabbing 6 prizes off New York, including Civil War P 97. Mark L. Potter, and the barks, Emily L.Hall, and Albion Lincoln, the ship Shooting Star. The prisoners were sent to Albion Lincoln, and the others burned, instead of proceeding to Fort Monroe as ordered, Lincoln's Captain sailed into New York and raised the alarm. By the 4th. of November, Secretary Welles learned he had a new Raider on his hands, but did not know to what extent, but he telegraphed Rear Admiral Porter:
Of course we know that Olustee was actually Tallahassee, operating under her new name. By the next day, Porter had issued orders to find the Raiders to nine Union warships. Wilkinson kept busy, he captured and scuttled schooners, Goodspeed,and Otter Rock, bonded and released the bark Speedwell. When Porter's ships were out seeking Chickamauga, she was down off Bermuda seeking to recoal, Britain was being difficult enforcing the neutrality laws, to stay longer, Wilkinson sabotaged his condenser, only to find 65 men deserted, the Governor declined helping to recover them, leaving the Captain desperately short of man power aboard his ship. On the 15th. of November, Wilkinson left Bermuda setting course for home at Wilmington, he arrived off this port on the 18th.and anchored in fog under the protection of Fort Fisher, awaiting for the next high water to clear the bar. Before he could gain the safety of the harbour, four blockading Union ships, USS Clematis, USS Wilderness, USS Cherokee and USS Kansas all opened fire, the Fort returned the fire, and Chickamauga herself got into the act, but not a single shell from either side ever found a target. Wilkinson rushed at the bar, cleared it without difficulty, and steamed up the Cape Fear River to safety. In three weeks Chickamauga had taken only seven ships, Olustee four, it had been Tallahassee who was responsible for capturing most of the 55 prizes taken by the Confederate Raiders over 1864. How did these ships end their days? When the Feds stormed Fort Fisher, it was Chickamauga who took part in this final battle, she then had to retreat up river back to Wilmington, where her crew burned her. Olustree had another name change to Chamelon, to resume duties as a blockade runner, Wilkinson took her to sea running food from Bermuda to bring succour to Civil War P 98. Lee's starving armies. On his return, both Charleston and Wilmington gone, with Union troops in control, he went off to sea, sailing to Liverpool. On his arrival there, Lee surrendered, the British Government seized his ship, and gave it to the United States, they in turn, sold the vessel to Japan. John Wood managed to escape from the South, settled in Halifax, to become one of its leading citizens. With his old friend John Wilkinson, he established a partnership in a merchant commissioning house. They continued to flaunt their Confederate leanings by flying a Confederate Flag over the premises of Wood and Company. Terry, Thats the end of the text for the Civil War Raiders. The following is the order the articles for the various raiders should appear. CSS Sumter. 1861-1862. Captain Raphael Semmes. CSS Nashville. 1861-1862. Captain Robert B. Pegram. CSS Florida. 1862-1863. Captain John Newland Maffitt. CSS Florida. 1864. Captain Charles M. Morris. CSS Alamaba. 1862-1864. Captain Raphael Semmes. CSS Georgia. 1863. Captain William Lewis Maury. Clarence and Tacony. 1863. Captain Charles Read. CSS Tallahassee. 1864. Captain John Taylor Wood. CSS Olustee ( formerly Tallahassee ) 1864. Captain William H. Ward. CSS Chickamauga. 1864. Captain John Wilkinson. CSS Shenandoah. 1864-1865. Captain James I. Waddell. I will make a list of the various ships captured by each Confederate ship, plua a list of alphabetical names. Thank you for your tolerance over a long and involved series for these Confederate ships, I hope it has been worth all your efforts, the way you are doing the thumbnails is terrific. This third section of the trilogy on Armed Merchant Ships, is to my mind the best thing I have ever done. Now there is nothing like a bit of self praise Terry, none of which could have been achieved without your total dedication to my site, a big THANK YOU!! Bibliography Civil War. Selected Bibliography. Coombe, J.D, Thunder Along The Mississipi, Bantam Books, New York, 1998. ---------------- Gunfire Around The Gulf, Bantam Books, New York, 1999. ---------------- Gunsmoke Over The Atlantic, Bantam Books, New York, 2002. Davis, W.C, Duel Between THe First Ironclads, Stackpole Books, Mechanicsburg, PA, 1975. Gregory, M.J, German Armed Merchant Ships During WW1, Ahoy. Mac's Web Log, 2002. ----------------- German Armed Merchant Ships During WW2, Ahoy. Mac's Web Log, 2002. Scarf, J.T, History of The Confederate States Navy, Gramercy Books, New York, 1996. Still, W.N, Jr. Iron Afloat, Vanderbilt University Press, Indianapolis, 1971. Stokesbury, J.C, A Short History of The Civil War, William Morrow and Company, New York, 1995.
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