Mac Thursday

By tk
Thursday, October 17, 2002

Florida languishes at Brest
Repairs went along slowly and Maffitt discharges 59 crew members who went off by sea to land at Cardiff in Wales.

It seems likely that Maffitt suffered a heart attack, he was attended by a specialist from Paris, ordered to rest for at least three months, and to recuperate with some leisurely travel.

The local US officials maintained a close eye on Florida, and USS Kearsarge kept watch on her, sometimes anchoring close by in Brest, at other time watching one of the three exit channels out of the harbor and leading to the open sea.

Another Confederate ship, CSS Georgia also off France, gave Winslow, in command of Kearsarge, anxious moments, he had to leave Florida, and chase after Georgia.

To compound the Union problems, a British warship, now commissioned as CSS  Rappahannock, had sailed into Calais, and Winslow had three ships to watch out for.

All the sea time that was necessary for Kearsarge in her watchdog role, placed much wear and tear on here, by the end of January 1864 her captain took her off to Cadiz in Spain for essential repairs.

Poor timing, on his return to Brest on the 19th. of February he found that Florida had flown the coop, and Winslow was never to sight her again.

Lieutenant Morris in Command of Florida.

Although Florida had been undertaking repairs at Brest over a 6 month period, her new captain was still not happy, but the patience of the patience of the French was exhausted, the local Naval Chief Vice Admiral Count de Gueyton told Morris it was time for his ship to move on.

On the 10th. of February, the Confederate cruiser once more went to sea, nine days later, she met a steam tug off Belle Island, this ship was carrying ordinance supplies needed to make the Southerner a lethal weapon once, and she now set course for Madeira.

Florida's exit from Brest set all the Union ships around Europe in a lather, and Preble, still smarting from the earlier escape of Maffitt at Mobile, set off in St Louis, a 300 ton sailing sloop-of-war, for Madeira.  On arrival, no Florida, but 4 days later she entered Funchal Roads, seeking to fill her coal bunkers.

Now we find much manoeuvering on both sides, the Americans urging the locals