Okla-homey
8/2/2010, 06:22 AM
Aug 2, 1865: CSS Shenandoah learns the war is over
http://i844.photobucket.com/albums/ab7/Okla-homey/jjCSSShenandoah.jpg
CSS Shenandoah in port in Australia
145 years ago today, the captain and crew of C.S.S. Shenandoah, still prowling the waters of the Pacific in search of US whaling ships, is finally informed by a British vessel that the South has lost the war. This notification occurred approximately five months after the principle Confederate army, the Army of Northern Virginia commanded by Robert E. Lee, surrendered to Federal forces at Appomattox, VA.
Shenandoah was the last major Confederate cruiser to set sail. Launched as a British vessel in September 1863, she was purchased by the Confederates and commissioned in October 1864.
The 230-foot-long craft was armed with eight large guns and a crew of 73 sailors. Commanded by Captain James I. Waddell, Shenandoah steered toward the Pacific and targeted US whaling ships. Waddell enjoyed great success, taking six ships in the South Pacific before slipping into Melbourne, Australia, for repairs in January 1865.
http://i844.photobucket.com/albums/ab7/Okla-homey/jamesW.jpg
Capt. James I. Waddell
Within a month, Shenandoah was back on the loose, wreaking havoc in the waters around Alaska. The Rebel ship captured 32 additional US vessels, most of which were burned. The damage was estimated at $1.6 million, a staggering figure in such a short period of time. Although the crew heard rumors that the Confederate armies had surrendered, Waddell continued to fight. He finally accepted an English captain's report on August 2, 1865.
http://i844.photobucket.com/albums/ab7/Okla-homey/j800px-CSS_Shenandoah_world_travels_1865.png
Shenandoah was the only Confederate ship to have circumnavigated the globe
Shenandoah pulled off a final remarkable feat by sailing from the northern Pacific all the way to Liverpool, England, without stopping at any ports. Arriving on November 6, Waddell surrendered his ship to British officials.
http://i844.photobucket.com/albums/ab7/Okla-homey/jjCSSShenandoah.jpg
CSS Shenandoah in port in Australia
145 years ago today, the captain and crew of C.S.S. Shenandoah, still prowling the waters of the Pacific in search of US whaling ships, is finally informed by a British vessel that the South has lost the war. This notification occurred approximately five months after the principle Confederate army, the Army of Northern Virginia commanded by Robert E. Lee, surrendered to Federal forces at Appomattox, VA.
Shenandoah was the last major Confederate cruiser to set sail. Launched as a British vessel in September 1863, she was purchased by the Confederates and commissioned in October 1864.
The 230-foot-long craft was armed with eight large guns and a crew of 73 sailors. Commanded by Captain James I. Waddell, Shenandoah steered toward the Pacific and targeted US whaling ships. Waddell enjoyed great success, taking six ships in the South Pacific before slipping into Melbourne, Australia, for repairs in January 1865.
http://i844.photobucket.com/albums/ab7/Okla-homey/jamesW.jpg
Capt. James I. Waddell
Within a month, Shenandoah was back on the loose, wreaking havoc in the waters around Alaska. The Rebel ship captured 32 additional US vessels, most of which were burned. The damage was estimated at $1.6 million, a staggering figure in such a short period of time. Although the crew heard rumors that the Confederate armies had surrendered, Waddell continued to fight. He finally accepted an English captain's report on August 2, 1865.
http://i844.photobucket.com/albums/ab7/Okla-homey/j800px-CSS_Shenandoah_world_travels_1865.png
Shenandoah was the only Confederate ship to have circumnavigated the globe
Shenandoah pulled off a final remarkable feat by sailing from the northern Pacific all the way to Liverpool, England, without stopping at any ports. Arriving on November 6, Waddell surrendered his ship to British officials.