588 



PRIVATEERING. 



The following vessels were formerly United 

 States revenue-cutters, but were taken posses- 

 sion of by the Confederate Government, and 

 armed for its service : 



Schooners : Lewis Cass, Savannah, 40 men, one 68- 

 pounder pivot; Washington, New Orleans, 42-pdr. 

 pivot; Pickens, Pensacola, 8-in. columbiad, four 24-in. 

 carronades ; Dodge, 100 tons, one long pivot ; McClel- 

 lan, Breshwood, one pivot, four side-guns. 



Steamer : Bradford, formerly Ewing. 



la addition to the above, the Navy Depart- 

 ment of the Confederate Government purchased 

 or fitted out the following vessels, which acted 

 as privateers : 



The Gordon was a small sea steamer of about 

 500 tons burthen, drawing from seven to nine 

 feet of water, and making an average of twelve 

 miles an hour. She was about ten years old, 

 and the most of that time she had been running 

 in and out of Charleston harbor. In 1859 she 

 was purchased by the Florida Steamship Com- 

 pany, and ran on the line between Charleston 

 and Fernandina as consort to the Carolina, a 

 steamer of her own size and build. The Gor- 

 don was fitted out as a vessel of war.. She was 

 employed along the coast islands at Hatteras, 

 in and out of Pamlico Sound via Hatteras Inlet, 

 when it was occupied by Union troops. She 

 succeeded in running the blockade at Charles- 

 ton, with some vessels that she had made prizes 

 of. She was armed with two guns, and was 

 commanded by Captain Lockwood, who was 

 formerly engaged on the New York and Charles- 

 ton line of steamers. His last employment, 

 previous to this position, was as commander 

 of the Carolina, on the Charleston and Fer- 

 nandina line of steamers. He had succeed- 

 ed in running the blockade with his vessel 

 seventeen times. The last feat of the Theo- 

 dora, to which the name of the Gordon has 

 been changed, was to carry to Cuba the min- 

 isters, Slidell and Mason. 



The Coffee, a side-wheel steamer carrying 2 

 guns, the steamer Marion, and the schooner 

 York were consorts of the Gordon in Hatteras 

 Inlet. The Coffee was wrecked a total loss. 



The McRea, formerly the steamer Habana, 

 plying between the ports of New Orleans and 

 Havana, was a propeller of 500 tons burthen ; 

 she was built in Philadelphia in 1859, and was 

 owned in New Orleans previous to her being 

 used as a privateer. She carried a 64-pounder, 

 mounted on a pivot, four 8-inch columbiads, and 

 a rifled 24-pounder. She succeeded in running 

 the blockade at the mouth of the Mississippi 

 River. 



The steamer Lady Davis was one of the first 

 vessels prepared in Charleston, and was in- 

 tended for the harbor defence. She was pur- 

 chased by Gov. Pickens, at Richmond. She 

 received her name in honor of the wife of Jeff. 

 Davis. She was armed with two 24-pounders, 

 regularly equipped, and commanded by Captain 

 T. B. Huger. 



The Nina, a small steam gunboat, mounts one 

 tight gun. She is employed in South Carolina. 



The Jackson, steamer, 200 tons, armed with 

 two 8-inch columbiads. She is commanded by 

 Capt. Gwathemy. 



The Incarora, steamer, carries one 8-inch 

 columbiad, and a 32-poundcr rifled cannon. 



The little steamer, George Page, operating on 

 Occoquan River, and Quantico Creek, was 

 famous for her boldness in running down to 

 within gunshot of the Federal batteries, and 

 occasionally throwing a shell into them, there- 

 by keeping up continuous alarm. 



The Judith, schooner, of 250 tons, armed with 

 a heavy pivot-gun, and four broadside guns, 

 was destroyed in Pensacola harbor, Sept. 13. 

 The Union loss was 3 killed, 12 wounded. 



The Yorktown was formerly used in the 

 New York and Virginia line of steamers. She 

 was a side-wheel steamer of 1,400 tons bur- 

 then, built in New York in 1859 ; length, 251 

 feet; breadth, 34 feet; depth, 18 feet. She 

 had been completely fitted out at Norfolk, her 

 sides having been plated with iron, and other 

 means taken to strengthen her, and to render 

 her formidable. She was commanded by Cap- 

 tain Parish, her old commander, and carried 

 two pivots, and six broadside guns. 



The Everglade was a small side-wheel steam- 

 er, purchased by the State of Georgia for the 

 sum of $34,000. She was made a gunboat, for 

 the purpose of cruising as a coast-guard at the 

 mouth of the Savannah River. Her officers, as 

 at first appointed, were as follows : commander, 

 J. Mclntosh Kell ; midshipmen, R. F. Arm- 

 strong, S. N. Hooper, J. A. Merriweather ; 

 chief engineer, Joshua Smith ; assistant engi- 

 neer, Norval Meeker ; clerk, William J. Bennett. 



The North Carolina steamer Winslow, Lieu- 

 tenant Grossman commanding, captured off Cape 

 Hatteras the schooner Transit, Knowles mas- 

 ter, last from Key West. The prize was in bal- 

 last, having sailed from New York for Key 

 West with provisions, shot, &c., about the 27th 

 of May. Having landed her cargo safely at 

 Key West, the Transit was upon her return 

 north when captured. She was a fine Schooner, 

 of 195 tons burthen, and was built at a cost of 

 $13,000. She was copper-fastened up to 9 feet, 

 and had galvanized iron fastenings above that. 

 She belonged to New London, Conn. The prize 

 was carried to Newbern, by Lieut. Seawell. 

 Lieutenant Grossman also captured off Cape 

 Hatteras, the Hannah Balch, a hermaphrodite 

 brig, which was captured previously off Savan- 

 nah by the United States ship Flag, Lieutenant 

 Sarton. She was just from Cardenas, and laden 

 with 150 barrels of molasses. 



The little schooner Savannah was formerly 

 pilot boat No. 7, doing duty in Charleston 

 harbor, 54 tons burthen. She carried one 18- 

 pounder amidships, and was commanded by T. 

 Harrison Baker, of Charleston, and had a crew 

 of 20 men. On the 1st of June she captured the 

 brig Joseph, of Maine, from Cuba, loaded with 

 sugar, and sent her into Georgetown, S. 0., in 

 charge of eight men. On the 3d of June, off 

 Charleston, she fell in with the U. S. brig Perry, 



