Monday, June 22, 2015

The CSS Shenandoah ," Sees Blubber," Captures and Burns Two Whalers

JUNE 22ND, 1865:   CSS Shenandoah, Lt. Waddell, cruising off Cape Navarin, found "a current setting to the N.E. and soon after seeing blubber we concluded the whale vessels south of us were cutting out, and steam was ordered.  This calculation was correct."

Within an hour, they sighted two American whalers which were the first spoken since entering the Bering Sea.  Coming up on the two New Bedford whalers in close proximity, he captured and placed a prize crew on board William Thompson and then stood in pursuit of Eurphrates.  After a two hour chase, she was captured, stripped of supplies and burned.  Waddell then returned to the William Thompson and subjected her to the same fate.

--Old B-Runner

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