On August 15, 2016, I wrote about the USS Santee sending boats into Galveston bay in an attempt to capture and burn the Confederate steamer General Rusk on 7 November 1861. The attack failed, but I'd never heard of the CSS General Rusk, so here I go again.
From the Nav Source.
The CSS General Rusk was built as the SS General Rusk in 1857 in Wilmington, Delaware for the Southern Steamship Company. It was seized by the State of Texas at Galveston in 1861.
It did duty as a reconnaissance and signal boat for the Texas Marine Department in Galveston Harbor after that.
It captured the SS Star of the West 17 April 1861 off Indianola, Texas. This was the ship that had tried to reach Fort Sumter and was fired upon and withdrew. Some people consider this the first shots of the Civil War.
--Old B-R'er
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