USS Gem of the Sea-- Part 3: A Thorn In the Side of Confederates

British schooner George was taken in the Sanibel River 29 July 1863 and sloop Richard in Peace Creek on 31 August.

A few days later , in an expedition up the Peace Creek 4-5 September, she destroyed buildings and four boats of the noted blockade runner  Johnson.  This would be the expedition I wrote about a couple days ago.

On 30 September she captured the British schooner Director and the sloop Matilda 21 October.  From 24-30 December 1863, the Gem of the Sea was part of an expedition to the Myacca River, transporting refugee Florida Rangers from Useppa Island to the mainland.

--Old B-R'er