USS Two Sisters-- Part 1: Former Confederate Blockade Runner

From Wikipedia.

The USS Two Sisters was a small 54 ton schooner captured from the Confederates and acquired by the Union Navy from the prize court.  It served both as a blockading gun boat and as a ship tender when needed.

Not much is known about it other than it used sails for propulsion and had one 12-pdr. gun.

It was built in 1856 in Baltimore, Maryland, and captured 21 September 1862 by the USS Albatross off the mouth of the Rio Grande while attempting to pass through the Union blockade into Brownsville, Texas, with a cargo of 87 bales of gunny cloth.  (Gunny cloth was used for the baling of cotton.)

It was later purchased by the U.S. Navy at the Key West Prize Court and commissioned January 30, 1863, at Key West, Acting Master William A. Arthur in command.

--Old B-Runner

USS Bermuda-- Part 7: Capturing Blockade Runners

On August 14, 1863, on her second voyage, while steaming from Brownsville, Texas, to Galveston, the Bermuda spotted a ship and overtook it.  It was the British schooner Artist with a cargo of medicines, liquors and wine and took her as a prize.

That evening, the Bermuda captured another blockade runner, the Carmita with a cargo of cotton.

On the next cruise, the Bermuda again had good luck in the prize money department when it captured the blockade runner Florrie with assorted cargo including medicine, wine and saddles on October 2, 1863.  Thus was the subject of my timeline on Oct. 2.  The captain acted like he did not know where he was.  Not falling for it, the Bermuda sent the ship to New Orleans for prize court.

--Old B-Runner

Blockade of Brownsville, Texas, Reinstituted

SEPTEMBER 9TH, 1864:  Rear Admiral Farragut ordered the USS Kanawha to reinstitute the blockade of Brownsville, Texas.  It had been lifted in mid-February by Presidential proclamation, but on 15 August, Secretary of State Seward had informed Secretary Welles once more because of withdrawal of Union forces in the area.  Three days later, Welles directed Farragut to resume it.

On September 3rd, Farragut reported to Welles that he was "increasing the blockading force off the coast of Texas, the recent operations here (Battle of Mobile Bay) enabling me to spare vessels for that purpose."

The Kanawha blockaded the Brazos Santiago, one of the approaches to Brownsville.  The USS Aroostook was sent to blockade the Rio grande River.

--Old B-Runner

150 Years Ago-- February 18th-22nd, 1864

FEBRUARY 18TH, 1864: President Lincoln ended the blockade of Brownsville, Texas, and opened the port for trade. (I would think this meant that Confederate operations in the area were at an absolute end. //// FEBRUARY 21ST, 1864: It was reported that the water at the mouth of the Red River was too low for Confederate gunboats at Shreveport, Louisiana, to get over the falls. This did not bode well for the planned Union attack up that river. //// FEBRUARY 22ND, 1864: The USS Linden attempting to aid the transportAd Hines, hit a snag in the Arkansas River and sank. //// Old B-Runner