Thursday, August 13, 2015

Maffitt's CSS Owl, Blockade-Runner-- Part 1

From the  Famous Blockade Runner site.

Back on July 14th, I wrote about Commander Maffitt surrendering his ship, the CSS Owl to British authorities in Liverpool.

The Owl was 230 feet long, had a 26 foot beam, 7.6 foot draft, 14-16 knot speed, long, low and painted a light red.  The perfect blockade-runner commanded by a man who knew how to use them.

The Owl succeeded in running into Wilmington some time in September 1864.  She escaped back to sea 3 October despite her masts being visible all the while she lay in port loading.  The blockade ships wounded her captain and several crew members, but nine shots failed to stop her.

She was in Bermuda with a load of cotton 14-29 October.  On 5 December, Secretary of the Navy Mallory instructed Captain John Newland Maffitt to pick up the Florida's men in Bermuda.

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