USS De Soto-- Part 10: More Cruising

The De Soto was back at Key West in October 1863 for minor repairs and recoaled.  While there, Captain Walker was relieved of command and replaced by Captain Gustavus H. Scott, who would command the ship until the end of the war.

For the next six weeks, the ship patrolled near the Bahamas.  Coaled again in Key West in early January 1864 and then patrolled off Mobile Bay.  It captured the steamer Cumberland on 5 February with a cargo of arms, ammunition and 100 barrels of gunpowder.

In late February the De Soto went to Havana where she was drydocked for repairs to the hull.  (I did not know that any U.S. ships were put into drydock in Habana during the war.)

--Old B-Runner