USS Gem of the Sea-- Part 2: A Blockade Runner's Worst Nightmare

On July 1, 1862, she possession of four  rice-laden lighters up the Waccamaw River.

The ship returned to Boston Navy Yard 18 October 1862, for repairs and then was ordered to the East Gulf Blockading Squadron and arrived at Key West  18 December 1862.

CAPTURING MORE BLOCKADE RUNNERS:  A very busy bark

It didn't take long before the Gem of the Sea added to her already long list of captures.    Twelve days later, 30 December 1862, she captured the sloop Ann off Jupiter Inlet.  Then, a small unidentified  schooner 12 January 1863, a small boat  28 January and the schooner Charm in the Indian River Inlet  23 February.

In the same vicinity, she captured the sloop Peter and the British blockade  runners Maggie Fulton and Inez.

For A Ship With That Small of A Crew, Even If These Were Relatively Small Blockade-Runners, They Must Have Been Rolling in the Prize Money.  --Old B-Runner