CSS Archer: Read's Third Raider

From Wikipedia.

The CSS Archer was originally a fishing schooner captured by the Confederate cruiser Tacony commanded by Lt. Charles W. Read, who converted her into a raider.

The Tacony captured the Archer on June  25, 1863, off the coast of New England.  Knowing that the Union was on the hunt or his ship, the Tacony, Read transferred his men and armaments from the Tacony to the Archer.  (The same as he had done with the Clarence).

Read then decoded to try to capture the U.S. Revenue Cutter Caleb  Cushing on his way down the New England coast.  On June 27, 1863, the Archer sailed into Portland, Maine's harbor and docked, disguising itself as a fishing schooner.

That night, Read and his crew boarded the Caleb Cushing and took it over.  They confined the crew below deck.  The Archer and Cushing then sailed out of the harbor as day was dawning.  When the disappearance of the Cushing was noticed, ships went out in pursuit.

--Old B-Runner

Lt. Charles Read's Great Adventure from the Clarence to the Tacony to the Archer

 All this started when I wrote about the Edward H. Faucon was ordered to take his ship, the USS Montgomery, and search for the Confederate raider Tacony which was capturing Union ships off New England.

That had started when the CSS Florida, under John Newland Maffitt had captured the American ship Clarence and set  Charles W. Read up as a raider.  Read had captured several ships before he captured the Tacony and then decided that was a better ship for his purposes and transferred his men and armament to that vessel.

He had captured several more ships  when he captured the Archer and again decided that ship would be better suited and once again transferred his men and armament.

So, this was his third ship.

--Old B-Runner

CSS Clarence

In the last post I mentioned that Charles Read had captured the Tacony while in command of the CSS Clarence.  Deciding the Tacony to be a better ship than the Clarence, he transferred to that ship and continued.

From Wikipedia.

The CSS Clarence, also known as the Coquette , was originally a brig from  Baltimore that was captured by the CSS Florida which converted it into a raider.  It was transporting a cargo of coffee from Brazil when the Florida, under the command of John Newland Maffitt, captured it off the coast of Brazil.

Lt. Charles W. Read was placed in command of the Clarence and enough of the Florida's sailors were transferred to the new ship to man it.

Read suggested that with the ship's papers that he might be able to enter the Chesapeake Bay and sail into Hampton Roads, Virginia, and perhaps capture or destroy a Union gunboat.  Maffitt armed the Clarence with one cannon.

On its brief career as a Confederate raider, the Clarence captured a number of ships.  The Whistling Wind, Kate Stewart, Mary Alvina and Mary Schindler were burned.  The Alfred H. Partridge was bonded.

The Clarence's final capture was the bark Tacony on June 12, 1863, which being a better ship for commerce raiding, the crew and armament of the Clarence were transferred to the Tacony and the Clarence destroyed.

--Old B-Runner

Edward H. Faucon Ordered to Search for Confederate Raider Tacony in 1863

From Official records War of the Rebellion Navy Operations of the Cruisers Union, Page 286.

Boston Navy Yard Commandant ordered Edward H. Faucon to take  his USS Montgomery out to look for and capture the Confederate raider Tacony June 16, 1863.

He was to search for the bark Tacony and to cruise off the Nantucket  Shoals from Little Georges Shoals to Block Island.  he was to engage and capture the Tacony if found and bring it to a Union port.  While searching for the Tacony, he was to speak to all vessels he met and gather as much information as he could.

Faucon was to cruise as long as his coal held up. or 14 days.

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From Wikipedia.

The CSS Tacony was a bark ship captured by the Confederate raider CSS Clarence, commanded by Lt. Charles W. Read on June 12, 1863.  Since it was a better ship for   commerce raiding, Read and crew transferred to the Tacony and destroyed the Clarence.

In its brief career as a raider, the Tacony captured 14 ships.  The final one was  the schooner Archer on June 25, 1863, and it was decided this was a better ship for commerce raiding and Read again transferred to another ship and the Tacony was burned.

Armament of the Tacony was one  6-pounder boat howitzer.  Read had 20 men with him.

Just Looking for That Really Good Commerce Raider.  --Old B-Runner

John Newland Maffitt-- Part 4: "Won a Place for Itself in History"

Maffitt also astutely commented on the lasting contributions made by the navy he represented.  "The Confederate Navy, minute though it was, won a place for itself in history.  To the Confederates the credit belongs of testing in battle the invulnerability of ironclads and of revolutionizing the navies of the world.  The Merrimack did that.

"And though we had but a handful of light cruisers, while the ocean swarmed with armed Federal vessels, we defied the Federal Navy and swept Northern commerce from the sea."

For this latter achievement, Maffitt personally merited a large share of the credit.  As captain of the CSS Florida during her 1863 cruise he captured 24 American merchant ships and he commissioned the tender Clarence, Lt. Charles W. Read, whose subsequent exploits accounted for an additional 23 merchantmen.

--Old B-Runner

Naval Happenings 150 Years Ago: June 12th to 13th,1863: Lt. Read Has a Big Day!

JUNE 12TH

The CSS Clarence, Lt. Read, captured bark Tacony off Cape Hatteras and shortly afterwards, the schooner M.A. Shindler.  Read transferred his command to the Tacony, considering it a better ship.  In the process, he captured another schooner, the Kate Stewart which he bonded.  He then sank the Clarence and Shindler.

Right after that, he captured the brig Arabella and bonded it.

Thus ending the brief career of the CSS Clarence.  In one week, it hadcaptured six prizes, sinking three, bonding two and the sixth became the CSS Tacony and set out on its own cruise.

JUNE 13TH

CSS Georgia captured bark Good Hope and burned it the next day.


JUNE 13-15TH

Confederate guerrillas attacked two Union ships near Eunice, Arkansas.  In retaliation, the town was destroyed.  On the 15th, they destroyed the town of Gaines for a similar attack.

Old B-Runner

Naval Happenings 150 Years Ago: June 8th to 9th,1863-- Vicksburg Must Fall

JUNE 8TH

Confederates board and capture the steam tug Boston at Pass a l'Outre, Mississippi, and put out to sea, capturning two Union barks.  It then runs into Mobile on June 11th.

CSS Georgia captures ship George Griswold off Rio de Janeiro.


JUNE 9TH

Union mortar boats continue to bombard Vicksburg.  From dawn until noon, they fired 175 shells into the city.. The next day, just 75 shots were fired because of heavy rain.  Porter write Welles, "Not a soul is to be seen moving in the city, the soldiers lying in their trenches or pits, and the inhabitants being stowed in caves or holes dug out in the cliffs....Vicksburg must fall without anything more being done to it.  I only wonder it has held out so long...."

CSS Clarence, Lt. Charles Read,  captured and burned the Mary Alvina.    Read determines that his plan to attack Union shipping at Hampton Roads would be too dangerous after interrogating the prisoners.  He decides to raise havoc with shipping along the Union's coast.The Clarence makes four Confederate cruisers out on the high seas: Georgia, Florida and Alabama.

Old B-Runner

Naval Happenings 150 Years Ago: June 5th to 7th, 1863

JUNE 5TH

CSS Alabama capturesTalisman.


JUNE 6TH

Admiral Lee requests additional vessels for the Wilmington blockade and explains the situation saying there are two entrances and the ships off each are unable to help those on the other side.  ""Two vessels like the New Ironsides are required  to protect this blockade against the enemy's ironclads."

The CSS Clarence (prize of the CSS Florida), under Lt. Read, began a brief but highly successful cruise against Union commerce.  On this date, it captured and burned the bark Whirling Wind.

CSS Florida captured and burned the Southern Cross.


JUNE 7TH

Union ships defended troops at Milliken's Bend, Mississippi.

CSS Clarence seized Alfred H. Partridge.

Old B-Runner