USS Don

Patrick Mullen was on the USS Don when he received his second Medal of Honor.

From Civil War Navies 1855-1883" by Paul H. Silverstone.

Blockade runner Don was built by J&W Dudgeon in London, England in 1863.  Other ships listed built by J&W Dudgeon were the  blockade runners Flora (1862), Hebe (1863) and Vesta (1862).

Tonnage of these ships put at between 353 to 449 GRT.  

Dimensions:175' by 22'6"

Depth: 12'3"

Don owned by State of North Carolina.

Don was captured by USS Pequot off Wilmington, N.C., 4 March 1864.  Commissioned into U.S. Navy as the USS Don.

--Old B-Runner

So, What About That Jenny Lind Figurehead?-- Part 1

 During this Jennymania/rage  people named towns, babies and furniture after her.  There is a Jenny Lind, North Carolina, according to stories, she sang a song under a nearby tree.  At least four ships were named after her, including the Nightingale that I have been writing about.  Many consider this Nightingale to be one of the fastest clipper ships ever built.

In 1851, the same year Jenny arrived in Boston, the Nightingale (originally to be named  Sarah Cowles) was built in Eliot, Maine.  The owners planned to use the ship to take wealthy passengers to London for the World's Fair in 1851 ($125 round trip).  The idea fell through, but a figurehead of a woman bearing the likeness of Jenny Lind was made and attached to the front of the ship.

Having difficulties paying the cost of the ship, this was when it turned to bringing slaves to the Americas.  Of interest, the Nightingale was captured by the USS Saratoga, which had been built in 1842 at the nearby Portsmouth Navy Yard in Kittery, Maine.

After its capture, the Nightingale became a U.S. warship during the Civil War and afterwards went through owner after owner before being abandoned off Norway in 1894.

By this time, both Jenny Lind and P.T. Barnum were dead.  Jenny died in 1887 after a long self-imposed retirement.  

What Next?  --Old B-Runner

The Long and Varied Saga of the USS Nightingale-- Part 4:

AS A SLAVER

In the fall of 1860, the Nightingale arrived in England from New York.  Word soon got around the docks that she was  going to become a slaver.  A cover was devised where she supposedly was loading with  cargo of guns, powder and cotton cloth with the intention of going to St. Thomas.

She sailed several times from Cabinda, Angola.  During that time, some 2,000 Africans were transported in irons on their way to become slaves.

SEIZURE

About midnight on 20-21 April 1861, two boats from the  sloop of war USS Saratoga pulled silently  toward a darkened ship anchored near the mouth of the Congo River at Cabinda, Angola.  After clambering aboard the Nightingale, a suspected slaver from Boston, Massachusetts, the American sailors and Marines found 961 men, women and children chained between the decks.

Of those, some 160 died while the ship was en route to Liberia where they were to be released.   When the ship was taken, it was in the process of loading even more slaves to go to America.

--Old Secesh

From Tea Clipper to Slaver to U.S. Warship, the Saga of the USS Nightingale-- Part 3: Off to the Tea Races

OFF TO THE TEA RACES

Her first voyage was  on the famous "Tea to Silk Course" between Shanghai and London, which at the time had the  fastest ships afloat.  A race was arranged between her and  a British clipper, Challenger.  The course was from Shanghai to London with stakes of 2,000 pounds being placed by their respective owners.  The Nightingale lost, and her commander, chagrined at the result,  resigned, leaving the Nightingale in London Docks and took a Cunarder home.

The Nightingale's owners made light of the loss but immediately set out on arranging another race for similar stakes between the two ships along the same course.  On the return from Shanghai, the Challenger beat the Nightingale  by more than a week.

That ended the Nightingale's efforts to be No. 1.

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PASSENGER TRADE TO AUSTRALIA

In the spring of 1853, the Nightingale was chartered to carry mail, passengers and freight to Melbourne, Australia, from London.  From there she was to proceed to China where she would load tea and silk for London.  At the time, the Gold Fever was rampant in Australia and it didn't take long to sell the accommodations.

--Old B-Runner

CSS Tallahassee-- Part 1: The Stats

From Wikipedia

Builder:  J&W Dudgeon, Cubitt Town, London, England.

First Occupation:  Blockade Runner

Commissioned:  July 20, 1864

Fate:  renamed CSS Olustee (raider)  and CSS Chameleon (blockade runner)

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Displacement:  700 tons

Length:  220 feet

Beam:  24 feet

Propulsion:  two -- 100 h.p.  steam engines, two propellers, masts and sails

Speed:  15 knots

Complement:  120

Armament:

one rifled 32-pdr. forward
one rifled 100-pdr. amidships
one heavy Parrott aft

--Old B-Runner

Adriatic's Passenger List for 1862 Arrival from London-- Part 1: Immigration from Europe

Captain or Master Richard H. Moore had brought a group of immigrants from London to New York City in the ship Adriatic, arriving  24 March 1862.

He had 40 passengers, mostly from Germany and England.  It is interesting to note that all women were listed as wife for occupation.  There were evidently two classes of transport, 1st and 2nd Cabin.

Five were 1st Cabin and the rest 2nd.  Age, male or female, occupation,  Country they were from, country they were going to shown.

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1ST CABIN

1.  Georgianne Mine  24, female, wife, U.S., America
2.  William H. Hunt,  24, male, farmer, Great Britain, America
3.  Edwin N. Cragg,   41, male, silversmith,  --  , America
4.  John Versmier,  31, male, grocer, Germany, America
5.  Jemima E. Stra?burg, 31, female, none, U.S., America

There were 35 in 2nd Cabin

From Germany--  15
From England--  11
From United States--  7
From France--  2

More.  --Old B-Runner

Adriatic Lost On Way to New York-- Part 2: One of 30 Union Ships Captured By the CSS Tallahassee

In late July 1864, the sailing ship Adriatic left London, England, enroute to New York, carrying 170 German immigrants and 100 American citizens.  The ship was built in New York in 1861 and, in addition, was transporting about 1000 tons of supplies.

The CSS Tallahassee was a former blockade runner (SS Atalanta) which had been acquired by the Confederate government and commissioned as a commerce raider and commissioned in 1864.  It left its homeport of Wilmington, N.C.,  and began a voyage in August 1864, where it captured 30 ships.  Out of the 30, the Adriatic was the biggest prize.

When the two ships encountered, a collision caused the Tallahassee to lose a mast.

--Old B-R'er

Adriatic Lost On the Way to New York in 1864-- Part 1: Victim of CSS Tallahassee

From dh101shipwrecks.himspace.ucla.  "Lost On the Way to New York"

ADRIATIC

DATE LOST:  8/12/64

LOCATION LOST:  Montauk, sw, 20 miles

WHY LOST:  War Loss

DEPARTURE POST:  London, England

DESTINATION POST:  New York City

MASTER:  Richard H. Moore

LIVES LOST:  0

--Old B-Runner

155 Years Ago: Confederates Buying Steamers in England

SEPTEMBER 6TH, 1861:  The U.S. consul in London reported the purchase by the Confederates of the steamers Bermuda, Adelaide and Victoria.

Wonder What They Were Going To Do With Them?  --Old B-R'er