JUNE 22ND, 1865: Upon learning of the final collapse of the Confederacy, Master John C. Braine, CSN, took passage for Liverpool, England, from Kingston, Jamaica.
On several occasions during the war Braine had led naval parties in successful seizures of Federal merchantmen and quite likely would have been prosecuted for piracy had he been apprehended.
The schooner St. Mary's, which he seized in Chesapeake Bay and had sailed to Nassau, was abandoned in Kingston just prior to his booking passage for Liverpool. Previous to seizing the St. Mary's, he had seized the steamer Chesapeake off Cape Cod (7 December 1863) and the steamer Roanoke off Havana (29 September 1864) while leading Confederate naval parties masquerading as passengers.
This man would be a good topic for a book.
A Really Brainy Decision for Braine. --Old B-R'er
Showing posts with label SS Chesapeake. Show all posts
Showing posts with label SS Chesapeake. Show all posts
Tuesday, June 23, 2015
Monday, December 9, 2013
150 Years Ago-- December 7, 1863: Confederates Seize Steamer Chesapeake Off Cape Cod
DECEMBER 7TH:
The steamer Chesapeake, en route from New York to Portland, Maine, was seized by a group of 17 Confederate "passengers" led by John C. Braine.
The undertaking had been plannned in St. John, New Brunswick. Braine and his men went to New York where they purchased side arms and boarded the ship as passengers.
A brief shooting match while at sea resulted in the death of one crew member. They intended to make a run for Wilmington after coaling in Nova Scotia.
The planner of the attack, Captain John Parker (but whose name might have been Vernon G. Locke, former commander of the Confederate privateer Retribution) came on board in the Bay of Fundy and took command.
News of the capture quickly spread and navy ships from Philadelphia northward were ordered to pursue the Chesapeake. On December 17, the USS Ella and Annie (former blockade runner Ella and Annie) recaptured the Chesapeake in Sambro Harbor, Nova Scotia, and it was taken to Halifax where it was restored to its former owners.
Most of the Confederates escaped and John Braine would live to cause more problems for the Union later in the war.
A Bold Confederate Move. --Old B-Runner
The steamer Chesapeake, en route from New York to Portland, Maine, was seized by a group of 17 Confederate "passengers" led by John C. Braine.
The undertaking had been plannned in St. John, New Brunswick. Braine and his men went to New York where they purchased side arms and boarded the ship as passengers.
A brief shooting match while at sea resulted in the death of one crew member. They intended to make a run for Wilmington after coaling in Nova Scotia.
The planner of the attack, Captain John Parker (but whose name might have been Vernon G. Locke, former commander of the Confederate privateer Retribution) came on board in the Bay of Fundy and took command.
News of the capture quickly spread and navy ships from Philadelphia northward were ordered to pursue the Chesapeake. On December 17, the USS Ella and Annie (former blockade runner Ella and Annie) recaptured the Chesapeake in Sambro Harbor, Nova Scotia, and it was taken to Halifax where it was restored to its former owners.
Most of the Confederates escaped and John Braine would live to cause more problems for the Union later in the war.
A Bold Confederate Move. --Old B-Runner
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