January 25th Sydney Morning Herald.
One hundred and forty-five years ago today, the Civil War arrived in Australia when the CSS Shenandoah arrived in Port Melbourne (today Melbourne) for repairs. There was no colonial navy stationed in that port to prevent them.
Many in town were sympathetic to the Confederate cause and the captain and crew soon found themselves the toast of town with balls and dinners in their honor.
US consul William Blanchard was livid and tried to get local authorities to intervene when he got word that the repairs were just a ruse to recruit crew, a strict violation of British neutrality.
The Shenandoah departed February 19th with 45 new crew members aboard. Then it raided the Indian Ocean and captured or destroyed 29 American ships. Unfortunately, the war had ended when 25 were attacked, technically acts of piracy.
Commanders of captured ships tried to convince Lt. James Waddell that the war was over, but he wouldn't believe them. When he finally became convinced it was over, he surrendered his vessel to the British government.
because of the recruitment, the British had to pay the US $15.5 million.
However, this incident, as well as fears of French and Russian ships operating off Australia's southern coast led to the establishment of a colonial naval detachment at Melbourne although today no evidence of naval operations exists in the city.
War Cometh. --Old B-Runner
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