Looking for the CSS Nashville

From the Oct. 17th Civil War Daily Gazette

Octiber 17, 1861, Thursday

The US Navy thought the two Confederate envoys, John Slidell and James Mason had boarded the CSS Nashville for their trip out of Charleston Harbor. The USS James Adger and USS Curlew were dispatched to intercept it. The Curlew was short on coal and turned back, but the Adger went all the way to England pursuing the Nashville.

The USS Connecticut was sent to Bermuda to gather any information it could on the Nashville and then to return to the New York Naval Yard if nothing could be found.

Meanwhile, Mason and Slidell were already in Cuba, arriving on the Theodora. Before reaching Havana, however, the coal supply was short and a stop was made in Cardenas, 100 miles to the east. The Theodora was accompanied by a Spanish steamer at this juncture, having helped guide the blockade-runner through the waters around the Bahamas.

There was a delay because the papers of clearance were for Havana and not Cardenas. During the day, Mason and Slidell landed.

By the time the two got to Havana, they found that they had just missed a ship bound for England by a day. The next ship going there was not set to leave for three weeks.

Missed It By [] Much. --Old B-R'er

In the Meantime, Looking for the Confederate Commissioners

When Confederate commissioners Slidell and Mason arrived in Havana, the USS San Jacinto, commanded by Captain Charles Wilkes, put into the Cuban town of Cienfuegos while searching for the Confederate cruiser Sumter.

When he learned of the Theodora's arrival, he hurried around Cuba to capture the ship, but arrived a day after the ship left. But, Slidell and Mason were still there and awaiting transportation to England on the Trent.

His wait paid off and he stopped the Trent and seized the two on November 8th, setting off quite an international incident.

Not Nice of Wilkes. --Old B-R'er

USS Santiago de Cuba

While researching events of the Civil War on December 7th for the Pearl Harbor tie-in, I came across the name of the USS Santiago de Cuba and looked it up on wikipedia, a great way to find the history of most US Naval ships. Also pictures.

The Santiago de Cuba was a wooden sidewheel steamer built in 1861 and purchased by the Union Navy in the build-up for the blockade. It was commissioned in November 1861.

It was 1,567 tons, 229 feet long, 38 foot beam, mounted ten cannons, and had a crew of 114 enlisted men and officers.

On December 3, 1861, it captured the British schooner Victoria off Point Isabel, Texas, but released her for want of evidence suggesting a blockade runner.

The USS Santiago de Cuba took part in the efforts against Fort Fisher and took the wounded back to Norfolk, Virginia at the battle's conclusion.

Blockade-Runner