CSS Tallahassee

History

The iron Confederate cruiser "Tallahassee" was named after the Confederate state capital of Tallahassee in Florida and was built on the River Thames, London, England by J. & W. Dudgeon of Millwall for London, Chatham & Dover Rly. Co. to the design of Capt. T. E. Symonds, Royal Navy, ostensibly for the Chinese opium trade. She was previously the blockade runner "Atlanta" and made the Dover-Calais crossing in 77 minutes on an even keel. She had made several blockade runs between Bermuda and Wilmington, N.C. before the Confederates bought her. After the "Tallahassee" was commissioned and prepared for sea she was placed under Commander John Taylor Wood, CSN. Wood was a grandson of President Zachary Taylor and a nephew of Jefferson Davis, who at the time was President of the Confederate States of America. The officers and crew were all volunteers from the Confederate gunboats on the James River and North Carolina waters.

The "Tallahassee" went through the blockade on August 6, 1864 from her home port of Wilmington, North Carolina. Her first day out, four cruisers chased the "Tallahassee" without incident.

She made a spectacular 19-day raid off the Atlantic coast as far north as Halifax, Nova Scotia. The "Tallahassee" destroyed 26 vessels and captured 7 others that were bonded or released. Wood had sailed the "Tallahassee" into Halifax Harbour to take on bunker coal and water. Two Federal war ships, the USS "Nansemond" and USS "Huron", had chased her north. They dropped anchor in the main shipping channel at the mouth of the harbour blocking her escape.

Being unable to procure enough coal to continue, Cdr. Wood was forced to return to Wilmington where he arrived safely on August 26th. During this short cruise "Tallahassee" destroyed 26 vessels and captured 7 others which were bonded or released.

Victims

#The schooner "Sarah A. Boice" of Boston, Mass. Her crew and their personal effects were brought on board, and she was scuttled.
#The pilot-boat schooner "James Funk", No. 22 of New York. Was turned into a tender of the "Tallahassee" using 20 of the "Tallahassee's" crew.
#The bark "Bay State"
#The brigantine "Carrie Estelle."
#The brigantine "A. Richards."
#The schooner "Carroll" by the "Tallahassee's" tender "James Funk."
#The pilot-boat schooner "William Bell," No. 24 of New York burned.
#The packet ship "Adriatic" (1000 tons) from London, England was burned. During the seizure, the "Tallahassee" collided with her losing her main mast.
#The bark "Glenarvoz" from Thomaston, Maine was scuttled.
#The "James Littlefield" of Bangor, Maine loaded with coal was scuttled.
#The "Atlantic" burned.
#The "Spokane" burned.
#The schooner "Billow" scuttled.
#The bark "Suilote" bonded.
#The "Robert E. Packer", a 222 ton packet, burned.
#The "Glenarvon", a 789 ton schooner from Scotland, burned.
#The schooner "Lamont Du Pont" from Wilmington was sunk
#The "P.C. Alexander", a 283 ton bark, burned.
#The "Neva", at 286 tons, bonded for $17,500 and loaded with prisoners.
#The "Roan", a 127 ton brigantine.
#14 small schooners ranging from 39 tons to 148 tons, sunk.

Renaming

CSS Olustee

The "Tallahassee" was renamed CSS "Olustee" after the Battle of Olustee in northern Florida and placed under the command of Lt. W. H. Ward, CSN. The "Olustee" ran through the blockade off Wilmington again on October 29, 1864 but suffered some damage from Federal guns. She captured and destroyed six ships off the Cape of Delaware before having to return for coal. She stopped attempts by USS "Sassacus" to capture her on November 6, 1864 and by four other United States ships on November 7, 1864 finally passing into the safety of Wilmington harbor.

CSS Chameleon

The "Olustee" was renamed the CSS "Chameleon" with Lt. J. Wilkinson, CSN, commanding. The battery had been removed and she ran through the Union blockade on December 24, 1864 while the United States fleet was preoccupied with bombarding Fort Fisher. The "Chameleon" proceeded to Bermuda to obtain provisions for the Confederate army.

Wilkinson made two attempts to enter one of the southern ports, but finding it impossible, he took Chameleon to Liverpool, England, and turned her over to Comdr. J. D. Bullock, CSN, financial agent of the Confederate Navy Department.

On her arrival in England on April 9, 1865 the "Chameleon" was seized and sold by the British authorities and was about to enter the merchant service when the United States instituted suit for possession. She was awarded to the United States Government and handed over to the consul at Liverpool on April 26, 1866.

Sources

* [http://www.history.navy.mil/danfs/cfa9/tallahassee.htm Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships]
* [http://www.tarleton.edu/~kjones/CSNavy.html Tarleton State Univ.]
* [http://ahoy.tk-jk.net/MaraudersCivilWar/CSSTallahassee.html Mac's Web Log]
*DANFS