Civil War Story - Shenandoah, C.S.N.

There seems to be a genuine interest in the American Civil War in Scotland, the the forthcomming Gettysburg Lecture is an example of such interest. I was looking for an article for this issue with a Masonic or a Scottish angle, when I came across this interesting paper which was given to me by Bro. John McIndoe of Lodge Bothwell Brig No. 1229.

Of all the ships built on the Clyde, none had a more curious or mysterious history than the Shenandoah. It seemed like the stuff of fiction, except that it was even stranger.

The ship was built, innocently enough, at the Kelvinhaugh yard of A. Stephen & Sons and launched on 18th. August 1863 under the name of Sea King. Designed by the great Scottish naval architect John Rennie, she was claimed to be the first screw steamship built on the principle of iron frames and wooden planking. She was also the first steamship specially constructed for the China run, intended to beat the best in bringing back the first tea of the season to London. But the American Civil War was at its height and, while being fitted out at Finnieston, she attracted the attention of agents for the Federal Government, who were looking for war cruisers.

Meanwhile, however, she was chartered by the British Government to take troops to the first Maori War, after which she sailed from New Zealand to China for the apparent purpose of bringing home tea.

Now she was being eyed by agents for the other side of the Civil War, the Confederates of the South, and when she headed back to Britain there was an officer of the Confederate Navy on board. 

The mystery deepened. Back in London, she took on board a cargo of coal for what looked like a voyage to Bombay, without arousing the suspicions of the British Government. Instead, on 16th. October 1864, she made rendezvous off Madeira with another ship, which brought her munitions and supplies. The Sea King was thus handed over to the Confederate Government, brought under the command of a Lieutenant Waddell - and renamed The Shenandoah, after the river in Virginia in whose valley many battles of the war had been fought.

Now, as a Confederate raider without equal, The Shenandoah decided to attack the Yankee whaling fleet in the North Pacific, rather than rove around the North Atlantic, which was filled with hostile warships. Captain James Iredell Waddell proceeded to chase and capture and destroy the incredible number of 37 enemy ships.

On one particular day he ploughed into the midst of 11 whaling ships, raised the Confederate flag, despatched armed boats and took possession of the lot. Many of the captains were drunk and some swore their sympathy for the Southern cause.

Waddell entered the Bering Sea and continued to ravage, but discovered, from a newspaper on one of the captured ships, that General Robert E. Lee had surrendered. If the Confederate Government was overthrown, the career of the Shenandoah as a warship was over. But Waddell refused to believe the war was lost and continued his campaign.

When ice forced him to leave the whaling grounds he headed for San Francisco, where he harboured the desperate idea of holding the city hostage. Overtaking a British barque Barraconta, which was en route from San Francisco to Liverpool, he finally accepted confirmation that the war was really over.

Fearing that he might be hanged for piracy, Waddell headed on the long voyage for Liverpool, sailing up the Mersey under the Confederate flag. He surrendered his ship which was handed over to the American Consul by the British Admiralty.

After being held by the authorities, the whole crew was released.  After sailing 58,000 miles on a 13 month odyssey, the Shenandoah struck the last Confederate ensign of the war in Liverpool harbour.