Sea Wolf of the Confederacy: The Daring Civil War Raids of Naval Lt. Charles W. ReadIn June 1862, just days before the epic clash at Gettysburg, a small party of the Confederate Navy mounted a devastating series of raids on the New England coast. At the center of the conflict was the hotheaded young adventurer, Charles W. Read. Serving aboard the CSS FLORIDA off the coast of Brazil, Read hatched a daring plan to sail a captured brig directly into the Union's home waters and wreak havoc on their shipping lanes. Burning or capturing more than twenty merchant vessels in less than three weeks, Read's rampage caused widespread panic in Northern cities, and brought enormous pressure to stop the rebel pirate. At one point there were nearly forty Union ships sent to hunt down Read in a cat-and-mouse chase that finally led to his dramatic capture off the coast of Maine. |
Contents
High Seas Terror | 14 |
Dark Times | 24 |
Bold Escape | 36 |
Civilized Pirates | 46 |
Foreign Threat | 58 |
Dangerous Mission | 71 |
Tropical Fire | 83 |
WellGuarded Secret | 95 |
Enemies Draw Near | 114 |
Lightning Response | 127 |
Tempestuous Seas | 133 |
Freedom Granted | 142 |
Cries of Outrage | 162 |
Final Battle | 185 |
The Floridas Cruise | 213 |
Index | 227 |
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Common terms and phrases
aboard anchor appeared Arkansas astern attack bark battle blockade boats breeze brig British burning Caleb Cushing canvas Cape captain captured cargo chase Chesapeake Clarence close coast command commerce destroyers Confederacy Confederate Navy Confederate raider crew cruise cruisers CSS Florida Cushing Island cutter Daring Combat dark deck diary Drayton wrote duty enemy England escape fight fire fishermen fleet Florida and Alabama Forest City Fort Preble Gideon gunboat guns Hampton Roads harbor high seas ironclad Island Jacob Bell June June 14 knew Lieutenant Lincoln Maffitt merchant miles mission Mississippi Nantucket naval Navy Department night ocean officer orders passed Pernambuco port Portland Preble President prisoners prize Quaker guns Raphael Semmes Read Read’s rigging River sail sailors schooner Sea Wolf Semmes sent ship ship’s shot smoke South squadron steam steamer Tacony tion turned U.S. Navy Union warship United vessel Washington watch Welles's wind Yankee York