CSS ''Chickamauga'', originally the blockade runner ''Edith'', was purchased by the

Confederate States Navy The Confederate States Navy (CSN) was the Navy, naval branch of the Confederate States Armed Forces, established by an act of the Confederate States Congress on February 21, 1861. It was responsible for Confederate naval operations during the Amer ...

at Wilmington,

North Carolina North Carolina () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States. The state is the 28th largest and 9th-most populous of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, Georgia and So ...

, in September 1864. In September, when she was nearly ready for sea, the

Confederate Army The Confederate States Army, also called the Confederate Army or the Southern Army, was the military land force of the Confederate States of America (commonly referred to as the Confederacy) during the American Civil War (1861–1865), fighting ...

sought unsuccessfully to retain her at that place for use as a troop and supply transport. On October 28, 1864, she put to sea under Lieutenant

John Wilkinson (CSN) John Wilkinson was born in Norfolk, Virginia on November 6, 1821. He was a Lieutenant and Captain in the Confederate States Navy (CSN) during the American Civil War. He was commander of several blockade runners, including the CSS Robert E. Lee and t ...

for a cruise north to the entrance of

Long Island Sound Long Island Sound is a marine sound and tidal estuary of the Atlantic Ocean. It lies predominantly between the U.S. state of Connecticut to the north and Long Island in New York to the south. From west to east, the sound stretches from the Eas ...

, thence to

St. George Saint George (Greek: Γεώργιος (Geórgios), Latin: Georgius, Arabic: القديس جرجس; died 23 April 303), also George of Lydda, was a Christian who is venerated as a saint in Christianity. According to tradition he was a soldier ...

Bermuda ) , anthem = "God Save the King" , song_type = National song , song = " Hail to Bermuda" , image_map = , map_caption = , image_map2 = , mapsize2 = , map_caption2 = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = , e ...

, for repairs and coal. She took several prizes before returning to Wilmington on November 19. During the bombardment of

Fort Fisher Fort Fisher was a Confederate fort during the American Civil War. It protected the vital trading routes of the port at Wilmington, North Carolina, from 1861 until its capture by the Union in 1865. The fort was located on one of Cape Fear River' ...

, December 24–25, 1864, a portion of ''Chickamauga''s crew served the guns at the fort. Although not immediately engaged in defense of Fort Fisher, the ship rendered further aid in transporting ammunition. She lent support to the fort when it was bombarded again on January 15, 1865. After the evacuation of Wilmington, ''Chickamauga'' went up the

Cape Fear River The Cape Fear River is a long blackwater river in east central North Carolina. It flows into the Atlantic Ocean near Cape Fear, from which it takes its name. The river is formed at the confluence of the Haw River and the Deep River (North Carol ...

where she was burned to prevent capture on February 25, 1865.Gregory, Mackenzie J. "Ahoy - Mac's Web Log." Ahoy - Mac's Web Log - CSS Chickamauga. N.p., n.d. Web. 24 May 2017. .

Service history

The ship, ''Edith'', from Tallahassee, Florida, became the new Confederate cruiser. Its name was CSS ''Chickamauga''. CSS stands for Confederate States Ship. Lieutenant John Wilkinson, who was a lieutenant of the new Confederate Navy, commanded the ship. Wilkinson as he was commanding ''Chickamauga'', ran into the same problems faced by Woods, who was the previous commander. The ship had been a productive blockade runner, but it did not have the qualities needed for a Raider. ''Chickamauga'' was fast, but she could only be at sea as long as they had coal supply. On October 26, ''Chickamauga'' set sail for the open sea. After she also grounded on the bar, backed herself free, tried once more again, she finally cleared the obstruction, and made it out into the open sea. ''Chickamauga'' was once seen by . ''Dumbarton'' as well as two more Union ships chased ''Chickamauga''. However, speed saved the ship, and she sailed off into the ocean, once again. US ships reported that another ship, ''Tallahassee'', was sailing out and about again, and was searching for exactly the same thing as what ''Chickamauga'' was looking for. The ship then captured in quick succession the ''Mark L. Potter'', the ''Emily L. Hall'', the ''Albion Lincoln'', and the ''Shooting Star.'' All the prisoners were put aboard the ''Albion Lincoln'', while the other vessels were burned. The ''Lincolns captain headed straight to New York to raise the alarm, instead of going to Fort Monroe as ordered. On 4 November, Secretary Welles learned that he had to search for another raider, but since he did not know anymore information, he telegraphed Rear Admiral Porter: "It is reported that four privateers are out of Wilmington. Three have actually committed depredations, namely, Tallahassee, Chickamauga, and Olustee." ''Olustee'' was actually ''Tallahassee'', but just under a different new name. The next day, Porter ordered to find the raiders, so therefore the nine Union warships could be reunited. Lieutenant John Wilkinson kept busy, he captured ''Goodspeed'', ''Otter Rock'', and ''Speedwell''. While Porter’s ships were trying to find ''Chickamauga'', she sailed down in the

Bermuda Triangle The Bermuda Triangle, also known as the Devil's Triangle, is an urban legend focused on a loosely defined region in the western part of the North Atlantic Ocean where a number of aircraft and ships are said to have disappeared under mysterio ...

looking for coal. Wilkinson, on 15 November, left the Bermuda Triangle and set course towards his homeport. He arrived on 18 November waiting to anchor in safety. Before he reached his haven, four Union blockade ships, , , and all fired shots. ''Chickamauga'' herself got into the act, but not a single shot from either side ever found a target. In three weeks ''Chickamauga'' had taken only seven ships, ''Olustee'' only four. ''Tallahassee'' was responsible for capturing more than 55 ships. When the Feds stormed Fort Fisher, it was ''Chickamauga'' who took part in this final battle. She then had to retreat up river back to Wilmington, where her crew burned her. ''Olustee'' had another name change due to its duties as a blockade runner. and was renamed ''Chameleon''. Lieutenant John Wilkinson took her out to the Bermuda Triangle to provide General

Robert E. Lee Robert Edward Lee (January 19, 1807 – October 12, 1870) was a Confederate general during the American Civil War, towards the end of which he was appointed the overall commander of the Confederate States Army. He led the Army of Nort ...

's armies with food and supplies. After that, he sailed off to

Liverpool Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. With a population of in 2019, it is the 10th largest English district by population and its metropolitan area is the fifth largest in the United Kingdom, with a popul ...

, and when he got there, Lee surrendered, and the British Government seized his ship.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Chickamauga

Chickamauga Chickamauga may refer to: Entertainment * "Chickamauga", an 1889 short story by American author Ambrose Bierce * "Chickamauga", a 1937 short story by Thomas Wolfe * "Chickamauga", a song by Uncle Tupelo from their 1993 album ''Anodyne (album), Ano ...

Shipwrecks of the American Civil War Shipwrecks in rivers Ship fires Maritime incidents in February 1865

Service history

See also

References