Originally a United States Mail Service ship, the USMS Nashville was built at Greenpoint, Brooklyn in 1853. Between 1853 and 1861 she was engaged in running between New York City and Charleston, South Carolina. During the Battle of Fort Sumter, the USMS Nashville sailed into Charleston without flying the US national standard and was fired upon by the USRC Harriet Lane which marked the first shot of the naval war in the Civil War. The Nashville raised the American flag, and after the surrender of Sumter, the Nashville docked at Charleston.
After the fall of Fort Sumter, the Confederates captured her at Charleston and fitted her out as a cruiser. Under the command of Lieutenant Robert B. Pegram, CSN, she ran the blockade on October 21, 1861, and headed across the Atlantic to Southampton, England, the first ship of war to fly the Confederate flag in English waters. On November 19, 1861, near the British Isles, she boarded and burned an American merchant ship, the Harvey Birch, the first such action by a Confederate commerce raider in the North Atlantic during the war.[1]
HMS Shannon enforcing International Law between the Union gunboat Tuscarora and the Confederate blockade-runner Thomas L. Wragg in Southampton Water, 1862
Nashville returned to Beaufort, North Carolina on February 28, 1862, having captured two prizes worth US$66,000 during the cruise. In this interval she was sold for use as a blockade runner and renamed Thomas L. Wragg.
On November 5, 1862, she was commissioned as the privateerRattlesnake. After she ran fast aground on the Ogeechee River, Georgia, the monitorUSS Montauk destroyed her with shell fire from 11-inch (279-mm) and 15-inch (381-mm) turret guns on February 28, 1863.[2]
British writer Francis Warrington Dawson (born Austin John Reeks), then a youth of 21, joined the crew of the Nashville in 1862 in order to make passage from Britain to the Confederacy, with whose cause he sympathized.[3] He later wrote a book about his experience as an expatriate Briton in the Confederacy, Reminiscences of Confederate Service, 1861-1865, the first seven chapters of which detail his observations and experiences aboard the Nashville.[4]
^"Captain W.H. Nelson of the Harvey Birch, Sworn protest at the November 19, 1861 destruction of his ship, November 22, 1861". House Divided, The Civil War Research Engine at Dickinson College. Dickinson College. Retrieved 28 July 2015.
^"DESTRUCTION OF THE NASHVILLE.; Official Reports of Admiral Dupont and Commander Worden--A Torpedo Exploded under the Montauk". The New York Times. 1863-03-12. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2015-11-19.
^Robinson, Roxana (March 20, 2012). "The Strange Career of Frank Dawson". The New York Times. Retrieved 20 May 2023.
^Dawson, Francis W., Reminiscences of Confederate Service, 1861-1865 (Charleston, S.C., 1882) (retrieved May 20, 2023).
External linksedit
Wikimedia Commons has media related to CSS Nashville (ship, 1853).
Machinery from the C.S.S. Nashville historical marker
Destruction of the C.S.S. Nashville historical marker
Sinking of CSS Nashville historical marker
This article about a specific ship related to the American Civil War is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.
nashville, 1853, other, ships, with, same, name, nashville, nashville, brig, rigged, side, paddle, wheel, passenger, steamer, that, served, with, confederate, navy, during, civil, nashvillehistoryconfederate, statesnamenashvillebuilderwilliam, collyer, greenpo. For other ships with the same name see CSS Nashville CSS Nashville was a brig rigged side paddle wheel passenger steamer that served with the Confederate Navy during the Civil War CSS NashvilleHistoryConfederate StatesNameNashvilleBuilderWilliam Collyer Greenpoint NY Launched22 Sep 1853ChristenedSS NashvilleCommissioned CSN Oct 1861 Mar 1862Maiden voyage4 Jan 1854In service4 Jan 1854 28 Feb 1863RenamedCSS Nashville 1861 SS Thomas L Wragg 1862 SS Rattlesnake 1862 FateSunk by USN 28 February 1863General characteristicsDisplacement1 221 long tons 1 241 t Length215 ft 6 in 65 68 m Beam34 ft 6 in 10 52 m Draft21 ft 9 in 6 63 m PropulsionSails and steam engineComplement40 officers and menArmament2 12 pounder 5 kg cannons Contents 1 History 2 See also 3 References 4 External linksHistory editOriginally a United States Mail Service ship the USMS Nashville was built at Greenpoint Brooklyn in 1853 Between 1853 and 1861 she was engaged in running between New York City and Charleston South Carolina During the Battle of Fort Sumter the USMS Nashville sailed into Charleston without flying the US national standard and was fired upon by the USRC Harriet Lane which marked the first shot of the naval war in the Civil War The Nashville raised the American flag and after the surrender of Sumter the Nashville docked at Charleston After the fall of Fort Sumter the Confederates captured her at Charleston and fitted her out as a cruiser Under the command of Lieutenant Robert B Pegram CSN she ran the blockade on October 21 1861 and headed across the Atlantic to Southampton England the first ship of war to fly the Confederate flag in English waters On November 19 1861 near the British Isles she boarded and burned an American merchant ship the Harvey Birch the first such action by a Confederate commerce raider in the North Atlantic during the war 1 nbsp HMS Shannon enforcing International Law between the Union gunboat Tuscarora and the Confederate blockade runner Thomas L Wragg in Southampton Water 1862Nashville returned to Beaufort North Carolina on February 28 1862 having captured two prizes worth US 66 000 during the cruise In this interval she was sold for use as a blockade runner and renamed Thomas L Wragg On November 5 1862 she was commissioned as the privateer Rattlesnake After she ran fast aground on the Ogeechee River Georgia the monitor USS Montauk destroyed her with shell fire from 11 inch 279 mm and 15 inch 381 mm turret guns on February 28 1863 2 British writer Francis Warrington Dawson born Austin John Reeks then a youth of 21 joined the crew of the Nashville in 1862 in order to make passage from Britain to the Confederacy with whose cause he sympathized 3 He later wrote a book about his experience as an expatriate Briton in the Confederacy Reminiscences of Confederate Service 1861 1865 the first seven chapters of which detail his observations and experiences aboard the Nashville 4 See also edit nbsp American Civil War portalShips captured in the American Civil War Bibliography of American Civil War naval historyReferences editThis article incorporates text from the public domainDictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships The entry can be found here Captain W H Nelson of the Harvey Birch Sworn protest at the November 19 1861 destruction of his ship November 22 1861 House Divided The Civil War Research Engine at Dickinson College Dickinson College Retrieved 28 July 2015 DESTRUCTION OF THE NASHVILLE Official Reports of Admiral Dupont and Commander Worden A Torpedo Exploded under the Montauk The New York Times 1863 03 12 ISSN 0362 4331 Retrieved 2015 11 19 Robinson Roxana March 20 2012 The Strange Career of Frank Dawson The New York Times Retrieved 20 May 2023 Dawson Francis W Reminiscences of Confederate Service 1861 1865 Charleston S C 1882 retrieved May 20 2023 External links edit nbsp Wikimedia Commons has media related to CSS Nashville ship 1853 Machinery from the C S S Nashville historical marker Destruction of the C S S Nashville historical marker Sinking of CSS Nashville historical marker nbsp nbsp This article about a specific ship related to the American Civil War is a stub You can help Wikipedia by expanding it vte Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title CSS Nashville 1853 amp oldid 1190110478, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
