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Sons of Confederate Veterans Col. Isaac Williams ... - Scvportland.org

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Page 7<br />

<strong>Confederate</strong> History: <strong>Confederate</strong> Privateer Jefferson Davis<br />

The Bayonet<br />

When the townspeople <strong>of</strong> St. Augustine awoke on August 17,<br />

1861, they saw "a black painted brig with dark canvas sails beating<br />

towards the harbor entrance". The ship was the Jefferson<br />

Davis, a <strong>Confederate</strong> privateer seeking food and water stores.<br />

This 187-ton brig was built in Baltimore in 1845 as a merchant<br />

vessel and was being illicitly operated as a slaver when she was<br />

captured <strong>of</strong>f Cuba in 1858 by USS Dolphin. The U.S. Government<br />

sold her to a Charleston shipping merchant in January 1859<br />

but with the outbreak <strong>of</strong> the Civil War she was soon granted a<br />

letter <strong>of</strong> marque by the <strong>Confederate</strong> government, designating her<br />

a privateer in the war on Union commerce. Despite her brief career,<br />

cut short by the shallow bars <strong>of</strong> St. Augustine's inlet, she<br />

Sketch <strong>of</strong> CSS Jeff Davis<br />

remained the most successful privateer <strong>of</strong> the Civil War.<br />

Built in Baltimore as the 187-ton merchant brig Putnam in 1845, she was renamed Echo, and was illegally<br />

used as a slaver. She was captured by USS<br />

Dolphin <strong>of</strong>f <strong>of</strong> Cuba in 1858; her cargo <strong>of</strong><br />

271 enslaved people was returned to Africa.<br />

The U.S. Government sold her to a Charleston<br />

shipping merchant in January 1859. At<br />

the outbreak <strong>of</strong> the War Between the States,<br />

the brig was granted a letter <strong>of</strong> marque<br />

signed by Jefferson Davis himself, designating<br />

her a privateer or privately operated<br />

commerce raider.<br />

Under Captain Coxetter <strong>of</strong> Jacksonville,<br />

Jefferson Davis' first raiding cruise, described<br />

as "the last truly classic cruise in the<br />

history <strong>of</strong> private-armed sea power," succeeded<br />

in capturing nine northern merchant<br />

vessels in just seven weeks <strong>of</strong>f the coast <strong>of</strong><br />

New England, making her the most successful<br />

<strong>Confederate</strong> privateer <strong>of</strong> the war. Needing<br />

water and supplies, she attempted to enter<br />

St. Augustine's inlet on August 17, 1861<br />

where she ran aground and was abandoned.<br />

Though she has never been located, her<br />

compliment <strong>of</strong> iron cannons will register as<br />

a distinctive target during planned magnetometer<br />

surveys <strong>of</strong> the old channel CSS Jefferson Davis, 1861<br />

entrance.<br />

<strong>Confederate</strong> Factoid: Lt. Simeon Cummings<br />

If you’re standing on the front steps <strong>of</strong> Elm Springs and look 90-degrees to the right you will see a very<br />

small cemetery. Immediately noticeable is the white marble <strong>Confederate</strong> headstone and iron Cross <strong>of</strong> Honor<br />

facing the old manor. For 131 years <strong>Confederate</strong> Navy Lieutenant Simeon W. Cummings held the distinction<br />

<strong>of</strong> being the only <strong>Confederate</strong> killed during the war and buried outside <strong>of</strong> the United States. On August 3,<br />

1863, a hunting party consisting <strong>of</strong> three <strong>of</strong>ficers was returning to the CSS Alabama from Saldanha Bay in<br />

South Africa. When re-boarding the Alabama that evening, Lt. Cummings’ loaded rifle caught on something<br />

and discharged, killing him. He was disinterred in 1994 and reburied with full military honors at Elm Springs.

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