- Joined
- May 12, 2010
- Location
- Now Florida but always a Kentuckian
The blockade runner Armstrong was a 230-foot-long iron side-wheel steamship. The ship was built in Glasgow, Scotland in 1864 by the firm Crenshaw and Company. This ship successfully ran the Federal blockade of the Confederacy's Atlantic ports five times during the last four months of 1864.
On Dec. 4, 1864 as she was attempting to come out of Wilmington, North Carolina she was captured by the U.S. Navy ships R.R. Cuyler, Gettysburg, Mackinaw and Montgomery. I don't know who was commanding her on Dec. 4, 1861.
However, at one time she was under the command of Michael P. Usina. He was the man who owned Tinker, the dog I have done thread on.
Michael P. Usina was born in St. Augustine, Florida in 1840.
He enlisted as private on May 21, 1861 in Company B, 8th Regiment Georgia Volunteer Infantry. He was wounded at the Battle of Manassas July, 1861. He was captured but managed to escape with the help of an African-American who was riding a horse and let Usina ride on back of horse and took Usina to Southern lines.
After Michael Usina got back to Southern lines, he was transferred to Navy on Nov. 26, 1861. In 1862 he was a pilot on CSS Talomico. He served on several blockade runners as commander. These included the May Celeste, Atalanta, Virginia, Armstrong and Rattlesnake.
At the time of Lee's surrender he was on the Whisper. Blockade running ceased. He took the Whisper with Tinker, the dog aboard and headed to England. Tinker died on the way and was buried in the North Atlantic.
Two references for this information are: "In Lifeline of the Confederacy: Blockade Running During the War" by Stephen R. Wise and "Michael Philip Usina, "The Boy Captain". this is by Jody Owen and written in 1985. This article is found at library.armstrong.edu/usina-michael-philip.pdf. from Savannah Biographies Vol. 13.
On Dec. 4, 1864 as she was attempting to come out of Wilmington, North Carolina she was captured by the U.S. Navy ships R.R. Cuyler, Gettysburg, Mackinaw and Montgomery. I don't know who was commanding her on Dec. 4, 1861.
However, at one time she was under the command of Michael P. Usina. He was the man who owned Tinker, the dog I have done thread on.
Michael P. Usina was born in St. Augustine, Florida in 1840.
He enlisted as private on May 21, 1861 in Company B, 8th Regiment Georgia Volunteer Infantry. He was wounded at the Battle of Manassas July, 1861. He was captured but managed to escape with the help of an African-American who was riding a horse and let Usina ride on back of horse and took Usina to Southern lines.
After Michael Usina got back to Southern lines, he was transferred to Navy on Nov. 26, 1861. In 1862 he was a pilot on CSS Talomico. He served on several blockade runners as commander. These included the May Celeste, Atalanta, Virginia, Armstrong and Rattlesnake.
At the time of Lee's surrender he was on the Whisper. Blockade running ceased. He took the Whisper with Tinker, the dog aboard and headed to England. Tinker died on the way and was buried in the North Atlantic.
Two references for this information are: "In Lifeline of the Confederacy: Blockade Running During the War" by Stephen R. Wise and "Michael Philip Usina, "The Boy Captain". this is by Jody Owen and written in 1985. This article is found at library.armstrong.edu/usina-michael-philip.pdf. from Savannah Biographies Vol. 13.