Confederate and Union engagements with other nations during the Civil War.

UncleBourbon

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I've found a few obscure and very interesting examples of this that I really just want to share.
This doesn't include American Indian Wars such as the Colorado War.

The Second Cortina War - Confederates rout a Mexican militia
In May 1861 Juan Cortina, a Mexican outlaw who had previously waged war against the United States in '59 and '60, now aligned himself with the Union and invaded Zapata County, Texas and attacked Zapata itself.
His militia of Cortinistas was met by Confederate Captain Santos Benavides on May 22nd at the Battle of Carrizo, where at least 11 Cortinistas were killed with others captured with Juan Cortina and the rest being forced to flee back across the border. This ended the remarkably short Second Cortina War.

As far as I know, this is the only battle the Confederacy fought against a nation other than the Union during the Civil War.
The Union on the other hand not only had more, but some truly interesting ones; such as the first time the US battled the Vietnamese.

The Bombardment of Qui Nohn - The Union bombards Vietnam
In July 1861, during the French and Spanish Cochinchina Campaign, the American merchant ship Myrtle went missing. Flag Officer Frederick K. Engle ordered Commander James Schenck, commanding the steamer sloop USS Saginaw, to search the area before sailing East to join the West Gulf Blockading Squadron.
Commander Schenck arrived off Qui Nohn July 30th, and prepared to enter the harbor the following day at 1:00AM to ask the Vietnamese about the missing sailors. Upon entering the harbor on the 31st the USS Saginaw was fired upon by a Vietnamese fort to the North at a distance of 600 yards. The shot hit the water next to the ship, and the crew raised a white flag to show their friendly intentions. A second shot was fired, along with a third, both near misses as well.
Commander Schenck was enraged at this, and withdrew the Saginaw to 900 yards, where he had the crew lay fire on the fort with the ship's 32-pounder for about 20 minutes until a "dull, heavy report" shook the bay as the powder magazine of the fort detonated, silencing the guns. However the Vietnamese flag still flew, so Schenck continued the bombardment for about 30 minutes more until the fort was smoldering ruin.
The missing sailors were never found.

Battle of Shimonoseki Straits - The Union battles a Samurai Domain
In June 1863, after the Imperial "Order to expel barbarians", the Choshu Domain under daimyo Mori Takachika was following the order and going in excess of it; firing without warning on all foreign ships attempting to traverse the Shimonoseki Straits. The Choshu Domain used three ships presented to them by the United States for these actions: a barque Daniel Webster, a brig Kosei and a steamer Koshin.
On June 25, 1863 the merchant steamer Pembroke under Captain Simon Cooper was fired upon by two of these ships while riding anchor outside of Shimonoseki Strait. The samurai aboard taunted the merchant crew, shouting, "Revere the Emperor and drive out the barbarians!"
The Pembroke managed to escape under fire with minor damage and no casualties. The USS Wyoming under Commander David McDougal entered the Strait on July 16th, 1863 to retaliate for the attack on the Pembroke. Wyoming was fired upon by shore batteries, tearing through her rigging, and she raised her colors and replied with her 11-inch Dahlgrens. Up ahead lay the three former American ships in anchor, and McDougal determined them to be the more significant threat to deal with and gave the order to sail through the midst of them and take out the Koshin. The Wyoming passed between Daniel Webster and Kosei on the starboard side Koshin on port, being close enough that 12 Marines under Orderly Sergeant Abel Clegg were able to easily hit the enemy samurai with their rifles. This close encounter is where all casualties on the American side were sustained - with 5 killed and 7 wounded. The Wyoming itself received heavy damage during this encounter, receiving three broadsides from Kosei alone. However the Kosei got the worst of it and was effectively disabled, while the Koshin was hit with two rifled shells, and the Daniel Webster seriously damaged as well, but keeping up the fire regardless. The shore batteries began opening up on the Wyoming again, and the Kosei began an attempt to ram her. The Wyoming managed to swing around and fire on Kosei with her port battery, exploding her boiler and forcing her crew to abandon ship. While under fire from the shore batteries and the Daniel Webster, McDougal kept up fire on the Kosei until she was sunk, after which he engaged first the Daniel Webster and then the shore batteries, silencing both within a few minutes. After silencing all threats in the Strait the USS Wyoming sailed away with a smashed smokestack and missing a mast after having been hulled 11 times, but ultimately coming out the victor.
This action however did not deter the daimyo Mori Takachika, and it took a combined assault of British, Dutch and French ships and marines on September 5th and 6th 1864 to end the Choshu Domain's policy of firing on foreign vessels.

As far as I'm aware these are the only true engagements the Confederacy and the Union had with foreign nations other than each other and Native Americans during the Civil War.
However, I'm probably missing something, and would be all ears to hear if that's the case.

Santos Benavides went on command at the Battle of Laredo, where 42 Confederates repelled 3 attacks by 200 Union soldiers, and also fought at the Battle of Palmito Ranch.
James Schenck commanded the USS Powhatan and the 3rd Division of Admiral David Dixon Porter's fleet at the Second Battle of Fort Fisher.
David McDougal spent the rest of the war looking for Confederate raiders, namely the CSS Florida.


Articles on these battles:
 
I've found a few obscure and very interesting examples of this that I really just want to share.
This doesn't include American Indian Wars such as the Colorado War.

The Second Cortina War - Confederates rout a Mexican militia
In May 1861 Juan Cortina, a Mexican outlaw who had previously waged war against the United States in '59 and '60, now aligned himself with the Union and invaded Zapata County, Texas and attacked Zapata itself.
His militia of Cortinistas was met by Confederate Captain Santos Benavides on May 22nd at the Battle of Carrizo, where at least 11 Cortinistas were killed with others captured with Juan Cortina and the rest being forced to flee back across the border. This ended the remarkably short Second Cortina War.

As far as I know, this is the only battle the Confederacy fought against a nation other than the Union during the Civil War.
The Union on the other hand not only had more, but some truly interesting ones; such as the first time the US battled the Vietnamese.

The Bombardment of Qui Nohn - The Union bombards Vietnam
In July 1861, during the French and Spanish Cochinchina Campaign, the American merchant ship Myrtle went missing. Flag Officer Frederick K. Engle ordered Commander James Schenck, commanding the steamer sloop USS Saginaw, to search the area before sailing East to join the West Gulf Blockading Squadron.
Commander Schenck arrived off Qui Nohn July 30th, and prepared to enter the harbor the following day at 1:00AM to ask the Vietnamese about the missing sailors. Upon entering the harbor on the 31st the USS Saginaw was fired upon by a Vietnamese fort to the North at a distance of 600 yards. The shot hit the water next to the ship, and the crew raised a white flag to show their friendly intentions. A second shot was fired, along with a third, both near misses as well.
Commander Schenck was enraged at this, and withdrew the Saginaw to 900 yards, where he had the crew lay fire on the fort with the ship's 32-pounder for about 20 minutes until a "dull, heavy report" shook the bay as the powder magazine of the fort detonated, silencing the guns. However the Vietnamese flag still flew, so Schenck continued the bombardment for about 30 minutes more until the fort was smoldering ruin.
The missing sailors were never found.

Battle of Shimonoseki Straits - The Union battles a Samurai Domain
In June 1863, after the Imperial "Order to expel barbarians", the Choshu Domain under daimyo Mori Takachika was following the order and going in excess of it; firing without warning on all foreign ships attempting to traverse the Shimonoseki Straits. The Choshu Domain used three ships presented to them by the United States for these actions: a barque Daniel Webster, a brig Kosei and a steamer Koshin.
On June 25, 1863 the merchant steamer Pembroke under Captain Simon Cooper was fired upon by two of these ships while riding anchor outside of Shimonoseki Strait. The samurai aboard taunted the merchant crew, shouting, "Revere the Emperor and drive out the barbarians!"
The Pembroke managed to escape under fire with minor damage and no casualties. The USS Wyoming under Commander David McDougal entered the Strait on July 16th, 1863 to retaliate for the attack on the Pembroke. Wyoming was fired upon by shore batteries, tearing through her rigging, and she raised her colors and replied with her 11-inch Dahlgrens. Up ahead lay the three former American ships in anchor, and McDougal determined them to be the more significant threat to deal with and gave the order to sail through the midst of them and take out the Koshin. The Wyoming passed between Daniel Webster and Kosei on the starboard side Koshin on port, being close enough that 12 Marines under Orderly Sergeant Abel Clegg were able to easily hit the enemy samurai with their rifles. This close encounter is where all casualties on the American side were sustained - with 5 killed and 7 wounded. The Wyoming itself received heavy damage during this encounter, receiving three broadsides from Kosei alone. However the Kosei got the worst of it and was effectively disabled, while the Koshin was hit with two rifled shells, and the Daniel Webster seriously damaged as well, but keeping up the fire regardless. The shore batteries began opening up on the Wyoming again, and the Kosei began an attempt to ram her. The Wyoming managed to swing around and fire on Kosei with her port battery, exploding her boiler and forcing her crew to abandon ship. While under fire from the shore batteries and the Daniel Webster, McDougal kept up fire on the Kosei until she was sunk, after which he engaged first the Daniel Webster and then the shore batteries, silencing both within a few minutes. After silencing all threats in the Strait the USS Wyoming sailed away with a smashed smokestack and missing a mast after having been hulled 11 times, but ultimately coming out the victor.
This action however did not deter the daimyo Mori Takachika, and it took a combined assault of British, Dutch and French ships and marines on September 5th and 6th 1864 to end the Choshu Domain's policy of firing on foreign vessels.

As far as I'm aware these are the only true engagements the Confederacy and the Union had with foreign nations other than each other and Native Americans during the Civil War.
However, I'm probably missing something, and would be all ears to hear if that's the case.

Santos Benavides went on command at the Battle of Laredo, where 42 Confederates repelled 3 attacks by 200 Union soldiers, and also fought at the Battle of Palmito Ranch.
James Schenck commanded the USS Powhatan and the 3rd Division of Admiral David Dixon Porter's fleet at the Second Battle of Fort Fisher.
David McDougal spent the rest of the war looking for Confederate raiders, namely the CSS Florida.


Articles on these battles:
I forgot the year but the USS Waachusett entered the Port of Bahia, Brazil and fired on and captured the CSS Florida and towed the CSS Florida all the way to a prize court.
Remarkably the Brazilian cannon crews at the local fort could not hit the USS Waachusett or the CSS Florida.
Since the Confederacy had belligerent status it was an absolute violation of international law for the USS Waachusett to enter the Port if Bahia and engage in hostilities.
Has far has I know no court martial was ordered for the Captain of the USS Waachusett.
@Mark F. Jenkins might have more details. There is a Wiki Article on the USS Waachusett.
Leftyhunter
 
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I've found a few obscure and very interesting examples of this that I really just want to share.
This doesn't include American Indian Wars such as the Colorado War.

The Second Cortina War - Confederates rout a Mexican militia
In May 1861 Juan Cortina, a Mexican outlaw who had previously waged war against the United States in '59 and '60, now aligned himself with the Union and invaded Zapata County, Texas and attacked Zapata itself.
His militia of Cortinistas was met by Confederate Captain Santos Benavides on May 22nd at the Battle of Carrizo, where at least 11 Cortinistas were killed with others captured with Juan Cortina and the rest being forced to flee back across the border. This ended the remarkably short Second Cortina War.

As far as I know, this is the only battle the Confederacy fought against a nation other than the Union during the Civil War.
The Union on the other hand not only had more, but some truly interesting ones; such as the first time the US battled the Vietnamese.

The Bombardment of Qui Nohn - The Union bombards Vietnam
In July 1861, during the French and Spanish Cochinchina Campaign, the American merchant ship Myrtle went missing. Flag Officer Frederick K. Engle ordered Commander James Schenck, commanding the steamer sloop USS Saginaw, to search the area before sailing East to join the West Gulf Blockading Squadron.
Commander Schenck arrived off Qui Nohn July 30th, and prepared to enter the harbor the following day at 1:00AM to ask the Vietnamese about the missing sailors. Upon entering the harbor on the 31st the USS Saginaw was fired upon by a Vietnamese fort to the North at a distance of 600 yards. The shot hit the water next to the ship, and the crew raised a white flag to show their friendly intentions. A second shot was fired, along with a third, both near misses as well.
Commander Schenck was enraged at this, and withdrew the Saginaw to 900 yards, where he had the crew lay fire on the fort with the ship's 32-pounder for about 20 minutes until a "dull, heavy report" shook the bay as the powder magazine of the fort detonated, silencing the guns. However the Vietnamese flag still flew, so Schenck continued the bombardment for about 30 minutes more until the fort was smoldering ruin.
The missing sailors were never found.

Battle of Shimonoseki Straits - The Union battles a Samurai Domain
In June 1863, after the Imperial "Order to expel barbarians", the Choshu Domain under daimyo Mori Takachika was following the order and going in excess of it; firing without warning on all foreign ships attempting to traverse the Shimonoseki Straits. The Choshu Domain used three ships presented to them by the United States for these actions: a barque Daniel Webster, a brig Kosei and a steamer Koshin.
On June 25, 1863 the merchant steamer Pembroke under Captain Simon Cooper was fired upon by two of these ships while riding anchor outside of Shimonoseki Strait. The samurai aboard taunted the merchant crew, shouting, "Revere the Emperor and drive out the barbarians!"
The Pembroke managed to escape under fire with minor damage and no casualties. The USS Wyoming under Commander David McDougal entered the Strait on July 16th, 1863 to retaliate for the attack on the Pembroke. Wyoming was fired upon by shore batteries, tearing through her rigging, and she raised her colors and replied with her 11-inch Dahlgrens. Up ahead lay the three former American ships in anchor, and McDougal determined them to be the more significant threat to deal with and gave the order to sail through the midst of them and take out the Koshin. The Wyoming passed between Daniel Webster and Kosei on the starboard side Koshin on port, being close enough that 12 Marines under Orderly Sergeant Abel Clegg were able to easily hit the enemy samurai with their rifles. This close encounter is where all casualties on the American side were sustained - with 5 killed and 7 wounded. The Wyoming itself received heavy damage during this encounter, receiving three broadsides from Kosei alone. However the Kosei got the worst of it and was effectively disabled, while the Koshin was hit with two rifled shells, and the Daniel Webster seriously damaged as well, but keeping up the fire regardless. The shore batteries began opening up on the Wyoming again, and the Kosei began an attempt to ram her. The Wyoming managed to swing around and fire on Kosei with her port battery, exploding her boiler and forcing her crew to abandon ship. While under fire from the shore batteries and the Daniel Webster, McDougal kept up fire on the Kosei until she was sunk, after which he engaged first the Daniel Webster and then the shore batteries, silencing both within a few minutes. After silencing all threats in the Strait the USS Wyoming sailed away with a smashed smokestack and missing a mast after having been hulled 11 times, but ultimately coming out the victor.
This action however did not deter the daimyo Mori Takachika, and it took a combined assault of British, Dutch and French ships and marines on September 5th and 6th 1864 to end the Choshu Domain's policy of firing on foreign vessels.

As far as I'm aware these are the only true engagements the Confederacy and the Union had with foreign nations other than each other and Native Americans during the Civil War.
However, I'm probably missing something, and would be all ears to hear if that's the case.

Santos Benavides went on command at the Battle of Laredo, where 42 Confederates repelled 3 attacks by 200 Union soldiers, and also fought at the Battle of Palmito Ranch.
James Schenck commanded the USS Powhatan and the 3rd Division of Admiral David Dixon Porter's fleet at the Second Battle of Fort Fisher.
David McDougal spent the rest of the war looking for Confederate raiders, namely the CSS Florida.


Articles on these battles:
Of course the Trent Affair early in the ACW was certainly the best known and egregious examples of the USN violating international law.
We have at least several threads on that subject.
Leftyhunter
 
I had to do a double take when I saw the "Union bombards Vietnam."
Who knew?
The Confederates were out in Vietnam as well !
36893158-1C8F-477E-A538-8CDD5389775A.jpeg
 
The "Second Cortina War" is nonsense. It was US Ambassador Corwin of Amendment fame starting the Civil War on schedule. Captain Ochoa crossed the Rio Grande on April 11 as advance scout for Cortina and declared for "Abe Lincoln the Rail Splitter" and demanded news his presence be forwarded to Washington. He threatened Judge Vella for swearing alligance to the CSA. Leonard Pierce Jr was Corwin's agent in Matamoros. Cortina invaded at the behest of Lincoln. The Reform War had ended in December 1860 which inspired the "First Cortina War."
Obviously the Union War Dept expected to be at War by the 10th, but the Fox Flotilla was delayed by Storm as the Pensacola Blockading fleet had been dispersed by it. Corwin did not know of the delay and jumped the gun. It didn't really matter because Barlow controlled the Press and sensationalized Sumter why censoring Zapata County Texas story.
 
Respectfully, no, the Second Cortina War was real enough. With the secession of Texas and many men going into the army, there was a recrudescence of hostile Indian attacks and raiding on the frontier--primarily by Nermernuh/Comanche and Kiowa--and Juan Nepomuceno Cortina granted "patente de corso" or land "letters of marque" for rustlers to go and take cattle and drive them south across the Río Grande at the same time that beeves were much in need by the CSA. There was rampant cotton smuggling from Texas through Matamoros and Baghdad at the river's mouth. The Union sought to extend "Anaconda" and cut off commerce, with attempts to curtail shipping from ports along the Texas coast. There was war in Mexico between Juáristas and Mexican Conservatives long after the "War of the Reform" and against French, Austrian, and even Belgian contingents of Imperialist troops. Lawlessness and simple brigandage was rampant. Small wonder that the Texas Confederate government authorized the formation of "Texas State troops" and companies to remain behind, while a number of communities established so-called "vigilance committees." There was fighting on both sides of the Río Bravo, and plenty of opportunities for the machinations and schemes of people like Cortina. The highest-ranking Tejano Confederate officer, Santos Benavides, attempted to control the unsettled frontier for the Confederate state government.

As the U.S. Civil War began to increasingly look like an ultimate Union victory, the Lincoln administration began to let the France of Napoleon III know that it took a dim view of the attempt to create a proxy state in Mexico, and that the hiatus in the Monroe Doctrine's enforcement might one day end. Fortuitously, the post-Reforma Mexican armed forces had attempted to standardize on the British P-53 Enfield rifle, so stores of ex-Confederate rifle muskets could be fairly openly handed over to the adherents of Juárez. When the Civil War finally ended in Texas between May and June 1865, relatively large numbers of Union troops--including USCT thought erroneously to be "immune" to yellow fever/"el vómito negro"--re-garrisoned the vacated forts in South Texas.
 
I'm not sure about Palmito Ranch just outside Brownsville. As most people probably know, this was the last battle, fought long after Appomattox and Bentonville and the surrenders of the CSA in the "Old South." Rip Ford, buried in the Confederate cemetery in San Antonio, led the rebels who defeated the Union attempt to regain control of Brownsville. The last soldier killed was a lad from Indiana, John J. Williams of the 34th Indiana Volunteer Infantry--including Lew Wallace's old outfit unless I'm mistaken? Jerry Thompson at A&M International in Laredo would doubtless have a lot of research on it. Most attribute the battle to a 19th-century belief in personal honor, sort of a duel fought with larger groups of men. On the other hand, there are conspiracy theories that one or another lucrative smuggling scheme had to be defended until the transactions were concluded?

Before the U.S. Civil War, none other than Robert E. Lee had traveled along the line of forts and visited various counterparts across the Río Grande to politely but firmly communicate with counterparts in the Ejército Mexicano on the need to halt depredations along the border.
Certainly by the end of the Civil War, Napoleon III abandoned Maxmilian I and the Second Mexican Empire to its fate. There were any number of reasons for doing so, of course.

I"ve read the memoirs of Bowman Hendry M'Calla, who was in the Naval academy during the war, and the U.S. Navy when the war was coming to an end. He described how the crew modified his ship's rigging and so on for the national mourning after news of Lincoln's assassination. His was part of the squadron that finally found the Bordeaux-built CSS Stonewall iron clad ram abandoned by her crew in Havana harbor. Taking delivery of the vessel necessitated negotiations between Spaniards and Americans in the "ever faithful isle" of Cuba. Ultimately the ship became a Japanese "Kotetsu" or "Azuma." Havana must have been filled with intrigue what with all the blockade runners and friendly visits by victualling U.S. navy blockaders, no? Bermuda and the Bahamas too, no doubt.
 
There was an incident at Lisbon when the USN warships Niagara and Sacramento followed CSS Stonewall into the Tagus. That was allowable under the rules of neutrality, but if one belligerent ship left, the other side had to wait 24 hours before pursuing. When Stonewall steamed out to sea, the Union ships started to get underway, and a fort fired several shots to "remind" them of the 24-hour rule. No damage was done, the Portuguese were properly enforcing the law, and there were no further consequences. Some more discussion in this thread:

 
Respectfully, no, the Second Cortina War was real enough. With the secession of Texas and many men going into the army, there was a recrudescence of hostile Indian attacks and raiding on the frontier--primarily by Nermernuh/Comanche and Kiowa--and Juan Nepomuceno Cortina granted "patente de corso" or land "letters of marque" for rustlers to go and take cattle and drive them south across the Río Grande at the same time that beeves were much in need by the CSA. There was rampant cotton smuggling from Texas through Matamoros and Baghdad at the river's mouth. The Union sought to extend "Anaconda" and cut off commerce, with attempts to curtail shipping from ports along the Texas coast. There was war in Mexico between Juáristas and Mexican Conservatives long after the "War of the Reform" and against French, Austrian, and even Belgian contingents of Imperialist troops. Lawlessness and simple brigandage was rampant. Small wonder that the Texas Confederate government authorized the formation of "Texas State troops" and companies to remain behind, while a number of communities established so-called "vigilance committees." There was fighting on both sides of the Río Bravo, and plenty of opportunities for the machinations and schemes of people like Cortina. The highest-ranking Tejano Confederate officer, Santos Benavides, attempted to control the unsettled frontier for the Confederate state government.

As the U.S. Civil War began to increasingly look like an ultimate Union victory, the Lincoln administration began to let the France of Napoleon III know that it took a dim view of the attempt to create a proxy state in Mexico, and that the hiatus in the Monroe Doctrine's enforcement might one day end. Fortuitously, the post-Reforma Mexican armed forces had attempted to standardize on the British P-53 Enfield rifle, so stores of ex-Confederate rifle muskets could be fairly openly handed over to the adherents of Juárez. When the Civil War finally ended in Texas between May and June 1865, relatively large numbers of Union troops--including USCT thought erroneously to be "immune" to yellow fever/"el vómito negro"--re-garrisoned the vacated forts in South Texas.
I The "Second Cortina War" was instigated by Corwin through Leonard Pierce Jr. Smuggling or legal trade with Nuevo Leon? 20% of CSA supply came across the River. As Massachusetts Mills starved for cotton Massachusetts Politicians demanded Texas cotton. Atkinson demanded Texas cotton lands in anticipation of Banks victory in the Rio Grande Campaign, when Lincoln asked how the Contraband could be made to cooperate, Atkinson replied, "They will be allowed to starve, thus ending the negro problem, but still we must have cotton." Which really goes to the heart of the motivation for the Northern invasion, generally.
 
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Weren't there several French canoneers (or was it French cannons?) fighting along side the Confederate troops at Palmito Ranch?
Yes. It was at least the third battle at Palmito Ranch. General Mejia offered to defend Brownsville long after Lee's surrender. The Civil War in Texas did not end until August 1866.
 
I The "Second Cortina War" was instigated by Corwin through Leonard Pierce Jr. Smuggling or legal trade with Nuevo Leon? 20% of CSA supply came across the River. As Massachusetts Mills starved for cotton Massachusetts Politicians demanded Texas cotton. Atkinson demanded Texas cotton lands in anticipation of Banks victory in the Rio Grande Campaign, when Lincoln asked how the Contraband could be made to cooperate, Atkinson replied, "They will be allowed to starve, thus ending the negro problem, but still we must have cotton." Which really goes to the heart of the motivation for the Northern invasion, generally.
I'm missing or overlooking something, who is Atkinson?
 
Charles Stillman provided Texas cotton in Mexican-flagged ships to merchants and brokers in the UK, and New York, the latter in turn supplied it to Massachusetts mills... Stillman made something like the equivalent of 16 bn dollars from the trade.
 
I'm missing or overlooking something, who is Atkinson?
Edward Atkinson, Massachusettes Mill Industrialist Cabal leader, and backer of the nation's first Professional Politician Nathaniel Banks who was ranking field general until March 64, by virtue of his commitment to getting "White Gold," for his sponsors, not his military ability, which were negligible.
 
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