Confederate Privateers.....

[5fish]

Did you ever wonder what the difference between a out right Pirate and a Privateer? In truth, it comes down to what is called "Letter of Marque and Reprisal" given out by governments. Our civil war as the distinction of being the last major war where a government turned to pirating to fight a war. These Letters work for a short time but the union blockade made them ineffective along with poor profit margins....

Here is a Privateer that had a good day end badly on the next day...

Privateer Savannah

Expired Image Removed
The Confederate States privateer Savannah


First to leave Charleston Harbor, on 2 June 1861, was the privateer Savannah. Her second day at sea, she captured brig Joseph, and thereby became the first Charleston privateer to take a prize in the war. Later the same day, she chased another sail, but discovered too late that it was USS Perry, an armed brig. After a brief running gun battle, Captain Harrison Baker of Savannah surrendered his lightly armed ship. He and his men were put in irons and were taken to New York, where they were imprisoned and tried for piracy (see below).http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Confederate_privateer#cite_note-13


Here are some links.....

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Confederate_privateer

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Letter_of_marque

Here is a copy or two of the Confederate "Letter of Marque and Reprisals"

http://www.civilwarhome.com/lettersofmarque.htm

http://www.piratedocuments.com/Letters of Marque/confederate_states_1861.htm


It looks like the civil war for privateers marks their final days of roaming the seas.....

 

[5fish]

Here some items on the Jefferson Davis assumed to be the last great privateer....

http://www.history.navy.mil/photos/sh-us-cs/csa-sh/csash-hl/jefn-dvs.htm

http://www.history.navy.mil/DANFS/cfa5/jefferson_davis.htm

Here the museum in St. Augustine has a blog on the Jefferson Davis...

http://www.staugustinelighthouse.com/lamp_search_jeff_davis.php

Here is a list of the crew of the Jefferson Davis, one member went on to be on the crew of the C.S.S. H. L. Hunley. He survivied a Hurricane but not the wake of a union ship...

http://www.tfoenander.com/jeffdavis.htm

 

[5fish]

Here some items on the Jefferson Davis assumed to be the last great privateer....

http://www.history.navy.mil/photos/sh-us-cs/csa-sh/csash-hl/jefn-dvs.htm

http://www.history.navy.mil/DANFS/cfa5/jefferson_davis.htm

Here the museum in St. Augustine has a blog on the Jefferson Davis...

http://www.staugustinelighthouse.com/lamp_search_jeff_davis.php

Here is a list of the crew of the Jefferson Davis, one member went on to be on the crew of the C.S.S. H. L. Hunley. He survivied a Hurricane but but the wake of a union ship...

http://www.tfoenander.com/jeffdavis.htm

 

[Mike Werner]

There weren't the number of privateers in the Civil War that I would have expected. I seem to recall reading somewhere that the limited number may have been a result of the Confederate government attempting to gain support of those countries that had signed the 1856 Declaration of Paris, in which privateering was internationally banned. Anybody know the circumstances?

 

[5fish]

There weren't the number of privateers in the Civil War that I would have expected. I seem to recall reading somewhere that the limited number may have been a result of the Confederate government attempting to gain support of those countries that had signed the 1856 Declaration of Paris, in which privateering was internationally banned. Anybody know the circumstances?

The Unites States did not sign on to the 1856 Declaration of Paris. I could not find anywhere yet if it had any effect on the privateers in our civil war. It seems the Union Blockade and limited profits is what cause there to be a limited number of privateers..The Age of privateers seems to have ended on a whimper...


A link...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paris_Declaration_Respecting_Maritime_Law

 

[ole]

It was probably a mistake to try privateers as pirates, but the distinction between the two is slim indeed. The landlocked version might be the partisan and the bushwhacker.

 

[Mike Werner]

Since the two countries the Confederate government was hoping would assist it were the two originators and primary signatories to the Declaration, I would think the Confederate government would have hesitated when deciding to allow privateering. If not, perhaps the risk was lower and profit higher in blockade running....

 

[5fish]

Since the two countries the Confederate government was hoping would assist it were the two originators and primary signatories to the Declaration, I would think the Confederate government would have hesitated when deciding to allow privateering. If not, perhaps the risk was lower and profit higher in blockade running....

I think your last line summation about the risk and rewards of the period is correct..I do not think the Confederacy's attempts at privateers was ever an issue with her European supporters for the privateers were few and ineffective. The Confederacy did move quickly into commission raiders which seem to be a more effective way to attack union commerce but even there only a few raiders seemed to cause havoc with union shipping.

.

 

[leftyhunter]

Did you ever wonder what the difference between a out right Pirate and a Privateer? In truth, it comes down to what is called "Letter of Marque and Reprisal" given out by governments. Our civil war as the distinction of being the last major war where a government turned to pirating to fight a war. These Letters work for a short time but the union blockade made them ineffective along with poor profit margins....

Here is a Privateer that had a good day end badly on the next day...

Privateer Savannah

View attachment 268687 Expired Image Removed
The Confederate States privateer Savannah


First to leave Charleston Harbor, on 2 June 1861, was the privateer Savannah. Her second day at sea, she captured brig Joseph, and thereby became the first Charleston privateer to take a prize in the war. Later the same day, she chased another sail, but discovered too late that it was USS Perry, an armed brig. After a brief running gun battle, Captain Harrison Baker of Savannah surrendered his lightly armed ship. He and his men were put in irons and were taken to New York, where they were imprisoned and tried for piracy (see below).http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Confederate_privateer#cite_note-13


Here are some links.....

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Confederate_privateer

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Letter_of_marque

Here is a copy or two of the Confederate "Letter of Marque and Reprisals"

http://www.civilwarhome.com/lettersofmarque.htm

http://www.piratedocuments.com/Letters of Marque/confederate_states_1861.htm


It looks like the civil war for privateers marks their final days of roaming the seas.....

 

[leftyhunter]

@MikeyB
This thread has lots of good information about Confederate privateers.
Leftyhunter

 

[RoadDog]

It is funny that New Englanders hated Confederate privateers when they thought privateering be the life during the War of 1812.

 

[leftyhunter]

It is funny that New Englanders hated Confederate privateers when they thought privateering be the life during the War of 1812.

One man's privateers is another man's pirate's.
Leftyhunter

 

[Carronade]

It is funny that New Englanders hated Confederate privateers when they thought privateering be the life during the War of 1812.

Always the way. The US declined to join the European powers in the 1856 treaty which outlawed privateering, since it had been a major tactic of ours in the Revolution and 1812. In 1861 we suddenly announced that we would adhere to the treaty.