Stiles/Akin
Sergeant Major
- Joined
- Apr 1, 2016
- Location
- Atlanta, Georgia
How a British Blockade Runner Armed the Georgia Brigade and the 38th Georgia Regiment.
Confederate agent in London James D. Bulloch received a dispatch from Richmond in the summer of 1861 stating that the Confederacy needed to outfit 500,000 new forces. and that agents in England were to purchase the arms and supplies.
On 2nd September 1861, along with another Confederate agent in Liverpool, Edward G. Anderson of the Confederate States Army, it was decided to buy a vessel to transport arms, munitions and supplies to the Confederacy. By 11th September Bulloch had secured the 800-ton steamer Fingal, an iron-hulled screw steamer, to run the blockade. The cargo on board had a value of $250,000, and clandestine measures were taken to obscure the Fingal's true ownership, mission and cargo. Loaded with more than 11,000 rifles, as well as pistols swords, sabres, ammunition, four cannon, seven tons of shell, leather, medicines and clothing, blankets and more. Civilian second officer on the Fingal was Bulloch`s trusted friend and assistant John Low. Bulloch sailed with the Fingal.
The ship quietly slipped out of Greenock on the night of October 11th 1861. Running short of water on the journey, it was decided to call in at Terceira, in the Azores. There Bulloch discovered an isolated harbor.
The Fingal reached the Bermuda on November 2nd, and took on the Savannah pilot, Mr. Macon, fresh from the CSS Nashville. It was not until the ship left Bermuda on November 7 that her crew were informed of their destination, gamely they agreed to defend the ship, if necessary against blockaders. Favored by a thick fog that helped to hide her, she crept towards her destination. As the fog lifted, with Confederate flag flying high, she made a dash for Savannah, only to wind up on an oyster bank. With help from some Georgia vessels, she was soon clear, and in Savannah harbor on November 14.1861.
The ship's arrival gave the Fingal the distinction of having brought into the Confederacy the largest, single- trip delivery composed entirely of naval and military material.
Bulloch repaired to Richmond for a long conference with Stephen Mallory, where Bullochs future plans were formulated. Mallory promoted Bulloch to Commander, and John low to to a Master in the Confederate Navy, effective Jan. 17th 1862. Reloaded with Confederate cotton, the CSS Fingal was kept inland by the constant presence of Union blockaders. She was eventually converted into an ironclad and renamed the CSS Atlanta,
Many of the Confederate regiments were unarmed. The 38th Georgia Regiment, then know as "Wright's Legion" arrived in Savannah, Georgia in late October, 1861. They went as far as to send their soldiers home to gather any old muskets, rifles, and shotguns to arm the regiment. Excerpt from my book, "Hurrah for Georgia! The History of the 38th Georgia Regiment."
Wright's Legion was drilled every day at Camp Kirkpatrick, near Atlanta, learning to march and practicing the maneuvers required of an infantry regiment in company and regimental formations, plus participating in dress parades. They were ordered to report to Savannah, Georgia in October of 1861.
Captain Hanleiter wrote of the events leading up to the regiment's departure for Savannah, "Whilst awaiting our equipments and arms and receiving and entertaining visitors, at our luxurious camp near Decatur and enjoying ourselves only as newly fledged soldiers can with the 'blare of infantry and roar of cannon' a long way off, we very unexpectedly, late one fine October afternoon, received orders to cook up three days' rations and be prepared to take a train that would be ready early next morning for Richmond!
Our camp was crowded with the wives, sweethearts and friends of the officers and men and all had been as joyous as if at a Mayday picnic. But soon after the promulgation of the order, which was understood to be imperative, the men began to 'hustle,' the women and girls hastily departed in anguish of heart and tears. However, by nine o'clock that night everything necessary for the 'onward movement' was cooked, packed and ready. About an hour later, greatly to our joy, another order was received; changing our destination to our own loved Savannah.''
By nine o'clock the following morning the train, consisting of box and cattle cars, backed down from Atlanta and we embarked. We were detained at Atlanta until about 2 p.m. and reached Savannah on Sunday morning soon after day-break, after the coldest and most fatiguing ride we ever experienced."
By nine o'clock the following morning the train, consisting of box and cattle cars, backed down from Atlanta and we embarked. We were detained at Atlanta until about 2 p.m. and reached Savannah on Sunday morning soon after day-break, after the coldest and most fatiguing ride we ever experienced."
"The Legion was marched out to a point about five and a half miles on the Skidaway Island Shell Road and camped…the camp being named Camp Bartow…doing duty as the emergency seemed to demand on Skidaway Island …and various other localities around and in the city." 1 The regiment was still unarmed and the Tom Cobb Infantry was, "allowed the privilege of returning home for three days, to gather up all the arms we could. On our return….the order met us to lay by our old rifles and shot guns, as the 'Fingal' has arrived in Savannah and her cargo consisted mainly of Enfield rifles and other arms and equipment."
The Fingal was an 800-ton blockade-runner, sea steamer, purchased by the Confederate government and contracted to transport war supplies to the Southern states. The Fingal slipped into Savannah harbor on November 14th, 1861, with over 13,000 Enfield Rifles, accouterments and other much needed war supplies. On November 19th, 1861, the eight infantry companies were issued, "Enfield Rifles—a magnificent gun with sabre bayonet and a liberal supply of cartridges from Europe." The men were also issued a knapsack, haversack, cross and circular belts, cartridge box, cap pouch. These articles were also manufactured in London and brought over on the "Fingal."
"One thousand rounds of ball cartridges and caps were issued to each Captain with instructions to issue them at the slightest alarm." The two artillery companies remained unarmed, but agreed to be temporarily armed as infantry companies and were issued arms and equipment on November 22nd.
Confederate agent in London James D. Bulloch received a dispatch from Richmond in the summer of 1861 stating that the Confederacy needed to outfit 500,000 new forces. and that agents in England were to purchase the arms and supplies.
On 2nd September 1861, along with another Confederate agent in Liverpool, Edward G. Anderson of the Confederate States Army, it was decided to buy a vessel to transport arms, munitions and supplies to the Confederacy. By 11th September Bulloch had secured the 800-ton steamer Fingal, an iron-hulled screw steamer, to run the blockade. The cargo on board had a value of $250,000, and clandestine measures were taken to obscure the Fingal's true ownership, mission and cargo. Loaded with more than 11,000 rifles, as well as pistols swords, sabres, ammunition, four cannon, seven tons of shell, leather, medicines and clothing, blankets and more. Civilian second officer on the Fingal was Bulloch`s trusted friend and assistant John Low. Bulloch sailed with the Fingal.
The ship quietly slipped out of Greenock on the night of October 11th 1861. Running short of water on the journey, it was decided to call in at Terceira, in the Azores. There Bulloch discovered an isolated harbor.
The Fingal reached the Bermuda on November 2nd, and took on the Savannah pilot, Mr. Macon, fresh from the CSS Nashville. It was not until the ship left Bermuda on November 7 that her crew were informed of their destination, gamely they agreed to defend the ship, if necessary against blockaders. Favored by a thick fog that helped to hide her, she crept towards her destination. As the fog lifted, with Confederate flag flying high, she made a dash for Savannah, only to wind up on an oyster bank. With help from some Georgia vessels, she was soon clear, and in Savannah harbor on November 14.1861.
The ship's arrival gave the Fingal the distinction of having brought into the Confederacy the largest, single- trip delivery composed entirely of naval and military material.
Bulloch repaired to Richmond for a long conference with Stephen Mallory, where Bullochs future plans were formulated. Mallory promoted Bulloch to Commander, and John low to to a Master in the Confederate Navy, effective Jan. 17th 1862. Reloaded with Confederate cotton, the CSS Fingal was kept inland by the constant presence of Union blockaders. She was eventually converted into an ironclad and renamed the CSS Atlanta,
Many of the Confederate regiments were unarmed. The 38th Georgia Regiment, then know as "Wright's Legion" arrived in Savannah, Georgia in late October, 1861. They went as far as to send their soldiers home to gather any old muskets, rifles, and shotguns to arm the regiment. Excerpt from my book, "Hurrah for Georgia! The History of the 38th Georgia Regiment."
Wright's Legion was drilled every day at Camp Kirkpatrick, near Atlanta, learning to march and practicing the maneuvers required of an infantry regiment in company and regimental formations, plus participating in dress parades. They were ordered to report to Savannah, Georgia in October of 1861.
Captain Hanleiter wrote of the events leading up to the regiment's departure for Savannah, "Whilst awaiting our equipments and arms and receiving and entertaining visitors, at our luxurious camp near Decatur and enjoying ourselves only as newly fledged soldiers can with the 'blare of infantry and roar of cannon' a long way off, we very unexpectedly, late one fine October afternoon, received orders to cook up three days' rations and be prepared to take a train that would be ready early next morning for Richmond!
Our camp was crowded with the wives, sweethearts and friends of the officers and men and all had been as joyous as if at a Mayday picnic. But soon after the promulgation of the order, which was understood to be imperative, the men began to 'hustle,' the women and girls hastily departed in anguish of heart and tears. However, by nine o'clock that night everything necessary for the 'onward movement' was cooked, packed and ready. About an hour later, greatly to our joy, another order was received; changing our destination to our own loved Savannah.''
By nine o'clock the following morning the train, consisting of box and cattle cars, backed down from Atlanta and we embarked. We were detained at Atlanta until about 2 p.m. and reached Savannah on Sunday morning soon after day-break, after the coldest and most fatiguing ride we ever experienced."
By nine o'clock the following morning the train, consisting of box and cattle cars, backed down from Atlanta and we embarked. We were detained at Atlanta until about 2 p.m. and reached Savannah on Sunday morning soon after day-break, after the coldest and most fatiguing ride we ever experienced."
"The Legion was marched out to a point about five and a half miles on the Skidaway Island Shell Road and camped…the camp being named Camp Bartow…doing duty as the emergency seemed to demand on Skidaway Island …and various other localities around and in the city." 1 The regiment was still unarmed and the Tom Cobb Infantry was, "allowed the privilege of returning home for three days, to gather up all the arms we could. On our return….the order met us to lay by our old rifles and shot guns, as the 'Fingal' has arrived in Savannah and her cargo consisted mainly of Enfield rifles and other arms and equipment."
The Fingal was an 800-ton blockade-runner, sea steamer, purchased by the Confederate government and contracted to transport war supplies to the Southern states. The Fingal slipped into Savannah harbor on November 14th, 1861, with over 13,000 Enfield Rifles, accouterments and other much needed war supplies. On November 19th, 1861, the eight infantry companies were issued, "Enfield Rifles—a magnificent gun with sabre bayonet and a liberal supply of cartridges from Europe." The men were also issued a knapsack, haversack, cross and circular belts, cartridge box, cap pouch. These articles were also manufactured in London and brought over on the "Fingal."
"One thousand rounds of ball cartridges and caps were issued to each Captain with instructions to issue them at the slightest alarm." The two artillery companies remained unarmed, but agreed to be temporarily armed as infantry companies and were issued arms and equipment on November 22nd.
Bringing the