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NavSource Online: "Old Navy" Ship Photo Archive

CSS Owl

Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons

Civil War Campaign Medal

Owl class Sidewheel Steamer:

Built as a steel-hulled side wheel steamer in 1864 at Liverpool, England

Launched, date unknown

Purchased for the Confederate Government, date unknown

Fitted out as a blockade runner, CSS Owl succeeded in running into Wilmington, N.C., some time in September, 1864 with a large valuable cargo, cleared officially for Nassau

Owl escaped to sea from Wilmington, 3 October, Although Union blockaders succeeded in wounding her captain and several crewmen, 9 shots failed to stop Owl

Commanded by CDR. John Newland Maffitt, CSN-the "Prince of Privateers"-detached from CSS Ram Albemarle at Plymouth, N.C., on or about 9 September Owl was at Bermuda with cotton, 24-29 October, as the U.S. Consul faithfully reported

Maffitt had been instructed to pick up CSS Florida's men in Bermuda Official correspondence captured during the war indicates that Maffitt landed on the Florida coast with CSS Florida's men

Owl was reported by U.S. Consul W. T. Minor as being at Havana, 20 May 1865, and would sail in the next several days for Galveston, TX.

On her last trip Owl was almost captured at Wilmington by a Federal cruiser and had to jettison valuable mail as well as sustain 12 casualties; Maffitt then tried Galveston, grounded on Bird Island Shoals at the entrance within range of 16 enemy cruisers

CAPT. James H. MacGarvey, CSN, in Diana, got Owl off barely in time; she not only ran into port but ran out safely too

There is some evidence Owl's last two runs through the blockade were made under the name of Foam

Owl was delivered to Fraser, Trenholm & Co., Liverpool, England after war's end and Maffitt took the Board of Trade examinations to command British merchant ships to South America

Final Disposition, fate unknown

Specifications:
Displacement 771 t.
Length 230'
Beam 26'
Depth of Hold 9'6" or 10'9"
Draft 7'6"
Speed 14-16 kts
Complement 60

Armament unknown

Propulsion

boiler(s)

two oscillating steam engines 180hp

two Laird Bros. feathering sidewheels

Click On Image For Full Size Image	Size	Image Description		Contributed By
0986114801	101k	Details from a mural by Richard W. DeRosset, 4 July 2000, depicting CSS Owl underway, date and location unknown Creative Commons CC0, via Wikimedia Commons		John Spivey

Owl
Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships

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Last Updated 18 November 2022