CSS Florida Catches the Big One

When CSS Florida  successfully made her break from Mobile, she headed towards Havana, where she captured one small vessel in the process.  A...

CSS Florida Escapes Out of Mobile Bay

CSS Florida during the height of her career. Image source: US Navy History and Heritage Command After being partially outfitted in the Baha...

CSS Florida's Mad Dash into Mobile

To say Confederate Lieutenant John Newland Maffitt had a tough decision to make would be an understatement.  After the  Florida's  relea...

Rear Admiral Wilkes and his Magical Flying Squadron

Steam sloop USS Wachusett In mid-1862, Secretary of the Navy Gideon Welles had a serious problem on his hands.  Intelligence indicated that ...

CSS Florida is Commissioned and Puts to Sea

In late July, Confederate Lieutenant John Newland Maffitt arrived in Nassau, Bahamas aboard one of his blockade runners.  Soon after arrivin...

First Naval Engagement at Mobile Bay

Mobile Bay and the City of Mobile, Alabama, are seldom written or talked about in Civil War Naval History except in connection with the famo...

New Images of USS Cumberland & CSS Florida Wrecks

USS Cumberland , starboard side USS Cumberland , bow looking forward CSS Florida , from top  CSS Florida , starboard side The Hampton Roads...

NOAA/Navy Archeological Survey (and the answer to WWTT?: Simms)

NOAA and Navy to conduct archaeological survey of two Civil War shipwrecks in Hampton Roads, Va. This is indeed very interesting news. The r...

John Newland Maffitt-Former U.S. Naval Officer, Confederate Commerce Raider, Always the Southern Gentleman

Private and government owned commerce raiders in the 18th century and 19th century often went out of their way to treat their victims with t...