Sea Wolf of the Confederacy: The Daring Civil War Raids of Naval Lt. Charles W. Read - Softcover

Shaw, David W

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1574092073 ISBN 13: 9781574092073

Publisher: Sheridan House, 2005

Synopsis

In June 1862, just days before the epic clash at Gettysburg, a small party of the Confederate Navy mounted a devastating series of raids on the New England coast. At the center of the conflict was the hotheaded young adventurer, Charles W. Read. Serving aboard the CSS FLORIDA off the coast of Brazil, Read hatched a daring plan to sail a captured brig directly into the Union's home waters and wreak havoc on their shipping lanes. Burning or capturing more than twenty merchant vessels in less than three weeks, Read's rampage caused widespread panic in Northern cities, and brought enormous pressure to "stop the rebel pirate." At one point there were nearly forty Union ships sent to hunt down Read in a cat-and-mouse chase that finally led to his dramatic capture off the coast of Maine.

About this title

About the Author

A journalist for nearly twenty years, David W. Shaw has written extensively about nineteenth-century American history in four of his previous books. His most recent is "America's Victory, " a riveting account of the world's most famous yacht race in 1851. Shaw's expertise as a sailor and his in-depth knowledge of the Civil War make him ideally suited to tell the story of Confederate raider Charles W. Read and his infamous voyage of 1863. Shaw has contributed articles to numerous publications, including "The New York Times, Sail, Entrepreneur, Cruising World, Woman's World, " and "New Jersey Monthly." He lives in New Jersey with his wife.

Synopsis

Documents the July 1863 ship-burning rampage led by Confederate navy lieutenant Charles W. Read in the weeks before the Battle of Gettysburg, tracing the efforts of Gideon Welles, U.S. navy secretary, to end the attacks and capture Read. 20,000 first printing.

About this edition

• Publisher: Sheridan House
• Publication date: 2005
• ISBN 10: 1574092073
• ISBN 13: 9781574092073
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 256