View source for CSS Owl

{{Short description|American Civil War vessel}}
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| Ship image = 21-18-172-owl.jpg
| Ship caption = CSS ''Owl''.
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| Ship country = Confederate States
| Ship flag = {{shipboxflag|Confederate States of America|naval}}
| Ship name = ''Owl''
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| Ship launched = June 21, 1864
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| Ship decommissioned = 1865
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| Ship fate = Delivered to British agents in Liverpool
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| Ship displacement = 771 tons
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| Ship propulsion = 180hp oscillating engines and feathering wheels by Laird Bros
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'''CSS''' '''''Owl''''' was a [[blockade runner]] in the [[Confederate States Navy]] during the [[American Civil War]]. It was built by Jones Quiggen, a ship builder in Liverpool, England and launched on June 21, 1864.

''Owl'', sister to [[USS Bat|CSS ''Bat'']], was more fortunate than her twin which followed her closely. ''Owl'' succeeded in running into [[Wilmington, North Carolina]] sometime in September 1864, although [[United States]] [[Consul (representative)|Consul]] [[Mortimer Melville Jackson]] telegraphed [[Washington, D.C.]] that ''Owl'' had "a large, valuable cargo" cleared August 31&mdash;officially for [[Nassau, Bahamas]]. She escaped to sea from Wilmington on October 3; her masts were visible all the while she lay in port loading. The [[blockade]]rs wounded her captain and several crewmen, but 9 shots failed to stop ''Owl''.

She was now commanded by [[Commander]] [[John Newland Maffitt (1819-1886)|John Newland Maffitt]], CSN&mdash;the "Prince of Privateers"&mdash;detached from [[CSS Albemarle|CSS ''Albemarle'']] at [[Plymouth, North Carolina]] on or about September 9. Confederate Navy Secretary [[Stephen Mallory]], telegraphing on September 19, warned Maffitt: "It is of the first importance that our steamers should not fall into the enemy's hands… these vessels, lightly armed, now constitute the fleetest and most efficient part of his blockading force off Wilmington." Maffitt was to take no passengers, as a rule, and Assistant Paymaster [[Adam Tredwell]], CSN, would deliver "5,000 [[Pound sterling|pounds]] in sterling bills before sailing," Mallory concluded.

''Owl'' was at [[Bermuda]] with cotton October 24&ndash;29, as the U.S. Consul faithfully reported. On December 5, Mallory instructed Maffitt to pick up [[CSS Florida (cruiser)|CSS ''Florida'']]'s men in Bermuda. A letter to Mallory captured, along with Assistant Paymaster Talley, CSN, by [[USS Forest Rose|USS ''Forest Rose'']] on May 7, 1865 bears an endorsement by her commander, [[Lieutenant]] [[A. N. Gould]], [[United States Navy|USN]]: "It shows that Maffitt has been landing on the Florida coast with the ''Owl''." U.S. Consul [[William Thomas Minor]] at [[Havana]], Cuba reported on May 20 that Maffitt was to leave there in a day or two for [[Galveston, Texas]]. On this 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, and grounded on [[Bird Island Shoals]] at the entrance within range of 16 enemy cruisers. [[Captain (naval)|Captain]] [[James H. MacGarvey]], CSN, in little [[CSS Diana|CSS ''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. in [[Liverpool]] after war's end, and Maffitt took the [[Board of Trade]] examinations to command [[United Kingdom|British]] merchant ships to [[South America]].

==References==
* {{DANFS}}

{{CSN blockade runners}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Owl}}
[[Category:Blockade runners of the Confederate States Navy]]
[[Category:Ships built on the River Mersey]]
[[Category:1864 ships]]