Confederate Navy Service
During the American Civil War, agents for the Confederacy purchased Cornubia and took her over the Atlantic where she was officially renamed Lady Davis though by all accounts her old name Cornubia was also commonly used.
She proved to be a very good investment. Her speed, manoeuvrability and shallow draft making her an excellent blockade runner. She successfully avoided and outran Union forces on 22 occasions bringing vital supplies to the confederate army at Wilmington.
On her 23rd run on 8 November 1863, however luck ran out for Cornubia. She was pursued by Niphon and was forced to run up onto the beach at New Inlet. The ship's captain, Richard Gayle, the ship's carpenter and one seaman remained onboard and helped other crew and passengers to escape to shore.
Later that same day, James Adger arrived on the scene and on the rising tide towed the still-intact Cornubia free. She was then sent to Boston as a Prize together with the bags of waterlogged mail. The abandoned mail proved to be a vital aid to the Union, gaining an insight into the Confederacy plans and in particularly the role that British seamen were taking in blockade running.
Read more about this topic: USS Cornubia (1858)
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