THE SHENANDOAH
*
Of all the Clyde-built ships, the story of the
SHENANDOAH is the strangest of all.
*
Take me back to the CLYDE BUILT page please.
*
*
Take me back to the INDEX page please.
Take me back
She was built by Alexander Stephen & Sons at Kelvinhaugh Shipyard which was more renowned for building smaller vessels. The 1200 tonne ship, with a length of 220ft, was designed by famous Scottish naval architect John Rennie.
The clipper, originally named SEA KING, was built specifically for the China tea run and was launched in 1863 at the height of the American Civil War.
The US federal government wanted her but the British government used her instead as a troop carrier for the first Maori war.
From there she went to China but on her return her passenger list mysteriously included a Confederate naval officer. In 1864 she left Britain again, this time supposedly headed for India but, unknown to the British government, a deal had been made with the Confederates.
In the Atlantic she was loaded with weapons and was put under the command of James I Waddell.... and then renamed Shenandoah.
Along with other vessels such as the Liverpool-built Florida and Alabama, she went to war with the Federal merchant navy. The Shenandoah destroyed or captured 38 vessels, although several of these successes occurred after the Confederate army had been defeated, a fact which was unknown to Waddell at the time.
Captured by the British, she sailed to Liverpool and was handed over to the US government.
