Sea of Gray: The Around-the-World Odyssey of the Confederate Raider Shenandoah

"Just as war will have its heroes and its tragedies, so, inevitably, will it have its ironies," writes Tom Chaffin in Sea of Gray: The Around-the-World Odyssey of the Confederate Raider Shenandoah. The story of the Shenandoah is replete with adventure, sadness and irony and Chaffin tells all in this remarkable tale of the Confederate ship.

In Sea of Gray, Chaffin presents a complete history of the C.S.S. Shenandoah, the last of the Confederate commerce raiders and her 58,000-mile voyage around the world both during and after the Civil War. During this time, it sunk 32 Yankee merchant and whaling ships heavily laden with cargo, including brandy, rum, and whiskey effectively crippling the Union trade and thus its finances.

Over two months after General Robert E. Lee, commanding general of the Army of Northern Virginia, surrendered his men to Ulysses Grant, general-in-chief of all United States in 1865, the Shenandoah was still making war on the Union merchant marine with great success.

The biggerst irony is that the Shenandoah’s greatest conquests happened after the war had ended, and the cause dear to her sailors’ hearts simply did not exist even though they continued to fight for the confederacy. Her main target was specifically New England’s lucrative Arctic whaling fleet, and she ultimately became the only Confederate vessel to circumnavigate the globe.

Whereas many histories of ships begin with dry discussions of the ships in dry dock and their shipbuilders, Sea of Gray begins with intrigue as a cloak-and-dagger story. Southern agent James Bulloch and U.S. Consul Thomas H. Dudley looked for a way to get around the labyrinth of legal obstacles involved in getting a British-built ship to sea and fitted for war.

What then follows is a nautical adventure led by James Waddell, Shenandoah’s eccentric captain. Chaffin examines the conflicts between Waddell and his senior officers over orders and the best ways to succeed. He also chronicles the constant struggle to recruit sailors for a ship plagued by low morale on a dangerous mission for a rogue nation whose survival seemed inevitably doomed. What is perhaps most interesting is Chaffin’s ability to reveal the minutia of the Civil War era sailor’s trials, troubles and tribulations onboard the ship. In short, it is a very thorough work.

The illustrations include the layout and the sail plan of the Shenandoah along with maps of the Arctic voyage and the entire 13-month cruise. Also included are pictures of several of the senior officers and the Shenandoah’s Captain Waddell. Chaffin has included numerous notes, an extensive bibliography, a catalogue of Shenandoah’s prizes, and even information as minute as the breakdown of the watch schedule. What Sea of Gray lacks that accompanies most naval histories is a glossary; however, one really isn’t needed as Chaffin doesn’t rely on naval speak to tell his story.

Further irony occurred when the crew of the Shenandoah raided a British merchant ship only to discover the newspapers she carried, which proved that the Confederacy was no more. Captain Waddell and his crew had to finally accept that their upstart nation had been defeated, which was bad enough, but also that for the four months previous, their raids could be looked upon as nothing more than piracy, a crime punishable by death.

When the ship finally reached Britain, Waddell and his crew hoped the papers were mistaken and asked: "What news from the war in America?" The dismal answer from the dockworker must have hammered home the message, "It has been over so long people have got through talking about it." And with that the ship’s quest ended, but not her legacy or legend.

Sea of Gray would make a great movie. It makes history exciting through character studies, naval battles, survival, enchanted islands, pirate raids, exotic women, little known Civil War information, international intrigue, lessons in leadership, raging storms and nautical commerce. It seems like something out of a Patrick O’Brian novel featuring Captain Jack Aubrey, but Chaffin proves history can be as fascinating as any movie.

Chaffin drew on hundreds of original documents and maps including crew memoirs, journals and contemporary newspaper accounts in researching this rivetting narrative of one very minor episode of the Civil War, but the end result is not something the layperson might appreciate. Chaffin has limited his audience to Civil War buffs alone, perhaps even narrowing it further to those with a specific interest in naval adventures. That may not matter to Chaffin or those Civil War buffs as the chronicles of the Shenandoah makes for a fascinating read.

Guidebook to the Historic Sites of the War of 1812 - A Book Review

For various reasons, the War of 1812 between the United States and Great Britain to lay claim over Canada is sometimes referred to as a forgotten war. There was no well known American president involved such as George Washington, nor was there a popular general involved such as Ulysses S. Grant to capture the imaginations of the American people. Many Canadians feel military accomplishments have never been a focal point in our national conscience, but the War of 1812 was the bloodiest conflict fought on Canadian soil and was an essential event in forming the foundation of the Canadian identity.

The war between Great Britain and France was more vital, especially on a global scale, mainly because Canada was just a small British colony with a few hundred thousand inhabitants. But for those living here, the War of 1812 was a pivotal moment in history. The War of 1812 provided Canadians with a woman who became a national icon, and whose name would become synonymous with chocolate – Laura Secord; the war would also produce Canada’s first war hero, General Isaac Brock, whose victories and death inspired a nation.

Amateur historian and Ottawa native Gilbert Collins visited many of the sites of the War of 1812 without the intention of writing a book but, as he says in the preface, there was no adequate guides for those like him with an interest in the War of 1812, so Collins took it upon himself to rectify the situation.

In detailing these attractions, Collins has included more than 380 historic sites and markers, 28 maps and dozens of illustrations. The book also includes a chronology of the war, and is a handy tool for both the traveller and the historian. This guide is a welcome addition to the collections of both the serious scholar of the war and the amateur historian.

The many sites are listed according to region, and to Collins’ credit, the book ventures beyond Canada’s involvement in the war. More depth is given to sites in Canada, but American sites are also well covered. In order to locate sites in their present locations, a map and symbols are given for each region, which indicate what a visitor might expect to find from a small plaque commemorating a battle, a large statue honouring a person or the remains of a long gone fort. Collins also uses photographs to show the locations as they are today and, for an added touch, even includes sketches by another amateur historian Benson Lossing, who, like Collins, visited the War of 1812 sites back in 1860 without the benefit of a guidebook.

A brief summary of events and participants is included for each site. Some entries are longer than others but are always informative. The real detail is in the lesser known events and people because Collins assumes his readers will know the major players, and in places, he skims them a bit in favour of the smaller things such as the Hoople’s Creek skirmish in Ontario. The current status and modifications to many of the sites are also indicated and show how the places are being preserved when possible but also that many are lost forever with nothing but a small marker to indicate the significance. Another bonus in the updates is the inclusion of modern day finds such as the accidental discovery of the ship General Hunter. The General Hunter was captured by the Americans at the Battle of Lake Erie in 1813 and its wreck ended up buried on a beach in Southampton, Ontario until it was discovered in 2001.

Brock’s service in the Battle of Queenston Heights gave Canadians their first true war hero. When Brock was alive, he was a hero to the Canadian people and his soldiers, and when he was killed defending Canada, he became a legend. There are countless streets and parks named after him and he is even the namesake of a city: Brockville, Ontario. There is ample coverage of both Brock and The Battle of Queenston Heights along with information on what a visitor will find at the site today including a walking tour of the battleground with markers containing relevant facts. Also placed high atop Queenston Heights is Brock’s grave and monument.

Brock’s monument is visible from kilometres away, including the American side of the river. The plume of Brock’s hat is 185 feet above the ground, making it taller than any of the columns raised to honour Horatio Nelson or Napoleon.

This book is definitely for the historian out for a road trip or someone looking for some general information on the battles, people and places of the War of 1812. It is not detailed enough to be used as an academic resource but it was never intended to be. If you’re a Pierre Burton wannabe and have any interest in a War of 1812 driving tour of Eastern Canada or the United States, this comprehensive book is a must.