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Title: Civil War Adventures of a Blockade Runner by William Watson, J. Barto, III Arnold ISBN: 1-58544-152-X Publisher: Texas A&M University Press Pub. Date: 01 October, 2001 Format: Paperback Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $17.95 |
Average Customer Rating: 5 (2 reviews)
Rating: 5
Summary: Suspense at Every Turn
Comment: I happened across the title, "The Civil War Adventures of a Blockade Runner," while doing some research on the Civil War in Texas. At the time, I was skeptical about what I might find in the book. As it turns out, Watson's book is not only a fast read, it's entertaining and suspenseful, too!
In this book, William Watson relates the experiences he had during the last few years of the Civil War. Watson, a British subject and a Confederate veteran, purchases a schooner, the Rob Roy, with the intent of making money through honest trade. However, he quickly realizes that more money might be had through blockade running. To that end, while making a run up the Texas coast to New Orleans, he ducks into the Brazos River at peril from a blockading gunboat and begins his career as a runner.
In his career, Watson makes several successful runs with the Rob Roy before he is forced to sell it because of disagreements with his business partners. Watson then finds employment on a steamer, and later captains a few more runs himself before the Civil War -- and with it, blockade running -- comes to an end.
Several things interested me in the book. First, Watson paints a good picture of the Confederate economy. I could almost see him cringe when the government siezes his boat and desires to pay him off with worthless Confederate paper money. However, Watson manages to keep his cool and successfully negotiates to have his vessel released.
Also, Watson goes into great details about the tricks he learns to avoid the United States gunships and slip in and out of Galveston.
Finally, Watson's business transactions show that many people, including foreign governments, found ways to make money, if not a living, from the war.
To be sure, Watson makes no apology for being an experienced sea captain. As a result, the reader will want to have handy a nautical dictionary to better understand what happened, for example, when the foreboom unshipped from its mast, or to understand what the captain of a boarding party is saying when he asks, "Is your jib to windard?" While the general idea can be had if the reader bears with Watson, I find it all the better to get the full nuance that he intended.
I completed the book in a week, mainly because I always wanted to find out what was going to happen to Watson next. Through good luck and bad, Watson makes the most of his career, with the result that he finds himself hundreds of dollars richer than when he began.
If you are interested in either the operation of 19th Century sailing ships, or the United States blockade during the Civil War, I recommend that you read this book as an excellent eyewitness account of both.
Rating: 5
Summary: Blockade running on the Texas coast
Comment: First, I arranged for the re-publication of this book because it relates to the Institute of Nautical Archaeology's multi-year excavation of the wreck of the Denbigh, a famous blockade-runner lost at Galveston in 1865. Certainly, I am a biased reviewer.
The book is of interest for the excellent writing style and coverage of the topic. Watson provides many technical details of how the captain of a blockade-runner carried out his job, including both daring the Union Navy and dealing with sharp businessmen ashore. We have no first hand accounts as yet for the Denbigh, but Watson's trips in and out of Galveston from Havana and other ports were very, very similar. Watson brings the past to life.
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Title: Narrative of a Blockade Runner by John Wilkinson ISBN: 080944254X Publisher: Time Life Pub. Date: April, 1984 List Price(USD): $26.60 |
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