2.9-Inch Blakely Rifles at the South Carolina Military Museum
Two 2.9-Inch Blakely Rifles at the South Carolina Military Museum
Two 2.9-Inch Blakely Rifles recovered in 1974 from the wreck of SS Georgiana are displayed at the South Carolina Military Museum in Columbia, South Carolina. Called a "Type 11" Blakely by Ripley, this identification is also used in Hazlett, Olmstead, and Parks who note that the markings "Vavasseur 1862 London Blakely's Patent" were visible on the trunnions when first recovered. Georgiana was attempting to run the blockade into Charleston on March 19th, 1863 when she was intercepted by blockading vessels including the Yacht America, USS Housatonic, and USS Wissahickon.
Senior Officer present off Charleston, Captain Thomas Turner of USS New Ironsides, wrote "The Wissahickon fortunately happened to lay in her path, and immediately opened upon her so heavy a fire as to cripple her. Her commander hailed to say that he surrendered, and at the same time, by an act of the most consummate treachery, pointed his ship toward the shore, which they were very near to, and grounded her in 14 feet of water, himself and everybody on board of her escaping on the land side." The ship was subsequently destroyed by fire.
Georgiana attempted to run the blockade as a merchant ship, but there is some question about whether a more active career wasn't intended for the vessel. The Official Records includes a report from the US Consul at Tenerife stating "from her appearance and the circumstance of her officers wearing gold lace on their caps , coupled with the description of her in the London American of January 28, I fear that she is an armed vessel, intended for a cruiser against our merchantmen. Powerful screw steamer of 407 tons and 150 horsepower, two masts, with yards on both, one stack ahead , with bowsprit and jibboom, painted black; smokestack also black; evidently a very swift vessel." In his reports to Admiral DuPont, Captain Turner wrote "from all I can ascertain, this vessel (the Georgiana) was sent into Charleston to receive her officers to be fitted out as a cruiser there" (Official Records - Navies. Series 1. Vol. 13. Pp. 754, 770, and 772.)
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Two 2.9-Inch Blakely Rifles at the South Carolina Military Museum
Two 2.9-Inch Blakely Rifles at the South Carolina Military Museum
Two 2.9-Inch Blakely Rifles at the South Carolina Military Museum
