Adriatic (ship, 1861)

Passenger vessel built in 1861

For other ships with the same name, see Adriatic (ship).

The Tallahassee burning the Adriatic, painting by Julian Oliver Davidson

History
United States
Name| Adriatic
Owner| Elisha E. Morgan & Wiley, Richard H. Moore
Operator| Richard H. Moore
Port of registry| 1861–1864
Builder| Curtis & Tilden shipyard in Boston, Massachusetts
Cost| $100,000 at the time of capture[1]
Launched| 1861
In service| 1861–1864
Out of service| August 12, 1864
Captured| 1864
Fate| Fire, sank at sea
General characteristics
Type| Wooden hull
Tons burthen| 989[2] (bm)
Length| 181 ft 3 in (55.25 m)
Beam| 34 ft 2 in (10.41 m)
Draft| 21 ft 0 in (6.40 m)
Depth of hold| 33 ft 5 in (10.19 m)
Propulsion| sails
Sail plan| full-rigged ship

Adriatic was a three-masted, two deck, packet ship built in 1861 by Curtis & Tilden, Boston, Massachusetts, United States. On August 12, 1864, Adriatic was embarked from London, England en route to New York City carrying 163 German immigrants and 100 US citizens. She made it as far as the New Jersey coast before meeting the Confederate raider CSS Tallahassee, which collided with her. Captain John Taylor Wood of Tallahassee ordered every passenger on Adriatic to be taken prisoner and put on Tallahassee. Wood then ordered Adriatic burned.

## Construction

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The Curtis & Tilden shipyard at Boston, Massachusetts built Adriatic in 1861.[3][4] The firm E. E. Morgan & Son, were owners of a line of packet ships that ran carried passengers and freight between London and New York, and Adriatic joined their line. Elisha E. Morgan was part-owner, along with Captain Richard H. Moore.[1]

The Adriatic was registered with the ‘’Record of American and Foreign Shipping’’, from 1862 to 1864. Her master was R. H. Moore; her owners were E. E. Morgan; built in 1861 at Curtis & Tilden East Boston; and her hailing port was the Port of New York.[2]

## American Civil War

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Confederate cruiser and blockade runner CSS Tallahassee

On July 7, 1864, during the American Civil War, Adriatic, Captain Richard H. Moore, sailed from London, England to New York City with 163 German immigrants, 100 US citizens, and 100-tons of coal. On August 12, 1864, she had made the New Jersey coast, 35 miles off Montauk, New York, when she met Tallahassee, which collided with Adriatic. Captain Wood ordered everyone on Adriatic to be put on Tallahassee. Wood then ordered Adriatic burned.[5]

In the book From Sandy Hook to 62, Charles Edward Russell describes Tallahassee's chase of Adriatic. When Tallahassee ran down Adriatic, Tallahassee lost her mainmast and stanchions.[6]

The next day, Captain Wood captured the bark Suliote, of Belfast, Maine. He transferred the passengers from the pilot boat William Bell, No. 24 and Adriatic to Suliote. James Callahan was ordered to pilot Suliote into Sandy Hook, New York.[5]

In 2016, a team led by captain John Noonan, of the dive vessel Storm Petrel, first located and dived the wreck. The wreckage lies in 220 feet (67 m) of water 30 miles (48 km) off the eastern edge of Long Island, New York. Adriatic was positively identified in 2019. The team of divers was able to establish conclusive proof after connecting artifacts recovered with visits to the National Archives.[7]

## Alabama Claims

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The Geneva Board of Arbitration settling the Alabama Claims

On February 23, 1883, William D. Morgan, executor for Elisha E. Morgan, part-owner of Adriatic, successfully petitioned the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York via the Alabama Claims award, for compensation for the loss of Adriatic. The case was called William D. Morgan v. The United States (No. 1058). The total claim was for $109,615.95.[1]

On February 10, 1883, James Callahan was deposed for the Alabama Claims award. In his deposition, Callahan said that he was captain of William Bell. The court then asked him to recount the capture of Adriatic by the CSS Tallahassee.[8]

## References

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1. ^ a b c "Records, 1882-85". 1882. p. 2. Retrieved 26 Aug 2021.
2. ^ a b "Record of American and Foreign Shipping". Mystic Seaport Museum. New York. Retrieved 2021-08-26.
3. ^ "By Telegraph". The Buffalo Daily Republic. Buffalo, New York. 5 Sep 1855. p. 3. Retrieved 28 Jul 2021.
4. ^ Gaines, W. Craig (2008). Encyclopedia of Civil War Shipwrecks. LSU Press. p. 109\. ISBN 9780807134245. Retrieved 26 Aug 2021.
5. ^ a b "The Tallahassee. More Captures by the Privateer. Pilot boat Wm. Bell, No. 23, Burned". New York Daily Herald. 15 Aug 1864. p. 5. Retrieved August 8, 2021.
6. ^ From Sandy Hook to 62°], Charles Edward Russell. Century Co., New York. 1929. p. 140\. OCLC 3804485.
7. ^ "Naval History News". U.S. Naval Institute. June 2020. Retrieved 2024-03-17.
8. ^ "Deposition of James Callahan". United States. Court of Commissioners of Alabama Claims. February 23, 1883. p. 5. Retrieved August 5, 2021 - via babel.hathitrust.org.

## External links

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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Adriatic (ship, 1861).

* General Information on the Adriatic
* Details of the SV Adriatic

* v
* t
* e

Shipwrecks and maritime incidents in 1864

Shipwrecks|

* 3 Jan: Grafton
* 10 Jan: USS Iron Age
* 15 Jan: Lottie Sleigh
* 1 Feb: USS Smith-Briggs
* 2 Feb: USS Underwriter
* 17 Feb: USS Housatonic
* 17 Feb: H. L. Hunley
* 22 Feb: USS Linden
* 27 Feb: Westward Ho!
* 6 Mar: USS Peterhoff
* 21 Mar: USS Clifton
* 28 Mar: USS Kingfisher
* 1 Apr: Maple Leaf
* 15 Apr: USS Eastport
* 15 Apr: Emma
* 18 Apr: Bombshell
* 19 Apr: USS Southfield
* 22 Apr: USS Petrel
* 26 Apr: Homer
* 30 Apr: Grecian
* 5 May: USS Covington
* 5 May: USS Signal
* 6 May: USS Commodore Jones
* 7 May: CSS Roanoke
* 7 May: USS Shawsheen
* 10 May: Invercauld
* 16 May: John Williams
* 17 May: Marchioness
* 22 May: USS Columbine
* 1 Jun: Daring
* 12 Jun: USS Lavender
* 14 Jun: USS Courier
* 19 Jun: CSS Alabama
* 19 Jun: Alvin Clark
* 24 Jun: USS Queen City
* 27 Jun: Mary Robinson
* 25 Jul: USS Undine
* 5 Aug: CSS Gaines
* 5 Aug: USS Philippi
* 5 Aug: USS Tecumseh
* 7 Aug: CSS Phoenix
* 8 Aug: USS Violet
* 11 Aug: James Funk
* 11 Aug: William Bell
* 12 Aug: Adriatic
* 31 Aug: Mary Bowers
* c. Aug: Houqua
* 3 Sep: USS Brandywine
* 23 Sep: USS Antelope
* 27 Sep: CSS North Carolina
* 7 Oct: USS Aster
* 27 Oct: CSS Albemarle
* 4 Nov: USS Elfin
* 4 Nov: USS Key West
* 4 Nov: USS Tawah
* 4 Nov: USS Undine
* 5 Nov: CSS Spray
* 11 Nov: USS Tulip
* 25 Nov: Nuestra Señora del Triunfo
* 28 Nov: CSS Florida
* 7 Dec: USS Narcissus
* 9 Dec: USS Bazely
* 9 Dec: USS Otsego
* 12 Dec: CSS Resolute
* 14 Dec: HMS Bombay
* 19 Dec: CSS Water Witch
* 21 Dec: CSS Georgia
* 21 Dec: CSS Isondiga
* 21 Dec: CSS Savannah
* 24 Dec: USS Louisiana
* 30 Dec: USS Annie
* 30 Dec: USS Rattler
* c. Dec: J. M. Chapman
* c. Dec: USS Monarch
* Unkn: Carolina
* Unkn: Duke of Roxburgh

Other incidents|

* 17 Feb: USS St. Clair
* 10 May: USS Mound City
* 9 Jun: John Bowes
* Jun: HMS Liverpool
* 14 Jul: HDMS Dannebrog
* 13 Aug: HMS Enterprise
* 24 Aug: SMS Grille
* Aug: HMS Urgent
* 1 Sep: Avalon
* 1 Sep: HMS Eclipse
* 5 Oct: Nubia
* 7 Oct: CSS Florida (Bahia incident)
* 20 Oct: HMS Eclipse
* 20 Oct: Snaefell
* Unkn: Kingfisher

* ← 1863
* 1865 →

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