Unaware of Defeat: The Captain Who Continued Fighting for Half a Year After the Civil War Ended

In the waning days of the American Civil War, as battle-weary soldiers laid down their arms and the nation began to heal, one Confederate vessel remained at sea, unaware that the conflict had ended. The CSS Shenandoah, under the command of Captain James Iredell Waddell, continued its mission, capturing Union ships and disrupting commerce for months after the Confederacy’s collapse. This is the story of the captain who unknowingly fought on, becoming the last to surrender in a war that had already concluded.

James Iredell Waddell, born in 1824 in Pittsboro, North Carolina, embarked on a naval career with the United States Navy in 1841. His service spanned two decades and included participation in the Mexican-American War and various assignments across the globe. With the outbreak of the Civil War, Waddell resigned his commission and joined the Confederate Navy in 1862. By October 1864, he was entrusted with the command of the CSS Shenandoah, a vessel tasked with disrupting Union maritime activities.

The Shenandoah’s journey was ambitious, covering vast ocean areas with the aim of weakening the Union’s economic strength. The ship ventured into the South Atlantic, traversed the Indian Ocean, and reached the North Pacific. In June 1865, the Shenandoah entered the Bering Sea, targeting the Union’s whaling fleet. Unbeknownst to Waddell and his crew, significant events had transpired back home: General Robert E. Lee had surrendered at Appomattox Court House on April 9, effectively signaling the end of the Confederacy and the Civil War.

The whaling waters of the Bering Sea, between Siberia and Alaska, had remained a safe hunting ground for Yankee whalers for most of the American Civil War. This changed in the spring and summer of 1865 when the Shenandoah arrived, capturing 20 of the 58 whaling ships working in the area. These vessels were destroyed more than a month after Confederate President Jefferson Davis was taken into custody on May 10, 1865.

On June 27, 1865, the Shenandoah captured the whaling ship Susan & Abigail. The ship’s captain presented Waddell with a San Francisco newspaper detailing Lee’s surrender and the fall of Richmond. However, the same publication included a proclamation from Confederate President Jefferson Davis, urging continued resistance. Faced with these conflicting reports, Waddell chose to press on with his mission.

The next day, on June 28, the CSS Shenandoah captured 10 Union whaling vessels in a span of just seven hours, making it the most successful day of its mission. Between May 27 and June 28, the ship seized a total of 25 Union vessels, primarily whaling ships, in the Bering Sea and Arctic Ocean, burning most of them and dealing a heavy blow to the Union’s whaling industry. It took approximately one thousand prisoners without a single war casualty among its crew.

It wasn’t until August 2, 1865, that the reality of the war’s end reached the Shenandoah. The crew encountered the British barque Barracouta, whose captain confirmed the Confederacy’s defeat and the capture of President Davis. Confronted with undeniable evidence, Waddell finally gave in and ceased all hostile operations. Aware that returning to the United States could result in charges of piracy and possible execution, he set a course for Liverpool, England.

The Shenandoah’s voyage to Liverpool was arduous, covering over 9,000 miles without making port. Upon arrival on November 6, 1865, Waddell surrendered the vessel to British authorities, marking the final official act of the Civil War by walking up the steps of Liverpool Town Hall. More than half a year had passed since the final land battles had been fought, making the Shenandoah’s crew the last to lower the Confederate flag.

Captain Waddell’s continuation of hostilities illustrates the difficulties of 19th-century communication, when news traveled slowly, especially for those at sea. At the same time, his determination to see his mission through, despite growing uncertainty, suggests a level of dedication that may have exceeded what was necessary. His story remains an unusual and telling footnote in Civil War history.

Sources: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6