Star of the West
Contemporaneous wood engraving of Star of the West
| |
History | |
---|---|
Owner |
|
Operator | U.S. Department of War (1861–) |
Builder | Jeremiah Simonson |
Launched | 17 June 1852 |
Fate | Sunk |
General characteristics | |
Type | Steamship |
Tonnage | 1,172 tons |
Length | 228.3 ft (69.6 m) |
Beam | 32.7 ft (10.0 m) |
Propulsion | Paddlewheels |
Star of the West was an American merchant steamship that was launched in 1852 and scuttled by
The ship was later captured by Confederate forces, then used for several purposes including as a hospital ship and a blockade runner, and finally scuttled in defense of Vicksburg in 1863.
Prewar service
Star of the West was a 1,172-ton steamship built by Jeremiah Simonson, of
American Civil War
This section needs additional citations for verification. (January 2017) |
On January 9, 1861, weeks after
The ship was then hired out of New York City as a
Still under Confederate control, Star of the West escaped recapture when she was sent to transport gold, silver, and paper currency worth millions of dollars. After delivering that cargo to
After the war, the owners of Star of the West collected $175,000 in damages from the U.S. government for the loss.
Legacy
The Star of the West Medal is awarded annually to the "best drilled cadet" at
In popular culture
The incident looms large in a novel by John Updike, Memories of the Ford Administration (1992).[7] Although Updike's protagonist is trying (in the early 1990s) to write about the mid-1970s, he spent those years seeking to write a book about President Buchanan, and his mind keeps reverting to the 19th century and, among other incidents, the mission of the sloop to Fort Sumter.
See also
- Charleston, South Carolina in the American Civil War
- George Edward "Tuck" Haynesworth
- William Stewart Simkins
- Yazoo Pass Expedition
References
- ^ "152nd anniversary of the Star of the West - The Citadel - Charleston, SC". Archived from the original on 2019-12-03.
- ISBN 0-9623065-0-9.
- ^ "Steamships on the Panama Route – Both Atlantic and Pacific". The Ships List. Retrieved 2013-09-20.
- ^ "Star of the West". Georgia's Blue and Gray Trail. Retrieved 2007-09-09.
- Civil War Trust. Archived from the originalon 2009-01-23. Retrieved 2008-07-22.
- ISBN 0679439781.
- ISBN 0-449-91211-6.
External links
- "Shots at the Star of the West". Son of the South. Note the date given as 10 January.