The Cruiser C.S.S. Florida ~ Running Before A Gale
Watercolor
Inscribed “Presented to Capt. E.C. Stiles by his friend Capt. Maffitt C.S.N. Commanding C.S.S. Florida July 21, 1863”
Attributed to Edward James (c. 1820-1877)
St. Georges, Bermuda
Commentary: Bermuda was a safe haven for Confederate raiders and blockade runners operating off of the east coast during the Civil War and their officers enjoyed near celebrity status on the island. Indicative of their popularity was an advertisement placed in September 1863 by the local artist Edward James offering drawings of the various ships visiting the port of St. Georges – the first on the list being the C.S.S. Florida. Captained by John Newland Maffitt (1819-1886) of Wilmington NC, the Florida had wreaked havoc on Union shipping and gained fame for her captain and crew since her commissioning a year earlier. After a dramatic escape from a Union blockade of Mobile in January, the Florida operated as a commerce raider from the West Indies to New England throughout the first months of 1863. By the summer she had sunk or captured millions of dollars of Union shipping and was constantly pursued by warships of the U.S. Navy. On July 17th the Florida reached Bermuda where Maffitt hoped to take on coal and contract for repair but was refused access to official British government fuel stockpiles or drydocks. He was allowed to await the arrival of a coal ship and secure emergency repairs by private commercial yards.
During this brief stay in Bermuda, Maffitt certainly encounted Edward Copeland Stiles (c.1827- 1895) who had been in Saint Georges as early as December, 1862 where he was reported by the U.S. Consul as deeply involved in Confederate Naval activities. By July Stiles had returned to Bermuda, having received orders to travel to Europe – possibly in connection with clandestine efforts to obtain warships for the Confederate Navy from British shipyards in Liverpool and other ports. In Bermuda Stiles received orders to proceed to England on “special service” arriving in October, 1863. It has thus far not been possible to determine the association between Maffitt and Stiles, if they were acquitted prior to this meeting, or what exactly prompted the Captain of the Florida to present the relatively new officer with a ship’s portrait.
Ship’s logs show that the Florida sailed for Brest for repairs on July 27th indicating that the presentation of the painting took place only a few days before her departure. The dramatic image of the ship, decks cleared and battened down, running before a gale must certainly have depicted a particular event but the details have proven elusive. With the exception of the stacks, the ship portrayed closely resembles surviving images of the Florida and it seems certain that the proud Maffitt would have only presented his friend with a painting of the C,S.S. Florida. Built in Liverpool (under the fictitious name Oreto) as a steam sloop with a screw propeller, the Florida could run under sail or her own power. Some sloops of this type were built with telescoping stacks, which appears from photographs to have been the case with the Florida, that allowed the stacks to be collapsed when desired – which would have been necessary in a heavy storm. Ultimately, this painting was likely produced in some haste and may represent a combination of the artist’s imagination and a tale of a storm or escape experienced by the two men. The details of the event and the relationship between the two officers may be revealed by further research in Maffitt’s papers or other sources.
Edward James (c.1820-1877) was probably a pseudonym for an Englishman who worked as a journalist and artist in Berumda from c. 1861 until his death. His surviving paintings are closely related stylistically and show a flair for drama and detail that are quite similar to the depiction of the Florida. James was well known in St. Georges and was commissioned by the US Consul, Charles Allen to make sketches of various Confederate vessels for the use the US Navy in indentifying the rebel vessels which changed their names frequently.
Condition:
sold
Additional Photos:
Inscription reads:
“Presented to Capt. E.C. Stiles by his friend Capt. Maffitt C.S.N. Commanding C.S.S. Florida July 21, 1863”
CSS Florida – Period Image Naval Hstorical Center:
Painting in frame:
