SV Emma Tuttle, built 1859, Civil War blockade runner, owned by Augustus John Adderley of Nassau

The USS Cambridge, a blockade ship from the north in the Civil War, which captured Emma Tuttle

Photo source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Cambridge_(1860)

MAILBOAT NAME: Emma Tuttle
PAST NAMES: not known
DIMENSIONS: 108 tons, Official # 46044
CONSTRUCTION: wood
YEAR BUILT: 1859, at Le Havre, US
EARLY CAREER:
BAHAMAS CAREER: owned by Nassau owner Augustus John Adderley, owner of a fleet of ships
OWNERS: Augustus John Adderley of NassauCAPTAINS: Captain Burr in 1860, William Florence in 1863
FATE: listed in the 1880, 1890, 1900, 1910, and 1915 Mercantile Navy List
NOTES: Captain Burr was involved in helping to fuel and then trying to put down a “negro” insurrection on the Sombrero Guano Island guano mining port. The island was a base to some 200 workers of African descent and 12 white traders. When an officer on one of the ships refused a black crew member shore leave, he was later attacked by a black worker on shore, and the other workers, who were admittedly underpaid and overworked, rose up and chased the dozen whites off the island after delivering a mortal blow to the offending ship’s officer. Captain Burr of the Emma Tuttle “imprisoned one of the insurrectionists” and carted him back to Petersburg, Virginia, where the ship arrived c. August 10th 1860.

Source: Burlington Daily Hawk Eye August 11, 1860, http://newspaperarchive.com/burlington-daily-hawk-eye/1860-08-11/page-3?tag=schooner+emma+tuttle&rtserp=tags/?pep=schooner-emma-tuttle&pci=7&ndt=by&py=1833&pey=1921

On Dec. 7, 1862 the Emma Tuttle was captured by the US (northern) blockade off Wilmington, NC: “At about 8 o’clock AM the Cambridge returned with the schooner Emma Tuttle of Nassau, also trying to run the blockade. At noon the schooner Brilliant of Nassau was chased by the United States steamers Daylight and Mount Vernon, thus making three vessels lost to the rebels in one day.”

Source: http://newspaperarchive.com/new-albany-weekly-ledger/1862-12-10/page-3?tag=schooner+emma+tuttle&rtserp=tags/?pep=schooner-emma-tuttle&pci=7&ndt=by&py=1833&pey=1921

 The same Iowa paper, the Burlington Daily Hawk Eye, reports that 3 years later (Feb. 14, 1863), the Emma Tuttle was in sorry state, apprehended off Charleston on accusation of possible blockade running: “The schooner Emma Tuttle, flying a British flag, off Charleston. She was reported to be from Nassau, bound for Baltimore, though at the time she was steaming southeast. She has  been pronounced unseaworthy, but her cargo, most of which is contraband, consisting of a number of bags of salt-petre [used in gunpowder], with which a greater portion of her crew has been sent to Philadelphia. The schooner has been taken once before, but her crew succeeded in recapturing her.”

Source: http://newspaperarchive.com/burlington-daily-hawk-eye/1863-02-14/page-3?tag=schooner+emma+tuttle&rtserp=tags/?pep=schooner-emma-tuttle&pci=7&ndt=by&py=1833&pey=1921

Dawsons Daily Times And Union January 6, 1863 reports that “The schooner Emma Tuttle, captured by a Yankee cruiser and put in charge of a prize crew, has bee recaptured by the original officers and crew who were confined on board. She has been taken back to Nassau with prize crew as prisoners.”

Source: http://newspaperarchive.com/dawsons-daily-times-and-union/1863-01-06/page-2?tag=schooner+emma+tuttle&rtserp=tags/?pep=schooner-emma-tuttle&pci=7&ndt=by&py=1833&pey=1921

More on the same incident:  “Interesting from Nassau — recapture of the schooner Emma Tuttle.

–A Nassau letter, of the 22d inst., received here, reports the recaptured and arrival at Run Cay, of the schooner Emma Tuttle taken by the Yankee blockaders of Wilmington.
It appears that a terrific gale sprung up, and the Federal Captain and prize crew becoming alarmed, released and sought the assistance of the Captain of the captured vessel. The latter, with the mate and cook, succeeded in getting possession of all the arms on board, recaptured her and took her to Nassau.  The Yankee officer and crew were landed at Nassau.