What do you think of when you hear the words “British invasion?” Perhaps it’s The Beatles’ first trip to America in 1964? Or the British attack on Sullivan’s Island during the Revolutionary War? Of course, either would be an appropriate answer. But here’s another one you might not have heard about. During the Civil War, a British-made steamship, the SS Georgiana, attempted to sneak into Charleston’s harbor, risking an encounter with the blockade of Union ships anchored just offshore. Made in Glasgow, Scotland, and commandeered by a retired British naval officer, the vessel was completing her maiden voyage after a stop in Nassau, Bahamas, and heading to Charleston to be fitted with over a dozen small cannons. She was a privateer, a privately-owned merchant vessel that would deliver supplies, weaponry and even some luxury items to various Confederate ports in the Southeast. Construction of the Georgiana had been financed by George Trenholm, a wealthy Charlestonian -- an alleged prototype for novelist Margaret Mitchell’s iconic character Rhett Butler of “Gone with the Wind” fame -- who had named it for his deceased infant daughter. With an iron hull and a propeller driven by a 120-horsepower steam engine, the Georgiana was capable of speeds up to 12-14 knots and was set to be Shipwrecked Tragic fate of the SS Georgiana By Mary Coy 26 IslandVibesIOP.com HISTORY Continued on Page 27 the most powerful vessel the Confederates would have had in their arsenal. Her crew of 140 men and a large supply of weaponry including cannons, rifles, musket balls and gunpowder onboard indicated that this steamer meant business. Most of the ship was painted black, a measure enabling her to sail undetected at night. The figurehead mounted on her bow depicted the bust of a woman and the ship’s name was painted in gold leaf on her stern. Clearly, Trenholm spared no expense in the commissioning of this ship. Shortly after midnight on March 19, 1863, the Georgiana slipped into Dewees Inlet under cover of darkness before veering into an unmarked channel near the Isle of Palms. Its captain, A.B. Davidson, had experience in these waters, having previously maneuvered other ships around the blockade. But the smoke from its stack was spotted by the America, an armed yacht that was part of the fleet of Union ships guarding the harbor. The America immediately fired on the Georgiana and signaled her discovery to the other federal gunboats. Lt. Cmdr. John L. Davis, captain of the squadron’s flagship, the USS Wissahickon, then saw his chance and ordered his crew to fire at the Georgiana, ripping Sonar image of Georgiana and Mary Bowers Crew of the USS Wissahickon
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