Jefferson Davis

Jefferson Davis or Jeff Davis was a New Orleans full-rigged brig, built in Baltimore about 1845 as Putnam and captured off Cuba 21 August 1858 by Lt. John Newland Maffitt, USN, in USS Dolphin as the slaver Echo; her cargo of 271 enslaved Africans was returned to Africa in Niagara and Echo forfeited to the United States. Auctioned in January 1859, Echo reverted to her original name, Putnam, and was owned by Capt. Robert Hunter of Charleston, S. C. History Hunter signed up 27 shareholders, including the elite of Charleston, and 10 of them applied for a letter of marque for Putnam to be known as Rattlesnake, but a name change to Jefferson Davis was approved by the State Department, 23 May, and the brig commissioned a privateer 18 June 1861 at Charleston Annex I. She was armed with five 60-year old British iron cannon. Jeff Davis was described by a prisoner as having "black mastheads and yards and a black hull" and being "very rusty." Another victim was misled by her "French-cut hempen sails." Master and shareholder was the "impudent sea robber," Louis M. Coxetter, a name soon to be placed high on the list of "pirates" most wanted by the U.S. Navy, although he treated his prisoners well, by their own account His mate, Lt. William Ross Postell, once pride of the Republic of Texas Navy, also ex-Lieutenant, USN, was equally sought. On 28 June, celebrated by Charleston as the anniversary of driving off Admiral Sir Peter Parker in the Revolution, Jeff Davis received a gala send-off as she escaped to sea through Maffitt's Channel, "notwithstanding," as the Mercury quipped, "the very efficient blockade of Abraham I." Coxetter took 9 sail in 7 weeks in "the last truly classic cruise in the history of private-armed sea power." These included 3 brigs, 3 schooners, 2 ships and a bark", causing consternation on the coast from Maine to Delaware. Seeking to make Florida, Enchantress was recaptured by USS Albatross and her prize-master, William W. Smith, a Savannah pilot, was nearly hanged as a pirate, along with his prize-crew, by a New York court-perhaps the most celebrated case of its type during this war. Bark Alvarado was chased ashore by Jamestown and burned to prevent recapture at Fernandina, Fla. Coxetter released schooner Windward, brig Mary E. Thompson and ship Mary Goodell with prisoners, but had to burn John Carver, an Army ship with anthracite for the blockade. Schooner S. J.