On this day in 1865 the captain of the C.S.S. Shenandoah, a Confederate commerce raider, first learned that the Civil War had ended several months earlier. Historian Rick Britton details the events with Les Sinclair on WINA.  CSS Shenandoah, formerly Sea King, was an iron-framed, full-rigged sailing ship with auxiliary steam power chiefly known for her adventures under Lieutenant Commander James Waddell as part of the Confederate States Navy.
The Shenandoah was originally a British merchant vessel launched as Sea King on August 17, 1863, but was later re-purposed as one of the most feared commerce raiders in the Confederate Navy. During a period of ​​twelve months from 1864 to 1865, the ship undertook raiding around the world in an effort to disrupt the Union economy, resulting in the capture and sinking or bonding of thirty-eight merchant vessels, mostly New Bedford whaleships. She finally surrendered on the River Mersey, Liverpool, England, on November 6, 1865, six months after the war had ended. Her flag was the last sovereign Confederate flag to be officially furled. The Shenandoah is also known for having fired the last shot of the Civil War, across the bow of a whaler in waters off the Aleutian Islands.

ALSO: Rick Britton has an ongoing OLLI at UVA class entitled “Central Virginians in Combat” and there are still seats available.
To sign up go to www.olliuva.org.