At sea, the C.S.S. Shenandoah had no way of knowing that the war was over; she continued to destroy numerous Union whaling ships. In June of 1865, the Shenandoah’s captain James Bullock learned of Lee's surrender when the northern captain of the captured Susan & Abigail produced a San Francisco newspaper, reporting the flight from Richmond of the Confederate government but also containing Jefferson Davis’ promise to continue the war effort. The Shenandoah continued preying on whalers until early August; from an English ship sailing from San Francisco Bullock learned of Joseph Johnston’s surrender and the end of the war. Fearing that his crew would be tried as pirates, Bullock elected to sail westward, circumnavigating the globe and surrendering his ship to English authorities in Liverpool on November 7, 1865.
00000174-b11b-ddc3-a1fc-bfdbb1a20000The Schreiner University Department of History is honoring the sesquicentennial of the American Civil War with a series of short vignettes focusing on events from 1861 through 1865. The Civil War was the most destructive conflict in American history, but it was also one of our most defining moments as a people and as a nation. Let us know what you think about "This Week in the Civil War." E-mail your comments to Dr. John Huddleston at jhuddles@schreiner.edu.Airs: Weekdays at 5:19 a.m., 8:19 a.m., 4:19 p.m. on KTXI and 4:49 a.m., 9:29 p.m. on KSTX.