Tod & Macgregor Shiplist

Notes:

          In every war a well-appointed vessel. Used on Glasgow Largs & Arran route. Master; Sandy M'Kellar, a favourite on the Arran route.

¹[Clyde Passenger Steamers from 1812 to 1901, Williamson]

          In 1863 the owners realised that the opening of the Wemyss Bay (rail) route was bound to have a prejudicial effect on the trade from the Broomielaw to Millport and Arran, so they took the opportunity presented by the demand for blockade runners to get rid of three of their vessels - the Jupiter, Juno and Star.

²[Echoes of Old Clyde Paddle-Wheels, Andrew McQueen]

          The Juno, became used as a privately operated blockade runner, arriving in Charleston South Carolina from Nassau on 8th July 1863. She was purchased by the Confederacy in December 1863. The purchase price was £21,000. She was used as a gunboat in Charleston, South Carolina, harbour until March 1864.

          Juno served as a dispatch, picket, and flag-of-truce boat. In July 1863 she was armed with a howitzer and outfitted with a spar torpedo to permit attacks against Union monitors then threatening the defence works on Morris Island, Charleston Harbor. In August 1863 she rammed and sank a launch from USS Wabash, taking its crew captive.

http://www.wideopenwest.com/~jenkins/ironclads/famous.htm

          The story of the ramming of the launch is laid out below:

"CSS Juno, Lieutenant Philip Porcher, captured a launch, commanded by Acting Master Edward Haines, from USS Wabash in Charleston harbour. The launch was a part of the night patrol on guard duty; Haines, hearing the report that a Confederate steamer was coming out into the harbour, went to investigate. 'Soon after getting underway,' he reported, 'I made out a steamer standing down the channel close to Morris Island." He opened on her with the launch's howitzer. Juno, reconnoitring the harbour with a 65-pound torpedo attached to her bow in the event that she should meet a Union ship, was otherwise unarmed, for she had been trimmed down to become a blockade runner, and her only means of defence was to run the launch down. Engineer James H. Tomb, CSN, reported: 'We immediately headed for her, striking her about amidships; but not having much headway on the Juno, the launch swung around to port, just forward of the wheel. . .' Haines' men then tried to carry Juno by boarding despite heavy musket fire but were overwhelmed by superior numbers.

http://www.multied.com/Navy/cwnavalhistory/August1863.html

          The Confederate Navy was attempting to build five ironclads, five large commerce raiders, twelve torpedo boats and engines for Southern-built ironclads and torpedo boats. For such a programme thousands of bales of cotton were needed.

          The Juno was not seen as being particularly useful as a warship and by the spring of 1864, she was returned to service as a blockade runner.

          On the 9th of March 1864, the little side-wheeler, now named Helen, slipped out of Charleston with 220 bales of cotton. She was under the command of Lieutenant Philip Porcher and had on board a crew of twenty two men and eight officers, including acting Master Charles D. Tucker, commander of the Charleston Naval Squadron, Commander John R. Tucker.

          Once clear of the harbour, the Helen ran into heavy weather. Around 10.00am on the second day a leak was discovered. To lighten the vessel Porcher tossed sixty bales of cotton overboard and continued running the pumps, but the storm soon reached gale proportions and the Helen was fighting for her life. By 2.00pm the pumps could no longer keep the water out and the engine room flooded. Sails were set, but the strain amidships from the waterlogged cotton and the pressure of the water broke the vessel in two.

          The bow section sank immediately while the stern remained afloat long enough to allow Porcher and some of the crew to launch a lifeboat; however it immediately capsized. Only engineer J. Harry Dent and pilot William Burke managed to survive. Clinging to the wreckage, they were discovered the next day by the schooner Petrel, which was attracted to the scene by the floating cotton bales. The two men were taken aboard the sailing ship and carried to Nassau.

[Lifeline of the Confederacy, Stephen R. Wise]

"Confederate steamer Helen, commanded by Lieutenant Philip Porcher, CSN, was lost at sea in a gale while running a cargo of cotton from Charleston to Nassau. Secretary Mallory wrote that Porcher "was one of the most efficient officers of the service, and his loss is deeply deplored.

''http://www.historycentral.com/navy/cwnavalhistory/March1864.html