The Last Confederate Ship at Sea

The CSS Shenandoah fired the last shot of the Civil War and was the only Confederate warship to circumnavigate the globe. But what was Captain James Waddell’s true relationship with his Yankee prisoner Lillias Nichols and how did it determine the ship’s final destination? Without orders, Waddell undertook a dangerous three month voyage through waters infested with enemy cruisers. He risked mutiny by a horrified crew who, having been declared pirates, could be hanged. This is the true story behind the cruise of the Shenandoah—one of secret love and blackmail—brought to light for the first time in 150 years.

Paul Williams has worked in the television and film industries as a writer, producer and director. He lives in Melbourne, Australia.

Paul Williams
Format: softcover (6 x 9)
Pages: 208
Bibliographic Info: 31 photos, 3 maps, notes, bibliography, index
Copyright Date: 2015
pISBN: 978-0-7864-9857-4
eISBN: 978-1-4766-1995-8
Imprint: McFarland

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments v
Prologue 1
1. Tears Stood in His Eyes 3
2. To Prevent Her Doing Wrong 5
3. Captain Blood 12
4. You Be Damned 20
5. Never Return to Europe 28
6. She Will Thank Me Even More 45
7. A Most Scandalous Romance 56
8. A Piratical Vessel 68
9. I Was Not a Prisoner of War 81
10. How Dramatic! 87
11. I Will Fight for My Ship 93
12. I Want My Dinner, Lord 113
13. Utterly Worthless 120
14. Fiery Sparks 125
15. A Sensation of Freedom 140
16. Some Motive That Would Not Bear Explanation 145
17. An Evil Genius 150
18. Mercilessly Defrauded 160
19. The Crinoline Under Which Thou Hast Kindled an Incendiary Fire 171
Appendix: Victims of the Shenandoah 181
Chapter Notes 185
Bibliography 193
Index 197

“Williams has crafted an intriguing sea saga…a rewarding tale of the sea, of the war and of the heart”—The Northern Mariner/Le marin du nord; “Paul’s work is rich, full of detail, and engaging. His methodical research of the famed Confederate commerce raider will delight and inspire any enthusiast of Civil War naval history.”—Matthew T. Eng, Naval Historical Foundation.