Australian confederates : how 42 Australians joined the rebel cause and fired the last shot in the American Civil War

**In the summer of 1865, when a Confederate warship sailed into the port of Melbourne, 42 Australian men secretly enlisted to fight for the South in the American Civil War—this is their story**When the notorious raider__Shenandoah__—scourge of the Yankee merchant fleet—dropped anchor, the fledgling colony of Victoria was taken by surprise, and the Confederates had no way of knowing whether they would be hailed as heroes or hanged as pirates. To the rebels’ surprise, Melbourne took them to its heart. Victorians came in their thousands to visit the ship, and its officers were feted as celebrities. Meanwhile, in defiance of the law against foreign warships recruiting in a neutral port, 42 men were smuggled aboard in dead of night and, once at sea, signed up to join the Confederate Navy. For Australia—not yet a nation—1865 was a watershed year in an age of gold rushes, bushrangers, disputes between rival colonies, and fears of foreign invasion. For war-torn America, it was the turning point in the deadliest conflict in the nation’s history. After the defeat at Gettysburg, the tide had turned against the Confederacy but the South was determined to fight on, and, in the war at sea, the__Shenandoah__was the last best hope. The__Shenandoah__'s mission was to damage the North’s economy by attacking its commercial fleet, and, under the command of Captain James Waddell, the raider went on to wipe out almost the entire New England whaling fleet. On learning that Robert E. Lee had surrendered, Waddell refused to believe the cause was lost. The__Shenandoah__continued harrying the Yankee fleet and fired the last shot of the war after capturing, burning, and ransoming 38 Union ships and taking more than 1,000 prisoners. On accepting at last that the war had ended, the Confederates sailed around the world to England and surrendered to the neutral British. Some 120 Australians are known to have fought in the American Civil War, on both sides. Of the 42 men who signed on in Melbourne as petty officers, seamen, and marines, some returned home, others dropped out of sight and one died aboard ship—the last man to die in the service of the Confederacy. This is their story. In the summer of 1865, when a Confederate warship sailed into the port of Melbourne, 42 Australian men secretly enlisted to fight for the South in the American Civil War—this is their story When the notorious raider Shenandoah —scourge of the Yankee merchant fleet—dropped anchor, the fledgling colony of Victoria was taken by surprise, and the Confederates had no way of knowing whether they would be hailed as heroes or hanged as pirates. To the rebels’ surprise, Melbourne took them to its heart. Victorians came in their thousands to visit the ship, and its officers were feted as celebrities. Meanwhile, in defiance of the law against foreign warships recruiting in a neutral port, 42 men were smuggled aboard in dead of night and, once at sea, signed up to join the Confederate Navy. For Australia—not yet a nation—1865 was a watershed year in an age of gold rushes, bushrangers, disputes between rival colonies, and fears of foreign invasion. For war-torn America, it was the turning point in the deadliest conflict in the nation’s history. After the defeat at Gettysburg, the tide had turned against the Confederacy but the South was determined to fight on, and, in the war at sea, the Shenandoah was the last best hope. The Shenandoah 's mission was to damage the North’s economy by attacking its commercial fleet, and, under the command of Captain James Waddell, the raider went on to wipe out almost the entire New England whaling fleet. On learning that Robert E. Lee had surrendered, Waddell refused to believe the cause was lost. The Shenandoah continued harrying the Yankee fleet and fired the last shot of the war after capturing, burning, and ransoming 38 Union ships and taking more than 1,000 prisoners. On accepting at last that the war had ended, the Confederates sailed around the world to England and surrendered to the neutral British. Some 120 Australians are known to have fought in the American Civil War, on both sides. Of the 42 men who signed on in Melbourne as petty officers, seamen, and marines, some returned home, others dropped out of sight and one died aboard ship—the last man to die in the service of the Confederacy. This is their story. Summer, 1865. The colony of Victoria is thriving. When Confederate States Ship Shenandoah sails into bustling Port Phillip Bay, Melburnians' curiosity overcomes any squeamishness about the support of slavery. For more than three weeks, the Americans are fêted enthusiastically. When the sleek black raider steams back through the heads on 19 February, on board are 42 Australians who have secretly enlisted to fight for the South in the American Civil War. So much for the law against foreign warships recruiting in a neutral port. Under the command of the enigmatic Captain James Waddell, the raider proceeds to wipe out almost the entire New England whaling fleet. The Shenandoah fires the last shot of the water, having captured, burned and ransomed 38 Union ships and taken more than 1,000 prisoners. Award-winning journalist Terry Smyth paints a broad canvas in the telling of this electric piece of history. He brings to life the 42 Australians who sailed off to adventure and controversy, among them the last man to die in the service of the Confederacy.--Publisher's description In the summer of 1865, when a Confederate warship sailed into the port of Melbourne, 42 men secretly enlisted to fight for the South in the American Civil War. On the notorious raider Shenandoah scourge of the Yankee merchant fleet they sailed off to adventure and controversy, and fired the last shot of the war. Of the 42 men who signed on in Melbourne as petty officers, seamen and marines, some returned home, others dropped out of sight and one died aboard ship the last man to die in the service of the Confederacy. This is their story