New book from Caithness publisher tells of Scottish blockade runner in American Civil War
The dramatic story of a Scot who became one of the most successful blockade runners in the American Civil War is told in the latest book from Dunbeath-based Whittles Publishing.
It centres on Joannes Wyllie, born in 1828, whose life of action and adventure saw him survive shipwrecks and shark attack, while at one point he was declared dead.
Written by museum curator John F Messner, the book – A Scottish Blockade Runner in the American Civil War – has been produced in association with Glasgow Museums. It outlines the impact of the war on Scottish mariners, shipbuilding companies and ship-owners.
The Union blockade extended for thousands of miles in an attempt to cut off the Confederacy's overseas trade. Blockade runners sought to find a way through.
Born near Kelso in the Scottish Borders, Wyllie went to sea as an apprentice seaman in 1852 and quickly rose through the ranks. By 1862 he had gained his master's certificate in Liverpool and there he took command of his first vessel, the Bonita.
He sailed for Nassau, then a booming port involved in running contraband through the Union blockade. Sailors from Britain rushed to man these vessels as great fortunes could be made if a successful run was made into a Confederate port.
On the return journey, two agents of the State of North Carolina, Thomas Crossan and John White, were travelling to Britain on the orders of Governor Zebulon Vance to purchase ships to run the blockade. This set Wyllie's career as a blockade runner on course.
White and Crossan arranged the purchase of the Clyde-built paddle steamer Lord Clyde. Five months after docking in Liverpool as commander of the Bonita, Wyllie took command of the Lord Clyde – renamed the Ad-Vance.
He was aboard from the start of the vessel's new career until its capture in September 1864.
Two more commands of blockade runners followed. He was captured again and then evaded the authorities through an ingenious escape to Scotland.
After the war Wyllie continued at sea for another two years before returning to his native country to settle as a farmer.
The book provides a comprehensive history of the Ad-Vance, from the day it left Glasgow until its capture off the Carolina coast. It includes contemporary passenger diaries, personal recollections from crew members, letters and telegrams between Wyllie and Governor Vance, official records of the war and newspaper reports.
Councillor David McDonald, chairman of Glasgow Life, said: "The research undertaken for this book by John Messner, curator of transport and technology at Riverside Museum, is a tremendous asset to Glasgow Museums. It highlights Glasgow’s rich shipbuilding history and is a wonderful complement to Riverside Museum’s popular Blockade Runners display that features an oil painting of the steamer Ad-Vance, attributed to the famed maritime artist Samuel Walters."
In a foreword to the book, Dr Stephen R Wise, author of Lifeline of the Confederacy, says: "John Messner has done a fine and commendable job in bringing to life the varied and fascinating career of Joannes Wyllie. Messner’s comprehensive account will stand as an example of excellent research blended into a well-crafted narrative that brings to Civil War historiography an important book."
- Featuring around 70 illustrations and maps, A Scottish Blockade Runner in the American Civil War by John F Messner is on sale from Whittles Publishing, Dunbeath (£18.99, softback).