Virginius Affair - The Virginius Ship

The Virginius Ship

The Virginius was a small, high-speed side-wheel steamer built to serve as a blockade runner between Havana and Mobile, Alabama, for the Confederacy during the American Civil War. Originally built as the Virgin by Aitken & Mansel of Whiteinch, Glasgow in 1864, she became a prize of the United States when captured on April 12, 1865. In August 1870, the Virginius was purchased by an American, John F. Patterson, acting secretly as an agent for Cuban insurgent Manuel Quesada and two U.S. citizens - Marshall O. Roberts and J.K. Roberts. The ship was originally captained by Francis Sheppherd; both Patterson and Shepphard immediately registered the ship in the New York Custom House; having paid $2,000 to be bonded, however, no sureties were listed. Patterson took a required oath that he was the sole owner of the Virginius. The secret purpose for the purchase of the Virginius was to transport men, munitions, and supplies to aid the Cuban rebellion. For three years the ship aided the Cuban rebellion and was protected by U.S. naval ships including the USS Kansas and the USS Canandaigua. The Spanish said it was an outlaw ship and aggressively sought to capture it.