History Daily Discovering the Wreck of the SS Georgiana
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Mar 19, 2026 A teen diver's 1965 discovery of a Civil War wreck and its 1863 artifacts sparks a deep dive into a blocked-runner's dramatic scuttling. Learn about covert Liverpool ship commissions and the booming transatlantic blockade trade. The story explores the vessel's secret design, bold tactics to outrun Union ships, and the wealthy operators who profited from wartime smuggling.
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Georgiana's Dramatic Ruse And Scuttling
- The SS Georgiana tried to escape Union gunboats by feigning surrender with a white lamp and then launching a surprise breakout.
- Captain A.B. Davidson later scuttled the ship, dousing boilers and smashing pumps, to prevent its capture near Charleston in March 1863.
How British Shipyards Fueled Confederate Blockade Running
- British shipbuilders and private firms like John Frazier & Company enabled Confederate blockade running by covertly registering and building vessels in Liverpool.
- The Georgiana was built as a massive, fast, black-painted runner: 200+ feet, 19 knots, 14 cannon, 400-ton cargo.
George Trenholm's Smuggling Empire And The Georgiana
- George Trenholm of John Frazier and Company financed and orchestrated transatlantic smuggling, profiting over $10 million in the early war years.
- He named the Georgiana after his deceased daughter and hosted elites including Jefferson Davis at his Charleston feast.