Starting life as the Sea King the CSS Shenandoah was bought in England by the Confederate navy in late 1864 then sent to work sinking supply ships, capturing crew and wiping out the American Whaling fleet continuing even after the war had officially ended having not heard that it had ended at all.
Needing repairs and wanting to send word of their progress back home they decided to head to Williamstown (modern day part of Melbourne) where they were unlikely to run into Union ships providing a rare Australian link to the American link to the civil war and part of suit that cost England a fortune for letting them use Williamstown port in the Alabama Claims at the International Court of Geneva.
Arriving in Williamstown on January 25th 1865 and docking the CSS Shenandoah resupplied and the crew visited Melbourne and the surrounds but became a point of controversy with 42 men coming aboard to join the crew which was not allowed with the ship eventually being surrounded by the police and military.
The CSS Shenandoah's arrival was commemorated in Australia today 25th January 15 with a 4 cannon salute.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-01-25/australias-link-to-american-civil-war-remembered/6044832
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CSS_Shenandoah
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alabama_Claims
http://www.heritageaustralia.com.au/victoria/2934-williamstown
Needing repairs and wanting to send word of their progress back home they decided to head to Williamstown (modern day part of Melbourne) where they were unlikely to run into Union ships providing a rare Australian link to the American link to the civil war and part of suit that cost England a fortune for letting them use Williamstown port in the Alabama Claims at the International Court of Geneva.
Arriving in Williamstown on January 25th 1865 and docking the CSS Shenandoah resupplied and the crew visited Melbourne and the surrounds but became a point of controversy with 42 men coming aboard to join the crew which was not allowed with the ship eventually being surrounded by the police and military.
The CSS Shenandoah's arrival was commemorated in Australia today 25th January 15 with a 4 cannon salute.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-01-25/australias-link-to-american-civil-war-remembered/6044832
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CSS_Shenandoah
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alabama_Claims
http://www.heritageaustralia.com.au/victoria/2934-williamstown
hadent totally forgotten about that and been playing 7 days to die this morning. x D
Deo Vindice. History may say that's when our last flag was lowered, but that's not quite the case in reality 
. Won't be long til they get their way, but until then The Southlands are very much still Suth'rn. 
