Hello.........
This is a request for information on a blockade runner called, "The Modern Greece," owned by Zachariah Charles Pearson of Kingston upon Hull, England. It was one of many such ships that he owned. It was purposely sunk at Fort Fisher NC........
I am helping a descendant of Mr. Pearson in trying to find any and all info on this ship as possible. There just isn't much avaiilable, that I can find, on the web............
One thing she's trying to find out is who the Captain was on this ship, especially at the end.........
Would you, by any chance, happen to have ANY information that she doesn't have and also a list of the crew?........
Not asking for much am I, but it gets so frustrating to know there has to be info out there..........
Happened across your website whilst looking for things regarding my two favorite ships, CSS Florida and CSS Shenandoah. Excellent site, too........
Thank you for any help you can provide. It will be very much appreciated.
Best wishes,
Elizabeth
Elizabeth,
Here is a start for you, I will write again after I have a good search for Modern Greece.
The original text of this article appeared as "The Lasting Legacy Of The Blockade Runner 'Modern Greece'" in 'Crossfire' the magazine of the ACWRT (UK) No. 48 2001)
"Last night the English steamer 'Modern Greece', in attempting to enter New Inlet, off Fort Fisher, got aground. She is laden with powder, rifles and rifle cannon. The enemy are shelling her. We have sunk her to wet the powder and prevent an explosion. Have sent down steamers to aid and push to save some of the cargo. She is three-quarters of a mile from shore, which prevents us keeping the enemy's vessels far enough off to prevent their shelling her." So wrote Confederate Brigadier General S.G. French at Wilmington following the vessel's grounding in the early hours of June 27th, 1862.
The freighter, built at Pearson's yard in Stockton, was originally for the Hull to Baltic timber trade, but had been purchased that year, three years after construction, by the one-time Mayor of Hull, Zacharia C. Pearson.
Pearson it was who had scented the potential profits to British business via successful blockade running ventures. He had set up the London registered company of Z.C. Pearson & Co. and was actively engaged in the trade through the Bermuda based 'middle man', John T. Bourne.
The 'Modern Greece' was only marginally suitable for blockade running. With a depth of 17 feet 2 inches allied to her length and breadth of 210 and 29 feet respectively, she was a large vessel for a pursuit.
No doubt with profit as its prime motive, Pearson was attracted to the vessel's capacity of 753 tons though, and with speculative gains of over 100 per cent from a successful round trip, Pearson and his cohorts presumably relished the anticipated good news. On May 16th 1862, the U.S. Consul at Falmouth reported "...the departure of the 'Modern Greece' from that port on the 2nd ultimo with a cargo, it is suspected, for the rebels." Bound ostensibly for the Mexican port of Tampico, the 'Modern Greece', camouflaged in a slate grey paint, undertook the most hazardous part of its mission as dawn broke off the North Carolina coastline amidst the hazy first hours of June 27th 1862.
Approaching New Inlet that murky morn, she was spotted by two U.S. patrolling ships, the U.S.S. 'Stars & Stripes' and the U.S.S. 'Cambridge', which immediately opened fire with its parrott gun. The 'Modern Greece' responded in the only way she could, by hoisting the British flag and making full steam ahead for the protection of Fort Fisher's guns by running parallel to shore. Initially, this plan succeeded but about half a mile from the Fort, the steamer ran hard aground whilst under heavy Yankee fire.
Orders were given to abandon ship and this the British crew did. The 'Cambridge' continued firing upon the stricken vessel for several hours afterwards - ceasing to enable her jubilant crew to breakfast - until a total of 106 rounds had been fired. This shelling effectively sunk the 'Modem Greece', and by August 17th her spar deck was level with the waterline, with only smokestacks and masts still standing. Her hull, it was noted, had already settled into the sandy seabed.
The resourceful Confederates, however, were eager to salvage everything possible from the cargo and had soon begun an extensive operation to recover munitions and supplies from the vessel's holds.
Official reports from both sides survive today detailing the types of cargo saved, the non-military part of which was auctioned, as 'The Wilmington Journal' of June 30th, 1862 records: "We understand a large proportion of the cargo of the Modem Greece advertised for sale at auction 8th inst. is in a damaged condition, and we are requested to say catalogues of that saved in good order will be prepared as soon as the ship is discharged, and the quantity ascertained."
Following the sale of all salvaged non-military goods from the 'Modern Greece' her usable military artifacts, including engines, rifled cannon, Enfield muskets and some powder, the ship passed into history, or so it seemed.
The vessel's location, covered in sand around thirty feet down, had been passed down the generations until, in early spring 1962, a fierce storm ravaged the North Carolina coast. The high winds and water managed to uncover the sand from the wreck and shortly after divers from the Naval Ordnance School in Maryland inspected the ship's remains. Their prognosis was encouraging, stating that the hull had been cleared of sand to below the main deck and that the cargo was virtually intact.
Several U.S. departments soon became involved and navy divers began to salvage this cargo from the wreck, commencing on March 15th off a rented shrimp boat 'Wayne R'. Seventeen Enfield rifles, 3 Whitworth shells, a triangular bayonet, several saber bayonets and a ship's anchor were recovered in the first three days of diving.
Eventually articles such as lead for shot, hardware of all description, house wares, surgical goods and instruments, tin, steel sheet, wire, plus military goods were salvaged from the wreck. Many of these articles are displayed at the state of North Carolina's official museum site. Among her cargo were items from several Liverpool manufacturers including Newton Keates & Co and Newton Lyon & Co.
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Best wishes,
Mac. Gregory
Elizabeth,
A few notes about Blockade Runner Modern Greece.
Regards,
Mac.
- Exhibits at Fort Fisher -
Fort Fisher State Historic Site
Blockade-Runners
. Sleek, shallow-draft steamers ran the Federal blockade to provide the South with everything from munitions of war to luxury items.
. By 1864, Wilmington was the last major Confederate seaport open to the outside world-and Fort Fisher was her protector. The guns of Fort Fisher engaged Federal "blockaders" as the daring blockade-runners slipped across dangerous shoal waters into the Cape Fear River. Once safely across the bar, the runners steamed up to the docks at Wilmington to unload their wares.
From Wilmington, goods were shipped by rail to points across the South-especially to Robert E. Lee's Confederate army in Virginia.
. Artifacts from the blockade-runner Modern Greece-which sank off the coast of Fort Fisher-are featured in this
. Sauceboat from the Modern Greece
This piece of china is from the blockade-runner that ran aground off Fort Fisher in June 1862.
Many of the blockade runners that made it safely into Wilmington were indebted to Colonel William Lamb, the commanding officer at Fort Fisher. Lamb recovered from the wreck of the blockade-runner Modern Greece four Whitworth rifle guns that had a range of five miles. With these pieces he made the blockading fleet move its anchorage from two and one-half to five miles from the fort. General Whiting said that the Whitworth gun, in the hands of the indefatigable Lamb, saved dozens of vessels and millions of dollars to the Confederate States. Whiting urged the Secretary of War to have two of the guns originally saved from the Modern Greece returned to Fort Fisher. At the suggestions of Captain Tom Taylor, a battery of six Whitworth guns was subsequently presented to the Colonel. For every blockade-runner destroyed on the beach, at least one other was captured at sea by the Federal naval forces.
USS Stars and Stripes, a 407-ton (burden) screw steam gunboat, was built at Mystic, Connecticut, for commercial employment. The Navy purchased her new in July 1861, converted her to a warship and placed her in commission in September. Stars and Stripes initially served along the North Carolina Outer Banks, where she took a sailing blockade runner in mid-December 1861. In February and March 1862 she participated in the capture of Roanoke Island and New Bern. While on blockade duty during the summer she helped destroy the steamer Modern Greece and seized another sailing ship.
Blockade Runner Modern Greece Bright, L. S. $30.00 Paperback. Order from: War Stuff
Phone: 540-740-8065 (EST)
Fax: 540-740-3663
Modern Greece. The remains of this iron hulled blockade runner are buried in 15 feet of water off Fort Fisher at Kure Beach. Built in 1859 and sunk in 1862. Owned by the State of North Carolina. Listed in the National Register as part of an archeological district, this wreck is nationally significant.
Mercy sakes, thank you !!!
Hello Mac..........The only thing I can recall seeing is the ORN. Can get so very much from it, but a son-of-a-gun to get into, if you don't use it often..............You are an absolute angel with the taking so much time to help........And, believe me, it is greatly appreciated, too...............Have forwarded a lot of this to my friend and she's going to take it all with her next month when going to Fort Fisher...........Can't believe we'll finally meet, as we've become very dear friends..............Should I ever have any further questions, either on this or anything, would you mind my contacting you?.......Have only had my pc a little over a year and have had to teach myself how to use it. Now I'm finding things others can't, but still have a problem once in a while.........My main bit of help is my insatiable curiosity. I love to learn about the Civil War........ Checked yesterday afternoon on what the time was where you are and found that you are 14 hours AHEAD of us. It was 2:10pm Monday here, and 4:10am, Tuesday, there. This is awesome to me. I'm used to being in touch with people in England with them five hours ahead.......... Take care and, bless your heart, for all the help...................
Best Dixie Wishes, Elizabeth
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