The Bahia Incident was a naval skirmish fought in late 1864 during the American Civil War. A Confederate States Navy warship was captured by a Union warship in Bahia Harbor, Brazil. The engagement resulted in a United States victory, but also sparked an incident with the Brazilian government, which claimed the Americans had violated Brazil's neutrality by illegally attacking a vessel in their harbor.
In late 1864, the nine gun sloop-of-war CSS Fl...
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The Bahia Incident was a naval skirmish fought in late 1864 during the American Civil War. A Confederate States Navy warship was captured by a Union warship in Bahia Harbor, Brazil. The engagement resulted in a United States victory, but also sparked an incident with the Brazilian government, which claimed the Americans had violated Brazil's neutrality by illegally attacking a vessel in their harbor.
In late 1864, the nine gun sloop-of-war CSS Florida with 146 officers and crew headed south along the South American coast for the Pacific. She was in need of repairs and coal so her commander Lieutenant Charles Manigault Morris pulled into Bahia, Brazil at night on October 4, 1864 after a sixty-one day cruise. Unknown to the Confederates, the Union sloop-of-war USS Wachusett was nearby, under Commander Napoleon Collins. Wachusett launched a boat and sent her torwards the Florida, once nearby the Union sailors called out to the rebel crew, asking the name of their ship. Not realizing that...
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