The former CSS raider Sumter which was originally laid down as the Habana in 1859 at Philadelphia for account of the McConnell’s New Orleans & Havana Line as a screw steamship with a bark rigging. She was acquired by the Confederates at New Orleans in April 1861 and fitted out as a commerce raider and rechristened Sumter. Commissioned on 3 June 1861 in the Confederate Navy became she a successful commerce raider commanded by Semmes although already in April 1862 laid up at Gibraltar with ships of the US Navy continuously observed her. Her armament was removed and on 19 December 1862 was she bought on an auction by the Fraser, Trenholm & Co which take her in service as the blockade runner Gibraltar. The last official US tiding dated from 10 July 1864. She seemed to be lost off Cherbourg, France during a gale in 1867. With a displacement of 473 tons were her dimensions 56 x 9,1 x 3,7 metres or 184’x 30’x 12’. She had a speed of 10 knots, a small crew just numbering 18 men and an armament consisting of 1-8” shell gun and 4-32pdr guns.
