The ex-CSS Texas was renamed the Tornado by the Spanish. The Tornado is famous for taking part in the Virginius Affair of 1873 and almost got the United States in a war with Spain. The Virginius was the ex-Confederate blockade runner Virgin, the blockade runner my uncle in-law James Campbell was contracted to pilot to Havana in 1864 with a load of cotton when has captured by one of Admiral Farragut's ships in Mobile Bay. So in 1873 the ex-Confederate blockade runner Virgin was being operated by Cuban revolutionaries to bring in arms to Cuba to fight the Spanish (under an American flag, crewed by about 50 Americans, with about 100 cuban passengers). The ex-CSS Texas captured the ex-Confederate blockade runner Virgin off of Jamica and brought it to Cuba. The Spanish held a trial and condemned all to death. Over several days nearly 50 were executed in a slaughter house. The British intervened with a war ship and stopped the executions. In the end the ship was given back to the Americans, along with the survivors of the executions.

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David Upton