OCONEE, see SAVANNAH Ogeechee, see MACON OHIO BELLE SwStr: t. 406 OHIO BELLE, a small second class steamer built in 1856 at Cincinnati, and used as an Army watch boat on the Mississippi, was captured by the Federals at Island No. 10 on 7 April 1862. OLD SAVANNAH, see SAVANNAH OLINDE, see STONEWALL OLUSTEE, see TALLAHASSEE OREGON SwGbt: l. 216' 10"; b. 26' 6"; dph. 9' 6"; t. 532; a. 1 8", 1 32-pdr., 2 how. OREGON, a wooden steamer similar to CALIFORNIA, was built at New York City in 1846 for the Mobile Mail Line, 60 percent owned at the end of April 1861 by the Geddes family of New Orleans and Cincinnati, the remainder by R. A. Heirn and Samuel Wolf of Mobile. Described as having "one deck, one mast, no galleries and a billethead," she was permanently enrolled (coastwise) at New Orleans, 20 June 1858. Seized by Louisiana's GOVERNOR MOORE sometime in 1861, she was an early and successful blockade runner, apparently only in the Gulf. Under Capt. A. P. Boardman she had somehow contrived to make 92 "entrances and clearances" at blockaded ports before being picked for arming as a man-of-war; how much of this coastal service was under Confederate Army auspices is not altogether clear. Capt. A. L. Myers succeeded to her command. After being converted into a gunboat, OREGON operated in Mississippi Sound on various assignments. On 13 July 1861 she steamed in company with ARROW to the vicinity of Ship Island Light where they vainly attempted to lure USS MASSACHUSETTS within range of shore batteries. During September 1861 she evacuated Confederate property and troops from Ship Island, Miss. When Confederate forces evacuated New Orleans in April 1862, OREGON was destroyed to prevent capture. ORETO, see FLORIDA ORETO, see LAPWING ORIZABA SwStr: t. 696 The Confederate Government Steamer ORIZABA, formerly belonging to the Texas line of Charles Morgan's Southern Steamship Co., seems to have been the low-pressure, seagoing packet built in Brooklyn, N. Y., in 1868. Some writers have tried to identify her with the big, 1,200- passenger, predecessor Morgan liner ORIZABA delivered in New York in 1864 to Morgan & Harris, sent to California two years later and scrapped there in 1887, never having returned to the Atlantic; her only war service having been short, transporting Union troops to the Isthmus of Panama. ORIZABA was seized by the Confederacy at Galveston prior to mid- September 1861, according to Confederate Army records. Released under gentleman's agreement with her owner to sail Galveston-New Orleans coastwise, her captain-once underway-made known Morgan's sub rosa countermand and tried to head for New York, but his Mate and passengers kept the pact for him by putting in to New Orleans anyway. Whether ORIZABA continued to ply to Galveston the next three months or was interned in the Mississippi is not authenticated by available documents. On 15 January 1862, she was commandeered a second time, appearing on the list of 14 ships Secretary of War Benjamin ordered Maj. Gen. Mansfield Lovell to "impress for public service" at New Orleans. Her status confused even her contemporaries for, the end of May 1862 when her owners pressed Richmond for the last payment on ORIZABA and erstwhile running mate MEXICO. Secretary of War G. W. Randolph had to ask General Lovell, "Are they a part of the River Defense Fleet?" Page 554 Judging by official Navy records' silence about ORIZABA thereafter, the answer must have been negative. Earlier in May, a Union spy had reported her in Texas; that is all. Although clearly Government-owned the rest of her career, she apparently was never armed as a gunboat. As a blockade-runner, ORIZABA is believed to have carried at least 16 essential Confederate cargoes out of Havana into the Gulf and to have been lost in 1865. OSCEOLA SwStr: t. 157 OSCEOLA was built in 1858 at Louisville, Ky., and passed to Confederate control in 1861. She was reported by USS LA FAVETTE to be in the river above Alexandria, La., on 30 May 1863. On 18 March 1864, Lt. W. E. Marshall, Engineer Troops, was ordered to proceed in OSCEOLA from Shreveport to the vicinity of Coushatta Chute where the steamer NEW FALLS CITY lay. He was to fill NEW FALLS CITY with dirt and rock for stable ballast, and hold her in readiness to be sunk on approach of the Federals to block passage in the Red River, at the foot of Scopern's Cut-off. Slp OSCEOLA, a fishing smack which sailed under Confederate papers, was captured by USS NEW LONDON on 9 December 1861 near Cat Island Passage in Mississippi Sound. She may not have been a public vessel. OUACHITA, see LOUISVILLE SwStr: t. 771; l. 230'; b. 26'; dph. 9'6" or 10'9"; dr. 76"; s. 14-16 k.; cl. OWL Maffitt's last command, "long, low and painted light-red color," OWL, sister to BAT (q.v. supra for background) was more fortunate than her twin which followed her closely: OWL succeeded in running into Wilmington, N.C., some time in September, 1864, although U S. Consul M. M. Jackson telegraphed Washington that OWL had "a large, valuable cargo" cleared 31 August-officially for Nassau. She escaped to sea from Wilmington, 3 October; her masts were visible all the while she lay in port loading. The blockaders wounded her captain and several crewmen but 9 shots failed to stop OWL. She was now commanded by Comdr. John Newland Maffitt, CSN-the "Prince of Privateers"-detached from CS Ram ALBEMARLE at Plymouth, N.C., on or about 9 September. Secretary Mallory, telegraphing 19 September, warned Maffitt: "It is of the first importance that our steamers should not fall into the enemy's hands ... these vessels, lightly armed, now constitute the fleetest and most efficient part of his blockading force off Wilmington." [cf. Bat] Maffitt was to take no passengers, as a rule and Asst. Paymaster Adam Tredwell, CSN, would deliver "6,000 pounds in sterling bills before sailing," Mallory concluded. OWL was at Bermuda with cotton, 24-29 October, as the U.S. Consul faithfully reported. Mallory on 5 December instructed Maffitt to pick up FLORIDA's men in Bermuda. A letter to Mallory captured, along with Asst. Paymaster Talley, CSN, by USS FOREST ROSE, 7 May 1866, bears an endorsement by her commander, Lt. A. N. Gould, USN, "It shows that Maffitt has been landing on the Florida coast with the OWL." U.S. Consul W. T. Minor at Havana reported 20 May 1865 that Maffitt was to leave there in a day or two for Galveston. This last trip OWL was almost captured at Wilmington by a Federal cruiser and had to jettison valuable mail as well as sustain 12 casualties; Maffitt then tried Galveston, grounded on Bird Island Shoals at the entrance within range of 16 enemy cruisers. Capt. James H. MacGarvey, CSN, in little DIANA, got OWL off barely in time; she not only ran into port but ran out safely too. There is some evidence OWL’s last two runs through the blockade were made under the name of FOAM. OWL was delivered to Fraser, Trenholm & Co. in Liverpool after war's end and Maffitt took the Board of Trade examinations to command British merchant ships to South America.