RUBY (1) blockade runner built in 1854

[aukepalmhof]

The American Civil War (1861 –1865) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union (“the North”) and the Confederacy (“the South”), the latter formed by states that had seceded. The central cause of the war was the dispute over whether slavery would be permitted to expand into the western territories, leading to more slave states, or be prevented from doing so, which was widely believed would place slavery on a course of ultimate extinction.
During the American Civil War, The Bahamas was a haven for blockade runners that were aligned with the Confederate States. As the Union had blockaded all Confederate ports, blockade runners traded cotton at Nassau for British goods, with the cotton eventually finding its way to British cotton mills. The first blockade runner docked at Nassau on 5 December 1861 and the town experienced a population boom.
Grand Bahama Island had a decreasing population in the 19th century because of Nassau, but after the Civil War began in 1861, Grand Bahama Island’s population doubled because of the blockade runners’ actions.
The stamp depicts an engraving featuring a Confederate blockade runner entering the port laden with cotton after successfully slipping through the blockade. The runner appears to be the RUBY, a 177′ iron hull sidewheel steamer which made 8 successful blockade runs before being destroyed on 11 June 1863 near Charleston.

https://thedigitalphilatelist.com/baham ... civil-war/

We regret to say that the steamer RUBY, Capt. PEAT, from Nassau, got ashore on Folly Island breakers, near this bar, on Wednesday night. A large portion of the cargo was thrown overboard, and everything possible done to get her off, but without success. The Yankees on Folly Island having discovered her early on Thursday, opened on her from a battery. Capt. PEAT was then compelled to set her on fire and abandon her, and she afterwards blew up. While Capt. PEAT and his crew were coming ashore to Morris Island, they were shot at by the Yankees with cannon and small arms, and the balls came dropping around them in every direction.
Since writing the above, we have been furnished with the following particular by Capt. PHILIPS, an officer of the RUBY:
One man is missing, and is supposed to have been killed. The last seen of him he was holding up a trunk to protect himself it from the f???e by platoons of the Yankees on Folly island against him. The Yankees fired grape and canister at our men while some of them were up to their necks in water.
The RUBY had arrived without accident off the bar about ??? Thursday morning, safety passing the blockading squadron. About 2 o'clock the officers were deceived by a light shown on Folly Island, and unfortunately attempted to enter Folly inlet, when she grounded hard and fast on the reef between Folly and Morris Island.
The officers, crew and passengers remained on board ??? daylight, having been fired upon from the moment the ship grounded until beyond range in their own boats.
The -- mishap, in addition to involving the entire loss of the cargo, includes the loss of the personal effendis of all on board. The mail was happily saved.
The RUBY belonged to a Manchester firm, and her freight consisted of a general cargo, with some Government property.
https://www.nytimes.com/1863/07/12/arch ... -RUBY.html

Lifeline of the Confederacy, Blockade running during the Civil War by Stephen R Wise.

Built by Henderson and Company, Renfrew, Scotland as a passenger paddle steamer for ?
Dim. 177.4 x 17.1 8.3ft.
1864 ?? Bought from George Wigg for Alexander Collie and Company. London. The year can not be right, at that time she was already a wreck.)
11 June 1863 was chased ashore and destroyed while trying to reach Charleston off Lighthouse Inlet. Position 32 40.6 N 79 53W.
He was used as a blockade runner from February 1863 till June 1863. and made a call at Nassau, Bahamas 3 times as a blockade runner.
The Clydeships built gives:
Built by James Henderson & Son, Renfrew, for there own account, registered April 1855,
Tonnage 155grt, dim. 172.9 x 15.0 x 8.2ft.
1860 Sold,
1864 Again sold June 1865 by prize court to John Cochrane, New York, reg. New York,1865 Sold at prize court.(Must be the wreck was sold.)
1874 Reported abandoned in 1874.
She was used as blockade runner, on her first voyage from Havana for St Marsk, Florida, captured by USS PROTEUS (according Wise book she was the RUBY 2)

https://www.clydeships.co.uk/view.php?e ... essel=RUBY
Bahamas 1980 80c sg 564, Scott ?