Shipwrecked: A True Civil War Story of Mutinies, Jailbreaks, Blockade-Running, and the Slave Trade

by Jonathan W. White

Historian Jonathan W. White tells the riveting story of Appleton Oaksmith, a swashbuckling sea captain whose life intersected with some of the most important moments, movements, and individuals of the mid-19th century, from the California Gold Rush, filibustering schemes in Nicaragua, Cuban liberation, and the Civil War and Reconstruction. Most importantly, the book depicts the extraordinary lengths the Lincoln Administration went to destroy the illegal trans-Atlantic slave trade. Using Oaksmith’s case as a lens, White takes readers into the murky underworld of New York City, where federal marshals plied the docks in lower Manhattan in search of evidence of slave trading. Once they suspected Oaksmith, federal authorities had him arrested and convicted, but in 1862 he escaped from jail and became a Confederate blockade-runner in Havana. The Lincoln Administration tried to have him kidnapped in violation of international law, but the attempt was foiled. Always claiming innocence, Oaksmith spent the next decade in exile until he received a presidential pardon from U.S. Grant, at which point he moved to North Carolina and became an anti-Klan politician. Through a remarkable, fast-paced story, this book will give readers a new perspective on slavery and shifting political alliances during the turbulent Civil War Era.

Genres: History, Civil War, American History, Nonfiction, Biography

336 pages, Hardcover

First published August 1, 2023

Reviews

[Brendan (History Nerds United) · Rating 3 out of 5]

It is difficult to write a review when the author is proven to be talented as a writer and specifically with the time period he or she is writing. To be more specific, Jonathan White is a very good writer, but his subject, Appleton Oaksmith, was a pathetic figure whose life does not come off well in a full length book.

"Shipwrecked" follows the life of Oaksmith before, during, and after the Civil War. Oaksmith was the target of a mutiny, did break out of jail, and became a Civil War blockade runner. The major problem is the more exciting aspects of his life are sparsely documented. The mutiny and blockade running take up very little small sections of the overall narrative. His arrest for outfitting a slave trader and the subsequent trial take up an enormous amount of room, however. This is not a good thing as the narrative drags with the back and forth between various levels of the government. It mainly feels like you are reading correspondence.

It pains me to write about the dragging of the court case because there are parts of the book which I loved. Specifically, the chapter devoted to the first man executed for participating in the slave trade is thrilling and nuanced. Earlier portions of the book which focus on Oaksmith's mother, Elizabeth Oakes Smith, a celebrated poet in her own right, are fascinating.

The final issue is that Oaksmith was a terrible person. He was clearly intending to be a slave trader and his seemingly enlightened thoughts are often probably political machinations as opposed to real attempts at growth. His treatment of his first wife, with help from his mother, was shockingly cruel on multiple levels. Ultimately, I felt I was reading about a bad person who even during his own time was seen as a detestable figure. While a book about a terrible person can certainly be interesting to read, it feels like Oaksmith was not worth White's time and skill.

(This book was provided as an advance copy by Netgalley and Rowman & Littlefield.)

[David Kent · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting look at an intriguing but little-known figure in American history.

[DJ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Adventurer? Scoundrel? Hard to tell. Sadness abounds in a life of struggle.

[ash]

my 6th DNF this month cute!

[Linda Anderson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read for a book club. I loved the history and Civil War time period this was set in. I did not like Appleton Oaksmith, who I found to be devoid of a moral core and always looking to better himself financially without regard to the big picture of things. I mostly admired his mother, and sort of understood her blind defense of her son. I thought the author did a wonderful job of researching the immoral, illegal slave trading taking place during this time. The supplemental information about Southern sympathizers and their reasoning in the North around the time of the Civil War was enlightening. At times, there were some tangential topics that the reader did not need. Some of the poetry inclusions got a bit redundant/long in my opinion. There were many details. I do look forward to hearing the author speak to our group. I wanted some chapter summaries on where the book was going and where we were in the story.

[Chris Jarvis · Rating 2 out of 5]

I’m not sure how much of this story is believable. Certainly the names, dates, and legal proceedings are officially recorded in all the appropriate legal places but I can’t be convinced Appleton was guilty or innocent. It seems there were too many instances where the word “allegedly” or a letter “didn’t survive” or some other kind of definitive evidence was lost. In my opinion, this led to possibly erroneous conclusions about his conduct. Because I had doubts about the so-called evidence for Lincoln and his administration to believe this man guilty of being involved in the slave trade, I also had doubts about Appleton’s (and his family) claims that he was always innocent. There are instances of backstabbing and lies told by many of these people in this story that I really don’t know what to believe. It’s all so confusing.

The book’s title led me to believe there would have been far more actual descriptions of shipwrecks on the high seas and not simply a paragraph or sentence to describe such an event. Most of this story takes place on land on various continents with maybe a few sentences describing some of the voyages. For me, this was a disappointing waste of my time.

[Charity · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm not a big one in civil war history, but this book was very captivating. History is important lest we forget and repeat the wrong things.

[Chad Rowland · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book Reads like a college research paper. A bunch of facts strung together in an attempt to tell a story. I did learn a lot about Oaksmith but I did not enjoy the book.

[Leo Terry · Rating 5 out of 5]

An edge of your seat & tragic tale.

[Tom · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting read but at times hard to follow plot and characters.

[NonFiction 24/7 · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF false advertising. The small part I read about sailing was interesting but that story just got lost.

[John Harris · Rating 5 out of 5]

I blurbed this book; as I said on the dust jacket, it’s gripping!

[Ron Baumer · Rating 4 out of 5]

A strange tale that leaves the reader confused as to whether or not the individual was guilty of what he was accused of. The story tells of a family and the trials they faced before, during, and after the civil war. The story presents a lot of information and allows the reader to draw their own conclusions. Overall a good and interesting read.

Thank you to #NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

[Ed · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting story of a gentleman turn ship broker who ran up against the Slave Trade Laws.

[Kristen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a lengthy tale about the life of Appleton Oakesmith, a shady character of the nineteenth century. The biography includes fascinating stories of his mother and father and includes information about his life and adventures in Panama, California, and Africa, as well as his sea faring days in the slave trade and blockade running in the Civil War and subsequent exile in Cuba hiding from Union authorities.

The reader is presented with the facts of Appleton’s life without any prejudice from the author. While I believe that Appleton was an amoral opportunist, his life was never dull. I enjoyed learning about this little known figure from the 1800s.