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On 7 December 1863, during the American Civil War, 16 Confederates seized American coastal steamer Chesapeake off Cape Cod and diverted it to Saint John, NB.
On 7 December 1863, during the American Civil War, 16 Confederates seized American coastal steamer Chesapeake off Cape Cod and diverted it to Saint John, NB. After refueling, it moved into Nova Scotian waters, where local residents co-operated with the hijackers. An American naval vessel then seized the ship within British waters, capturing with her 2 Nova Scotians. USS Dacotah towed the recaptured steamer into Halifax harbour, where in a melee one of the Nova Scotians escaped. The American vice-consul charged the Haligonians with violation of the Ashburton-Webster Treaty. The incident, though ultimately harmless, vividly illustrated the hostility Maritimers felt towards the Northern States.
