Kidnapped at Sea: David Henry White
On October 9, 1862, David Henry White was kidnapped at sea from the United States merchant ship Tonawanda by Captain Raphael Semmes of the CSS Alabama.
On October 9, 1862, David Henry White was kidnapped at sea from the United States merchant ship Tonawanda by Captain Raphael Semmes of the CSS Alabama. The young man was from a free, black family of Lewes, Delaware, and was employed on the Tonawanda by the Cope Line as a passenger cook.
Dr. Andrew Sillen, author of Kidnapped at Sea, discusses the story of David Henry White, his life while enslaved on the CSS Alabama, and the Lost Cause myth proliferated by the memoir of Semmes.
For images and sources, please visit https://shipwrecksandseadogs.com/blog/2024/10/19/kidnapped-at-sea-david-henry-white/.
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Shipwrecks and Sea Dogs is written, edited, and produced by Rich Napolitano.
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