John Newland Maffitt (privateer)
| John Newland Maffitt | |
|---|---|
Commander John Newland Maffitt, CSN
|
|
| Nickname(s) | "Prince of Privateers" |
| Born |
February 22, 1819 at sea |
| Died | May 15, 1886 (aged 67) Wilmington, North Carolina |
| Allegiance |
 United States of America Confederate States of America
|
| Service/branch |
 United States Navy Confederate States Navy
|
| Years of service | USN 1832-1861 CSN 1861-1865 |
| Rank |
 Commander (USN) Commander (CSN) |
| Battles/wars | American Civil War |
John Newland Maffitt (February 22, 1819 – May 15, 1886) was an officer in the Confederate States Navy who was nicknamed the "Prince of Privateers" due to his remarkable success as a blockade runner and commerce raider in the U.S. Civil War.
Maffitt was born at sea on a ship bound for New York City, his parents having emigrated from Ireland. Maffitt's parents, Reverend John Newland Maffitt and his wife Ann Carnicke, settled with their son in Connecticut. When Maffitt was about five years old, he was adopted by his uncle, Dr. William Maffitt who traveled across the Atlantic Ocean with them, and moved to Fayetteville, North Carolina to live at the Ellerslie Plantation.
Maffitt entered the United States Navy as a midshipman in February 1832, at the age of thirteen. He first served aboard USS St. Louis in the West Indies, and was later assigned to the Pensacola Navy Yard. In 1835 he was assigned to USS Constitution, serving as an aide to Commodore Jesse Elliott in the Mediterranean; his service aboard Constitution would later become the basis for a novel, Nautilus; or, Cruising under Canvas, published in 1871. He also served on the frigate USS Macedonian, becoming its acting Master in 1841.
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