JULY 6TH, 1865: The USS Sacramento, Captain Henry Walke, intercepted the steamer Beatrice, formerly the CSS Rappahannock, off the coast of Wales. She was enroute for Liverpool, England, from Calais, France, and was disarmed and under English colors.
When intercepted, the former Confederate cruiser was steaming well within the three mile limit which Walke respected by refraining from either attacking or attempting to seize the vessel. The Sacramento trailed the steamer through territorial waters until her arrival off Liverpool where Walke broke off the chase.
The Rappahannock had been purchased by the Confederacy by Commander Matthew F. Maury in the fall of 1863. However, she never went to sea as the French government detained the vessel in Calais where she had been taken to avoid seizure in England.