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Cromwell Steamship Line (1854-1902)

In 1854, Henry B Cromwell founded the HB Cromwell & Co. in Brooklyn, New York to engage in the business of shipping. The newly formed company then purchased the former New York, Baltimore and Alexandria Steamship Company, also known as the Parker Vein Fleet, of ten small wooden screw steamships. This fleet had been operating between New York and Baltimore in the coal trade. These ten vessels were continued in the New York and Baltimore trade by the H B Cromwell & Company, but as business did not necessitate the use of the whole fleet in this trade, Cromwell decide to place some of the vessels on other routes. Cromwell began managing this small line of steamships in connection with the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad. By upgrading those steamships and adding several other steamships, Cromwell's business continued to increase until he had connection with nearly all the important domestic seacoast ports.

In 1855, HB Cromwell decided to place a vessel on the New York to Portland, ME route during the summer months, and if successful, continue the service throughout the year. The steamers Caledonia and WesternPort were chosen for this route and left New York on their first trips to Portland, June 1855.

In 1857, Cromwell had two newly upgraded propellers, the Atlanta and the Memphis to be placed in the New York and Charleston service. At that time, Cromwell's Steamship Line owns eleven coasting steamers, 2 between New York and Charleston (Atlanta and Memphis), 1 between New York and Portland (Caledonia), 2 between Baltimore and Charleston, 4 between New York and Baltimore, and 2 between New York and Savannah. At that same time, Cromwell had two propeller steamships on the stocks at the Westervelt Yard for a New York and Savannah run. The Huntsville and the R R Cuyler were soon added to the Cromwell Fleet.

In 1858, Henry Cromwell offered to lease or sell four of his upgraded steamers to the Secretary of Navy to take part in an 18-ship expedition against Paraguay, who in 1855 had fired upon a US survey steamer. After leasing the Caledonia, the Western Port, the Atlanta, and the Memphis for that expedition, the Navy agreed to purchased all four steamships from Cromwell. This gave Cromwell additional capital to expand and modernize his fleet.

Late in 1858, The Cromwell Savannah Line was established by Henry B Cromwell and a group of Georgia investors to run regular steamship service between Savannah, Georgia and New York City. During the few years prior to the Civil War, Cromwell had in successful operation steam lines from New York to Savannah, Charleston, Wilmington, Norfolk, Alexandria, and Washington, Portland, and Baltimore and another steamship line from Baltimore to Charleston and Savannah (Cromwell Baltimore Line) .

In 1861, The Cromwell New York and Portland Steamship Line, the Cromwell Savannah Line, the Cromwell Baltimore Line, and H B Cromwell & Company all became known as the Cromwell Steamship Line.

When the Civil War broke out, it was apparent to Lincoln and his generals that one of the South's biggest weaknesses was they were not industrialized nor had the nature resources to wage a protracted war. It was apparent the South would have to depend on other countries such as England to supply them with arms. The Anaconda Plan, as presented by General Winfield Scott, depended on the North effectively blockade the South so they could choke off the outside commerce and war supplies the South need so badly. The problem with that plan was that when war broke out, the US Navy had largely obsolete ships in its fleet to cover the 3500 mile long coastline from the Chesapeake Bay to the Rio Grande. The US Navy desperately needed ships, so it purchased many of the commercial fleets, armed them, and sent them into blockade duty. Within the end on the first year of war, the North had added almost 400 ships on the blockade.

Although Mr. Cromwell's commercial interests were so largely connected with the South, it is thought that he firmly upheld the cause of the US government (North) during the war. Henry Cromwell sold nearly all his vessels to the government, and with the additional capital from those sales, immediately proceeded with the construction of two fine new steamers, the George Washington and the George Cromwell. The Line began it's routine New York to New Orleans service with those two new steamers, shortly after the Union's capture of the city of New Orleans in 1862.

During the late 1870's through the 1890s, the Cromwell Steamship Line owned four first-class steamships, the New Orleans (1872), the Knickerbocker (1873), the Hudson (1874), and the Louisiana (1879). With these four luxurious steamships, the Cromwell Steamship Lines ran steamship passenger service between New York and New Orleans. The Cromwell Line was taken over by the Southern Pacific Line in the late 1880s but continued to operate under the Cromwell Line name and flag until 1902. At that time, all Southern Pacific properties were consolidated under the flag of the former Morgan Line.

The Cromwell Line Steamship Co. had their offices at the foot of Toulouse St. New Orleans, LA. and Pier No. 9, North River, New York City. For the City of New Orleans, Cromwell's line of first-class steamships, had the over-whelming confidence of the public. The Cromwell Line was an excellent example of the kind of company that influenced much of New Orleans economy following the Civil War and provided many jobs for New Orleans residents. Other ports touched by the Cromwell Line were Baltimore, Maryland; Savannah, Georgia; Havana, Cuba; Portland, Maine; Montreal, Quebec, Halifax, and St John's, Canada.

The Cromwell New York and New Orleans Steamship Line, owned the steamship New Orleans from 1872 to 1899. Built in 1872, at Pusey & Jones Shipbuilding, the New Orleans was the first of four new ships built to modernize the Cromwell Fleet in the early 1870's. In 1899, the Cromwell Line sold the New Orleans, after over twenty-five years as part of the Line's first-class steamships, to the Merchants and Miners' Transportation Company for $60,000.

SHIPS OF THE CROMWELL STEAMSHIP LINE

Vessel	Built	History
Caledonia*	1853	Bought in 1854 from Parker Vein Coal Company, sold to US Navy in 1859.
Georges Creek	1853	Bought in 1854 from Parker Vein Company, sold at public auction in 1861.
Jackson	1853	Bought in 1854 from Parker Vein Company, sold, but still sailing in 1867.
Locust Point	1853	Bought in 1854 from Parker Vein Company, sold at public auction in 1861.
Mount Savage*	1853	Bought in 1854 from Parker Vein Company, renamed Memphis in 1857, sold to US Navy in 1859.
Parker Vein	1853	Bought in 1854 from Parker Vein Company, renamed Atlanta in 1857, sold to US Navy in 1859.
Piedmont	1853	Bought in 1854 from Parker Vein Company, possibly renamed in 1858.
Thomas Swan	1853	Bought in 1854 from Parker Vein Company, sold at public auction in 1861.
Totten*	1849	Bought in 1854 from Parker Vein Company, renamed Chesapeake in 1857, sold to US Navy in 1859.
Westernport	1853	Bought in 1854 from Parker Vein Company, sold to US Navy in 1859.
Parkersburg	1853	Part of Cromwell Fleet in 1858, formerly named Henry B Beach.
Patapsco	1853	Bought in 1854 from Parker Vein Company, sold at public auction in 1861.
Potomac	1853	Bought in 1854 from Parker Vein Company, sold at public auction in 1861.
Mount Vernon*	1846	Owned by Baltimore Steam Packet Company, renamed USS Mount Washington.
Monticello*	1859	Owned by Metropolitan Steamship Co; crushed by ice, Newfoundland, 1872.
Yorktown*	1828	Owned by Baltimore Steam Packet Company; 1861 renamed CSS Patrick Henry.
Huntsville*	1858	Built for HB Cromwell & Co in 1858, sold to the US Navy in 1861.
Montgomery*	1858	Built for HB Cromwell & Co in 1858, sold to the US Navy in 1861.
R R Cuyler*	1858	Built for HB Cromwell & Co in 1858, sold to the US Navy in 1861.
Potomski	1853	Part of Cromwell Fleet in 1860, sold to the US Navy in 1861.
George Washington*	1862	Built for HB Cromwell & Co, struck rocks and sank near Canada in 1877.
George Cromwell*	1862	Built for HB Cromwell & Co, lost off Cape St Marys, Canada in 1877.
Republic*	1863	Chartered from Merchants Steamship Company for New York to New Orleans in 1866.
Western Metropolis*	1863	Chartered from Merchants Steamship Company for New York to New Orleans in 1866.
General Grant*	1863	Chartered from Merchants Steamship Company for New York to New Orleans in 1866.
General Meade*	1861	Chartered from Merchants Steamship Company for New York to New Orleans in 1866.
Sheridan	1861	Chartered from Merchants Steamship Company for New York to New Orleans in 1866.
Crescent City*	1865	Chartered by Cromwell Steamship Line in 1866.
Fung Shuey*	1867	Bought from Merchants & Miners for the New York and New Orleans Line in 1866.
Mariposa	1863	Bought from sheriff for the New York and New Orleans Line in 1866.
Cortes	1863	New York and New Orleans Line in 1866.
Claribel	1863	New York and New Orleans Line in 1866.
New Orleans*	1872	Built for Cromwell Steamship Line, sold to Merchant & Miners' in 1899.
Knickerbocker*	1873	Built for Cromwell Steamship Line, taken over by Southern Pacific in 1902.
Hudson*	1874	Built for Cromwell Steamship Line, sold to Merchant & Miners' in 1900.
Louisiana*	1879	Built for Cromwell Steamship Line, taken over by Southern Pacific in 1902.
Canima	1868	Chartered by the Cromwell Steamship Line since 1880, sank off Newfoundland in 1883.
Alhambra	1868	Chartered by the Cromwell Steamship Line in 1882.
Creole*	1896	Built for Cromwell Steamship Line, sold to US Navy in 1898.
General Whitney*	1896	Chartered by the Cromwell Line in 1899.
Proteus*	1900	Built for Cromwell Steamship Line, taken over by Southern Pacific in 1902.
Comus*	1900	Built for Cromwell Steamship Line, taken over by Southern Pacific in 1902.

Cromwell Steamship Hudson (oil painting done by Antonio Jacobsen in 1896)

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Copyright 2003 Bill Medford