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Has anybody read or heard anything about the ship Chicamauga from the False Echo’s song on Banana Wind album?

"Now the old Chicamauga has slipped by the ways
She lies on the bottom of old Mobile Bay"

I did a Google on it, but only found a Civil War reference for the C.S.S Chicamauga.

I was hoping for some historical information from Jimmy, but it looks like he has yet to write anything about it. I'm sure it's tied to some emotional baggage too, in light of his late fathers Alshimers, but it a great story he could tell.

I find it interesting that James Taylor did the backup vocals on the song as well. All in all Bananna Wind is a cool album.

Arrggg...

I've got nothin for ya

I've got nothin' for ya either but all of a sudden I'm hungry for a chimichanga

CSS Chickamauga, a 585-ton cruiser, was formerly the blockade running screw steamer Edith, which had been constructed in London, England, in 1863. She was purchased by the Confederate Navy at Wilmington, North Carolina, in 1864 and refitted as a warship. Chickamauga operated as a raider in the western North Atlantic in October and November 1864. After capturing several Union merchant ships, she returned to Wilmington. Chickamauga remained on the Cape Fear River until 25 February 1865, when she was burned to prevent capture.

It looks like this is not the Chickamauga that Jimmy refers to.

Wasn't his grandfather a captain? Maybe it was one of his ships. Other than that I got nothing.

green1 wrote:CSS Chickamauga, a 585-ton cruiser, was formerly the blockade running screw steamer Edith, which had been constructed in London, England, in 1863. She was purchased by the Confederate Navy at Wilmington, North Carolina, in 1864 and refitted as a warship. Chickamauga operated as a raider in the western North Atlantic in October and November 1864. After capturing several Union merchant ships, she returned to Wilmington. Chickamauga remained on the Cape Fear River until 25 February 1865, when she was burned to prevent capture.

It looks like this is not the Chickamauga that Jimmy refers to.

A article about this ship:

link

and a little history learned while searching:

"Damn the torpedoes...Full speed!" was the phrase made famous by Union Adm. David Glasgow Farragut (a southerner) during the Battle of Mobile Bay.

Maybe the Chicamauga is a different ship all together.

Found this little blurb, but who knows how factual it is?

http://www.saltcay.net/whatDo.html

Wander And Visit. You can just wander about and spend time getting to know the folks that call Salt Cay home. Good company and you'll probably hear plenty of intriguing stories. Who knows, you may even find someone who recalls when the Chicamauga sailing out of Pascagoula, Mississippi would pull to get a load of salt and the son of Captain James Buffett would come ashore and head out to the beach to chase flamingos and catch lobsters. That little boy romping with the local kids would become the father of Jimmy Buffett.

Here is another reference to a ship owned by Jimmy's grandfather.

http://lyricschase.com/?action=team&det ... mmyBuffett
A nice lyrics page too.

There is no question that Jimmy's childhood was influenced by ships and the lure of the ocean. In addition to his father's sea related occupation, Jimmy's grandfather, James Buffett Sr., captained his own ship, the Chicamauga, throughout the oceans of the World. The stories told by grandfather to grandson certainly inspired the songwriter, and these stories are easily recognized as themes and values throughout many of Jimmy's musical works.

Here is another description of Jimmy's grandfather's Chicamauga

http://www.saltcay.org/history.htm

Among the sailing ship captains was a man named James Buffett. The skipper of the five-masted barkentine Chicamauga, from Pascagoula, Mississippi, was the grandfather of singer-songwriter Jimmy Buffett. In his autobiography, A Pirate Looks at Fifty, Buffett quotes his father, who spent much of his child-hood aboard the Chicamauga and remembered Salt Cay as the place he had some of the best times of his life. While salt was being loaded onto the ship, bound for New Orleans, the six-year-old boy who would grow up to be Jimmy’s father, would "take off with a group of local kids and…chase flamingos and catch lobsters from the beach."

Thank's Conched, that's more information than I had.

conched wrote:Maybe the Chicamauga is a different ship all together.

Found this little blurb, but who knows how factual it is?

http://www.saltcay.net/whatDo.html

Wander And Visit. You can just wander about and spend time getting to know the folks that call Salt Cay home. Good company and you'll probably hear plenty of intriguing stories. Who knows, you may even find someone who recalls when the Chicamauga sailing out of Pascagoula, Mississippi would pull to get a load of salt and the son of Captain James Buffett would come ashore and head out to the beach to chase flamingos and catch lobsters. That little boy romping with the local kids would become the father of Jimmy Buffett.

Here is another reference to a ship owned by Jimmy's grandfather.

http://lyricschase.com/?action=team&det ... mmyBuffett
A nice lyrics page too.

There is no question that Jimmy's childhood was influenced by ships and the lure of the ocean. In addition to his father's sea related occupation, Jimmy's grandfather, James Buffett Sr., captained his own ship, the Chicamauga, throughout the oceans of the World. The stories told by grandfather to grandson certainly inspired the songwriter, and these stories are easily recognized as themes and values throughout many of Jimmy's musical works.

Here is another description of Jimmy's grandfather's Chicamauga

http://www.saltcay.org/history.htm

Among the sailing ship captains was a man named James Buffett. The skipper of the five-masted barkentine Chicamauga, from Pascagoula, Mississippi, was the grandfather of singer-songwriter Jimmy Buffett. In his autobiography, A Pirate Looks at Fifty, Buffett quotes his father, who spent much of his child-hood aboard the Chicamauga and remembered Salt Cay as the place he had some of the best times of his life. While salt was being loaded onto the ship, bound for New Orleans, the six-year-old boy who would grow up to be Jimmy’s father, would "take off with a group of local kids and…chase flamingos and catch lobsters from the beach."

Wow. Thanks for sharing all the great info. It adds so much more to Cat. and the Kid.

I never use to miss the chance
to climb upon his knee and listen
to the many tales of life upon the sea.

We'd go sailing back on barkentines and
talk of things he did, tomorrow just a
day away for the Captain and the Kid.

His world had gone from sailing ships
to raking mom's back yard;
he never could adjust to land although
he tried so hard.

We both were growing older then and
wiser with our years;
that's when I came to understand
the course his heart still steers.

He died about a month ago
while winter filled the air,
and though I cried, I was so proud
to love a man so rare.

He's somewhere on the ocean now,
the place he ought to be;
with one hand on the starboard rail,
he's waving back at me.
For the Captain and this kid.

davein wrote:Thank's Conched, that's more information than I had.

You're welcome! And WELCOME to BN. Enjoy yourself.

Thanks for spurring on the interest. I'm listening to Hank Snow right now.

There is a Nova Scotia connection to Jimmy's grandfather there too--both Nova Scotia sailors.

Bluebird Island

The Rhumba Boogie

That Crazy Mambo Thing

It's always a special treat when conched goes "shelling" so to speak!!

Thanks Nancy!

conched wrote:I'm listening to Hank Snow right now.

Were those 78's by chance?

davein wrote:

conched wrote:I'm listening to Hank Snow right now.

Were those 78's by chance?

Internet music.
You can find anything on the internet!! And it's all true!!

(Along with everything in that damb eng book!!)

And thanks, Tiki B!! conched shelling!! tee hee
(Do you remember seeing that special BD scrapbook?)

davein wrote: I find it interesting that James Taylor did the backup vocals on the song as well. All in all Bananna Wind is a cool album.

Arrggg...

James Taylor's son, Ben Taylor, also did background vocals. Makes it even more special and interesting. And James T will be a grandpa soon!!

Thanks for the info, always wondered about "barkentines".

Wondering if the Delmundo Jimmy spoke of in PLA50 was this ship?

http://www.timetableimages.com/maritime ... eltai4.htm

http://www.timetableimages.com/maritime ... eltai3.htm

"Her captain was named James Delaney Buffett--my grandfather. I have vivid memories of boarding that ship at the Governor Nichols Street Pier in New Orleans to visit my grandfather when I was four or five. I remember the incredible vision of luxury and adventure.

davein wrote:Thank's Conched, that's more information than I had.

Try reading the chapter in Tales From Margaritaville named Life in the Food Chain.

The sailing ship was named Chickamulla. Bad proofreading? Or fictional facts? p. 202

conched wrote:And thanks, Tiki B!! conched shelling!! tee hee
(Do you remember seeing that special BD scrapbook?)

Sure do! That's what made me think of it!

Wow...I remember wondering about this once, but I let the question slip away.

Thanks for bringing it back up, and thanks for the information conched....as always.

How weird!!! I was just skimming Pirate Looks at 50 this morning and read the chapter of Cuban connections..and came across none other than...

"But the roots of my Cuban connection came from my grandfather the sailing-ship captain. He was too in love with wind and sails to give them up for more advanced methods of propulsion. He preferred the feel of a wooden deck under his feet and the romantic ports of call of the Caribbean as his landfalls.

In the years before the Great Depression and World War II he plied the warm waters of the Caribbean as skipper of a five mastered barkentine, named the Chicamauga, to the various ancient ports that dated back to precolonial days.



*His grandfather was the captain of the Chicamauga and opened the door to Jimmy's cuban connection. He also told a story about a family legend when on Jimmy's father's first birthday, his grandfather raised all the flags next to the shore of the Cuban harbor in honor of. The boats lined in the harbor were concerned and radioed to find out why all Buffett's flags were flying. When he said the reason, all boats in the harbor raised their flags as well. This took place in the Havana Harbor.

And there I conclude, Chicamauga.