Skip to Main Content

The Slave Who Stole the Confederate Codes—and a Rebel Warship

GREAT ESCAPES

When three Confederate officers decided to go ashore for a night in Charleston, they left their gunboat in the hands of an enslaved pilot. It was a critical mistake.

AD BY The Daily Beast

Published Jul. 23 2016 12:13AM EDT

articles/2016/07/23/the-slave-who-stole-the-confederate-codes-and-a-rebel-warship/160722-dickey-cloak-dagger-tease_ittwux — Photo Illustration by The Daily Beast

Christopher Dickey

Christopher Dickey

World News Editor

Got a tip? Send it to The Daily Beast here.