Description
The Stonington, a whaleship from New London, Connecticut, is sailing a course for home after being at sea for over three years. When it pulls into San Diego, California, in September, 1846 for food and supplies, it learns that war has broken out between the United States and Mexico. The town is under siege by Mexican forces that are leaving the U.S. inhabitants no escape route but the sea. In response to their desperate situation, the captain of the Stonington allows them to take refuge aboard his ship. Thus begins the first step in what would become the Stonington's months-long tour of duty as a member of the U.S. Navy's Pacific Squadron.
Using the logbook of the Stonington as well as other primary and secondary sources, historian Peter J. Emanuel, Jr. tells the unique story of a whaleship unlike any other in the annals of whaling. Readers, including those with an interest in maritime/naval/military history as well as those that just enjoy an exciting adventure story, will sa
