North Hutchinson Island Part of the Civil War?

"Civil War on the Indian River"

"Report of Volunteer Acting Masters Mate Crane, U. S. Navy, regarding the capture of the schooner Charm in the Indian River." This history is from a report Masters Mate Henry A. Crane wrote to his superior officer Lt. Commander Earl English, from his Pickett ship which was in Jupiter Inlet, on February 8, 1863; To English's gun boat, the U. S. Segamore, which had been patrolling off the east coast of Florida.

This area was busy with blockade runners smuggling southern draft dodgers and cotton out of the south to the Bahamas and eventually, England. Also, rum and other contraband was being smuggled in. On February 20, 1863, Crane decided to take his Pickett ship up the Indian River. He traveled at night to avoid detection.On February 22^nd, he laid to "in the narrows" of the Indian River and explored a lagoon on the eastern banks. Here in the Mangrove, he found several places where cotton had been stored and at the eastern most end of the lagoon he found a perfect little shipyard with a trail leading to the beach only a short distance away.

In his report, Crane wrote to English, "From the point we had a full view of the blockading bark, (another federal ship) and your steamer. I could easily see boats leaving either vessel." On the 23^rd of February, he sailed his ship up the Indian River northward where they reached a cove about 5 miles above the mouth of the St. Sebastian River. "About 2:00 p.m.," Crane writes, "I discovered a schooner bearing down and apparently filled with men. From their numbers and general careless manner upon the deck, I at once arrived at the conclusion that they were rebels designing to act on the offensive." The schooner continued down the Indian River, with Crane's Pickett ship running under foresail, keeping to the schooners eastern side. By sunset the two ships had reached the narrows where the day before Crane had discovered traces of cotton and the perfect little shipyard. Crane knew at darkness the schooner would have to "bring up" because the channel in the narrows is quite shallow. He lowered his sails watching the current which was in his favor. "The moon was high and shown very clear, keeping out of view as much as possible until sunset was important, as the darkness would favor our disparity in numbers. At or near midnight, the masts of the schooner were visible; we could easily hear the crew hauling her over the oyster bars". At this juncture, he wrote, "I placed a man in our stem, with instructions to push us towards her with all his force. In a few minutes we were along side the schooner, mounted her deck and demanded a surrender, which was instantly complied with." His report continues, "We secured their arms, correspondence, etc. I found 12 men on board and the vessel, she being entirely empty and proved to be the Charm. Captain Titus from Nassau, New Providence commanded her."

It is written in "Tales of Old Brevard", that Colonel Titus as he was later called, name sake of "Titusville, was a blockade runner in the Indian River during the Civil War.