With a new introduction and revised bibliography by the author, this book is the story of a few Confederate ships that did considerable damage to the great U.S. merchant marine fleet during the Civil War. The Florida and the ships she outfitted caused such uproar with their daring exploits against American shipping that the Union Navy finally had to use desperate measures to capture them. During her tow cruised, the Florida captured and destroyed son $4,051,000 worth of commerce. This amount was a close second to the destruction by the famous ship Alabama, and almost twice as much as the destroyed by the Shenandoah.             The C.S.S. Florida's life was short but effective. It has been said that if other Confederate campaign had been as successful as those of the commerce raider, the South would most certainly have won the war.