James Iredell Waddell James Iredell Waddell ( July 3 , 1824 – March 15 , 1886 ) was an officer in the United States Navy and later in the Confederate States Navy . Biography . Waddell was born in Pittsboro , North Carolina . He joined the United States Navy as a Midshipman in September 1841 , and later graduated from the United States Naval Academy . His nearly two decades in the U . S . Navy included early service in USS " Pennsylvania " , Mexican - American War operations off Veracruz aboard USS " Somers " , a tour off South America in USS " Germantown " , an assignment as a United States Naval Academy instructor , eastern Pacific duty in USS " Saginaw " and a cruise with the East Indies Squadron with USS " John Adams " . Lieutenant Waddell resigned his commission while returning home in the latter ship late in 1861 at the outbreak of the American Civil War and was dismissed from the U . S . Navy in January 1862 . In March 1862 , Waddell was appointed a Lieutenant in the Confederate States Navy . Sent to New Orleans , he was assigned to the incomplete ironclad CSS " Mississippi " until her destruction in late April . The next month , while serving as an artillery officer ashore , he participated in the battle between Confederate shore batteries and Federal ironclads at Drewry ' s Bluff , Virginia . He had more shore battery service at Charleston , South Carolina during the rest of 1862 and into 1863 . Sent abroad in March 1863 , First Lieutenant Waddell was stationed in England awaiting the availability of a seagoing position . That opportunity finally arrived in October 1864 at sea in the central Atlantic , where he converted the British steam / sailer " Sea King " to the Confederate cruiser CSS " Shenandoah " . As her commanding officer , Commander Waddell made a long and productive cruise through the south Atlantic , across the Indian Ocean and into the north Pacific . In the Arctic waters there , he devastated the United States flagged whaling fleet during June 1865 . By then the Civil War had been effectively over for more than two months and , when he received confirmation of this fact in early August , Waddell disarmed his ship and took her back to Liverpool in England . Captain Waddell presided over the last official lowering of the Confederate flag . The CSS " Shenandoah " was surrendered by Captain Waddell to Captain Paynter of on November 6 , 1865 in mid - river on the River Mersey at Liverpool . The stainless banner was lowered in front of the crew and a Royal Navy detachment who boarded the vessel . This marked the last surrender of the American Civil War . The very last act of the Civil War was Captain Waddell walking up the steps of Liverpool Town Hall with a letter to present to the mayor surrendering his vessel to the British government . Waddell did not return to the United States until 1875 , when he became captain of the commercial steamer " City of San Francisco " . He later was in charge of the State of Maryland ' s oyster regulation force . James Iredell Waddell died at Annapolis , Maryland , on March 15 , 1886 . Namesake . The " Charles F . Adams " - class guided missile destroyer USS " Waddell " ( DDG - 24 ) was named for him . See also . Sea of Gray : The - Around - The - World Odyssey of the Confederate Raider Shenandoah by Tom Chaffin