CSS General Rusk, built as a merchantman at Wilmington, Del., in 1857, was seized from the Southern Steamship Co., by the State of Texas at Galveston in 1861.

She served as reconnaissance and signal boat with the Texas Marine Department in and about the waters of Galveston Harbor during the latter half of 1861, trying unsuccessfully on several occasions to slip past the Federal blockade.

In early November 1861 she rendered aid to CS Royal Yacht following that vessel's capture and firing by Union forces from USS Santee, and managed to save her from complete destruction and tow her to safety.

[1] Her most memorable exploit was the capture on 17 April 1861 off Indianola, Tex., of SS Star of the West, the first Union transport to make news in the Civil War.

The incident occasioned strong protest from England under whose flag she sailed, and Spain in whose territorial waters she was captured.