The saying “American as Apple Pie” is a classic one that harkens back to American culture, to the days of home-baked pies and gingham picnic blankets. But apples, of course, are much older than the United States, and the humble pie has a history much longer than the nation.
On October 7, 1864 a battle between a Confederate commerce raider and a US sloop of war brought the nation to the brink of a foreign war.