The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1861-07-23
PRIvArEERING.

u ~
| the result Of short predatory cruise. A
| seventh had been burnt at sea. This Sum
ter Was In Other times q mail steamer,
plying between Havana and New Orleans.
win the ute Habana; but seized by tho rebel
Government, she WAS con verted into q msn-
of-war, and we'll armed and manned, put to
sea the other day from New Orleans, In saucy
defiance OF what the journals OF that city
properly describe AS the paper blockade. The
news OF her departure has barely reached us
when 1t is holly pursued by this latter news
OF her success. 1t Is true the irsular autho-
rites have reclaimed the six prizes, because
they had been captured within Spanish wa
tiers but the fact Of seizure shows the power
for mischief possessed by the cruiser in ques-
ton, and renders 1t almost certain that if any
| Of these released vessels hereafter depar.
| for THAR ports of ces tination In the United
States, they will be exposed to serious
danger Of recapture and condemnation
Moreover, the Sumter sailing from Cienfuegos
has doubtless placed herself in the path OF the
Aspin wall steamers, with their millions of
California treasure. Much pains have been
taken by the Steamship Company to put their
packets in = thoroughly defensibIe condition
and II is possible they may be able to contend
successfully against privateers. But the
Sumter, according to the New Orleans papers,
| is Tar more perfectly armed and equipped
than any privateer and If the treasure ship
crosses its track, the odds are fearfully against
au escape. These facts and dangers are the
| frst fruits of the iaxity with which the
blockade is enforced at the mouth of the Mis-
| sissippi.-Ne,o York Times 18th instant.
1t will doubtless interest our readers to
| peruse something more from the Northern
papers, which are intensely excited in regard
| to privateering. The New York Herald gives
| the folio wing list Of vessels captured by the
Sumter:
| The ship Golden Rocket vss the one that
| was taken by the privateer. AID after being
transacted and burned, her officers and ere.
| were landed at CienfueSos Shs was Gem
| EIp1 nv Cantain French. Cas- bur-
| then, and was rated as A II. She was built
| at Brewer, Maine, in 1883, and belonged to
| Meksrs. L. s. Dole & Co. Bangor. At the
| time OF her capture she was on hsr way from
| Havana to Cienfugos.
! The bark Louisa Kilham was bound to Fal-
| mouth from CIenfugos, and was commanded
! By Capt White. She is 453 tons burthen is
rated a 2, and is owned in Boston by q. r.
| kilham Il Go. She was built in 1851 at Bath,
| Naive.
The bark West Wind, commanded by Capt
| Boiger, was also bound TO Falmouth from
| CienfueQos. She was built at Westerly,
| Rhode Island, in 1853, and was owned by
| Greenman Son, o: the same place. she is
| rated as A 2, and is 429 tons burthen.
Tho brig Cuba was commanded by Captain
| Strout, was built in Niilbridge iii 1851, aud il
owned by J. NJ Sawyer, OF the same place -
| She was on the way from Trinidad TO New
| York at the time OF her capture.
| The Machias, Capt. Shoppy, was built in
| Mschias in 1888. She is owned by n. Long
| fellow, Of the same place. She is PAS tons
| DQEtleE, and rttsS A =. one WIS, ike tue
Cubs, bound FOR this port from Trinidad.
| The Mai I'd. when captured, was bound TO
! this city from Cinefuegos. She was command.
| ed by Captain Richardson, was built in Cher
| ~ field, N tine, in 1887, 3S5 tons and rated A
She is owned by Tucker & Ligh tDourne, OF
| this city.
| The Ben Cunning, commanded by Captain
! Havons, WAS also hound to this city from Ci-
| enfuegos. she is 2s4 tons, was built in 1855 at
| Falmouth, and belongs to Portland. She
! rated 2, and Is owned By Messrs. Ross &
Stnrdevant.
! The Albert Adams, Captain Cousins, was
built at Denisville, Me-. in 1852. She is 1872
| tons, rates A 2, and is owned by the captain
| and others. She belongs 10 Boston. Like
! the Dunning, ste left Cienfuegos for this city.
The Herald also devotes several columns to
the privateer Jeff. Davis" whose prizes are
valued at s225 600. This trim little craft has
| had the audacity, it seems, to way up
amongst the Nantucket Shoals, and has of
| course created much excitement among the
Yankees on that coast. The Herald's New
port correspondent gives the following &C
| count of the privateer's operations
| CAPTURE OF THE BRIG JOHN WELSH
The John Welsh, Capt. Fifeld, left Trini-
dad, Cabe, on the cd Of June, for Faimou III
| England, having on board cargo of 800
| hogsheads and 415 boxes of sugar She is
| owned in Philadelphia, principally by John
| Welsh, Esq, after whom she is named. and
| was chartered in Trinidad by Spanish firm,
| the owners of the sugar. The voyage un til Sat
| urGay, July 6, was made without the occur
renee Of any noteworthy incident, when,
| about O'Clock on the morning of that day
and while the vessel was Off Eatteras and q
little to the east of the Gulf Stream, brig
| was discovered ahead, showing French colcrs
| The Welsh, supposing this signal TO exhibit 4
| wish On the part OF the stranger 10 speak her
| the American flag Was run up in response,
| seeing which the brig altered her course TO
Ieewnrd, crossed the bows of the Welsh, and
when near the latter fired Il shot daGcnally
ACROSS her bows, the ball passing only about
twenty yards ahead, and striking tie water
| about two hundred yards to leeward. During
! this time she continued under French colors
and when the shot was fred, it was supposed
on board the WEIGH that she was q French
| man Of war. Captain Eifield, at the signal
of hostility, gave orders to have the Ioretop-
| sail backed, and his craft then hove to. This
| done, the privateer lowered away her boat,
With an officer and sixteen men On board
| The French colors at the same time were
hauled do wn and thu rebel flag hoistei.
The officer was not in uniform, had no
| sword, and was armed with revolver only.
| He suoseg uei,tiy proved to be first Lieutsn.
| ant Pastile, of the privateer-butmo more OF hun
| personally anon Like their leader the men
also were without uniforms, and carried NJ
musAets, side arms, cutiasses or Weapons OF
any kind save few old bowie knives. When
the boat--a small surf boaI--had reached tbs
side OF the brig, the officer came abosrd with
his men. The side ladder had not been lower.
ed for them. so they We're compelled to clam.
Der up the main chains in the best way they
could. The Lieut. mt gainingthe deck, passet
ait to Captain Fifield, who had been watch
| ing all the procsadl ugs with the greatest anx
| iety, ana whose Indignation was uncantrolia
| BILE at his inability 10 make any resistance
| He had not s. carronad3 Or Iiusket, or fire arm
| OF any kind Oh board, except coupie Of revoi
| vers, AID 4 sudden beca!ming OF the wind pre-
| Guided even the hope OF escaping by setting
| sail. The interview between the rebel Office
and Captain Fifield was II brief one. The
former politely but firmly req uestsd the Sur
render 10 the Confederats States Of the vesse
| as prize, and ordered Captain Fiiield to gel
| ready to GO on board the priyatesr as Il prise
ner. The Captain, in response, said he wa
sorry to be compelled 10 surrender his ship Il
! an American, and would rot have though
so hard Of it had it been to q foreign vessel
| This ended the pariey. and the Lieutenan
| proceeded to the Captains cabin. where h
oveIhanled the ships papers, while the crew
| sea TERED over the vessel and ran sac ked every
portion of her, pi.iaging and stealing what
ever suited each ones particular fancy in The
articles they came across. The property
carried off comprised the Captains AID ma tel
| naa teal instruments, charts and books, and
| the clio thng and private effects of the officers
and crew. The ships papers were sent on
| board the rrivateer, together with the
! briggs craw of four seamen, Ii the first boat
| which returned again, and i'll successive
| trips took away the stores and provisions
leaving Sufficient only for the subsistence o
the prize crew subseq uentiy sent aboard. tn,
| privlteer also exchanged her rotten, worth
less small boats :or The comparatively excel
| lent ones OF the brig. When thia transfer hal
| been affected, the Welshs officers, four il
| number, were sent in one boat 90 board lii,
pfiyatser, the Lieutenant, with some six OF
| eigh, men, remaining on the pre- until The
| prisoners were disposed of. shortly after.
wards the przs Inaeter, a Charleston harboI
pilot, and eight men, We're detailed to take
charge of her ana the Lieutenant hay log re-
turned to his vessel, the John Welsh filled
! away ts the sou west, ard was lost sight o.
about O'Clock in the afternoon. Care had
In~ Ia h.