Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1861-12-16
OgR MILITARY BUDGET,
THE ESCAPE OF rHv SUMTER.

THR ESCAPE OF THE SUMTER.
In addition 70 the summary Of Commander
Palmer's report Of the circumstances attending
toe escape Of the Sumter from the harbor of st.
Thomas, given la the Star elsewhere, we learn,
on locking over the long report In question, that
Commander p, on coming to an anchor In the
hafoof Of 81. Thomas, was notified that under
the law he would be compelled to walt twenty
four hours after the Sumter's departure ere fol.
lowing her; and therefore was driven to the al.
tentative OF weighing anchor and taking a posi-.
non marine league outside the mouth Of the
hafoor, ana there risking the escape Of the enemy
wide e'
The Sumter escaped IN the FRA, succsss,nz
dark night as, though Capt Palmer saw and nm,
oefssood the signal that she was about 10 star,
made by his agent on shore, and got up steam
ana searched In the dark for her as she went ont.
&c was unable to find her. Ii 10 clear that the
P7oPe on shore exerted Themselves 10 aid tbe
sPe; sending a small (private) steamer some
"nat ahead OF her to watch for the Iroauois, and
=" HRnsi Capt Ssmmes relative to her position.
course, &c. Thus was she SUCCESSFULLY fsciI
we may add, that the Department believe that
The circumstances turn out az stated by Com
h2ader Palmer, no censure whatever can attach
70 that ofacer.
fhk ExPERlMEsTswITH MILITARY sRInsK.
Tue New York 18th regiment, engineer corps.
threw pontoon bridge $50 feet long across the
Eastern Brsnch Of the Potomac, above the NAVY
Yard, on Saturday afternoon, and crossed II ,uc.
eessfully with men, horses and heavy wagons
number Of the floats or pcntoons were then plied
over BY the soldiers, using shovels as paddle,
The corps also experimental with the new av,np
bridge Of ropes which has been improved DO hat
IA
men can cross IL with great facility MANY ladies
crossed ana returned, without danger, over 2
fsNne four hundred feet wide and fifty feet deep.
Nn' WeiIes, wife Of The Secretary OF the NAVY.
oominodofe smith and Colonel MullIgan were
among the spectators
"nen the bridge experiments were finished.
tns regiment was formed In line and Col Mini.
gan was introduced TO them. He ,dd,s,..d ,sn-.
oongrstulatory speech, which wa. eptbusi.
sstcslly received.
GENERAL SUMNER
Inc Injury sustained by General Sumner on
saturday afternoon last, which yesterday gave
rise 20 prevalent rumor Of bis death, wa by no
means a. serious as was first thought He wa.
riding Al. rapid gait, when his horse .,ennsd
Into foot hole, and falling, fell heavily ON him
Earning aud bruisias him greatly: I'm, No, -
endsnser his Life. His condition ha, since been
constantly improving He 10 expected to be ont
assio IN tHo or three days.
SWORD FOR LIRuI. roxrKIss
beautiful sabre has been manufactured I'm
New York, to be presented to Lieut.. Tompkin,
whose brilliant cavalry dash Into Fairfax Court
House village last spring IL so well remembered
The weapon Is OF the regulation size, and bears
the following inscription: Presented to Lieuten.
aht Charln r. Tompkins, by Charles w Elliott
In eommemoration Of the charge At Fairfax Court
House, May alss, 1851"
MORE CAPTURES By rHEsV MrEs
Commander Palmer writes the Navy Depsr,
ment that The Sumter captured the Joseph Parke
OF Boston, on the 25th September and the Daniel
Troworidge, Of New Haven, on the 9th October
She landed the fourteen prisoners she made on
TOE Troworidge, while the whole crew OF the
Prf' CfOreigner) were rduced to join her.
THE ESCAPE OF THE SUMTER
COHnasd1 Pa!rrsr'S Dispatch 10 the Macy De-
partnent, Accounting for her Escape
Tne Navy Department has received dispatches
rom Captain Palmer. commanding the steamer
lroquois, In which he infinitely relates his move
msSe order to capture the pirate Sumter
TO give the Sumter Goals but allowed Ler 10 come
70 rI1 fltfre, where she obtained & 5upply from
English uerchants. rr'' ~
The Sumter had been received with copr.esv a,
the seat OF Government, aud Captain Palmer dis
covered, To use his own language that this farce
@tne non-,eeogpition Of the Confederate Gag by
France und England 10 ''plsyed ont He had
correspondence with the Governor, the result Of
wnicn was, be was referred to a paragraph of
whss.ons International Law, to the effect that
one oeliigerent could not depart from port until
WentY-four hours after another had len The
sumter was at that time In the port and The I,o
Sools wss obliged to anchor one marine league
The alortty Of the citizens of Port RoyaI were
N fAyor Of the Sumter, and therefore anxious for
per esSsPe. Being Preach, they sympsthiIe with
Looisiana, TO which State they thoug ht the sum
Yer belonged Through bout bis proceedings, Can't
Sslme1 was aPprehensive and fearful that the
gunner would escape him. and wished that abe
were anywhere else than under French p,otec
uonI |. me authorities were throwing every OBJ
Inc 6overnor, however, repudizted unlike
Llendilness In reply 20 Palmer's conn laint
nswng to the distance from shore, which the
iteqnos was obliged to occupy, and the fact that
we Day 10 fifteen miles wide, and for the reasons
snove stated, the Sumter succeeded in esesning
ne noquos followed, but found no vessel viii
one on the back ground Of the sky
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