New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1861-10-01
FRoM THE HLGCEADISG SQUAD
Ron.
Correspondence Of The N. Y. Tribune.

Since forwarding my last, various Etle matters Of
interest nave occurred here in the Gulf short mar
Ia'iye of which will doubtless be Acceptable 10 many
Of your readers. On or about The Both OF Let month
the United States steamship CuyI.r, Capt. Ellison
entered the roadstead of the SouihWesi Fass where
we lay at anchor, and notified M as our senior OIL
GER TO remove to our original blockatiog ground, at
tie West Pass. He bad arrived IN pursuance 10 the
orders Of the Commodore, to take or place. that By
s,naing Us to our peseu, position we night rrncer
the blockade OF this port wha. up 10 tht date It had
Jailed 70 be-c.eCtua and bODg tide.
Before We left, however, Capis. Ellison and Shaw
held consultation, whg eat was cauyassod tie Vrac-
trab,.ty OF an attempt % "clt Uut tie sh!p Fin
laud wn4 presence, az a Rebel vessel, right under
"ur very nose as il were, had been yywJId aud Z.
Ieuroacu TO every officer o! the chip since TIE day
we inst caught 4 glimpse OF her. l believe ] stated
to vOl i'm former letter that this vessel lay IN the
channel between Dog leland and the Iain land, and
hat our anchorage distant some i've miles out
side the entrance IL being finally resolved 10 give
tie of cefs and men chance FOR some pine money,
the night Of the 1Gth was fixed nVou forthe exc'f-
SION. The Cuyler was TO furnish three boats aud 80
men, and we our first aud second cutters and -
men; the entire expedition 10 be under command OF
Lieut.. Parker Of the Cuylcr. Oar boys were al IN
high spirits 40 the prospect Of tgn, and the din
Guilty seemed 10 be rs 10 who should stay behind,
rather than who should volunteer TO 70. Tie 70
pound boat lONltftf belonging 10 tit 'lNleT Was
placed in the bow of our first cutter, with amuu-
milton and shell, and all The boats were
thoroughly armed and provided with mui.led
oars 10 render II az nearly rs possible a
surprise party. The entire expedition, 1t was
agreed, should rendezvous at the Montgomery.
Accordingly, ~ O'Clock o; the evening above re-
ferred 10, We mustered five boats and L!ty-tve as
sturdy salts az ever trod q deck plank After ar
rangingas 10 sigUals &c, and tue !OsiiI1u Of each
boat ia tie attack, the expedition started az q. e,
and came in y got OF the Finland al lu! The Mont
gOmsrys first cutie, under command OF Lieut.. Pick
ering, was first alongside, when, like cIs, each man
siraug 70 the nearest object that afforded grasp,
and over each Others shoulders, sOmet.Ees enc way
and then another, they finally reached the deck 0.
the ship-fome twenty feet above the water line.
Soon, on both sides, men could be seen spHnpng
from the railing 90 the vessel deck, and ten minutes
after the ship was inst seen through TIE darkness,
our boys had possefson II her, and her officers and
crew were UdeT guard. By one she, vac fred 20
resistance whatever Scing offered, and tha Was the
result Of msapyrchenriUn On the part {! one q lie
crew who had his pistol cooked, and l .aTpoe lad
too heavy a finger on the spring. Fortunately, 10
one was hurt the tall simply cutting swain
through one Of the boats crews whiskels.
Lieut.. Parker, after finding himself IN undi,putod
tosso s.ion Of the Finland te al hands ~ work 20
bend sails and get her in such trim as would enable
him TO sail her ont. Ii being near morning, aud as
our second cutter had secured % water boat lying
alougside, it was decided 20 eead her, under CON-
mand OF OF the junior oiicers TO tie Cu!'.g !or
further orders aud % report the success Of tie exIc
dtion. Meantime, the ship WIS got under weigh,
and puzzled for the inner buoy ~ alidly a an gaia-
yorablc wind would permit. The rcEoCuer did not
get back TO the shp until or o'clock in the after
noon, when the Lieutenant received orders 10
kedge the ship out, anchors and cables beltg sent
by the Cuyler with that view; INT he Taught u,
c,uh sail her Ot, and contrary 10 the opinions and
Indictment Of most Of bis officers be persisted ~ lie
efforts. IL this way the entire day wac ios',
and as IL was almost a pofilyc certainty t'C;
an armed steamer wOnld he sent from Ape
laChicola TO recapture her as soon a. the news Of
Ter ca ture should reach there, il seems little
singular that unless he felt strong enough 20 reIc an
attack Mr.. Parker should have tailed 10 take adyan-
tage of the only means likely 10 prove successful IN
getting the ship under our guns. Thus tie night OF
the 10Th passed in futile efforts 10 sa the snip ojby
The channel and the morning OF the 18th brought 10
the view of our stubborn Lieutenant p wreath Of
black smoke from the chimney of "A steamer pulling
its way down the river, and towing heavily armed
rcJooler with from 100 10 100 men On board. IL was
no time for talk and immediate orders were gwen Ia
fire fine shin. The schooner WAS sent oil with The
officers and clew to tho Cuyler and ia the mean
time tie Montgomery, seeing that possibly the coats
might be cut off, steamed in as tar sne dare 20,
and there awaited the result. Presently we noilreG
the schooner taking position, and ere many minutes,
a Iight wreath OF smoke announced that G i!oa mes
nGer had been gent after boats crew. and soon
another followed in the shape OF a shell, which eN-
poded long before reaching the line OF reiTeang
boats.
Tney were evidently anxious to keep ont Of the
raupe of our ten-inch shell pivot; IT, had they
known. what was fact, thai our SHE were only
uroyidrd with five second fuses, they might nave
ilken Mr. Parker and his boats crew prisoners, In
spile Of ". Fortunately, by the Connection, we
received fuses that will enable 70 stir Gp there
Southern gentry at distance OF nearly iouT m!les
and another such an opportunity Is not likely 10
occur 10 them again in these waters. lhus eEGed
the cxuediion TO the Finland ana our PIKE money
enyelored ia smoke and flame recall 70 Mid the
fceting nature Of riches, and particularly riches IN
prOspective. On the night Of the 10th OF August We
experienced most terrific hurricane, that rendered
il matter OF necessity Tor the salvation Otthc chip
and with il our lives to slip our cable and pms TO
sea. We lost an anchor aud hlNty fathvms Of cialn
by the operation, the buOys not being Sufficiently
strong 20 Withstand the force Of the sea, aId going
10 Ieces, lett us no guide 70 determine where they
had been. Accidents VIII happen in the BEAT regu-
lated families, and even on board u m4n-Oi-war.
We noticed an article in The y. y. Times, purPor-
iug 10 have been written correspondence from the
Clited STATES steamship Niagara, stating tie most
abOmnable fGlsehOods with regard TO hs vessel AZ
its operations tue blockade shat cOuid lave been
invented by The most fertile imagination.
/ have only TO say, give the ofl:ers Of this snip
the opportunity, aud will guarantee ourfa. shall
not he dishOnOred, the chip that teirs u sar-
rendered while she floats. More cannot asy either
for officers or men. We don't get our file TRB-
uNrs vet. / presume they would reach us more
directly by being left az the Naval Asyhm, 10 lie
forwarded by the Rhode leland or Connecticut TIE
latest dates are eagerly sought after on beard, and
envied IL be who can show a day later. ~.
FROM THE GULF SQUADRON.