Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1861-07-11
SRlettRl Matter.
Capture of Prize Vessels.

Lieut.. George W. Alexander, of the Isl
Regiment of Maryland Zouaves, reached
Richmond on yesterday morning, with for
ty odd Lincolnite prisoners-of-war, captur'
ed on the Potomac early Saturday morning.
1t appears that the Zouave Regiment has
been for some time past in process of forma'
ton by'Col. K. Thomas, of Richard, Lieut..
Alexander, (Adjutant,) Lieut.. F. Gibson,
and others, in Baltimore.
A short time since, Col. Thomas went
from Baltimore to Philadelphia in diguise
and procured supply of arms. Himself
and comrades then conceived the project Of
capturing the St. Nicholas, large steamer.
er in the employ of the "General Govern.
ment," running between Baltimore and
Washington. The boat started at four o.
clock on Friday evening, from hesHwharfin
Baltimore. Previous thereto, Col. Thomas
went aboad with twelve men-the latter as
passengers, and their commander dressed as
French lady. The vessel got under way
and stopped at Point Lookout, where, &C.
cordiug to the plan previously agreed on,
Lieut.. Alexander, with another detachment
of men, came on board and secured passage
for Washington. By accident CD Lieut..
Alexander went into the cabin of the steam
er and recognized the French lady @ as
an old acquaintance from Paris. Both
Thomas and Alexander speaking the lam
guage auently, they found no difficulty in
maturing their plan of operations. During
the conversation that eusued between the
French lady and her acquaintance, instruc.
tions we're given as to how the party should
proceed. The arms, which had previously
been carefully loaded and concealed, were
made ready for instant possession. At one
o'clock, on Saturday morning, the time for
striking the blow having arrived, Colonel
Thomas threw off his disguise, appeared in
his uniform, and ordering his men to do
their duty, the steamer in five minutes was
q prize to the forces of the Confederate
States. The Captain and crew surrendered
without striking blow, and were confined
without trouble. They appeared over
whelmed with surprise.
Captain Geo. N. Hollins, late United
States Navy, who had gone aboard at Point
Lookout, then assumed command of the
steamer and ran her into Cone River, ex-
pecting to meet the Tennessee Regiment
and jointly commence further operations
against the enemy. The Tennesseans,
however, did not arrive on the ground till
late Saturday morning. 1t was then too
late for any demonstration up the river as
originally intended: and the steamer was
headed down the stream. On her passage
she captured two schooners and one brig.
Each had crew of about ten men, who
were taken prisoners.
One of the vessels was loaded with $500
bags of coffee, another with anthracite coal,
and another with ice. The steamer St.
Nicholas is a first class boat, 275 feet long,
side wheel.
All of the prizes were safely towed to the
mouth of the Rappanhannock, and thence
to Fredericksburg. Their value is roughly
estimated at three hundred aud seventy. five
thousand dollars.
The captains of the respective vessels,
with their crews, including several negroes,
are now lodged in the prison depot on
Main street, in this city.-Richmond Dis
patch.
A correspondent of the Dispatch sends
the following particulars of this brilliant af-
fair:
Friday morning, our town was thrown in
to great excitement bya rumor being spread
that secret expedition was forming, whose
object was unknown. Men were seen
gathering in small groups at the corners of
the streets, couversiug on this all-absorbing
topic. Some three or four days previously,
a gentleman of the name of Thomas was
seen about the streets with his head shaved
very close and dressed in Zouave style.
He attracted upon himself universal obser-
vation, and was even suspected by some of
being spy. He was evidently affecting a
character very adverse to his true one
He, it has since been ascertained, is na-
tive of Maryland. He had learned that
the St. Nicholas was soon to start from that
Port to Washington, and had come on to
concert with Capt. Hollins most perilous
and important expedition. The object Of
the expedition was no less than the capture
of the Pawnee. 1t was to have been &C.
complished as follows, and nothing but a
stroke of Providence could have made them
fail of their object:
Capt. Hollins and Mr.. Thomas were to
20 to Baltimore, take passage with twenty
five or thirty chosen men on board the St.
Nicholas, and as soon as she had entered
the Potomac and arrived at the mouth of
Cone River, to overpower the crew and
embark FIVE hundred Tennesseans, who were
TO meet them at this point. They were
then to sail up the Potomac, with the United
States flag waving at their masthead, and
then perform the grand act in the drama.
The latter was disconnected by an unlocked
for accident.
According to the preconcerted plan, the
Tennesseans left this place Friday morn
ing carrying with them ten surgeons Hol'
Inns and Thomas went to Baltimore, and
embarked on board the St. Nicholas, with
twenty-five or thirty of the most adventur'
esome tars they could find Thomas was
dressed in female habiliments, and was as
siduously attended to by her attentive beau,
Cant Hnllins Rnt alas for human homes.