Daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1865, 1861-10-02
a BRILLIANT NAVAL EXPLOIT,
Destruction of the Prlvateer Judah.

Destruction of the Privateer Judah.
US. SrEAN-FRlGATE COLORADO,
OFF PENSACOLA HAnBoR, Sept. Ii, 1851.
The monotonv of the "Blockade,' so far
as this ship is concerned, was broken, last
night by most brilliant achievements
and. while cannot avoid feeling of sad
ness. at the fate of the poor fellows who
lost their lives in the undertaking, 1t
affords me much pleasure to Communicate
to YOU the details OF an action that reflects
so much credit upon all who were engaged
in it.
Some days ngo, large schooner was
observed in the hnrbor, in the vicinity OF
the Navy Yard, and her appearance and
motions led to the suspicion that she had
been fitted up for privateer, and had in
tentions of trying to run the blockade.
By some deserters who escaped from the
secession camp AMI came to Fort PickenS,
these suspicious were confirmed, and fur
Their information obtained that the schooner
was moorcd near the Stone Wharf, ut the
southeast corner of the Navy Yard, and
also, that upon the wharf near where the
schooner WAS moored, q battery was being
erected, and that one large Columbiad was
already mounted.
For several nights past. boats from this
ship have been kept growing guard in the
mouth of the harbor, on the lookout tor
this schooner. should she attempt to run
the blockade yesterday. Capt. Bailey went
ashore on Santa Rosa Island, for the pur-
pose of .stakin' notes" in regard to the
schooner aud the reported battery, with the
view of getting mp an expedition against
them. After obtaining all the information
he conld from the desertcrs, and cOrrohor-
ating their evidence by his own observa-
tious with the spy-glass, be decided that
an attack might he made with reasonable
chances for success, and by the time lie
reached the frignte in the evening, he
had thcplaus for AN expedition matured-
Acting upon these. Flag Officer Mervine
decided at once on sending boat expedi-
ton to the Navy-yard for the purpose ii
spiking the mounted gun spoken of above,
and burning the embryo privAteer
About o'clock p. NJ jyesterday,l the
detail of men and officers WAS announce! {:
, the boats hoistcd out; the men armed and
supplied with ammunition. The cxpedI-
: lion was placed under the communal ct
r Lieut.. John II. Russell. The other Officers
: detailed were: Lieutenants, John Il. SPro--
l ton and Francis i. Blake; Assistant Sur
2 geon, s. d. Kennedy Mdshipmcm t.
? cumscv Stecce, Moreuu Forrest, f. j. il:@-
ginson; Gunner. james Borton: Thiri
I Assistant Engineer, e. II. White. Capt.
Ed McD Reynolds, of the Marine Corps,
t accompanied the party with Il force OF
twenty marines under his command.
The force employed was divided as fol-
lows:
E,rSt LGUncL-Licnt Russell Capt. Rcy-
nolds, MARINE Corpse Dr. Keun; dy, Mid
shipman Higgiuson. Third Assistant En-
ginccr White, twenty-five Scamcn and one
, fireman, with material for firing the
: schooncr.)
! F,yst Ciutcr-Licut. Preston, Gunner
Borton. aud seventeen men.
Second Cutter-Licut. Blake, MidSlip-
man Forrest, thirteen scaulen and one fire
r man.
, THird Guticr-Midshipmea Steecc, and
thirteen scamen.
The marines were divided between the
:. frs launch aud second cutter.
The boats with oars mulled, left the side
of the ship at about / T. NJ, and pulled
: into the harbor, keeping far enough from
:, the rebel side to avoid observation. They
:. continued on up the hnrbor to Il point Il
. little above the Navy-yard. Here the
:. course was changed, and each boat was
r headed tor its special object. From this
. moment every thought and every effort OF
both officers and men were directed to the
successful accomplishment of this most
7 dangerous enterprise. The parties in the
4 launch and second cutter were to board
o ami burn the schooner; those i'll the first
and third cutters were to charge and spike
= the recently mUuntrd big gun
j. Lieut. Sproston, heading the crews OF
= the first and third cutters, landed at Tic
northern face of the stone wharf, and
made directly for the newly erected bat
terry. Whether this battery was not man.
ned at all, or whether the men at it had
/. been drawn from their stations Jy the
noise of the strife which had already COM
:. menced at the schooner, or whether they
had travelled" is not known. However
that may be, but one man was found neal
: the gun. True courage, whenever found
/, will command respect, but the brave man
:, sometimes loses his life where his light
i heeIci comrades save theirs. This SOli-
o tary soldier stood his ground, in the face
2 of thirty men, and discharged his muskct
at Lieut.. SproSton, hut simultaneously
I with the discharge of his musket, WAS that
: of Gunner BOrton's pistol. The lone de-
n fender of that battery missed his own
e aim, but tell under that of the more for
tunate gunner, .....H
s In few moments the ''Columbiad" was
t spiked, and Lieut.. Sprostou having accom-
= pli3hed the duty assigned him, according
d to previous orders, recalled his men TO
: their boats
: The other division of the party, in the
launch aud second cutter, on approaching
: the schooner, found that instead OF being
t moorcd in the stream, she had been hauled
c into the dry dock slip, and was tied up To
:, the wharf. Nothing dauntei, however, at
this unpleasant change in the programme,
# our gallant fellows dashed ahead in the
= slip alongside the schooner. As they were
c approaching the vessel they were nailed
: from her decks five or six times, and were
), thus prepared to expect Il hand-to-hand
. encounter. The cutter-being much the
/ lighter boat-shot ahead of the launch as