Daily Nashville patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1860-1862, 1861-08-01
IMPORTANT FROM FORT PIcKRNs.
The British Admiral Considers the
blockade Totally inefficient.
AFFAIRS At THE FORT-THE VIII
SON ZOUA YES
Correspondence Of the n. z. Times j

sun ZOOd YES.
Correspondence Of the n z TimesJ
FORT PICKENs, Sunday, July z, 1861.
Through a third party ] have been endeay-
oring for some time to obtain something like
the substance of report of our blockade.
made to the British Admiralty by Admiral
Milne, the Commander-in-C Chief of Her Brit
enic Majesty'snaval forces here. had learn
ed three things from undoubted authority !:
first. that Lord Paget had instructed the Ad-
miral to detail vessels to look after the cut
ting off the esress to the Southern ports !;
second that the Admiral had obtained one or
two copies of Commodore Marvin's official
orders /; third that his Admiralship was re-
ported in Havana to have laughed at the idea
| :. of the United States being able to effectu-
ally cut off maritime communication with
the harbors of the revolted States" Is seems
| to me, for several reasons, that the reply of
| the Commander in Chief to the First Lord OF
| the Admiralty would be document of grea t
| Importance to you, and left no means I'M
| tried to procure it. Owing to the industry
| of subordinate officer of one of our gunboats
and to the kindness of one of our most loyal
citizens in the Cuban capital, l am enabled
| to give you " the body and soul of Admiral
Mines letter. Leaving out the verbiage,
| here is its substance:
Il regret that it is my duty to discuss, in a
measure, the nature of this so-called block
ade. Representatives of the United States
meet me with two statements, the force of
| which will be for your lordships to decide
L am told by some that there are no preten-
sions on the part of the United States of a
blockade existing, that the Government is
merely closing lis 0s0n ports, to do which they
claim to have a perfect right. In direct con-
dict with this are all the official notiica lions
OF United States officers. Captain Adams,
| for instance, writing on board the Sabine, on
May 10, says in a letter to Gen. Bragg:
This (Pensacola) port is now strictly
blockaded," &c,
Commodore Mervin's announcements
have not seen any of them-are said to be
| singularly worded and l am told that the
promulgated the the blockade of all the
ports south of Baltimore" (Which is in the
State of Maryland
| A prominent feature of this alleged block
ade is the complete absence of uniformity,
| order and regularity which has characterized
| it. The distance of several rendezvous of the
| feet from Washington, the difficulty with
| which communication is kept up, and the inn
mense extent of the coast line to be guarded,
are represented as the causes which necessi-
| tated the United States Government to leave
| the date of blockade, and the commencement
| of it, to the discretion of the commanders Of
men-of-war. No date was laid down on which
| the cessation of general commercial inter.
course was to stop, and ports situated within
a days sail OF each other have been for weeks
blockaded, and not blOckaded at the same
time.
The confusion arising out of such a state oil
things can be imagined by your Lordships
On the 18th of May, as you will see by the
enclosed circular, the blockade of Pensacola
began; yet, up to the 30th of that month,
vessels freely obtained admission; some had
leave to do so, others were not even over
hauled, and others, still, seemed to defy the
cruisers. One bark, ordered off from the
Pensacola entrance, through an unknown in
strumentality, found out that Mobile was not
guarded, and Immediately sailed for aud ar
rived at that place, where her cargo was dis
posed Of Five or six brigs, two baras, and
some fifteen or twenty schooners, also warned
of by the feet, moved to other harbors and
easily gained admission.
A grace of fifteen days was given to yes
sells under certain circumstances, which were
so confusedly explained, that no one / have
seen thus far could properly understand
them. Three British ships laden with cotton
in the harbor of Mobile, were compelled to
pack up and go away, to fulfil this require
ment, while, under almost similar circum-
stances, four barks and briggs were permitted
to commence loading at another point. on
the blockade.
The frequency of vessels escaping the vigil
lance, or rather the lack of vigilance, of the
United States squadron are too numerous to
be even mentioned. l sent Capt. Won Donop
of the Jason to look after the interests of our
shipping, and to the efficiency of the block
aiding ships in several ports. He mentions
cases of ships, barks and briggs, escaping the
cruisers / learn that while large Ameri-
tricr 70 fnll dol h. e
George, apparently-was under steam OF
Charleston, a complete flotilla of small ocean
traders and coasters continued to pass into
the CITY and ont again, either regardless of
or insensIbIe to the presence of war ships.
The numerous facts establishing the ineffi-
cheney of the men-of-war, in regard to the
stopping of commercial intercourse with ports
before which they have appeared, could be
elaborated to a great length. But even now,
the Admiral, permit your correspondent to
say, is writing about the End of June. St.
Marks, an important port, is not at all cut
off from maritime trade, as one of my feet
saw all sorts of vessels enter and depart from
it, without being impeded. Apalachicola
was thronged with craft until few DAYS
since, and four other ports are stated to be
open today.
A regular steamer communication is con-
stantly kept up between Savannah, an i'm
pOFtdHt ndfuOr III the STATE OF GeOrSla, anu
some other port.
Above you have all the facts, which, l
have reason to belive, are by this time be-
fore the English Government. The document
from which i make this extract is said to be
almost perfect copy of the Admiral's Off
cial report, the nature of which ia as fully
understood in American and British circles
in Havana, as we know the irrepressible
| tone of hostility towards our country which
BritOns give utterance to. 1t is right to say
that, in order to make the Admiral's state
ment brief, have not followed his exact and
careful style.
There is some news here, but not much.
Billy Wilson's ZOuaves are becoming accli-
mated to Florida, and have only had three
desperate rows since they arrived. There
was ''nobody hurt" however. Two or three
hours of each day find them drilling on the
centre all roud the sea-" am told but can
not vouch for the story, that three or four of
them, few days since sent petition to
Col. Brown, asking leave to "reconnoiter in
the Warrington Maynard" Suicidal as
the proposition appears on its face, it is not
unlikely to have emanated from the 200
Zoos" as they are fond of calling themselves.
They have galloWs erected, and hang in eff
figy few NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. every eve
ming. Poor Bragg and jeff Davis are sent
down the trap as regularly as the night falls.
/ believe there will be Court Martial con-
vened here for the trial of some unruly feI-
lows, in a few days, but the rules of the SER
vice will not permit me to send you any par
ticulars of such matters.