St. Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1845-1863, 1861-07-04
SEIZURE Of the Steamer s.. Nicholas

been plying bctwe,m Baltimore aud Wash
ington, and stopping o, the different land
ings ON the Maryland side Of III" Potomac
for the accommodation and G 'nvcnicncc of
the people Of our own anil Oh 'rlrs c'un-
ties, was seixel when uff Print I.oos .aat
by an ARMED band of men from Baltimore
on Saturday morning last, aud taken ossr
into Gone River. Virginia. from which
place, after landing her passengers aud
their freigh, and baggage. aud taking ii
number Of troops ON board. she started
for Fredericksburg. where she arrived ia
safety. capturing on her way three yes
scls, one laden with coffee. one with
coal. and one with ice There can be
very little doubt that the seizure was
made ~ authority Of the Virginia or Con-
fedcrate Government; and in view Of the
Inconvenience to which We shall he put by
it. we are tempted ia exclaiR, with Mcrcu-
ito. "A plague on both your Houses"
Are We already between the upper and
the neither milestone? A passenger. who
come down on the st. Nicholas when she
was aeizcd, has favored us with the fol-
lowing particulars in relation thereto, for
which he will please accept our thanks:
MEssGs. kDIroRs. Thinking il may he
interesting to your readers, | encl,'se you
u brief but correct account Of the capture
If the Steamer st. Nicholas by the agents
of the Confederate States.
On Friday evening the 18th ult., the
St. Nicholas left Baltimore with CON-
siderable amount of freight and large
number of passengers. There was moth
ing in the movement Of the passengers to
excite any suspicion of the daring act
which was contemplated. Every thing
passed of quietly until We reached Point
1.eek Out Here several passengers dis
embarked. and m elderly man, whom we
were afterwards told was Capt Hollins,
late Of the United States Navy, boarded
the Steamer. and took his station upon the
deck in the rear of the Ladies' Saloon.
As it was very warm in the lie tbs, con-
cluded. in company with friend, to
spend the night in arm chairs upon the
deck, and was thus the uusaspecting wit
ness Of the scene which followed. Thus
far on the trip. We had observed an elder
Is looking lady. sitting in the Saloon,
apparently much concerned about the ar
rival of the boat at Washington. hut on
reaching the Point. she retired to her
statc-room. and only reappcarcd, after the
boaa had resumed her course. in the per-
son of a fuIl-dresscd Z,uavc. climbing over
the railing Of the deck. A few hurried
words were whispered in the car OF the
elderly man, Of whom have spoken. and
they both rushed quickly below. In less
than two inmates, the boat had stopped
But even yet suspected nothing of the
truth, supposing that a Government
boat was boarding her for the purpose of
enqiry. anil I went below to see the
proceedings. Judge Of my establishment,
then, when l saw about fifteen men. armed
with carhines, revolvers aud Bowie knives
standing in battle array and in fall Pos
session Of the boat! The lights were
thcn extinguishel. guards placed over the
different parts Of the boat, and her course
directed To the Virginia shore. We
reached the wharf in Cone river about 81
o'c.ack in the morning. Here we were
bosrdcd BY several Virginia officers. and
shortly, the Dad Tennessee Regiment
made its appearance. They were well
armed with rifles and Bowie knives, and
were anxious to meet the Federal troops
% test the accuracy Of their rifles and the
virtue Of their steel. They had marched
twenty miles the night before through the
mud and rain aud were .spiing" for fight.
Throughout the whole night not a single
act ef ruleness was perpctratcd, all the
passengers being treated with the greatest
ciyili,y. The ladies were told by the com
uaander, that they were in the hands oil
Southern gentlemen. and would be treated
rs his own sisters. Whatever opinions
may be entertained Of the capture itself, no
Que who was present on that evcntful
night can say augh. but in praise of the
gcntlemsnly department OF all concerned:
The PLAZA was certainly well eoncocted and
we'll executed. far number OF sailors were
ready at the wharf TO man her, which,
together with 30 or 40 soldiers. took her
in charge and sailed down the bay, bound
Cor the Rappahannock. Before the boat
left, an the passengers. who desired to
land. were permitted to leave and likewise
take with them such goods as they might
have ON board. OF this opportunity,
nearly all availea themselves. trusting to
obtain conveyances for transportation to
their homes. Several passengers who
missed their breakfast on the bsat, OBJ
tanned il at neighboring fArm-h house. and,
upon asking how much was to pay, they
received the simple but characteristic re-
ply.-..Gentlenaen, recellect that you arr
Ia Virginia - :hus exhibiting the Old sr-
xinia hospitality. even az time ot ir'". 70
chose who were no. of their own On
every side. we received nothing but kind-
ness. Being. IN company with foar CON-
panions, the first to reach my hpn'e on
The Maryland shore, | return. in their
! name q we'll as my own, our graxcf,,l ac-
\ acknowledgements to the kind friends in
/ iscilitating the difficult journey which W.
before us