Daily Democrat and news. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1859-1864, 1862-02-19
LATEST NEWS
BY TIE NAILS.
IMPORTANT FROM KEY WEST.
Capture 6 Rebel Ship with $e5,OOO
Worth Of Cotton.
CAPTURE OF A VALUABLE PRIZE LOADED
WITH ARMS AND POWDER.
Important Seizure BY the United states
e.uu.b0at Hatteras -. Seven Vessels
Burned.

The United States storeship Supply, Command
Colvccoresses, from Ship Island, Jan: 18th, ar
rived ct New York on Friday morning, having on
board - prisoners the captains and crews Of the
steamboats, Anna and Lewis, and the schooner A.
5. Pou, oil captured by the gun-boat New Lsndon
Of Florida.
The Supply on the fifth day out and in latitude
"a IL north, longitude 81 81 west, boarded and
seised the British schooner Stephen Hart, loaded
with rifeA cannon, powder, Enfield rifles, gun car
riages, blankets, shoes, ETC., al, no intended
for tne Southern army. She showed Enali ,h col
from London for Cardenas, Cuba, on the % Of las.
December. The master and crew claim TO be
British subjects. The character Of the cargo, the
proximity OF the vessel to the Southern coast, to-
gether with other very suspicious circumstances,
caused Commander Colvocoresses to seize and
bring her into New York for adjudication.
She is the most valuable - we'll as the most i'm :
portsnt prize that has been captured since the
breaking out Of this rebellion, as the cargo alone
is isinsured for $4,000.
with such cargo could Lawful lily clear from an
English port, and we hope our Government will
look into the matter.
The late expedition to Cedar Keys by the Uni
ted States gun-boats Flsrida and Hatteras has
proved perfect success. The rebel Notifications
were found deserted, but before they left tn ey
nred SIX schoJners to prevent them from falling
into the hands of our gallant "tars." The depot
Of the Florida Railroad was destroyed. Nineteen
rebel soldiers were captured. Our gun-boa:s Sc :
cured large quantity Of contraband goods. The
expedition was very brilliant Hair.
A very serious and propably fatal accident oc.
CURED few weeks since. by which Lieut.. Samuel
Marcy, commanding the sloop-of-war Vincennes
was inj ured that his life il despxired Of The
particulars will be found in our correspondence
letter.
The schooner J. W. Wilde- was captured of
Pensacola in the latter part Of Jan by the United
States gun-boat Cuyler. She was loaded with
coffee, soap, etc. few days after the occurrence
the British Consul at Mobile sent letter to Com
modore hckean demanding . release Of the
schooner. claiming her a. British property, blown
on the coast by stress Of weather. The demand
was promptly refused.
A portion of Porter's mortar fotilla ad arrived
at Key West.
We have the following additional news BY let
ter from Key West:
KEY west, Florida. Fdt =
Tho Lizzie Wharton has been captured by the
new gun-boat Itascs, when two days out from
Apaachicsla, with 300 bales OF exec lent cotton,
worth, at present prices, $4,000. she was max
lag for Havana, Cabs. This vessel was formerly
the H. c. Atwater, Of Now London, before the re-
bcllion broke cut. She reached Apalachicola
with an assorted cargo last April, and while there
was seized BY the Rebel authorities, con6scated
and sold for tho sum Of 1880. She has been
there ever since and has had her present cargo on
board several months, awaiting q ch ance to run
tho blockade. The vessel and cargo are owned in
Richmond.
The particulars of the capture are as follows:
The 1tasca having disabled one engine, was re-
turning from Havana to Key West under light
sail and with engine. On Sunday, the 10Th
inst, sail in sight was reported from the mast
head; chase was at once made, and she was soon
discovered to be q large fore and aft schooner,
standing to the Southwark the wind al this time
fyon ha snntha0s A stoo
was discovered by the schooner her movements
became suspicious; she kept of the wind and did
her best, knowing that stern chase is ais avs .
! long one All now became excitement on board
the ltasca, although her becoming a prize was
anything but certain; and for steamer, slow at
| the best, working only one engine, and with a
small proportion OF canvas, she had difficult task
! to perform. Fortunately the wind was light ard
the sea smooth; consequently the ltasca gained
on the chase, and at half-past nine Y. was close
enough to throw shot ahead Of her, as q slight
hint to stop before another was sent aboard. The
gig was now called away, in readiness for board
| ing and as the Itasca ranged alongside and ord
| ered the schooner to heave to, was lowered and
manned, and Acting Master Cook ordered to take
charge of her. When the schooner was hailed
ana ordered to heave to, the only reply made was
to ask the nationality Of the guLboat. This Capt.
Caldwell declined to answer. As soon as Acting
Master Cook arrived alon sside, and discovered the
/ deck load of cotton, he was satisfied that il was
all right, and that ho would not have much to do
examining papers, dc. His request for a rope TO
aid him in getting on board was declinel for the
reason that they "were all in confusion" Very
probably they were. He at last succeeded in
reaching the deck. and an examination Of her
papers showed q rebel register and several clear
ances-one to Havana, another to Jamaica, an
other for somewhere else; 10 fact. she cleared for
any place she could get into, although going to
Havana if possible. An examination Of the
schooner by the boarding plr,y disclosed the fac:
that every preparation had been made to burn the
vessel. barrel of shavings and bucket eff tsr
and can Of camphene aft, SO that, if Capt. Cald-
we'll had told them that the gun-boat was one Of
the United States squadron, the tor,h would
have been applied, and the vessel and cargo dc.
stroyed, rather than that she should fall into th
| handa Of the Goyernment Of the United States.