The Buchanan County guardian. (Independence, Buchanan County, Iowa) 1858-1864, 1862-06-03
Capture Of two AnglO-Rebel Stea.
merS.
Key West Correspondence n Y Herald. !
KEY WEST, May Sth, 1862.
CAPTURE OF THE BERMUDA.

SAIlI Or liE BKKMUDA.
The arrival Of the Mercedita at this
port, few days since, brings us the
gratifying intelligence of her capture oI
the English Confederate steamer Bermu-
da, to the southwark of the Bahama
Banks. The Bermuda had full cargo
of arms and munitions of war. Her
manifest, which occupied some four
pages of foolscap paper, | saw copy Of,
and the quantity on board a vessel of her
tonnage is really surprising. Besides
pistols and cutasses in any quantity,
there were a number of six and hall
and seven and half inch rifed guns, to-
gether with several complete field bat
teries. Then again there were nearly
fifty thousand pounds ofpowder in bar
rels, besides cases upon cases of cart
ridges, fixed ammunition and shells.
Among the papers found on board the
Bermuda was a complete code of night
signals and sailing directions for enter
ing the harbor Of Charleston, both BY
way of Matfit's and the main ship chan
mel also orders from paaties in the South
for goods 10 be purchased for them BY
the Captain OF the Bermuda. which goods
are now, no doubt, on board the YES
sci.
Ii Is a most fortunate occurrence that
the cargo Of the Bermuda has been pre-
vented from reaching Dixie. 1t would
have been invaluable to Rebeldom in
their present dilapidated condition, and
is worth to us at least one million OF dol
lars. Too much credit cannot be award .
ed TO Commander Stellwagen and the Of
ticers and crew of the Mercedita for hav-
ing effected this capture.
The Bermuda, by her register, is own
ed by Frasier, Tronholme Il Co, of Liv
erpool, a branch Of the house of Frasier
Il Co, of Charleston, S c., and her com
mander is Charlestonian. The maiori
ty of the officers and crew Of the Bermu.
da are here on board Of the Mercedita.
What disposition is to be made of them
do not yet learn. One Of her crew has
given Information that shortly before her
capture secession flag, together with a
large number of p pers, was thrown
overheard by the captain. This fact may
have weight in the evidence before the
Prize Commissioner. All the other par
ticulars regarding her capture will no
doubt be given TO the Herald by its Phil.
adelphia correspondent, as it is to that
pert that the Bermuda has been sent, in
charge OF Lieut.. Abbott, of the Mercedi.
Ia. The Mercedita is now coaling. and
will leave in few days for her cruising
grounds.
CAPTURE or THE STEAMER cIRcAssIAS.
While your correspondent was on
board the Mercedita n steamer was re.
ported in sight 10 the eastward. With
the aid OF a powerful telescope she was
made out 70 be a large bark rugged screw
steamer, in tow Of one OF our armed fer
~ boats. Various were the coniectures
as TO what she might be but all Iell con
ident she was prize and that the YES
sci towing her was the Somerset. As
soon as she had anchored Lieutenant
Commanding English. of the Somerset.
which vessel the one towing proved TO
be, came on board the Mercedila 70 make
his report to Commodore SlelIwageu, the
senior naval officer in pert. The Eng
lish steamer proved 10 b. the Clrcassian.
from Bordeaux, via St. Thomas, and pur.
porting 10 be bound 10 Havana. She
was captured on SUNDAY afternoon, the
ilh inst, about 20 miles 10 the eastward OF
Havana, under the following circumstan,
ees. The Somerset, as soon As the Cir.