The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1862-01-20
Ritbn1anh qispattt.


nnNpAY MORNING. JAN. 70. 1853.
viva, Or Lisus. Pasksr--Perils sf his e.
...,--S>u,hern OHscsrs jass Arrived Ser.
vfag Ltacsln.
r,sntenaut John II Parker, of the United
c,s,s. Navy, arrived in this city Friday
.vaains, after rexigning his office and escap-
,r from the Northern Government spies
I'd police He wNs First Lieutenant OF the
..aae, sloop Dscotah, of the East India
.,u.drou. and arrived in her about the mid
al of OeceIn Der. at Now YORK. We gather
I'm him the following interesting Parncu-
lars:
The East India Squadron was commanded
-, Commodore Stribling, and consisted OF
,fs steamship Hartford, tfag ship,i the sloop
Tam Adams, Commander Berrien the
,ta.nn sloop Decotah, Commander Raaford;
md the steamer Saginaw, Commander
slAenck,
The principal officers were nearly all
..,,thern men. Commodore StrielinE is a
,.uta Carolnsn; Commander Radford, a
A.rg,utan. Commander Berrien, Geor-
ian and I.ieutenants Parker and Forrest,
\ ,rc,uians while at Hong Kong, in the
Is ter part OF June, news of the secession OF
A.trsiuis was received by the squadron, pro-
.sc!nr great sensation. Not very long
afterwards, Commodore StriblinG aud Com
r,4edsr kadford were relieved of their com
hands and sent homo. Captain Engie, Of
yenUsyiFania. succeeded the Commodore,
sn3Commander Mckinstry, OF Michigan, sue
..,is3 ,lor mander Radford. They are both
.,ne,aed Union men, and Captain l. is one of
ne most obnoxious Of Republicans. OF
...,,yss tsts change ID the officers was strong
t,..attoy. and officers from the South were
,aeassaF4ly extremely cautious III expressing
tn.tr opinions. Subsequent facts, however,
show that the displaced officers might have
been trHsied since they are stiil in the service
.cf The Northern Goyernment,-Comm
~t-ihliug on SONS committee Of mvesuga-
ts5t a: Washington, and Commander Rad
, ri = member OF the Light Board Of New
York /; was also understood generally
,.st Commander Berrien would stay with
tie North. HIS saip had not arrived at last
dates.
soon after the change of officers. the squad
nm was ordered home, except the Saginaw,
- small vessel Of three guns, under officer
ssbenck, brother OF the Northern command
- whose forces were so disastrously cut up
NJ vienna BY Col. luow G rem. Gregg troops
On the route home they stopped at Capetown
where taey heard OF the battle of Bun Run
70 the lnttsite delight OF the Southern men.
II was even hailed with pleasure by the in
hap,tauts. Here Lieut.. Forrest WAS detached
sud sent home passenger on the Hartford
No accusation WAS m ade agains HIM but his
comrades knew we'll that he was prisoner,
sld undo TODD that the step was taken by
OF Ter Of Eugle, lit tool OF the Northern
Gespo.ism for some words the Lieutenant
Wa 1epor: III TO have uttered on hearing the
news II b ali Run. Since his arrival, he ha.
been s.n,a prisoner 10 Fort Warren
The Ueeotsh touched st the West Indies,
and was sent after the, privaseer sumter
Dui she had escaped from Martinique, where
Sic had been tor some time watched. The
Uecotah arrived at New York, rs already
stated. and found that the Hartford had
reached Philadelphia some two weeks ahead
OF her
Upon arriving a. New York, Commander
mckiustry administered the oath to support
The Constitution TO officers and crew, Lieut. |
Parker, however, declaring that he took it
upon the condition that II bound him only
SO long as he was an officer in the Federal
navy. He was then detached, with two
weeks leaye of absence. without restric ton.
In due time he came to Maryland, sent in
bis resignation by mail, and set about masking
his escape across the Potomac, in Whic b he
encoun tered great difficulty and much suffer
ing, owing to exposure and the very cold
weather.
HIS first essay failed because OF the unsea.
worthiuess Of the boat which was found in
sinking condition, and he was barely able |
to reach the Mary land shore after the dlscov-
err. His second attempt was IN ade in a boat
with four pa sengers and two boatmen. A
Federal cutter wasr in sight and her boats
were sen. in chase. The refugees put back
IL the Maryland shore; but were 90 holly
pursued that Lieut. p. and one passenger es-
capped only by jumping out and wading
ashore, after which they hid themselves in
nsighoorlng swamp, in which they suffered In.
tensely from cold and fatigue W aiding through
mud and ice. The other four in the boat,
they believe, were arrested. Lieut. +. lost
his baggage, and for week was subjected to
every sor' Of discomfort and peril, being
hunted by the enemy. He was fired upon as
be II ri from the shore. He was treated with
as much kindness was in their power by
hhrylanders; but for whose ympathies he
must have been captured. His last and sue
ceskiuI effort was made at night In a snow
btorIp, IL which he suffered much but had
the good fortune to Land safely on the shore
0! his native land. He reached home Friday
and was welcomed by friends and relatives
VINO had been very uneasy for his fate.
Lieut.. i. has been eigh teen months absent.
MS snip, the Decotah, is the fastest in the
ederal Navy, and the Government is quite
PLEASED AZ her arrival. He found the people
IN The West Indies warmly synpa thizing
with the Eouthern Oonfedsrscy. In New
ork ne was delighted to find all Southern
iAen N feeling In the very best spirits, while
IL was evident that the Republicans and
aion men were deeply despondant.
Ia Baltimore he found the Southern feel
ing stronger than he could have supposed
possible, and in Tide Water Maryland nearly
II unanimous sentiment in favor Of the South
ern Ooniedsracy. He comes to offer his SER
vices 10 bis country. He is an experienced
sailor and accomplished officer. We only
regret that al present we have not field fit
ing Tor the exploits Of him and those gal
liant Southern officers who abandoned the
eaeral Navy. and who have given up their
othceA there TO rally TO the cause Of their ma
i've land.
Rsminiscsnce.