Litchfield enquirer., 1862-03-06

SKETCH OF CAPT. GoRDoN.-Capt. Nathaniel Gordon, the convicted slayer, who suffered the extreme penalty of the law in the Toombs, New York, on Friday last, was a native of Portland, Maine. He is man of slender build, about five feet six inches in height, of dark complex ion, has dark whiskers, and penetrating eyes, He is now about thirty-fve years of age. From his youth up he has been g sailor, in various ca pacities, beginning as a cabin boy and working himself up to the position of captain. His moth CT is still living, and is an exemplary member of the Presbyterian Church in the City of Port land. .... ....
 He made four voyages to the coast of Africa, for negroes to be sold as slaves. Two of these voyages were successful, the negroes having been landed on the island of Cuba. A third voyage was only partially successful, the ne- groes having been landed at 8 Brazilian port.
 HIS CAPTURE OFF CoNGo RIVER.
 His fourth voyage as a slayer was on board the ship Erie, with which he, his two mates and the Congo River, by the United States sloop-of- war Mohican of the African squadron. When the Erie was boarded by the United States off, cers. they found cargo of 967 negroes, consist ing of men, women and children.
 Immediately after the capture, a prize crew was put on board the Erie, under command of . lieutenant as prize master, and midshipman, and the ship was headed for Monrovia. On the passage thither 300 of the negroes died, and were buried at sea. On their arrival at Monro- via, the negroes were duly handed over to the agent of the United States Government at that point, and set free under the civilizing infuen- ces and institutions of the Liberian Republic.
 The crew of the Erie was taken on board the Mohican to fill the places of the United States sailors who had been transferred to the prize ship Erie, and Capt. Gordon with his two mates k1N Nx.r .l~ l~..kl S-s e. ing the negroes as stated.
 The Erie had previously been to Liverpool, from which port she took cargo to Havana, Cuba. There she changed hands, and there Capt. Gordon took charge of her and superinten- ded her fitting. cut for the slave voyage iu which she was engaged at the time of her capture.
 ATTEMPT TO Blow UP OUR VESSELS IN SA vANNAH RIvER,-Dispatches have been received at the Navy Department, from Commodore Du- pont, dated Port Royal, Feb 18th, enclosing a report from Commodore Rodgers, in which he says that while sounding in the Savannah River, short distance above the mouth of Wright Riv- CT, he discovered several objects floating upon the surface, which appeared at first sight to be empty tin cans, and as such were not regarded by him as worthy of notice. Lieut. Sprotsou, of the Seneca, shortly after hailed him, and told him that the objects alluded to were buoys at tached to an internal machine. Upon closer ex- animation, they saw enough to satisfy them that the suspicious were correct. The buoys, five in number, were placed several yards apart, at right angles, to the shore, immediately in the channel, leading from Wright River, and visible only at low water. sitr ~sss
 They were connected by spiral wire, the end of the wire entering an orifce in the upper ends of the buoys. They were also secured by wires to what they presumed to be weights at the bot tom, but which upon further examination led them to believe were vessels containing explo- sive matter An attempt was subsequently, made to produce an explosion by putting the wires to- gether, which failed. The wires were then cut and the outer buoy was brought of in one of the expedition boats. In consequence of the deli cate nature of the exploding apparatus, and the result of the examination of the buoy brought on board, it was deemed more prudent to en. deavor to sink the remaining buoys rather than attempt to remove them, so that the enemy should not have the satisfaction of feeling that a single life had been lost by the diabolical in vention.
 : The buoys were sunk by firing rife shots into them, one having exploded the night previous from some cause unknown, and shortly after launch had passed over the spot where the bucys were placed, having in tow heavy lighter with guns. It further appears that the torpedo or internal machine brought on board the Unadilla, was afterwards set upon bank and rifle ball fired through it when it exploded.