Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1862-10-09

c0gnion on the part Of his Government, ard we hope
it will not be slow in regarding what all must regard
purely reward OF merit.-ED. REP.
MOBILE, Sept. Oath, 1862.
The Oreto was seized, released, and again seized
and learning that through the efforts OF the Lincoln
agents 1t determined again to take pOSsea3On of
aud send her to England for new trial. we slipped
from the hauser OF Ii. III. ship -, and on the night
of the 9h with eleven deck hands and five remen and
coal heavers-al that money and cunning could obtain
drfted with the tide under the shadow of the land
eight miles, and thus the Yankee cruisers hover
ing around US were evaded A schooner with cur
guns board awaiting outside, and taking her
in tow dashed down the 1" Tongue OF the Ocean
and were where Yankee officer dared to follow
Threading way through nnumerabIe rocks and
shoals with many narrow escapes, anchored among
them, and all hands-ony fourteen i'll al-Wnt to work
with hearty good will. In four days got tie guns
etc, on board. Imagine misery when We discover
ed that relther rtnmers sp0nges sights, BEDS quOus
passing boxes magazine CQu pments had along
with them, and that on the day following the yellow
fever appeared in all its horrors. There phys
clan board and the case was fatal On the 9th two
more new cases. You can sympathise with as in our
sad plight. We had scarcely enough on board to
handle the Ship the circles to the pivot guns did not
fit Yankee cruisers all about disease on board and
no help at hand but the indomitabe energy of our
Captain, who, in addition to his many duties
ing the sick. 1t determined to for Cardenas
IN Ou0a, as the neiny ana secluded ID Lne
hope of picking up a few and getting medical
aid and in the night the ship g0tten under way
and seered close along the breG kings, passing the
banks with considerable risk On the night of the 18th
made Cardenas Light and the Yankee gunbOats; at
o'clock the morning of the 18th entered the har
bor. Our crew, by this time were reduced to three
deck and one fireman, whU had been duty for
! eleven hours On the 10th the yellow fever had full
possession OF the ship and officer sent to Ha-
vana to eEdeaVOr to get On the 2ls our Captain
was taken down, and soon thereafter given up a
hopeless He remained nsensibe for several days,
but mercltu Providence with him, and he rec0v-
cred his consciousness to find his much loved in
dying condition beside him. Poor Laurens he died
at sundOWn and just after him four and the Sd
| Assistant Engineer
La the meantime, the Yankee Consul Gen. Shufedt,
had got wind of Whcreab0ut, ard despatched five
gunbOats to cut IF and hem the Oreto in port We
obtained twentyfour aborers, and tripping anchor
the gauntlet, getting clear to sea without mshap.
A poor little Spanish passenger steamer coming out
two hours before mistaken for the Oreto by the
Yankees ard peppered for thirty-ex miles. The enc
my, supposing that we would for Charleston, in
creased his force about Abaco the Florida passages
and of Wilmington and Charleston, and Commander
Guert Gansvcor IN the Adirondack 10 bis zeal to head
US off and capture US, totally wrecked \
On the 4Ih at P. NJ. we made Mobile Light and
three smart looking blockaders watching the port We
got up a full head Of steam and tried to arrange our
guns for at least one shot, but could not. Every pre-
paraton then made to set fire to the ship in oil
necessity, and cOmbustibes ready in ten different
Places our brave little ship standing boldly 10 towards
the enemy. Meanwhile the cruisers out to meet US
forming themselves in triangle about US, Withholding
their fire. as we still kept aloft the red of old Eng
land, and they hestated for moment or two to make
up their minds as to nationality. We were now SC
that the converse ton could be distinctly heard or
board, aud midshipman at the mast head sung out
q She is not English there only few beI
deck" At this, the beggars blazd at US, knocking
about fourteen hammOcks out of the nettinge and ther
striving to head US IF but Captain M8ft ordered the
at The helm to sear right for the starboard bow
of the nearest vessel and, not liking the looks Of things
our Yankee friend sheered of, bringing the two Vessel
in a line Just what we wanted. At this time, WI
handed down the British ensign and up the Coned
crate flag, and then commenced upon us shower o
shot, shell and shrapnel that made everything cract
again 1t perfect hail storm, and we not able t.
return their fire. though, if had been fully manned
and equipped we could have polished them off hand
somev. Finding they held their own with US, our met
ordered to make sail, which they did with rous
ing Cheer though the shell bursting in the rigging
: cutting it away and wounding the men.
A Parrot shell entered the cabin An eleven incl
shell struck US amdships grazad the boilers and defect
ing forward, took off the head of one OF our best
3 and severely wounding three others All our boat
were pierced, sides hammock rail, smoke stack, an
mass filled with shrapnel. After making sail, all th
sent below, except the officers who were re
tanned on deck. Thus we stood on for two hours an
eighteen minutes. The walls of Fort Morgan .wer
thronged with officers and men,, and safety wa
! greeted with cheers. All behaved nobly -Four day
after our arrival poor Stribng, list Lieutenant) VIII
about to start to his wife, taken down Wi
l. fever and died in thirty-siX hours. He galar
gentleman and excellent Christian. e.
. There is nothing lost by keeping good look out
! 1t will be we'll for all concerned to there