, 1862-04-25
CAPTURE OF APALACHICOLA. 4.
FLORIDA,
Report Of Commander SteIIwa.en,

1tt@
WAsulSGToN. April 20.
Commander Stcllwagcn, Of the L. S. steamer
Nerctdita, OF Apa1achicola, under date of
March e5th, makes a report to Flag Officer
Mexican, who has forwarded it to tic Navy
Depattn,e Mt. He states that, 10 consequence
OF intelligence received from Two contrabands
that the town had been abandoned, two days
alter our coming in, By NIL the soldiers, num-
herring some G50, followed by nvurly ill the
inhabitants; and, seeing steamboats, either re-
lntorelng or preparing to evacuate, he detcru1-
ined to send to the city and ascertain the true
facts OF the case The report which was made
to him proved to be correct, there not being
soldier, cannon or weapon ofany kind apparent
y remaining in the town. Certain persons,
claiming to be Influential men, state that
everybody had been ordered peremptorily
away by Gov. Milton Of Florida. The city,
Commander StellWagen reports, was entirely
al our mercy, the few remaining inhabitants
having Ho mcaus Of defense whatever Those
lett were part Of Z few white families,
small number Of slaves, and some
Spanish fishermen, numbering altogether
from 5to tn GOO souls, including many
women and small children. He reports that be
restrained from hoisting the American flag be-
cause his vessel did not lie near enough to pro-
tect Union citizens in the place from the iu-
human assaults Of the rebels, who have threat
eEed to return and burn the town in case the
citizens held any intercourse with us. The
ANEASNE A$ttAAESAt CA0uuS VI HDIlED anu
cllldren rs being truly hca1t-rending. They
we're taken away at the shortest notice and in q
storm, gathering what little clothes and house.
hcid furniture they could, to take with them.
He also states that the batteries at the town ap-
pear to be entirely Of sand. The one at
" flncents he entirely destroyed, burning
the platform for the guns, &c. Some lew sol,
dlers are at Kiccat's Bluffs, ninety miles up
the river. The rest are ut Johnson's. two
hundred and forty miles higher. At the 1atter
place they have been five months building
sunboats, which had not Jet been planked in.
The soldiers, 1t is stated, are dissatisfied and
dlsplrltcd. and some three hundred will leave
as soon as their time Is up.
a later report from Commander Skell Hagcn
OFT Apalachicola, under date of April 4, states
that the town was captured without resistance
as well Us the vessels in the vi
from his ship, the Merccdi,a and the United
states gunhnat Sycamore, Lieut.. Drake com
nlandips. In this report Commander Stell-
wagen states that on the Both ult., be heard
tia! the slcop Octayia lad run into St. J,-
,,ephs Bay from Havana, and sent Acting
place, fifty miles via the land over on y,ort,ze
across thc narrow strips Of land cunurct.
my Cape st. Bias with tic mainland It WAS
found that she had left, but indications from
wheel tracks. spilled coffee, ttt., showed that
ncF iItl4nt had been landed and carted AWAY.
- H17A.S SA3 t449 DuAt9 Euik9eu i SEl1ll
Eloop from Indian Pass to The city, and at
night he sent his gig down thirty miles to the
last pass, directing the Sycamore to join him
III the earliest convenience. She arrived On
The lst inst, and the next day the bouts wer.
fnl3y prepared for an armed expedition to the
ci'y and '0ld Woman's Bluff" seYeu miles
ur the rlver. The six boats started at D. m.
u,der eonmand Of Lieutenant Abbott, Of the
Merccdita, aud Lieut. Bigelow, of the Sara
more, lntendln. to pass the town in the night.
Lieut.. Drake ard Commander StelIw agen fol-
lowed in gigs to support them. On driving
at the city early in the morning they found
the Octavia and I'LL the small vessels in pos
session OF our men, In due time the party
came down the river, towing the pilot boats
C5euet, MaIy Olivia and schooners New
Island, Floyd and Rose, the latter loaded with
cotton. Considerable time was spent in try
1slnnd'' over the bar, but without success,
they grounding in seven feet OF water,
Late in the afternoon We pulled in, with ill
the boats, to the landing place, and had an in
terriew with the people Of the town. Com
mandcr Stcilwagen told them, knowing that
they were in want Of the necessities Of life.
teat they should be allo we'd to fish and oyster
eo long US they were friendly, After irving
to get of the three boats which were a7o1nd'
without any SUCCESS, he ordered them to be
set on fire.
The sloops Octavia and Rose he determined
10 send to Key West for adjudication. He
states: 81 think the demonstration will he
s:lutary 10 the people and seryfceahle to the
causc. The men deserve great credit, hayinl.
been from twenty-four 10 thirty six hours
away from the snip, engaged in. very heavy
work. which was chcerful1J accomplished.