Western sentinel. [volume] (Winston [i.e. Winston-Salem], N.C.) 1856-1886, 1863-06-19

Ike ALABAMA AND FLoRIDA.-Under the
heading OF "The Rebel Privateers Hunting n
coup.es-their Terrible Deprsdatiors,' the N
7, Herald of the 29,h ult. says:
By intelligence which we publish in another
eolump it will be preceived that Capt. Potter
OF the ship Oneida, passenger in the William,
MI. lodge, from Pernambuco on the Sd inst,
arriving at Philadelphia yesterday, reports nine
vessels, including his own, destroyed by the AL
| ALBANIA and the Florida. Their last exploit
was on the 29th OF April beyond the Line
viz: latitude 40 south longitude 90 west
short time ago We published map Of the
ocean, %lth the latitude and longitude exhibit
ing the tracks of the Alabama and the Florida
! from the time they left Liverpool till their last
apitearsssa. sAt that time these vessels were
looking for each other among the West Indier,
so as to form junction and prowl in company
in order To render them the more efficient in
destructlveness and the better able to resist the
! attack Of a Federal cruiser. By the intelligence
which we publish to-day, it seems that they are
now together and making numerous victims
by single arrival we learn that they captured
aud destroyed the following vessels the Oneida
Henrietta, Louisa Hatch, Nora, Commonwealth
Charles Hill Lateye Kate Cory and King6sb
er. The list We lately published contained the
names of more than hundred merchant ves-
seis destroyed by various privateers since the
beginning of the war. The whole number now
ascertained. besides those of which we have as
yet heard nothing, is one hundred and fonrteen.
The value of the property SO destroyed, with
Gus enrichng the enemy, cannot fail short OF
twelve millions of dollars. Nor is the direct
loss the greatest injury that is done to the
American shipping interest. The high rate of
insurance upon American bottoms and cargoes
| are fast driving our commerce from the ocean.
If 1t difficult to capture one of these prl.
vateers before, it is more dfnult now, when
both prey our merc chant marine together
Admiral Wllks, with the fast sailing Wander.
bilt and the rest cf his squadron has been very
| successful; nor is it likely that he will be
more successful hereafter
| 1t was recently announced by the Southern
Journals tt at in the future the various rebel cor
sairs would from fleet SO as to be irresisti be.
But the probability is that several squadrons oi
them will be formed. The Alabama and the
Florida are the eroeleus of the feet, and We
may expect soon to hear from them again.
/ The President cannot tan to see what destruG
tion has been dealt to our commerce, and that
| further destruction awaits it, while the Secreta-
ry of the Navy has done nothing effectuai te
arrest the career of the destroyers. If Mr.
Lincoln is unwilling to remove Mr. Welles, ane
put ID his place younger and more energetic
man, equal to the emergency, he ought at leas
to appoint an active assistant who would prop
erly attend to the business of the departmen
and by his success in sweeping the privateer'
from the ocean enable the venerable Rip Var
Wnkle complacently to stroke his long white
beard wherever he goes. Something is neces-
sary to be done soon, not only to protect oul
commerce, but to redeem our naval power from
disgrace in permitting such depredations.