Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1863-01-29
sketch of tho Oreto.

The steamer Oreto sailed from Liverpool
on the 22d of March last, and it was then ru-
mored that she was intended for the service
of the rebel government, in destroying north
ern commerce on the Atlantic. The Oreto
was built at Liverpool, ostenslbly for the Ital-
ian government, and is consequently adapted
for warlike purposes, being pierced for twenty
guns. She measures seven hundred and fifty
tons, is capable of carrying several guns of
the largest calibre on Il draught of about
twelve feet, and is represented as one Of the
finest and fastest vessels of her class atloat.
She was regularly cleared at Liverpool for
Palermo, in ballast, and had crew of about
fifty men on board. Very contradictory
statements were current as to the real desti-
nation of the vessel and her armament at the
time she was prepared for sea. According to
some reports the vessel had arms and ammu-
milton on board when she left the Mersey !;
but this was positively denied, and the
denial was accompanied by the assertion
that she had not an ounce of powder or SIN
gle gun on board, and that her bona tide
destination was Palermo. Other reports
were that she would undoubtedly go to Paler-
mo, and from thence proceed to Bermuda,
where she was to take on board the armament
and ammunition especially sent there for her.
she would then, said rumor, take to sea,
either us a privateer or as a war vessel, com
miss Toned by the rebels. She sailed under
sealed orders. 1t was next reported that she
had captured the packet ship Yorktown; but
the story was soon contradicted. In due
course this vessel arrived at her unknown
destination, which, as was to be supposed,
turned out to be Nassau. On arriving she
was Immediately seized by the captain of her
majesty's steamer Greyhound, but almost as
quickly released. Shortly after she was
seized again, but, after some difficulty, re-
leased again. The authorities pretended to
have great doubts as to whether she was or
not intended for the service of the rebels.
On one occasion, when the British gunboat
Bulldog went to seize her, she was discharg-
ing shell-doubtless part of the cargo she
had brought for the rebels. Our Nassau cor
respondent, on the Cd of September, gave us
the following concerning this same vessel =
Though everybody knew, by hearsay, sc.
what the famed steamship Oreto, which lay
in our port sope time ago, was intended for,
there was not, so the judge Of the admiralty
court decided, any legal evidence to condemn
her. In judicial cases it is hard to divest Il
Judges mind of his prejudices; but believe,
although his honor may have erred in Judg-
ment, he did what he conceived to be. consei-
clllOuSly ttSiit. 1dfll pSCdDGu run inc
clutches of the law, the Oreto went outside
Hog Island, and, being afraid of the United
States gunboat II. IL. Cuyler, then lying in
the otliug, her majesty's ship Petrol went out,
and the Orcto lay close by her.
Gone fine Saturday night in the month of
August, Il few weeks ago, at an hour when
sailors were likely to be unclaimed by Bac
chus, a mob of discharged sailors and others
were employed to tranship cargo from a
schooner into the Oreto. | am credibly in
formed that at about half an hour after they
got on board the Oreto she put to sea, and in
about three hours afterwards overlook the
British schooner Prince Alfred, said to have
been.lately purchased for and on account of
Mr. John b. LATTE.
'What schooner is that?" said Capt. Maj
fit of the Oreto.
"The Prince Alfred" was the answer.
''Dont you want tow?' cried Maftit
'I es," is the ready response.
''Ihen take down your sails" comes from
the Oreto and accordingly hawser is
passed, and the Oreto towed the Prince AL
fred to Green Cay, small island forming one
of the Bahama group. On the next day, be-
ing the sabbath, but for which the Oreto had
no regard, the men began to take out of the
Prince Alfred her cargo and to put it on
board the Oreto. They discharged six 32-
pound broadsde guns and two 6S-pound pivot
guns, lots of stores, shot, shell, and powder.
This took six days to do, when the Oreto,
having these guns mounted on her deck,
weighed anchor, hoisted the confederate flag,
her crew manning the rigging and giving
three cheers"
She afterwards went to Cardenas, Cuba,
and Captain Small, of the bark S. w. Hol-
brook, arrived at Boston from Havana, 2lst
of September, stated that he was instructed
by the American Consul to report that re-
bel steamer had anchored among the Carde-
mas keys. She was propeller and had three
masts. He had been informed that she was
receiving men from Nassau, N. p, to man
her, and it was supposed that she was bound
to a rebel port to fit out for a cruise against
our commerce.
The Richmond Dispatch of the 18th of
September gave thefollowing particulars con-
corning this vessel, at that time reported off
Mobile
"The vessel is the steam corvette 0reto,
now called the Florida, and is not an IRON
clad. Our readers are aware of the difficult
ties which the commander of this ship en-
countered at Nassau, owing to the rigor of the
British neutrality regulations. Having finally
escaped from the clutches Of the court Of ad-
miralty, Capt. Mafitt steamed away to the
Gulf and boldly ran the gauntlet OF the DOCK
aders at the mouth of Mobile bay, in broad
daylight, on the 4th inst The captain was at
the time sick with fever, as were most OF her
small crew of thirteen men. The Florida ran
within sixty yards of the Yankee vessels. and
her sides are peppered all over with shrapnel
and grapeshot. One eleven-inch shell went
through her side foot above the water line,
and lodged in the coal bunkers.' The Flor
laa Ia beautiful and well armed corvette
OF great speed Her armament consists Of
elght guns: Her dash through the blockaderS,
with sick crew of only thirteen men, in
oroau uaylght, is one of the most daring ma
val exploits OF the war. The Florida did not
lire shot, as her crew were unable to man
even single gun. She had one killed and
two wounded. She now lies below the city in
quarantine"
The navy will now have work enough to
follow up the movements of this rebel shin.