The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1863-09-18
THE REBEL PRIVATEERS.
Six Months Cruise Of the Florida.
From the London Telegraph, August 20.

From the London Telegraph, August 20.
The brief stay of the Confederate vessel
of-war, the Florida, at Bermuda, afforded
an opportunity for the collection of some
particulars respecting her recent career.
Those details have recently arrived in this
country, and are all the more interesting
at the present moment from the fact Of
the celebrated cruiser herself being now off
the southern coast of Ireland.
The Florida, Captain j. N. Maffit de-
stroyed no less than SO, 700, 900 worth of
Federal property up to the 18th of last
May, managing to elude thirteen Federal
vessels-of specially sent to cruise in
pursuit Of her. The list of the vessels de-
stroyed or released on bond by the Florida
during the last six months includes the
following names :-Estlle, Oorris. ANNA.
Star Of Peace, J. NJ. Oolcord, Common
wealth, Kate Dyer, Clarence, Southern
Gross, J. b. Hoxie, Windward, Jacob Bell,
Aldebaran, Lapwing, Oneida, Henrietta.
Grown Point, Red Gauntlet, ship Sunrise.
and the schooners V. II. Hill, William B.
Nash and Hull. Many of the above were
large and valuable clipper ships engaged
in the California, China and East india
trades. The four vessels last named were
taken within some fifty or sixty miles of
New York, and while in that neighbor
hood Mafht sent an expedition along the
New England coast with view OF seeing
it any thing in his line was stirring in that
direction. The expedition was very suc-
cessful, twenty-seven vessels, great and
small, including revenue cutter, being
destroyed. This brilliant feat was per-
formed under Lieut. Reed. A terrible
panic naturally exists along the Yankee
shore. The Sound steamers are afraid to
run without an escort, fishing vessels are
kept in port, and some fifty men-of-war
are cruising off the different Northern
ports looking after the Florida. In fact,
so great panic has never existed off the
New England coast. A large portion of
the Yankee merchant vessels has been
transferred to the English flag.
The New York Herald, of the 9Th inst,
also notices, as deplorable fact, that Fed
eral ships, in large numbers, are being
placed under the protection of the Brazil
ian flag, the naval resources of the Wash
ington government being found totally
inadequate to the protection of the mer-
camille marine. There is much talk of an
embargo
When the Florida arrived at Bermuda
from Mobile, she showed indications of
hard service, but her supplies were of the
most ample and varied description, as
cash, sails, provisions, &C., had been lib
orally contributed by the Yankee vessels.
The crew are described as being as ''crack''
as the Florida herself-fne, weather-beat-
en- fellows, much attached to the ship.
The following is the account of the pro-
ceedings of the Florida from the date of
her departure from Mobile to her arrival
in Bermuda the cruise being about six
months. The account is in the form of
newspaper letter from Mr. Wilson, one
of the Florida's men, and is dated, II St.
Georges, Bermuda, July 81:
You and your readers are doubtless well
aware that this steamer ran out of the har-
Dor of Mobile on the 10th day of January,
1868, so l will say nothing on that head,
but endeavOr to give you full account of
what we have done since. Our first work
was the hermaphrodite brig Estelle, of
Boston, on her first voyage and home
ward bound from Santa Cruz, with full
cargo of sugar and honey for the good
people of Boston. But we consigned her
to "old Father Neptune" She was val
ued at $13S,0OO In Havana we received
our coal stores, &c. At daylight on the
morning of the 22d of January We Gated
our anchor and ran along the coast east
ward, and at eleven A. NJ, captured and
burned the hermaphrodite brig, Wind
ward, from MataDzas, and bound to
Portland, Maine and just about shutdown
W. sent the hermophradite brig Corrie
Annie, of Philadelphia, on the same (fery)
road. She was within two hours sail of
her destination, which was Cardenas. We
left the Cuban coast for the Banks, and
on the Goth dropped our anchor in the
harbor Of Nassau. Here we also took in
our coal, and our hull looking anything
but Christianlike, we went to Green Reyes
to "paint ship" On the 2Sth of January
came to an anchor, and for two or three
days all hands were as busy as bees, scrub
bling the whitewash from our sides, and
on the 1st Of February we started on q
cruise But sail being reported, and
proving to be the Yankee gunbOat Sono-
ma, and being of heavier metal than ours,
we showed our heels For forty-eight
hours she chased us, but got nothing for
her pains, for on the third morning she
could hardly be seen from the masthead.
From the time of Guiding the Sonoma till
the 18th of February we saw no Yankee
vessels, and all the boys were getting inn
patient for prize, or even a sail, when
we heard the masthead lookout sing out,
"Sail, ho!" Steam was raised and our
propeller lowered, and at four p. NJ. we
boarded her, and found that she was in
deed prize. Her name was the Jacob
Bell, from Foochow, bound TO New York,
with a valuable cargo of teas, silks, &c.
We burned her, and then went to Darba
dos. Our next prize was the Star of
Peace, which we captured on the 18th of
March. She was from Calcutta, bound to
Boston, with saltpetre. The schooner AL
debaran was the next victim of the ''pi-
rate - Florida
For fifteen days did we look for another,
ard she brought us the most needtul artl-
Gle, and that was coal. The Lapwing was
captured on the 2Sth, and sent a cruising
against the Yanks, and captured the ship
Kate Dyer, and bonded her for forty
thousand dollars. On the Goth March fell