The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1863-06-29

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were fired from the Chesapeake at the cutter.
When the Chesapeake picked up the regu-
lar crew of the cutter, Il was with difficulty
the armed men on board the steamer were re-
strained from firing into them, so strongly did
they believe that the cutter had been carried
| off by them. A few moments conversation
with the crew satisfied them they were guilt
| less.
Among the volunteers on board the Chesa-
| peake was an old tar who had been a gunner
| on board Farragut's fleet. After the Chesa-
| peake fired at the cutter, making a very good
| shot for a small piece, this old tar rushed up,
embraced the gun and affectonatey patted
her as though she was a pet child, with a
hearty expression of approval for her good
shot.
When it was concluded between the two
steamers that the Chesapeake should lead of
in boarding the cutter, Mr.. Laghton stated
that the question was, whether they should
sink the cutter or the cutter should sink them,
and then called for vote upon the question.
1t was unanimously voted, with rousing cheers,
to run the cutter down. A full head of steam
was put on and she bore down upon the cut
ter at the rate of fifteen knots. She had pro-
ceeded but short distance, however, before
it was discovered that the cutter was on fire
and abandoned by the rebel crew.
Both boats having a considerable amount
of freight on board deemed the risk too great
to attempt to extinguish the flames.
The Archer was stripped Saturday night,
and her stores, armament, &C., were placed in
the Custom House.
The boat of the cutter was secured, after
the painter had burnt off, by Capt. Warren, of
the 7th Maine, Mr. Halle, of the Argus, and
Mr.. Edward Pickett. They named her the
"Trio," and brought her up to the city and
placed her in the boat house of the North Star
Boat Club.
There was no communication with the shore
by any of the officers or crew of the rebels
after they arrived in the harbor Friday eve
ming. SO Lieut.. Reed states, and he is corrob-
Grated by the crew.
We notice by the Boston papers of Satur-
day evening that handsome sum has been
subscribed by the Insurance offices and mer-
to the captors of the Tacony. As the citizens
Of Portland have captured the crew of the
Tacony, and also the vessel in which they en-
barked after destroying their own vessel, we
think they have claim to the reward, of one
half the amount subscribed. But If the Bos-
ton folks will send down one quarter of the
amount to our Sanitary Commission, we will
call it all square. So poney up your dust gen.
tlemen.
Mr.. Berry, Agent of the Associated Press,
visited Fort Preble yesterday afternoon, saw
the prisoners and got an account of the cruise
from Lieut.. Reed, who courteously answered
all questions. He collated his report with all
important memorandum from his private note
book furnished the commandant, viz:
Lieut.. Read reported on board the Florida
in Mobile at the close OF 1862. He describes
her as small sloop-ol-war, eight rifled guns,
and l20 men. Jan. 10th, left Mobile bay with
steam and every sail set to topmast studding
sail, making fourteen and half knots. On
the 18th, at daylight, saw big sloop-of-war,
supposed to be the Brooklyn, which passed
within half a mile, showed three lights, and
passed to the northward. 10th, burned brig
Estella Early on the morning of the 22d, left
Havana and steamed to the eastward; burned
the brig Windward, letting the crew go in
small boat OFF Cardenas light burned the
Corris Ann, and she drifted into Cardenas
harbor. 3lst, was chased by Federal gun
boat, but had the heels of her. Feb. 18th,
captured the clipper ship Jacob Bell; showed
the Yankee flag in hailing her, and burnrd her
on the 18th. March o, captured the ship Star
OF Peace, and burned her at r. NJ. 18th,
captured the schooner Aldebaran. 18th, cap
tured the bark Lapwing crstened her the q.
s. corvette Oreto, and she captured the ship
Commonwealth 18th Of April, bonding her.
The Lapwing was afterwards burned. March
10Th, captured bark M. J. Cocord, and burned
her the 18th of April. April 23d, burned bark
Henrietta oath, burned ship Oneida May
9th, lat. 5 "a S., Ion. "a % W., captured brig
Clarence, and christened her G. s. corvette
Florida No. 2.
Lieut.. Read states that the Florida captured
fourteen in all up to this time. The Kate Dyer
was one, the Others could not learn. Lieut..
Read was transferred TO brig Clarence, with
the crew as before reported. She was then off
Cape ST. Rogue and ran up north till June 9th,
when otfCape Hatteras she burned the bark
Whistling Wind, with coal for the U. s. Navy.
9TH, captured sch. Alfred III. Partridge and
bonded her. 9th, burned brig Mary Alvina
loaded with commissary stores. 18th, lat. 81
north, Ion. 1870 west, captured bark Tacony,
-
lerred everything and burned the Clarence.
They christened the Tacony Bark Florida,
which accounts for the steamer Florida being
reported off our coast. Same day captured
schooners NJ. A. Shindler and Kate Stuart;
bonded the Kate Stuart in seven thousand
dollars and sent all prisoners aboard and burn
ed the Nj. A. Shindler. Same day captured
and bonded brig Arabella with neutral cargo,
and passed gunboat without being noticed.
18th, lat. 37.42, Ion. 1920, burned brig Umpire,
10th, lat. 1880, Ion. 6904, bonded ship Isaac
Webb with $50 passengers wild Irishmen.-
8 z. NJ, burned fishing sloop, name unknown.
2lst, lat. Al, Ion. 69l0, burned ship Byzantium
and enlisted three men from her belonging to
New Orleans; same day burned bark Good
speed. 22d, burned fishing schooner Marengo
and captured schooner Florence and put all
the prisoners aboard her, 10 in number, includ-
ing the crews of schooners Elizabeth Ann. Ru-
fus Choate and Ripple, which were captured
and burned the same day. 23d, burned schs.
Ada and Wanderer. oath, lat. AZ. 10, lon. 81 .43,
captured packet ship Shatemuc, from Liver
pool for Boston, with $50 passengers. Was
anxious to burn her being loaded with iron
plates, &c. Tried to catch schooners TO put
the passengers aboard, but failed and had to
let her 60, bonding her for $4,000. Same
Shatemuc and put the Archer's crew aboard.
Hearing that Federal cruisers were after the
Tacony, and fearing recognition, burned Ia
cony, transferring everything to the Archer
Thence came direct TO Portland. Picked up
two fishermen for pilots, but they would not
serve. Took positions from coast survey