Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1863-06-29

/ II
many armed citizens as they could accommo-
date. But until afternoon, when the firing
commenced, 1t was thought it might all prove
false alarm.
PORTLAND, June 27-EUening. -Ihave Just
been at Fort Preble. The cOmmanfant would
not allow the prisoners to be que. uJned to.
night. There are two rebel officers, Lieut..
Z. w. Reed, with regular commission in the
confederate navy, late commander of the Ia
cony, and Eugene II. Brown, third assistant
engineer of the Florida, detached to the Ia
cony. Among the rebel books were found
one memorandum book with instructions,
which L was not allowed to see, as it may
contain important evidence for the govern.
ment, and the other an account book contain
ing in the back part important lists, seeming
ly OF vessels captured viz. Jacob Bell, Star
OF Peace, Oneida, Commonwealth, Kate Dyer,
Lapwing, Colcord, Henrietta, Clarence, Es-
telle, Woodward, Cora Ann, Aldebaron, By
santium, Isaac Webb, Shotemac, Whistling
Wind, Tacony, Goodspeed, Mary Albna Ar
abella, Umpire, MarengO, Florence, Ripple,
Elizabeth Ann, Ada, Alfred Partridge, NJ. A.
Shlndler, Kate Stuart, Archer, AslOah, and
Waiter. No particulars further about them.
The commandant informed me that it APP
pears from the memorandum that Lieut.. Reed
and crew went aboard the Tacony about the
18th of May. On the morning of the oath of
June he seems to have burned the Tacony
and gone on board the schooner Archer. The
IeuteDant's last memorandum said sit is
my intention to go along the coast with the
view of burning the shipping in some exposed
harbor, or of cutting out some steamer" A
police force went to Fort Preble this evening
to demand the prisoners on behalf of the civil
authorities, but the commandant holds them
as prisoners of war subject to orders of the
war department.
1t is reported by the cutters crew that
boats crew of ten men escaped from the cut
ter early in the morning. If so, they may
seize some other schooner and make more
trouble. A patrol force will be stationed in
the harbor. The pirates could lind only a few
rounds of shot aboard the cutter, and there
tore fired grape the first few rounds. II they
had known how teebly the steamers were
armed they could have sunk them, but the de-
termlned course Of the steamers made them
think they were overmatcbed. Capt. Leigh
ton, who led the attack in the Chesapeake, in
forms me that he intended to have run the
cutter down by superior weight, or, that fail.
ing, to carry her by boarding in superior mum
bers, which their grape shot would have rem
dered rather dangerous.
From the Portland Courier's Extra.
unteers-Mr. Hall, Capt. Warren, and Mr..
Edward Fickett-got aboard the Chespeakes
boat and rowed to the cutter, but had Just
time to cut the cutters boat from the stern
and escape before she blew up. The cutters
own crew have been put in confinement to
await examination. Lieut.. Davenport states
that between twelve and one O'Clock last night
some suspicious looking men, dressed as fish
ermen, came aboard the cutter. Hearing an
unusual noise he went on deck and was I'M
mediately seized by five men, armed with pis-
tolls, who said they belonged to the confeder-
ate navy. Finding resistance useless he sur
rendered, and was put in irons with all his
men. The cutter then proceeded down the
harhor Both Lieut.. Reed and Engineer
Brown styled themselves officers OF the
steamer Florida, and said she was in the Off
ing. The cutters crew refused to tell where
the ammunition was, and this, with the failure
of the wind, induced them to burn the cutter.
Lieut.. Reed, commander of the rebel crew.
is reported to have said he was well acquainted
with this harbor, and knew where everything
lay. He says he intended if the wind had
been fair, to burn all the shipping in Portland,
to seize the steamer Forest City, and cruize
along the coast, burning and destroy ing. His
logbook states that he burned the facony, Of
which he was the commander, finding govern.
ment vessels after him.
PORTLAND, June 27.-To S. p. Chase, Sec
rotary Of the Treasury, Washington
party who cut out the revenue cutter Caleb
Gushing, were part of the crew of the barque
Tacony, which vessel, as appears by her log
book in my possession, they burned June 25h,
and transferred her armament to the schooner
Aarcher, which we captured and stripped.
Ihey intended to burn the two gunbOats,
transfer the Archer's armament to the cutter,
and burn and destroy vessels on the coast of
Maine. The men are in Fort Preble, under
guard. Lieut.. c. w. Reed, OF the conteder-
ate navy, was in command of the men, and is
prisoner.
FoRr PREBLE, $50 P. NJ, June 27.--To b.
NJ, Stanton, Secretary of War-In the private
note book of Lieut.. G. w. Reed, C. S. N,
find as follows 1.-THE latest news from Yam
keedom, tells us there are over twenty gun
boats in search of US. They have descrip-
ton of the Tacony, and overhaul every vessel
that resembles her. During the night we
transferred all our things on bolrd the school,
ner Archer, and at two o'clock in the morning
we set fire to the Tacony and stood west.
The Archer is II fishing vessel OF ninety tons,
sails well and is easily handled. No Yankee
gunboat would ever discover or suspect us.
Therefore we think we will dodge our pursu-
ers for short time. 1t is my intention to go
along the coast with a view to burning the
shipping in some exposed harbor, and OF cut
ting out a steamer"
The above appears to have been written
since the night of June 24th. The schooner
taken to-day, is the Archer of Southport.
GEO. L. ANDREWS,
Major of the 18th Infantry, commanding the
post.
PORTLAND, June 2S.-This morning by the
politeness of collector Jewett, have seen the
log book of the Tacony, with the commence
ment of journal styled journal of the C. S.
corvette Florida No. 2" commencing the 9th
of May, and saying, sat P. NJ. the brig Clar-
ence was put into commission by the Florida
No. 2. The following is a list of the officers
and crew: Second Lieut.. C. W. Reed, COM
handing; second assistant engineer, L. H.
Brown, quartermaster; j. E. Billaps, quarter
gunner; N. b. Pryde, Capt. A. G; j. w.
Mathewson, Joseph May, Chas. Lawson, j. ?.
Murphy, Robt. Muller, James Mcleod, j.
Robertson, A. L. Drayton, Geo. Thomas,
Alex. Steward, Michael German, Robert MUIR
ray, c. w. Delvin, Hugh McDaniels, Fred.
Wilton, James Coffee, Daniel Moore, John
McNary. Received from c. S. steamer Flor
ida one howitzer, complete, six rifles, thirteen
revolvers, ten pistols" The Journal gives
no further memorandum, only courses and
positions.
The log book of the Tacony states that she
captured the Archer June 25th and at nine
P. NJ. commenced removing from the barque
Tacony to the schooner, finished at two A. NJ,
vhnAx hos, l.I,..