The West Virginia journal. [volume] (Charleston, W. Va.) 1864-1877, 1864-11-23
CAPTURE OF THE FLORIDA,

arrived in Boston harbor on Monday,
the" 7th, bringing as prisoners Of war
the chief engineer and boatswain Of the
A!nbama, aud the surgeon and l6 men
Of the Florida. The /latter vessel 'wus
captured by the L. S. steam sloop
Wachusett on the 7th Of October, iu the
bay Of San Salvador, Brazil 81, :-s., ...:
The, circH.n stances Of the, capture OF
the Florida may be briefly narrated
thus d..
| The encmy's war steamer Florida ar.
rived at Bahia, Brazil, October 5th, hav.
ing captured and burned the barquc
Mondamon, from Rio, off Peruambuco
on the 18th Of Scptcmber. The United
States steamer Wachusctt, Commander
Napoleon Collins, had been lying sever
al days in the port Of B1hia, and the
Florida at first anchored in the ofing..
The Brazilian Admiral i'm ed!stcly sent
her message requesting ke. TO come
inside, which she did, uuchOring in the
uidtt Of the Brazilian feet, and close
under the guns of the principal fort.
which is located upon an island in the
middle Of the harbor. Several indie'du-
als in Bahia, intcSestcd in American
affairs, sought to bring about aa engage.
| mcut between tho two vessels, and on
the morning Of the 9th of October, they
carried challenge to Captain Morris Of
the Florida, to move outside the limits
Of Brazilian jurisdiction and fight the
! Wachusett. The Rebel commander de.
clined, bat stated that if he happened to
! fall in with the Wachusett during q
cruise, he should willingly engage in u
contest with her, but that on no account
would he consent to leave q safe harb Dor
for the express. purpose Of haying an
engagement.
Commander Collins, finding that these
negotiations had failed, called u council
Of officers on the evening Of October 9th,
and the proposition to seize the enemys
cruiser at her anchorage received the
assent of every officer but one. The
opportunities offered by the Peculiari.
tics Of the harLor ct Bahia, for the cs.
! capa Of The Florida, and the fact that
the Florida had repeatedly seized and
burned American ships within three
miles of the coast Of Brazil, in defiance
!o! every law Of neutrality, without the
slish,cs: objection Of any sort being
waIr by the Brazilian authorities, indu.
.,eneed the decision OF the council Once
/, ,lc,crmincd upon, the plan was consun'
mated with greet skill and celebrity.
At about three o'clock in the morn.
| Jug Of Friday, October 7th, the cables
were slipped, and the Wnchusc,t bore
down upon the Rebel vessel under full
head of steam. So little expectation
was there Of such proceeding, that
one half the officers and crew Of the
Florida, seventy in number, and includ.
ing Captain Norris, were carousing on
shore, and the remainder, having j ust
returned from similar absence, were
in no condition to rcpcl an assault
The Florida officers Of the deck sup.
posed the collision which he saw to be
imminent to be merely accidental, and
cried out, You will run into us if you
don t look out" The design Of Com.
mander Collins was simply to strike the
Florida amidships with full steam on,
crush in her side. and send her at once
to tho bottom beyond the possibility
of causing further trouble to .nny one.
The WachuStt, however. did not strike
her adversary fairly, bat hit her in the
stern, carrying away the mizzen mast
and main yard. The Florida was not
seriously injured by the collision, hut
the broken spar fell across the awning
over her hatchway in such manner: as
to prevent her crew from getting on
deck from below. The recoil which
followed the shock carried tho Waehu.
sctt back Eersral yards. In the coufu.
sion which cnsued ~stveral pistol shots
were fred from both vessels, chiefly ut
random, and entirely without effect
Two Of the guns Of the Wachusett were
also discharged, by accident, according to
one report, and as another. version has
it, by order of one Of the EuiGa lieutan.
ants. The shot did not strike the Flori:
da.
! Commaoder Collins Of the Wachusctt
Immediately thundered out demand to
! Tue Rebel craft, Surrender, or. | will
blow you out Of the water" The
lieutenant in charge of the Florida may
be excused for considerable amozemeut,
but had still presence Of mind to reply,
"Uudey the circumstances | surrcn.
der" Without the delay Of IN, ipstnnt
dozens OF gallant tags boatdea the prize
and made fast hAvser connecting her
with their own rsssal, 4nd tbe Wach u.
sctt turned her course scaward. moving
at tue top Of her speed and towing the
| Florida 10 her yuke: p '..,' ...'...' @'''''
| As the Wacbuse,t vas moving away
With her capture, she vas challenged by
the Braxilian vessels; but she =are 40