, 1864-11-14
CAPTURE OF THE FLORIDA
Full Account Of the Gal
liant Affair.
THE CORSAIR CUT FROM THE
MIDST OF THE BRAZILIAN >,
FLEET.
The WachusSett Fired upon by Fort
st. hIarCelluS.

lAC " VdtAuooCat I IL Gu uPoA w A~A'
st. Marcellus.
PURSUIT BY TWO BRAZILIAN
NlEN-OF-WAR.
The Brazi1ians Quickly Drop
Cut of Sight.
From the Boston Advertiser, Nov.o.
The news which we announced yesterday
morning that the arrival Of the famous steam
er Keargarge at this port, had brought the In
tc1ligence Of the capture in Brazilian waters,
By the Union gunboat Wachusctt OF the no.
surprise and delight through the community,
even in the midst of the excitement md anxi-
tyof Presidential election day. The joyful news
sprcad over the city like Wildfrc, and WIS
the universal subject Of discussion and mutu
al congratulation, until the interests Of the
congressional and national elections seemed
almost to be forgotten In comparison. One
Of our reporters paid visit to tic Kearsarge,
during 4he day, and By the kind courtesy Of
her officers, Paymastcr ]. A. Smith being
specially obliging, was enabled to obtain q
Ssy of bes ee@psne f s tie a
which arc accessible to the public.
The Confederate iron steamer Florida ar
rived at Bahia; Bay Of San Salvador, Brazil,
October s, having captured and burned the
bark Mondamon, from Rio, of Pe!namhuco,
steamer Wachusett, Captain Napoleon Col
Inns, had been lying several days In the port
Of Bahia, and the Florida first anchored In
the ofiing. The Brazilian Admirnl Immediate
ly sent her q message requesting her to come
inside, which she did, anchoEing In the midst
of the Brazilian acet, and close under the
o.f %1,a NJ xEhfr}, ia 1nnAfa5
upon IN inland In the middle Of the harbor.
Certain parties In Bahia, which Is q COM
: mercial city Of considerable Importance, with
one Of the best harbors In tho world, balng
interested In American affairs, bestirrcd them
selves to bring about ~ an engagement % between
fldent that the result Of such an encounter
would be another Union victory as complete
ns that won last summer In the British Chnn-
mel: 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 Wachu-
sctt. The rebel commander declined to re-
ceiye the missiyc which the Brazilian residents
had prepared on account Of some informally
| in Its address. During the afternoon Of the
same day Hungarian citizen living In Bahia,
| and sympathizing wit our Government in It's
struggle with the rebellion, waited upon Cap
tain Morris and endeayored to induce him to
consent to an action between his ship and the
| Union gunboat, but without success: Cap
tain Morris, however, stated that If he hap
| pcued to fall in with the Wachusett during =
cruise he should willingly engage In contest
l with her, but that On no account would nc
consent to leave a safe harbor for the express
purpose Of having an engagement.
All efforts On Tie part Of outside parties to
bring on naTnl battle In open water between
the two vessels proving unavailing, Captain
other means which suggested themselves for
ridaing the sens OF this most dangerous enemy
| Of our commerce. In the evening Of the same
day above mentioned. Thursday, October 9,
be called council Of his officers to debate
consideration was the fact that the convcn-
lent harbor Of Bahia has three openings into
the Atlantic, By any one Of which the Florida
! could make her escape whenever the dark
ness of the night favored her purpose, with
ont the possibility Of one Union vessel pre-,
Of officers were also possessed Of information
that the Florida had repeatedly seized and
| burned American ships within three miles Of
the coast Of Brazil, in defiance Of every law Of
neutrality, without the slightest objection OF
uics. taxing into consideration all the facts
i in the case, tie council advised, with but one
dissenting vote among nll the officers Of the
Wachuseft, that the scheme proposed Of SELF.
Ing the rebel cruiser at her anchorage, should
l DC carried Out. NHllh4A- NVIAtAo AA4tANAAAk<4J
) gave the orders for accomplishing the design
agreed upon, eaying that with the Tery deep
st regret he felt that the conduct Of the Bra
lillian Government In permitting piracies
within the shadow Of its shores had made the
step an imperativc1y necessary one. y may
scizurc Of the F1orida, that arrangements had
I been made for her escape from the harbor on
| the very. next night, for o new career OF uc'
probation upon our shipping. ---...
The preparations for the encounter were
made with great celerity and complete Sc
ing Of Friday, Oct. Z, the cables were slipped;
and the Wachusett bore down upon the rebel
vessel under full head of stcam.. So little ex.
pectation was there of such proceeding, that
one.half the officers and crew Of the Florida
20 In number and including Capt. Morris, were
caronsing on shore, and the reminder, having
Just returned from 4 similar absence, were ID
no condition to repel IN assault. The Flori
da's officer of the deck supposed the collision
which he saw to be imminent to be merely &C
# you don't look out.'' The design Of Capt
Collins was simply to strike the Florida amid
ships with full steam On, crush In her side
and send her to the bottom beyond the posi-
bility of causing further trouble to any one
. The Wachuse1t, however, did not strike he'
adversary fairly, but hit her In the stern, car
rying away the mizxenmost and main yard
The Florida was not seriously injured BY the
collision, but the broken spar fell across the
: awning over her hatchway In such manne'
from below. The recof which followed the
! shock carried the Wachusett back severn
: Yards: In the confusion which ensued severn
pistol shots were fired from both vessels
| chiefly at random, and entirely without effect
TWO Of the guns Of the Wachusett we're alse
discharged By accident, according to ono re-
port, and as another version Inns It, by order
: Of one Of the Union lieutenants. Tie shots
): ! did not strike the Florida: :.
Captain Collins, Of the Wachusctt, immedI
!; ately thundered out demand to the rebel craf'
Surrender, Or I will blow youout the water
: The lieutenant in charge Of the Florida may
/ | be excused for considerable anazement, bu,
s still had presence Of mind to reply, I'm
) der the circumstances, surrender With
! ont the delay Of an instant dozens Of the gal
! liant tars boarded tile prize and made fast {
= hnwseT connecting her with their own yessel
and the Wachuseft turned her course seaward
: moving at the top Of her speed and towing
!, | the Florida in her wake.
l. The fleet Of Brazilian vessels, which entire
ly surrounded the little space Of water OF
which the brief battle had been fonght, was
: 30 situated TINT the two American steamer:
F. were obliged to pass under the stern of one O
helnrgesf in order to penetrate their line. Thu
Wachusett WIS challenged, but did not deigI
4 and commanded to halt moment nfter, re
| piled that pause was impossible as Rhe wa:
g. lowed BY the vessel in front. Tho Brazilian!
; soon guessed the state of atfhirs, and in anoth
Y Y or moment or two, the heavy guns of the for
) under the very Hluzzles of which the capture
: had been made, opened fire on the Wachusett
3 | as she disappeared IN the morning darkness
the shots that were fred after her all passing
. harmlessly fur oboye ler pennant, and strik
fng the water beyond;
10 the render It seems that all this mus
must have taken considerable timc,1hut tht
testimony Of careful officer of the Wachu
sctt, corrpbornted By the Surgeon Of tht
Florida, assures Us that from the time tht
I Wachnsett first slipped her cable and steam
, cd upon the rebel cruiser to the momcu
: when the echoes Of the last gun from th'
Brazilian fortress had died away, was onlJ
5 twenty minutes by the watch. Certainly nj
page Of history can show more DARN!
| achievement, or one executed with more bril-
limit rapidity or more complete success. ::
The Brazilian naval commander III Bahit
harbor acted with all the promptness Whlcl
, could have been expected, aud in . few mo
: ments the dawn Of day disclosed two vessel
: of the Brnzilfan fleet doing their utmost Il
pursue and overhaul the Wauchusett and he
! prize, They we're q heavy sloop-ofwar and .
small armed steamer, neither of them an,
: match In point Of speed for the handfWork O
New England mechanics, and soon gayc vi
, the chase, rs the Union and rebel steamer
disappeared below the horizon.
l. Captain Collins ordered the ship to heavc Il
. and examined his prize. He found that ncithe
: vessel WAS materially damaged by the COLL
| snYt and TINT fhnrn f1nff hnnn no 5niurv to lif,