, 1864-02-23

The Cargo OF thc Cumberland
Description Of the Prize.
Presents for Jeff. Davis and Mallory
Captured with the Cambcrlaud.

KE1 WEST, Fla, Feb. IL, 1861.
For some months past IN English steamer
has been lying in Havana whiting for favor
able opportunity. to run the blockade. Her
name Is the Cumberland. What added to the
interest iclt In this WAS the impression that
should she succeed in getting into a rebel
port with her valuable cargo She Wonld lie it
led out rs u pfiyatecr, and issue forth for the
purpose Of fpreying on our commerce, .nfter
the manner. of The Alabama, Florida, and 9TH
cd that the Cumberland Ind formidable ar
mament on board, furnished By some accom-
lDodating British firm, of the Laird Lindsay
stripe, ready to be mounted as soon Us her
cargo Was discharged In Mobile or some 9TH
er port In rcbe1dom. r. Under such circuu-
berlnud, and information Of her doing WAS
from time to time transmitted from Havana
to Rear Admiral Bailey, commanding the East
GElf squadron at this station, nnd That indc-
fatfgablc officer issued general order for all
the vessels belonging to the squrdron to, be
: Not for one moment was the .vigilant sur
yetl1ance By the h1ockading vessels relaxed.
Every thing consistent with international
comfy and the rights of ncutsals :waa done
to prevent the Cumberland from giving our
hlockaders the slip and dcpriying our gallant
ent war, when, 10! two weeks and q half ago
the portentous news reached this place:
THE Cumberland has escaped from Havana"
But while this unpa1atable morsel was being
digestcd by some, and others we're " chewing
1.-THE cud Of 1ctlcction' thereon, Us Smollett
.hath it, the loyal folks Of this little island
had their hearts chee1ed by the intelligence
tlat the, United States steamer De Soto,
Capt. Scott, had just arrived, and: that the
Cumberland, captured By. her, was close be-
hind. This was On Monday: last, md, sure
/. enough, two or three hours after. the Cum
In n f1n r.
L. H. Partridgei rs prize master, was seen
coming through the northwest passage,
whittier she had been conveyed by the De
Soto, in consequence Of the valuable cargo
on beard, Willie the Dc Soto herself, from her
great draught, Of water, came through the
Ship channd. Much adroitncss seems to
have been exercised by Captain Scott, and
considerable ingenuity manifested in leaving
the coast clear for tho Cumberland to run ont
of Havana and then FILLING in with her at the
right time and IN the right spot to make her
an easy prey To,those who can see deeply
into milestone, I leave the putting of this
and thut together, and arriving at correct
eolu sion Of the ,n0das ot,era,sdi by which the
whole delicate transaction was carried out.
:. OF the capture ITSELF have nothing Of IN
exciting nature to record. There Was no long
stern chase; no waste OF "yillainous saltpe-
tre;'' no screaming shot and shell. The
whole affair YVES conducted in the most pro-
6aic, commonplace manner, and did not DIFF
fer from the most Ordinary capture Of u ten
ton sloop, laden with physic and notions
What matter? Some reren, hundred thou.
sand dollars In gold changed hands in. the
Uncle Sam and his handy mariners. The
main chance being secure, the romance can
be dispensed with. But to the record :
On the 9Th Of February, SIS the Cumberland
was making tho best of her way towards Mo-
bile, her captain and passengers telicitating
len m in n
prosperous run, with large profits looming
up III npesspective, . check 1yas suddenly put
to their gayety by the appearance Of the much
l. dreaded enemy. AT the time she Was sighted
from the deck Of the Dc Soto, about half: past
eight o'clock In the morning, the Cnmber-
I and 81. deg. so min west latitude: On sight
ing her the Dc Soto Immediately gave chase
| and was soon running at tho rate Of twelve
and d half knots, gaining on the Cumberland
(Which the stranger was known to hey very
tflst, although she had been reported as a fif-
teen knot vessel. At twenty minutes Past
ten the Cumberland was under the guns OF the
Dc Soto, from which boat WAS hofsted
TO board the prize. Captain Blakeney, COM
rmnnling the Cumberland, together with her
| officers and crew, were then transferred to
| the De Soto, when prize crew OF twenty.
seven men and two engineers, commanded
BY Acting Master Partridge, we're sent from
| the cruiser to the Cumberland. and she was
brought into this port under convoy Of the
De Soto, as already mentfoned."-
The cargo Of the Cumberland fs q well u.s.
sorted one and very valuable Among other
things found on board, were one hundred
Enfield titles. She has also In her hold very
large quantity of.hne gray rebel uniform n,
cloth, and: balea upon. bales of superior navy
blue, besides m immense number Of ready
made rebel uniforms boots a1d s6oesln II
4 both sea ana land fofces7. I have It on good
authority that the;rcargo cost seventy. .thous
and pounds In. gold,' 10. England; that the
/ ship ,Was sold there for fifty thousand pounds
| and that ten thousand pounds more were ex
| pendcd on her in Havana. The cargo hat
i not vet been disturbed, and It Is Therefore
Impossible to tell whether there are any can
non. in the hold, and the captain and passenI pseI
although, as the captain was engaged only u
Hnyana, and most Of the passengers are iron
that place, it is Just possible that they know
/ nothing aEoutthe matter -: :is:..E.'s ::
/ From the Carlyle Onion B 1,.ncr, "
learn that one hundre. and twenty bales. .
| 11i;..f,, .,t+n1 fhp nrn3urt nf 1oaE wear. vii