The Jeffersonian. [volume] (Stroudsburg, Pa.) 1853-1911, 1864-11-17

THE CAPTURE OF THE FLORIDA
One o the most daring Naval achieve
meents on record.-A visit to the Kear-
sage. aa.d -ats s ss 81
From the Boston Daily Advertiser.
The news which we announced yester-
day morning, that the arrival of the ia
nous steamer Kearsage at this port had
brought the intelligence of the capture in
Brazilian waters by the Union gunboat
Wachussett of the notorious Rebel cruis-
er Florida, sent thrill of surprise and
delight through the community even in
the midst of the exitement and anxiety
of presidential election day. The joyful
news spread over the the city like Wild
fire, and was the universal subject of dis
cussion and Of mutual congratulation, un-
til the interests Of the congressional and
national elections seemed almost forgotten
in comparison. One of our reporters paid
visit to the Kearsage during the day,
and by the kind courtesy of her officers,
Paymaster j A. Smith being especially
obliging, was enabled to obtain detailed
account of the singular affair in the bay
of Bahai, comprising all the particulars
which are accessible to the public.
The confederate war-steamer Florida
arrived at Bahia, Bay of San Salvador,
Brazil, October 5th, having captured aud
purned the bark Mondamon, from
Rio, off Pernambuco, on the 2Sth of Sep
tember The Uniled States steamer Wa
chuset, Captain Napoleon Collins, had
been lying several days in the port of Ba-
hia, and the Florida at first anchored in
the offing The Brazilian Admiral i'm
mediately sent her message requesting
her to come inside, which she did, an-
choring in the midst of the Brazilian
feet, and close nnder the guns of one OF
the principal forts, which is located upon
an island in the middle of the harbor.
Certain parties in Bahia, which is a
commercial city of considerable import
ance, with one of the best harbors in the
world, being interested in American af-
fairs, bestirred themselves to bring about
an engagement between the Wachusett
aud the Florida, firmly confident that the
result of such an encounter would be an
other Union victory as complete as that
won last Summer in the British Channel.
On the morning of the 9th of October
they carried challenge to Capt. Morris
of the Florida, to move outside the linn
its of Brazilian jurisdiction and fight
the Wachusett. The Rebel commander
declined to receive the missive which the
Brazilian residents had prepared, on ac-
count of some informality in its address.
During the afternoon of the same day a
Hungarian citizen living in Bahia, and
sympathiziug with our Government in its
struggle with Rebellion, waited upon
Capt Morris, and endeavored to induce
him to consent to an action between his
ship and the Union gunboat, but without
success. Capt. Morris, however, stated
that if he happened to fall in with the
Wachusett during a cruise, he should
willingly engage in contest with her,
but that on no account would he consent
to leave safe harbor for the express pur
pose of having an engagement.
All efforts on the part of outside parties
to bring on a naval battle in open water
between the two vessels proving unavail-
ing, Capt Collins promptly took into con-
sideratiou the other means which sugges-
tested themselves for riding the seas of
the most dangerous enemy of our COM
merce. In the evening of the same day
above mentioned, Thursday, October 6,
he called a council of his officers to de-
bate the subject. An important element
in the consideration was the fact that the
convenient harbor of Bahia has three O.
penings into the Atlantic, by any one of
which the Florida could make her escape
whenever the darkness ofthe night favored
her purpose, without the possibility of one
vessel preventing it. 1t is stated that the
council of officers was also possessed of in-
J formation that the Florida had repeated
ly 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 any sort
being made by the Brazilian authorities.
TakiHw into consideration all the facts
! in the case, the council advised, with but
one dissenting vote among all the officers
of the Wachusett, that the scheme pro-
posed of seiziug the rebel cruiser at her
anchorage should be carried out. Capt
Collins Immediately gave the orders for
accomplishing the design agreed upon,
saying, that with the very deepest regret
he felt that the conduct of the Brazilian
Government in permitting piracies within
the shadows of its shores had made the
step an imperatively necessary one. 1t
may be remarked here that it was found,
after the seizure eff the Florida, that ar
rangements had been made for her es-
cape from the harbor on the very next
light, for new career of depreciation up
on our shipping.
The preparations for the encounter
were made with great celebrity and CON-
. plete secrecy, and at about three o'clock
10 the morning Of Friday, October 4, the
cables were slipped, and the Waehusett
bore down upon the Rebel vessel under