, 1864-11-26
THE CASE OF THE FLORIDA.
Report Of Hxer Capture by the
Fnymueter Of the Pirate.


Fnymuster OF the k'fr8te.
fso1,hampton (Nov.- s. Correspondence Of the
London Timcs.J
An interview since held with Mr. Paymas-
ter Taylor, ut Eelway's Hotel supplemented
ne to furnish you With the following particu-
lars copncctcd with the capture Of the Flori-
da ty the Fedesal steomcr-oFWar Wachusett,
of Which q telesraphic announcement las
been received ria Lisbon:
IN ponT AND BOARDED.
Ii appears that the Florida arrived 1t Bahia
ut 0 0. n. on the 4th of October, having put
in at Tint port for supply Of stores and Goals.
and to effect some slight repairs IN her ma
outer la, Dor boat went alongside and de-
uaanilcd the name Of the vessel. The answer
was riycn. "Ihc Confederate States steamer
Florida" !" and person In the boat called out,
1Thiy boat is from her Britannia Maiesty's
steamer Cnrlew." The next morning it Was
British steamer-of war was at tho. port, aud
tie officers Of the Florida came to the opinion
that the boat must have been sent from the
Federal steamer Wachusett, which was lying
On TIC morning Of the 5th the Florida WAS
visited by Il Brazilian naval officer, to whom
Capt. Morris stated his requirements, and the
officer told the Captain that he would carry.
his message to tie Governor Of the Province,
huf until I'm answer was received from that
offic;o1 The Florida, must not communicates
with the shore. -!
ernor was received by Capt. Morris, intormipS
lin that he was then ready to receive lim'
The Cnptain Immediately went On shore anil
had an interview with the Governor, who in
formed @ lin that he would be allowed forty
eight hours to get in stores and coal, and that
should the repairs require a longer time
he would. grant an extension for that
purpose, The Governor was very urgent IN
bis request that Capt. Mor!is would strictly
observe the laws Of neutrality during his stay,
and informed the Captain that the American
Consul, Mr. Wilson, had given him big word
Of honor that the Wachusett would not violate
the laws OF nentrallty "ith1n Inc BRAZILIAN
waters.
/ Capt Morris gave ING Go{ernof the same
assurance IN tAe parl OF the florlda. An Ad-
mlfaI m o. ne bfaz5lan & nay Ka9 pFeseAt aun
81 +hat h. s''on'a n1 h. ai,oTn5 to mava the
FIorida from tho outer to tie inner roads, so ,
Us to be cut Of danger and to facilitate coal
ing operations as well, the Admiral snids "oh,
yes. move her IN ana come inside OF me, and
you will DC out Of all danger"
Immediately after The Interview the Florida
having i"o bfazlnan vessels ol war oet"een
her and the Wachusett, and Gloss under the
guns OF steamcf-of-War and Brazilian fort.
The Brazilian engineer who examined the
broken machinery Of the Florida reported
that it could not be repaired in less than four
days, and Capt. Morris at once came to the
determination to let part Of his crew go
ashore for liberty for twelve hours. A NUM-
| bcr of the men accordingly went ashore In
tho evening.
Just after dark, about seven o'clock, boat
haiisastHc %Sns s renlv was thxi kbe was fsom the
WocHEett WITH tie United States Consul OH
hoard Win had ap of11clu1 communication
from the Captain Of that ship to the Captain
of the Florida. The Consul sent up his card
| with the letter, which was addressed "Capt.
Morris, s1oop Florida." The letter Was sent
back to the Consu!+ who was told that 1t
could not be received, as II VAS not properly
nddresseu, Dull tHaL AEy communication aQ~
dressed 70 captain Motifs, ot tns o9nteoGfate
states naqy, "ou1o oe 1ece4Feo3 1ne ooat
then left.
On tie morning Of the 9th Mr.. De Vidiky
went On board the Florida, having received i
letter from the United Suites Consul, euclos-
ing one to Captain Morris, b1r. De Vidiky
| rcad to the CAPTAIN his letter from the Con-
| sui, requesting hin to deliver The enclosed
| chnllenge to Captain Morris, and offering to
s Fth Fth ths 1ss Rszaq aoSg GeFs
1s .ro,1d " ~ s11onoo to ~ ~ t :,,d
ti9ht 10 "Ja tie Wscknsett WIKI IT, s' - ~ 'us '4'0
nsTt n -. a++tn Ts-tn;,, ,,,,-o,,o-1,,
ne le'tef To- h Gapam In t%at WIS 'prope5y
ai;,e;: ~ rooo;To - h,,t +o1J ~ H. V;ai51t
"a 1a saE ~, no,,a ~ - Rah;a ~ e,,sa,oi
snrnnsn a.. .si;c1' I hein% occorn1shed he shonid
ff, thot io aEo,,i3 ,,a;tno. nS saate ~.
setsG ~ o'4ou" ur4s1tst oIon ~
aSoG a, h ,ao, ,"r n H., ~, .re,,,n ~, ~ A.. ~,
! saou1a ne 1neot nel' ns "ou'o NY ~ oe7'lo}
ueff no;,,1. +,,,. ,..ro~ n. r., xn,a;,.,
| ,.n 0''ns 'eee''s" '4n' 0'A7"e' 1a'' oo ''"'A5
IT'LL
| cATTAiS NORRIS ASHORE.
The same afternoon, the first batch Of lib
I erty men, having returned to the Flori1a, the
staTboard watch WIS released, and Capt, Nor
! ris, and some Of the officers also, went ashore
| Mt the same time.
rus ATTACK BIT THE v4cursErr AND sCn-
RENDER. :.
/ o,a ~ +ho mn, who ar1,alo,e,t1x s7x,n,
Snra - e+ot4S ~ +ho4 ,ran+ nm".te- nat th-aa
nsnot1 e.Atso - ~, t ~ ~ 1;nr paot - g
q 49,, ~ ~ T.; ~. ~ - ~ 5nn,, ~ =
Wat'.,,tt ~ - .nnhtt5r,era w .n5 -
naenusele ~ nsl nn.uoaas AnI' ~ saaGs ~
a9fantagE u Lne uAih hncso, 5'esleu lof n ene
rlo!1oa, ron MnoM sno eoho ~ ~ scsn e..
untit sue Mas c!gss ~ nel> ous o3..oS acu ~ ~
eag ~ h consenusnt1v cn,ie1 81, fan1. @ ~
s"el, ~" Ao oe"ueeaoe'lt5 ~'4'e" "'A ""na7 :"
4Iaa Weto.e +,,a of,cor. and r,ca- cor1a al, t-et
on decE The Wachusett. Struck liz Fior1ia
| EfArhNHTf FnnffAr f1fFttHT
down to the deck and carrying away her mIz,
zen-mast.
At thc scme time the Wachusett poured q
yo1}cv Of mneketry and charge Of canister
from her forecastle pivot gun upon the Flori
da's decks The Wachusett then backed of
aud demanded a surrender, to which Lieut.
The Wnchusett fred again and again, which
was returned BY the officers and crew Of the
Florida. Another demand was made to sur
render, and Lieut. Porter answered. will
surrender conditionally-" The Wachusett
out for Capt. Morris TO come on board Of her
Lieut.. Porter answered that he was on shore
but he, as commanding officer. would come q
soon as-he could get boat ready. 4 nrfn6el
of armed boats we're then cent from the Na
clusctt to take possession Of the Florida.
AS soon as Lieut.. Porter was heard to sa1
that he would surrender, hfseen OF the Florf
das crew Jumped overheard TO escape cap
r. ahnrr the other nj, nine It ;s :.1,enea hcinf
snot IN IL 1roter hv rncn on the fcracasti; 1i |;
and in ina hoats of liz Wnchusetf. Mr. HIM
tcr ras Toundel and a number Of men kilied
The Wnchrsott them tnaIie fast a -hnwser t.
the foremost Of the Florida, and, after slip
ping her cable, towed her out to sea.
ACTION or TIE BRAz1IiANs.
WINE Ills was belng zone Doat 1It'1n ~
Brazilian lag ship went alongslde the wa
ehusett md ordered her to return @ to heE an an
ehorage ground, and O.. reply was given, ten
ing the boat to Keep OF, as she "as about L
so back to her anchorage.
CAPT. NORRIS LITTLE SURPRISED.
Capt. Morris WIS sleeping ashore, at hote
overlooking the water, and when called up b.
pcrsong at the hotel, who suspected tina
something wrong vas going on by hearing
the report Of guns, he got down just in tim
to make out What in tic darkness appeared
! to be the vessels steaming out Of the harbor.