, 1864-06-03
THE GULF BLOCKADE.
How a Rebel Fleet Got ont Of GaI-
Te8I0Hs

NEW YonK, May 31.-Lctte1s from of Calves
Ion: andet date Of Ny sih confirms the Febe! re-
Harriet Lane, in company with three other noto.
IIous blockade running eteame,s-viz: M.tasor-
da, alias ALICE, Isabel and one whose name Is m
I've have eipcc heard Of the safe arrival ofthe lat
Ter NJ Hayana). The facts connected With the
aa!liog of this Rebel heet arc given By Hkrult
AT er beng 30 closely watched for the past nl-
teen mouths, her escape, in company with the
othtr steamers, was Affected on the night OF the
:1th ult during sQuai', In tais wise: During the
md the night se! In dt1t and aqual1y, with occa-
stonal Quick flashes OF lightning at which time it
xas dih!Cnlt T. ree anythins, syen At short dis
tance. The Harriet Lane. with a schooner In toW.
followed bI the Mataeorda and I-abel At intervals
Of fifteen minutes. left her moottncs on Pelican
Spit Fort-behind which the Lime and MI block
adc runners to Galveston srt protected, and laden
will cotton about half-past eight O'Clock in the
evening. and steamed elowly along the land to The
southwark aud westward, in the Southwest chan
ton by our blocEadins vesRe1a. To deceive
our forces, the rcbele, few days previously, had
planted buoys IN tie northeast or Bolivar channel,
Thai Iafsage Therefore, on the night IN question,
experimenting their attempt to escaoe, additional
blockadlng vessels were placed In that channel.
deemed too ehallow for the Line t. run through.
e. by tue chart not more tnan eight feet Of water
can be obtained therein By information received
irom deserte7e, The Lane. Whe1 loaded, drew ten
or eleven feet. The man chip channel was consid-
cFed the only one in which she could run, and
therefore the most effective and ewittest vessel on
tie station (the Lacka1ana) was stationed there.
being 50 close to the shore, WAS slowly stesmfnE
out. when she was discovered BY the United statea
gunloat Katahdtn. stationed in the southwest
channel, which Immediately slipped her cable and
gave chase without making any signal, except
about an hour and q halt aftef slipping she o1er-
hauled The Lane within two thonsand Or two thou
at her, ii that can be called signal. after which
all WIS quiet. The firing oE guns Is not deemed
any signal, unless qaick and rapid, - that might
when The f1inR ceased We were given 10 under.
stand that all was over, and instead OF making q
signal Is be tB required to do by the Instructions
the dog in 1he manser. chose to iisobey lis @ ex-
press orders, f his Instructions were the same IS
thofc Of al! the rest Of the guntosts here and lett
a tns oocxnae ena me mes. dsn:eroas Of ~ chap
Ger; Captain ]. D. Merchant, Of It in any manner.
- The chase vas rcry exciting indeed, the katah
di9 making the most poselhle speed- vessels
on each others decke, then again separating, the
LaEe keeping out Of ranCe OF the Katahdin1s rined
Eqn.: A daylight the following morning the Ks-
tabdfn found she Tas not only chasing the Lane,
but three other vessels not seen before, which
proved to be the three steamers before mentioned
all Keeping In company and close to each other.
wind freshenlng 10 that the Eatahdi1 could go
little faster, thus barring the advantage Of tho
Lane, whose rnabts had been removed before she
.ef1 port and she also gained on the MatAgordA 50
fast that eooA coming within range sho gave her
Yankee compliments In tho ehane OF shot and
Rhe1l in many Instances causfns the splInterB to
hoard her whsle deck load Of cotton, SONS three
hundred bales, aner doing which the crew went
to work tearing up the hurricane deck, to burn in
tepsrated, and during the night the Lane nnd 1sa.
bel were lort sight Of, thirty miles of the west
uext day At dark the other two were lost to sight,
owing to a head Wind epr1nging up. lessening the
speed Of the KatAhdin some two knots, and en-
ablrg the steamers to get away.
The Khtahdin. haF1nc expended all her amrnuni-
tion ant being short of coal retusned to the sta
ton on the Sd init, at daylight
Tits think one Of the Rrtatest mistakes OF the
war, ~ the Harriet Lane will undoubtedly appear
upon the high seas as an armed enemy Of The Uni.
led States, and do more haln to our commercial
marine than either the Florida or Alabama, from
her great speed when in good order.