Mineral Point weekly tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1859-1868, 1864-11-23
THE PIRATE FLORIDA,
Particulars OF her Clptare by the Waehnsett

4
Monday e,ening, left St. Thomas on the
evening Of the 3ISt ultimo The Wachu
sott was in port waiting for Goals. The
/ Florida was outside She also left there
the ship James Cheston. one hundred and
thirty-three days from Hangoon, put into
port in distress. with her crew down with
the scurvy. She was supp led with nine
teen men from the kearsarge. and would
sail in i day or two for New York The
bark Mondamon, from Kio. was captured
by the Florida, off Pernambuco about Sep
sember Sth, and burned This was the
only American vessel captured hy the
Florida, since her departure for the Tene-
rife.
The f llowine is a brief account Of the
circumstances of the capture of the pirate I;
The f orida arrived at Bahia, Bay of San
Salvador on the night of the eth IL timo
Captain Collins, having held consultation
with his officers, determined to sink the
Florida in port Accordingly at about 3
o clock the cables were slipped. and the
Wachusett steered for the Florida, hit
ting her on the quarter, without doing
great injury. Captain Collins now called
out to those on board the pirate to surren-
der or he would sinx her This demand
was replied to By the FIRST Lieutenant that,
under the circums stances, he .urrender-
ed. y hawser was now made fast, the
chain iDped, and the Florida towed TO
sea. In the me ee several pisto' shots
were fired, and accidentally two guns
from the Wachusett Captain Morris
and half the FloriAa's crew We're on shore
on liberty No ives were lost The Flor
ida was taken completely by surprise
seventy Of her men, it was known, being
on shore, and the others, just returned
from liberty, were asleep ard half iutoxi-
Gated The blow given the Florida by
mast and yard which fell on the
awning, &nd prevented any one from
getting up from below So uncon ious
was the officer Of the deck Of the intention
ont ON vii run into us if you don't
take care at the same time en- ling for n
LIGHT Tive We officers and fifty-cight o!
the crew Of the Florida were captured -
Tho Wachusett and + orida were to leave
ST Thomas on the ID instant, for New
York
The cunboat Wachusctt, which has per-
formed the signal ser ice of capturing the
Florida. YVES built at the Boston NAVY
Yard in 1861 2 She Is a scrcw sloop Of
war of the second class, Of ] ,032 tons reg
lister, and carries battery Of ten guns
She was launched OF the 10th of October
1861, and icr first service Mas in the fl.tilln
which aided the army in the operations
against Yorktown, Va, in May, 1862
On the l5sh Of Nav, 1862, she participated
in the attack upon the battery at DrHry :
Bluff, known as Fort Darling. In 1863
she was the flagship Of Admiral Wilkes in
the West Indies, and on the 25th OF
March, of that year she captured the Dol
phin blockade runner she also captured
the blockade runner Nirginia-the sale oi
both vessels netting over 500, 900 During
the present year she has been employed
on special duty on the coast Of Brazil
Her capture of the Florida will ? ace her
name prominently on the page of our
eyentful history.
The Florida sailed from Liverpool on
the 22d OF March, 1862, under the name
of Oreto, and arri ell at Nassau, y. p, in
April, where she received her armament
etc. On the 4th o. June 1862, she wa 5
seized by the British steamer reyhound
but was soon released. On the 9th o
August 1868, she left Nassau and pro-
ceeded to Green Bay, where she was fitted
out for Il cruiser her stores, etc, bein-
broug t to her 10y the English schooner
Prince Alfred She ran INTO Mobile on
the 4th of September, 1862. and was struck
by shot everal times from the guns of the
Winona III One da, and ran out on the
9Th of January, 1868 After doing much
damage TO Amcri: n shipping, she we It
INTO ~. beAT-b tiitIlhcl. III ah-h>i, Dp-.
In September she entered the French port
Of Brest and on the llth Of that month
was detained by the French Government
Soon after = rds she ran out On the lUth
of .Ju v, 1864, she captured the steamer
Electric Spark, bound from New York tc
/ New Orleans. For Il TIN she was a con
sort of the 4 aLaml and acted in con
/ junction uith her n cruising She was
commanded for long time by Lieutenan
; J. \. Mafft, but for the past year or more
she has Seen commanded by c. Manigaui
Morris, formerly of the United States navy
Owing to the many changes IN the list
officers Of the Florida, no accurate list cal
be given until the arrival OF the Wachu
sett and her prize.
Eay A trick of the Brookly y. Y
Democracy at the poll. on Tuesday, wa
!. for some one Of the workers to take pc