, 1864-04-05
FCorrespondence Of the n. T. Tribune.1
HEADQCAnrEns DIET FLORIDA,

ltQf3ESp00GGQce O1 Aue n. l. 411uUnt-!
HEADQUARTERS DIET F1oRIpA,
March -, 1864.
cause, which we found IN this plsce and vicinity.
of steamboats, might be 1onnd On the headwaters
The Sumter, Hatie Brock, Reliance and Silver
soon is Col. Barton had fortified his position at
PiatIa. and felt fully able to take care Of himself
and hold the pl4ce some enterptising officers and
cruise up the river in search Of these bosts.
The expedition Tas considered full Of danger, as
it must necessarily be snn1l, and 60 far from all
tcr Champion and let Mate F. ". Sanborn, and Il
msr rines, volunteered to undertake. the peEilous
crutee. The columbinc. stesm-tug, ruorntine On
her Prov one IEx-poundfr, end a 1a4nCh from the
Pawnee, comprised the neet. On the morning Of
the III, Champion left Platka with the good
wiehes and hsnedictio9s o{ Bsston's s.my resting
and, alter short search, found the Samter, small
stern-wheel transport. 1t was made especially for
the Carrying trade On The St. Johns, and ita tiibu:
far up these small streams into the interior, and
before the war did 7ery profitable business. With
hs prize be returned to Piatka and cast anchor amid
pcntlne.
A second expedition was immediately planned.
aboard the Sumter, and she was Immediately put
way. Only three days 1at,ons was taken, and
them, became 4 little concerned for their safety.
But we knew Mr.. Champion to be an earnest leader,
and that he safe II nothing had betnlen him Of
greater moment then = loss Of vatlons. After q
little cruising about in Lake George, he moved up
clpded spot of that ragred and crooked stream, till
Platka was len some eighty miles in the rear. He
receives to sk still further. and On be goes mp into
Lake Bueiord, bnt finds nothing. Lake Jesup is
but few miles further on, and he pushes further
up into that, with the same result. He determines
to Gee Lake Ha1uey, 10 miles from Pilatka before
Il Wae On this broad and beautiful sheet ofHater
that perseverance was crowned with snccess. The
Hattie, aa she was fond1y and famisrly called, WAS
1oa1s n .e e' o nen en- Without Opposition
into place OF safety, and made eome hasty exam:
nations. She had on board 100 bales Of
a copper boiler for a turpcntine distl]lery: Twas
found that the eide valves OF her engine had been
removed, but wooden ones were eoon extern p
nd In 1oaF on ,he 99es
Tbe hoid Of he Hattie Brock contained s o bales
Of cotton. She has cabins to accommodate q OF
100 paseeneers an excellent double @ engne, H. mehsy @
boat eyer built expressly for the St Johns trace;
on the way down, in passing Fort Gatss, (an ola
earshwofk built during ne "ar WIN tnS sate oea 9he
boats bnt without effect. The colnmbine's, long
gun, projecting over her PROV. put the gueFtae 10
1tEht, aud they McEe seen no @, more e ~ +,e aoen.
ward tip oocar4ed Ut Enterprise small town On
Lake Monroe A. The feet @oyed up to tae laHa No.
a S.s Ha se1 ao the a. Is
the won't throughout the chiva1Eous south. ~
named, mnde her appearance on the vefaaoan1
oy;s5~helped ;a with establishment ind,gnaao5n aa1 M
@ nsf 4!e had fallen into the hands Of the Yankees
snro5 Inc Mtle black eyed belle seemed IKE an an
fa1TnE&.