The Norfolk post. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 1865-1866, 1865-06-24
npvcKINR1DeE In CUBA.
ul CROSSES FROM FLoRIDAMA SMALL OPEN BOAT.
Thu rsvantiue Party Eight Days on the Ocean.

| COlOnel IaylOr Woou, az" ~, tlo
rate soldiers, arrived at Cardehas o,l .no
18th inst, in an open boat OF aoou. ,; oi,o
ton burthen, from the coast Oh i0iiot .
This party, after the capture OF the l,resi !,
dent of the tate republic, MADE tnelr way
to the st. Johns river, where they pro-,
cured boat, in which they PROCEEDED,
up that river until they reached apom!
due west of Indian river near the heau
of navigation. AtSt Johns, Col. Taylor
Wood joined the party, having been cap
son, which captured the President of the
Confederacy by accident, but he made
good his escape the same night.
The small boat was hauled across the
country from the st. Johns to Indian
river, a distance of twenty-six miles, and
launched for the ocean. On reaching q
point called Gilbert's bar, near the
mouth of the river, the boat was beach
ed, and dragged across sand-spit sixty
wards, and launched in an inlet commu-
nicating with the ocean. On this part
of the route Indian parties supplied them
with scant provisions of county," or
| which they made bread. For the bal
ance of the voyage they Were compelled
to live Oh shell-fish, caught along the
shore, and turtles eggs, OF which they
also laid in stores for their voyage across
the Gulf stream.
From the inlet near the mouth OF In
dian river they coasted south some fifty
or sixty miles, when they beached their
boat to hunt provisions. AT this time q
United States gunbOat or steam trans
port running down south between the
shore and the Florida reef, observed the
party, and the commander dispatched a
boat from the vessel to ascertain who
they were and what they were doing
there. AS the boat began to show her.
self, there was some excitement in camp,
and Thomas began to get his weapons
ready for use. They were temporarily
located on a shell-ridge, between an inn
penetrable swamp and the waters of the
ocean, so that if they lost their boat they
would perish in the swamp. Taylor
Wood, with the cool determination of
Trough and Ready" his grandfather,
ordered his two men to launch the boat,
which was Instantly accomplished, and
the others having retired under cover of
the brush, the two soldiers took to the
oars with WILL" and pulled for the adj
vancing boat, which they met at about
One-eighth of a mile from the shore. An
officer in the stern seat of the gig, with
q revolver in hand, hailed the boat
with the usual marine questions. Tay-
lor Wood became Immediately the
toughest longshOre woodsman, wrecker,
and fisherman that ever lived in Flori-
da. His men were par0led soldiers ;
they had to live some how they We're
hunting wrecks; and, until they could
find something better, they We're subsis-
ting on the rather washy charity of the
sea-shell-fish driven on shore and tur-
ties eggs; they meant to get as far as
Indian Key, or possibly Key West; they
had bOat-lOad of papers, if he wanted
to see them" And the ready boys pull
ed forth their their parole documents,
which were examined and found correct
"The folks on shore were of the same
class had plenty of papers-the same
and were trying to cook dinner, ifthey
could find any eggs or shells wouldn't
the captain like to go along ashorc-he
would be perfectly aOelcome to the best
they had, and their papers, tool" Their
hospitality was declined-the dictum
"all right was uttered, and "gi,pe toe,
my boys" when away shot the gig on
her return voyage to the steamer-name
not known. The wearied and half.
starved party breathed more freely after
the interview, which had been rather
tedious while waiting for the result
That evening they left the shore, having
OH board few dozen of eggs, cakes Of
cumt-bread, and few CLAIMS, sosmall that
they might pass formuscles. They reach.
ed the Banks in about thirty-six hours
having spoken one vessel and Obtaine
supply of fresh water the day follow.
ing their departure from the Florida
coast, and met with no other incident
, though terribly perpleXed for want OF
food, until they reached Cardenas on the
: morning of the llth-eight days-where
: they We're received by the people and
/; the authorities with great kindness,
! well fed, well refreshed and serenaded
, in the evening. The ladies wished to
f entertain them in their hospitable
homes, which was, of necessity, declin-
ed for the want Of suitable raiment.
+ The Governor of Cardenas furnished the
party with transportation to Havana,
. where they arrived on the morning of
. the 18th, accompanied by an adutant of
the Spanish army, and took up their
quarters at the Hotel Cubano. The ad
jutant reported his arrival with his
guests to Captain-General Dulce, who
instructed him to say to General Breck-
, enrldge that he had the "freedom of
| the city and Cuba, for himself and his
friends, as long as they might wish to
remain and when he was rested from
ms fatigue, and at his own convenience,
ne would be happy to see him.
THOSE who know the country through
the woods from Georgia to St. Johns
public roads not available for their
services, except at night, } and thence by
the route they took to the coast will an
preciate the troubles and dangers en-
countered to get through safely besides
the difficulty of obtaining food and sun
plies for the six persons. The boat In
which the voyage was performed did not
aulnitoi more than one sleeper at a time,
ana the only navigator, Taylor Wood,
had 10 be always on the alert. In q
squat at night, he was thrown over by
sea, but having the halyards i'm his
hands, hcmanaged to get on board again
without any one being aware of his
pref absence. Before leaving the coast
they had religious services, and on
reaching Cardenas, before leaving their
frail boat, they returned thanks with
prayer and praise to the Divine Provi-
dence, whereby they had been saved.
Col. Chas. j. Helm, who has always
been highly esteemed here for his gen
tlemanly and social qualities, with the
people and the authorities, continues TO
exercise a pleasant conservative infn-
ence for the benefit of many unfortu-
mates who come under official interdic-
ton, and are homeless. He presented
General Breckenridge to the Captain-
General of Cuba at his country seat on