Holmes County farmer. [volume] (Millersburg, Ohio) 1857-1926, 1865-07-06
BreCIInridge--IIis Escape In an
Open Boat from Florida TO
Cuba.


HAVANA, june II, 1865.
General j. C. Breckenridge, accompanied
by his aide camp Captain Wilson, Colonel
Taylor Wood, and two Confederate soldiers,
arrived at Cardenas on the llth inst, in an
open boat of about one ton burthen, from
the coast of Florida. This party, after the
capture of the President of the late republic,
made their way to the st. Johns river,
where they procured a boat in which they
proceeded up that river until they reached
Il point due west of Indian river, near the
head of navigation. At ST. Johns, Colonel
Taylor Wood Joined the party, having been
captured by the command of General viii
son, but he made good his escape the same
night.
The small boat was hauled across the
country from the st. John 5 to Indian river
a distance Of twenty-six miles, and launch
cd for the ocean. On reaching a point call
ed Gilbert bar, near themouth of the river,
the boat was beached, and dragged across
sand-spit sixty yards, and launched in an
inlet communicating with the ocean. On
this part Of the route Indian parties sup
piled them with scant proyisionso of "cumty,"
of which they made bread. For the balance
OF the voyage they were compelled to live
on shcll-fsh, 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 Indian
river, they coasted south some fifty or sixty
miles, when they beachcd their boat to hunt
provisions At this time a United States
gunboat or transport running down south
between the shore and the Florida reef OBJ
served the party, and the commander dis
patched boat from the vessel to ascertain
who they were and what they were doing
there AS the boat began to show herself,
there was some excitement in camp, and
Thomas, Brcckinridgc's servant, began to
get his weapons ready for use. They were
temporarily located on shell ridge, between
an impcnctrable 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
Rough and Ready" his grandfather or
dcrcd his two men to launch the boat, which
was Instantly accomplished, and the others
having retired under the cover of the brush,
the two soldiers took to the oars with n
will, and pulled for the advancing boat.
which they met at about one eighth of a
mile from the shore. An officer in the
stern scat o the gig, with a revolver in hand,
hailed the boat with the usual marine ques-
tons. Taylor Wood became Immediately
and fisherman thnt cvcr I;yoJ ;n Gl"r;Ja "r.ino''
"Ilis men were noroloJ tniI;or. ,Ln" h,d
to live some how: thcv wnrc hunt,r S wronI,' ,i''
and until they conld find son,ntI;n9,, Lott,,.'
they were subsstino on tba rauhr3r vo,J'' ,royL,',
charity of the sca-sbell. fish drivrn -, ,bnro
and turtles eggs; they meant to get as far
as Indian Key, or possibly Key West they
see them. And the rcadv bows ""|,uu nulIeJ ~
forth their parole documents. which wnrc
found correct ''Tho folks on shore were or
the same class; had plenty of papcrs-thc
samc-and were trying to cook dinner if
,hcy could hnd any eggs or rShclls; wouldn't
Tue captain likG to go along, as horc he
wou'd be perfectly welcome to the best they
had, and their papers too - Their hospi-
tali'y was dccllncduthc dlctum "all right"
was uttered, amt, give too, my boys -
when away shot tho gig on her return voy-
age 10 me stGamcr--nano not known. The
wear'cd ana hall, starved party brcathcd
more freely after the interview, which had
peen rather tedious while waiting for the
| result ihat evening they lett the shore,
having on BOARD few dozen OF eggs, cakes
OF cuihp'y hrCau, ana alcW clans, so small
'hat lhcy might pass Tor muscles. They
rcacIed thc banks III about thirty six hours,
having spoken one vessel and obtained a
supply OF fresh water the day following their
departure from the Florida coast, and met
with no other incident, though terribly per
picked for want of food, until they reached
Cardcnas on the morning ofthc | Ilth-cight
days where they were received by the pco.
pie and the authorities with great Kindness,
well fed, well refreshed, and scrcnadcd in
the evening. The ladies' wished to entertain
them in their hoopitablc homes, which was,
OF necessity, declined for the want of suta
bic raimcnt. The Governor Of Cardcnas
furnished the party with transportation to
Havana, where they arrived on the morn
ing oithc l2th, accompanied by an adiutant
of the Spanish army, and took up their
quarters at the Hotel Cubano. The adu-
tant reported his arrival with his guests to
Captain General Dulcc, who instructed him
to say to General Brcckinridge that he had
the "trccdom ofthc city and Cuba for him.