Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1884-1886, 1885-11-15
THE FLORIDA.
HOW THE CONFEDERATE CRUISER
WAS CAPTURED AND SUNK
her Escape from Nobile-The q. q Steam.
ship wachusett In the Chass-At
Bahia, Braxil-A "viols-
ton OF Law"
Rochester Post. Expressl

l ". L.
to fire on her. thinking that she really wa
| ons VI her majs,ty's vessels She shortly
ran pat him aai then showed what SD,
really was @reb,l p;rats.'
Tie Oreto soon ran out Of Mobile undel
| tie cover OF darkness, an! changed hel
name to the Florida and commence her
career as G pirats. Early in May, 1868. tbs
Florida, while in tie West Indies, capture
a number Of banks and brigs, burning them
to the waters eigo, or bonting them pay
able TX months after the recognition OF
10y the Uutei St.tesj the Independence OF
the Southern C1nfeieracy,
The Un;ei States steamship Wachuss.t
commanded by Capt. Napoleon Collins. wa
de iailel in tio summer OF 1854 to fnl and
capture the Florida Capt. Collin; proceede
to the South Atlantic aud cruisei aiong tx
qiator between ths coast OF South Amer
lea and Africa, hoping TO have the good
ucs to meet the Florida outside the n. srine
limit of either coast
After cruising back and forth until every
one was sici, an | tire of the mcnotony 0.
such work, he put into the port of Bahia.
Brazil. to coal and reiit his vessel Every
effort was male while at sea by speaking"
all vessels sighted to find out the where
abouts Of the Florida, but to no purpose.
Arriving at Bahia short stay was made
and the vessel got ready Tor another cruise
NJ sea.
Tho Florida had. Oct 5. 1864. Just cap
;urei and burned thu bark M1ndnmori, on
the Brazilian coast. and ran into Bahia as
the Wachus,tt was s;eaming out Some
doubt existing as to tho identity Of tho
Florida, the Wachusett ran a short
distance out to ssa and returned vita
nightfali, when a boat AMI crow, CON-
mandei by Ensign l. Ludlow. was sent
into the harbor with instructions to find
out whether il was really the Florida. Lui-
low prilsi into the harbor after nishtfall
IN pulled around the steamer, hailny her:
"Ship ahoyl Hello. What ship is thatl'
Confederate steamer Florida, Capt Morris
commanding Then the return hail:
IBos: ahoy, Heliol What boat is that'7
Her ma js,ty's steamer Cur!ew's' This
was done to put the Florida's people OFF
their guard. Ludlow then returned to the
Wachusett and t. an anxious commander
aud crew and reported that it was a sure
enough Florida. Then the excitement COM
menced. Are we going in tonight, VIII we
ever &c: n chance at herr Every body
seemei excite except the cool and calcu-
lating Capt Collins
Tho next day tho American consul. Will
.on. was pressed into the service and made
the bearer of n challenge from Capt Collins
to the commander of the Florida to come
out and fight, but after several futile
attempts TO provoke her to q fight. a council
of war was held in the cabin OF the Wachu-
sett, and is was determined by all with one
except onl u so into the harb0r and sink
the Florida. Bearings wers made OF her
potion. sics were calculated upon and
the night OF Oct 7, 1884,, was to DO "ths
night" Every ono was ready for the &C.
c .sion: the intention was t) run in, strike
the Florida amidships. sink her and steam
out. But the best laii plans of mice AMI
men gang aft agiee.' Some time in the
afternoon schooner shifted her position
and anchored alongside tho Florida.
At o'cloci, the cable was slipped ami the
Nachusett started for the harbor. Full
speed was given and the Florida was
doomed, but the blow that was intended for
her death struck her forward of her main
mast. AMI only damaged, but did no. Grip
pie her. Capt Collins now demanded her
which was complied with by tn,
lieutenant in charge Capt Morris and half
his crew being on .korel
in n moments time the Florida was
1boarted' by the WacAusett, AMI by
hGwser made fast and crowdiny on all
steam the Wa hu-ett put out to SEA, making
no reply to tho Brazilian feet. AMI the shots
from tbs forts doing no damage. She was
soon out-i ic the har50r with her priza. Tho
Brazilian naval commander followed, but
not fast enough, and soon returned to his
hariof. A prize crew was put on board
the Florida, and the crew and officers OF
that vessel sent TO tie Wachusett as prise
.rs OF war.
The florida was ordered to keep in sight
IT the Wachuset.. AMI we were bound to the
United Ssaies In conversation with some
Il tae captured officers. they stated that
they were glad to have been cap ured; they
knew the war was nearly over. and they
had got tirei OF turning and destroying de-.
tenseless vessels, and they seemed TO think
that ii was "goi send 10 them to get out
IF the Fori1a.
Steam and sail ware made on both vessels,
snd in few days tina harb Dor OF ST. Thomas.
W. l., @ss reached, aus. rs we cams from
an infected port Wa were put IN Quarantine
in the outer harbor Way in among the
other vessels could be seen an United States
Signal wers exchanged and
we found that il was the kear,arge After
nightfall a boat frS III her pulled around oui
stern.
Hello, Collins what is that vessel you
have & It therei'
Tie Confederate vessel Florida. captured
In Bahia
'Gs oi; have whipped and sunk the Ala
bama of Cnertourg."
1t was Capt. Wn-low, OF the Kearsarge.
To Ct me on board was impossible. and the
crew Of the Wachusett gave him three rous
ing cheers as he pulled away.
The Wachusett proceeded with her priz,s
10 Hampton roads. and thence turned over
the We sci to the government AMI sent the
prisoners TO For; Lafayette, the Wachusett
,oing t, b ston for repairs. On represen-
.ation of tho case by the Brazilian minister,
of Safe Seward dissvowei the
lcts of Collins and ordered him TO appear
,efore n court-martial The Florida was
ordered to be returned to Bahia, but an
army transport very conveniently ran into
ler while she was at anchor in Hampton
'oads and sunk her. and her wreck still 10
mains there.
TIE eoart- martial on Capt. Collins found
linn guilty Of violating tie laws OF nations"
md he was sentenced t. be >u.p,nlsd for
hres years President Lincoln shortly after
the unexpir.d period Il the sen.
ence, and he was promoted to commUdore.
---------------