The evening times., 1896-12-17
GREAT FIGHTS ON THE SEA
Third Volume Of Official Records
Has Been Issued.
CAPTURE OF THE FLORIDA
Capt. Collins Report of the Way
the yvachusett Made the COnfed-
crate Vessel Surrender-Leut.
Porter, Formerly of the U. 5.
Navy, Commanded Captured Boat.

The third volume of the series Of official
records OF the movements, engagements
and principal events connected with both
the Union and Confederate navies during
the war of the rebellion has been Issued.
Ii was COMPLIED in the Navy Department
under The direction of Secretary Herbert,
and edited, as the two former volumes have
been by Lieutenant Commander Richaai
Rush, superintendent of naval war recorts,
and Mr. Robert II. Woods, by authority of
an act of Congress approved July 81, 1894.
The operations OF the cruisers from April
| 1864. To December 30, 1865, are treated,
embracing all reports, orders. correspond
encc and returns of Union and Confederate
authority.
Ire department has eXperiencedmuchd DIFF
ficulty in collecting the records, for, while
the reports OF commanders or fleets and or
vessels acting singly are on file in the
Navy Department, much OF the correspond
ence which formed valuable connecting
links in the movement Of cruisers has been
found 10 be missing.
NO PAINS SPARED.
Without this squadron correspondence the
historical value of the records VIII be
largely reduced, and no pains has there
fore been spared to secure the papers and
records OF the chief actors Oh both sides.
Where these records nave been obtained
the compilation has been complete, and
the Union side is much more fully repre-
sented. That the Confederate reports are
not more exhaustive is due to the fact
of the great difficulty found in collecting
them, and also for the reason that large
part of the archives OF the Confederate
navy was burned at the close Of the war.
Frequent careful searches throughout
various parts of the country, conducted by
special agents sent out by the department,
of valuable papers found among the per
sonal effects of TIE participants.
The publication OF the two former vol
umes also has aided very materially in
bringing TO the attention of the compilers
a knowledge of further records ahdreports
whose existence would not otherwise have
been known.
The operations include the reports OF
commanders of Union sIuadrons acting
singly, which were sent in search of Con
federate cruisers and privateers, as well
as reports of commanders of the latter YES
sells and the different manner in which
the victor and the vanquishcd have noted
events.
CAPTURE OF THE FLORIDA.
The field of operations extended to
nearly all waters, and is separate from the
blockading squadrons. As many of the
vessels concerned were usually acting un-
der Independent and special orders, the
report OF each commander forms, as a
rule, complete paper in itself.
one of the more interesting subjects
treated at considerable length, the thirty
secondanniversary of (which has inst passed,
Is the seizure OF the Confederate cruiser
Florida by the U. S. S. Wachusett, under
command of Capt. n. Collins, in the harbor
of Bahia, Brazil, and which but for prompt
action and apology would have caused some
trouble between the Union and Brazil. The
latter country, maintaining neutral posi-
ton in regard to the war, regarded the
firing and seizure OF the Florida while in
her waters a S an act in violation OF the
rules Of International warfare.
Comma nder Collins stated in his report of
the affair to the department:
I'VE struck her on [ he stIrboard quarter,
cutting down her bulwarks and carrying
away her mizZen mast and Iuainyard. The
Wachusett was not injured. Immediately
upon striking we backed off, believing she
would sink from the effects of the blow.
I'm backing clear, We received a few
pistol shots from the Florida, which were
returned with a volle Y, and contrary to my
orders, two of my broadside guns were
fired, when she surrendered. In the alb
sence OF Capt. Morris, who was on shore,
Lieut. Thomas r. Porter. formerly of the
United States Navy, came on board, and
surrendered the Florida, with fifty-eight
men and twelve Officers, making at
the same time an oral protest against the
capture.
BRAZIL'S S ACTION.
I'm contemplating the attack on the
Florida in the bay, thought it probable
that The Brazilian nauthorties would forbear
to interfere, as they had done at Fer
nando de NOrnia, when the rebel steamer
Alabama was permitted to take into an
chorage three America ships, and to take
coal from the Cora Hatch within musket
shot of the port, and afterwards within
easy ra nCr of the guns to set fire to those
unarmed vessels
Il regret to say, however, thatthey fired
three shots at US as We were towing the
Florida out. We had three men INJURED"
The Florida was placed in charge OF
Lieut.. Beard>iee and brought to Hampton
Roads Commander Collins afterward pre-
ferred charges against the lieutenant to-
in measure, il appeared. exonerate him
self, and the officer was tried by court
martial for his offense against the empire
of Brazil, and dismissed from the service
after a settlement OF the affair had been
made with the South American country.