Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1898-07-02

Iaex OF vigilance Ia permitting our.
ssi.,s 20 be caught unprspared 70 give
pa.Ie e. We were; but there are some
eA'.nuaung circumstances. As previously
s'ateo, " was cur intention to start upon
q ions and tedious cruise. Our men
win rev exceptions. had not been on
snore since We left Brest In February,
anu therefore. greatly needed recreation.
ane moment we sincerely gave our pledge
20 make no attack upon the enemy we
paced ourselves at disadvantage, and
~ "osia nave been better to have left
tne naroor at once. When say we placed
ourselves at disadvantage, mean
,nat IL collision occurred after that
it must be begun by the enemy; and the
attacking party. particularly at night.
mas greatly the advantage.
Commander Collins gave as an excuse
Tor thus attacking Us In neutral port
that his government would never over
look his permitting the Florida to es-
cape him; but 1 leave IL to the reader to
decide IL the conversation between the
representatives OF the American Consul
and Captain Morris, and the previous
interviews between the Consul and Mr.
Porter. looked as II we intended TO run
away. But supposing that such was
our intention. the Wachusett was
heavier ship than ours. and had a larger
crew. The formation of the harbor OF
Bahia was such that a single vessel
could have completely sealed 1t. nor can
l think that an enemy who would thus
attack US in a neutral port would hesitate
long about blockading such port.
/ am glad to be able to say that those
officers Of the wachusett who expressed
themselves to us on the subject deprecat-
ed the manner in which we were taken;
and l should also add that our treatment
while on the Wachusett was uniformly
courteous, TO the extent even OF surren-
dering their rooms to us. Had Captain
Morris cared less for his word than he
did. the Wachusett would probably have
met our fate, as on the night Of our ar
rival. and certainly portion of the next
day, a part Of the Wachusett's machinery
was on shore, and this was known 10 US
at the time.
AS soon as the ship was surrendered, a
prize crew was placed on board, and all
our officers and men transferred 70 the
Wachusett. who took the Florida In tow,
and proceeded to sea, touching at st.
Thomas. where we met the Kearsarge.
with the prisoners taken from the Ala
bama, arriving in Hampton Roads in due
course. OF course a demand was made
officers and crew, returned to Bahia: but
all the beautiful rhetoric of Mr.. Seward
and the Brazilian minister was cut short
when a careless tug accidently ran into
and sank tho Florida while lying in deep
water in Hampton Roads.
After this accident we were released
from Fort Warren on February LIST, and
were permitted TO go TO Europe in a
Cunarder. We were not allowed to place
ourselves under any obligations TO the
enemy. being permitted to pay cur own
passage. The captures by the Florida
and her tenders, while under the CON-
mand of Captain Maffit. amounted TO
ffty-five vessels; but | have no data
which would enable me TO give the num-
Der captured during Captain Morris's |
They probably amounted to |
twenty or twenty-five vessels. 1t was |
lively and brilliant entertainment; but /
John Bull kindly came in wheE il was al |
IN end, and paid the fiddler.