The National tribune., 1910-07-07

Masters Mate and sent to another ship
Ben Saunders, of Covingtony KY, was
promoted to Boatswain's Mate, and
was promoted to Captain OF, the Star
board Forecastle, and the whole crew
were commended in General Orders is
sued by Admiral Porter. II any of the
crew of the Forest Rose see this, /
would be glad to hear from them"
Capture of the Privateer Florida.
R. L. Austin, R. D. No. 8. Vancouver,
Wash, writes:
Il noticed an account of the capture
of the privateer Florida by some one
down on the coast of South America
1 had always supposed that the flagship
Niagara, on which / served captured
the Florida on the coast of Europe. She
was being fitted out at Liverpool and
our Lieutenant Mr.. Phenix, of Brook
lyn, disguised himself as an English
man. and went aboard of her and found
when she was to sail. We Immediately
went to sea and put Il wide strip of
canvas around our hull, lowered one
Smokestack and our masts. When the
Florida was on her way to the Canary
Isles we waylaid and captured her. put
a crew on board and sent her to Bos-
ton. 1 received from Uncle Sam nv
share of the prize money"
The Rebels Captured Six.
George II. Travis, 81 Pine street,
Brooklyn, n. Y, writes:
"I read the statement made by Com
rade Runsdell that there were only
about 900 survivors of the West Gulf
Squadron (of which / am one). Also
that there were four vessels captured
by the rebels. There We're six, as fol-
lows: Jan. 1, 1863 Galveston Ray),
the u. s. S. Harriet LANE. M VAIN
wright, Commander; Jan. IL, 1863 (off
Galveston). the U. S. S. Hatteras-H.
c. Blake, enant-Commander; Jan.
81, 1863 (off Sabine Pass, the u. S.
s Morning Light-John Dillingham;,
Acting Master in command; Jan. 21,
1863 (off Sabine Pass). the U. S.
schooner Velocity-N. w. Hammond,
Acting Volunteer Lieutenant in COM
mand; Sept. s, 1863 (Sabine Pass, U.
S. S. Sachem-Amos Johnson, Acting
Master commanding. This list COM
prises about all the vessels that were
were several boats crews captured, /
believe. We were all prisoners of war
together with the exception of the Hat
teras l was on the Morning Light"
At Fort Fisher.
Miftiin G. Gregory, Hall, r. F. D. 1,
Barbour County, w. Va, writes:
Il have been watching for some one
to write of the Fort Fisher affair. of
the Navy and the Navy Brigade, and
the slaughter by the monitors Our
Navy Brigade moved on to the stock
ade, where the rebels killed and wound
ed nearly the whole brigade Capt. o.
S. Gleson saw the mistake. I belonged
to the Third Division, the Santiago de
Cuba 90. S. Gleson, Captain). We took
the wounded to Norfolk, Va, and were
struck three times. 1 would love to
hear from George L. Fisher and Louis
Z. Parks, who were my gunner mates.
II fy,t
err"
Escapade OF the Webb.
James w. Bateman, Opolis, Kan,
writes:
'Comrade Robbins asks about the
ram Webb. l was crippled and on
board the hospital boat d. A. January,
awaiting to be sent up to Cairo, ILL.,
when the Webb passed the warships ly-
ing at anchor in the New Orleans har-
Dor. When it got around the bend it
lowered the Stars and Stripes and raised
the Confederate flag. A marine boat
was the only vessel with steam up, and
1t opened fire across the town and sue
ceeded in killing a cow. This boat
gave chase, and kilograms were sent
to Forts Jackson and st. Philip below,
A Warship was there, which started up
the river to meet the Webb The ma
rine boat was giving the Webb a close
ashore, and set fire to her and made
their escape. When the marines got to
her they found three or four of the
firemen on the Webb fast asleep. The
Webb burned to the waters edge This
boat came down from Red River. II
was loaded with cotton and was making
for Havana"
Robert A. McAlister, Baltimore, Nd,
writes:
The Webb passed New Orleans load
ed with cotton bales on the way ont.
She was chased by the Hollyhock, COM
manded by Sherardi, and ran ashore
below the city, where she was dis
patched either by her men or by the
Hollyhock."
VIM. Simmons, Naval Post, 400, G..
"A. r., Philadelphia, Pa, writes:
The Webb, formerly the William III.
webb, built in New York was a low
pressure. side-wheel steamer about 200
1eet long and capable of great speed
When the war began she was at New
Orleans. and was seized by the Con-
federate authorities and fitted out as
a ram. When Farragut captured that
city the ram escaped up the Red River,
going as far as Alexandria The Webb
tCapt Charles PRICE, assisted in the
capture of the Union gunboat Indian
o's.' iiSai ANdtCHeZ, May "a, 1898, and
TINS was the only service IL rendered so
far as 1 know. The ram then again
sought safety in the Red River, where
1t was blockaded by the Union gum
ooats Choctaw, Manhattan and Lafay-
cite. Capt. Pierce was succeeded by
Charles w. Read, who, with the con-
sent of the Confederate authorities de-
termined to descend the Mississippi
River, pass the Union vessels and pro-
ceed TO sea on piratical trip. The
Webb sailed from Shreveport, La, April
3, 1865, with $50 cords of wood for
fuel, and on the night of April 23 en-
tered the Mississippi River and encoun-
tered the Union gunboats, from whom
the ram escaped on account of its su-
perior speed. On approaching New
Orleans the ram displayed the Ameri-
can Flag, but was recognized by the
pilot of the Lackawanna, who promptly
gave the alarm. The Hollyhock, Flor
ida, Quaker City and Ossipee gave
chase, and amid the greatest excite
ment opened fire. About % miles be-
low the city the slOop- of-war Richmond
was encountered coming up. During
the engagement which resulted the ram
was set on fire and totally destroyed.
The crew were saved by small boats
and confined as prisoners on board of
the sloop-of-war Lackawanna, from
which vessel they were sent North later
on to Fort Warren, where they arrived
on May 10 and We're kept in confine-
ment until the close of the war. They
were sent North on the steamer Flor
ida" ~
VIM. H. Chenery, 14th r. l., 157 Bea-
con avenue, Providence, r. l., writes: