The Republican journal., 1910-05-26

the Sounds of North Carolina in 1864 til
| saw him at meeting of the Loya
Legion, Department of Maine, at Togus
after a lapse of more than forty years
Since that time we have held frequent
| correspondence. At that time he Vas
postmaster at New Orleans. being ap.
pointed to that position by President
Roosevelt. A little more than a yeal
ago, being Is years of age, and thinking
himself too old for the cares and duties
of that office, he resigned and is now en-.
Joylng the fruits of busy and we'll di
rected life, having the respect and con-
fidence of all the people in the city of his
adoption. He writes me that they have
dubbed him 1.-THE Duke of Maine.''
A few years ago, on Mardi Gras
IN that city, he represented Rex" anC
with his splendid physique, commanding
presence and long flowing, white beard,
it is said that he made the most i'm
posing king that has filled that position
since the War of the Rebellion. This
year he had command of the Kings fleet,
which was composed of about 60 steam
ers, among them ships of the U. S.
Navy, that went down the river to meet
Rex and escort him to the city
Near the close of the war, in 1864, the
Rebel cruiser Florida appeared on our
coast and made sad havoc among our
merchantmen, burning and destroying
on every hand. So bold was she at
and so near our blockadng fleet that
the smoke from the burning ships could
be seen from that fleet, The govern
ment sent some of our fastest ships
after her, but they were unable to get
on her track till the Wachusetts, Capt.
Collins, found her in the Port of Bahia,
Brazil. | will stop here and let Capt
Woodward take it up.
JOHN 0. JOHNSON.
The story of Capt Woodward to which
Mr. johnson refers, is told in the follow
ing letter to the latter, dated New Or
leans, December s, 1909.
mail you picture or copied photo OF
painting Of the sinking of the Confeder-
ate cruiser Florida" off Newport News,
Virginia, November %, 1864, and this is
the story.
The Florida - as history relates, had
destroyed many ships and vessels of our
merchant marine, and bounty was
offered for her capture or destruction by
Northern and Eastern shipowners. On
October 7, 1864, the "Florida'' and the
U. S. S. "Wachusetts' both met in the
harbor of Bahia, Brazil, neutral port.
There seemed to be a disposition on the
part of the Brazilian authorities to grant
more favors to the ''Florida" than to the
U. S. S. "Wachusetts. Capt. Collins
under the cover of the darkness Of the
night resolved to get underway, and
under the pretext of an accident to run
into the FLORIDA and sink her while at
anchor in the Port of Bahia. So the
cable was hove short under good head of
steam, the captain gave the order to slip
the cable, but, by some unaccountable
instance, it was not readily done, so that,
before it was done the speed of the
"Wachusetts" was somewhat exhausted,
and she struck the FLORIDA just abaft
amidships, carrying away her mlzzen-
mast, breaking in her top sides and cut
ting through her planking nearly to
waters edge, but not cutting low enough
to sink her. Thus she caused the sur
render of the "Florida, slipped her
cables, took her in tow, and proceeded
to sea, alarming the forts. One of the
Brazilian gunboats gave chase, but with
out effect. The prize crew was put on
board and the "Florida, conveyed by
the "Wachusetts, steamed to Hampton
Roads, Va.
Soon after the arrival of the FLORIDA"
| in Hampton Roads, there was great ex-
! citement raised, not only by the United
States authorities but by the foreign
ministers, who insisted that the "Wachu-
setts'' should take the Florida back
to Bahia, as the act of capturing her in
a neutral port was a serious breach of
neutrality. So the case was up to our
government, and serious one, as to
what should be done. All things being
fair in war, it was evident that the
FLORIDA" should not be sent back to
Brazil. where she was captured. Ad-
miral David D. Porter, an old war horse,
was in command at Hampton Roads, and
l was in command of the waters of the
Lower James River and Newport News,
then in command of the U. S. Ironclad
Atlanta
On November 26th, Admiral Porter
sent the "Florida" up to me with let
ter of instructions as to just how she
should be moored in deepest waters, i'm.
mediately under the guns of the "Atlan-
ta," with 40 fathoms chain at the water.
An engineer officer came from Baltimore
and Joined the Florida at the time she
was sent to Newport News, and the Of
fcer in charge with two men comprised
the crew on board. l had arranged with
the watch officer that, in the event Of
anything happening, to burn red light.
On the night of the 9th, the red light