The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1913-03-03

Lieut.. John N Maf1tt, c. S. navy. took
charge of her.
Few people who have no knowledge
Of the construction of a man-of-war.
her machinery and fittings. and the
stores that are necessary to ensure her
successful handling can realize the
tremendous task that lay before Lieut..
Maffitt Surrounded by Union secret
service men who resorted to every de-
| vice to trip him and win over his crew,
! in foreign port thousand of miles
from any home base-aH of which
were closely blockaded by the enemy
with practically no officers and crew
to assist him, and little or no money
at his disposal. it seemed that his eff
forts would prove futile. Indeed, for
any other than the indefatigabLe John
Maff1tt, the difficulties would probably
have proven insurmountable.
An Unlocked for Enemy.
Day by day. Lieut. Maf1tt managed
to get his stores on board. and one
dark night he passed out To sea and,
unseen by the Union squadron on look
out for him, sailed to one of the de-
serted Bahama Gays, where he met a
steamer from England with his arma-
ment and munitions of war. Success
seemed much nearer-it was almost
assured--when an unlocked for enemy
put in appearance. Yellow fever broke
out on board. and. with no doctor and
little medicine to check its ravages,
soon half the crew were down. Lieut.
Maffitt personally attended his stricken
crew, and, fearing lest he might be
cornered by a Union vessel in his ter
rible predicament, determined to sail
boldly into Cardenas, Cuba, and rely
4 .sVa
ernor.
Accordingly under the blistering
rays of an August sun, he hoisted the
Stars and Bars at the main and. amid
a roar of cannon, formally christened
the vessel the Confederate States
ship Florida. A few days later he
sailed into Cardenas and Immediately
requested protection from his enemies
the Yankees and yellow fever"
This the governor granted, sending
large corvette to afford the former.
and corps Of physicians for the
latter.
While enjoying the kindnesses of the
governor, Lieut.. Maff1tt wrote an
earnest appeal for more officers and
men. With the few he then had, he
thought his chances of running the
blockade into a southern port exceed
ingly poor. Some OF his officers he did
not consider very highly, as he wrote
Secretary OF the Navy Mallory in ref
erence to Master Bradshaw and Mid
shipman Sinclair, "the former has
passed through all gradations of bust
ness and different appointments, never
content one week over the next, and
with so little ability of any kind that
he may we'll be termed a jack of all
trades and good at none. The latter.
saw the ocean for the first time on
this trip"
Lieut.. Mafitt Taken III.
This letter came near being Lieut..
Maffitt's last dispatch, asSrhe day after
it was forwarded, he was taken with
the fever. Five days he raved inco-
herently and then settled down into
quiet stupor from which he awoke just
in time to hear the doctors pronounce
him dead. Two days later he was
called upon to nurse his stepson, J.
Laurens Read, who was taken with the
fever and, just a week later. he lay the
boy and five other officers and men to
rest on Cuba's soil-all victims of the
dread scourge.
Being unable to recruit his crew in
Cardenas, Lieut.. Maffitt determined to
sail, but was detained by the Union
consul as a vessel had just left port
and, by International law, he was re-
quired to wait twenty-four hours.
Giving his word of honor that he
would not modest the Union trader.
Maffitt requested the local governor to
get permission from the captain gem
eral in Havana for him to proceed.
The answer came back by telegram,
Let her sail: the word Of southern
gentleman must be taken"
Arriving in Havana shortly after
wards, the Florida received an enthu-
siastic reception. and made prepara-
tions for the run into Mobile Bay
This famous episode has gone down in
history and has marked Lieut.. Maff1tt
as most able officer. Arriving off
the blockadeed port in broad daylight,
he resorted to ruse de guerre to get
through. Slowing his ship down, he
hoisted the British man of-war flag
and, with the jack flying at the fore,
steamed up close to the Oneida, which
flew the Union senior officers pennant.
The Oneida hailed the Florida when