The Washington herald., 1914-10-07
CIVIL WAD DAY. BY DAY
Fifty Years Ago.
October 1S6-e Confederate Commerce Destroyer Florida Was Cap
by the u S. Waehuse the HbOr of Bahia and lowed
Sea a Prize, IN Violation of the Neutrality Of Brazil
cwrltten expressly for The washlngton Herslan

: Bags OF coal and sailors clothes bags
were piled around the ships boilers to
/ protect them from shot. The anchor
chain was ordered unshackled, and a
cable attached to it. for easy slipping
/ The fires were stocked until there was
a full head of steam on the boilers.
| At a m, the onicers ana crew being
I at their posts. word was passed in quiet
tones TO slip the cable and steam ahead.
: II was then found that the chain had not
been unshackeled as ordered. As a re-
! suit there was delay in going ahead. II
was the purpose Of Commander Collins TO
run the Confederate ship down squarely
and sink her and then steam out Of
| the port.
As the wachusett passed the Brazilian
ship she was headed straight for the Flor
ida. II being too late TO stop the ship
was kept going. The night was so dark
that the watch on the Florida did not see
| her coming until she was close aboard.
! Before they could get the crew on deck
the Federal ship struck the Florida The
blow was a glancing one. on the star
/ board quarter. II cut down the Florida 8
oulwarks to the deck. while the mizzen
mast was struck by the Wachusett's s
bowsprit and broken off.
Towcd Out of Harbor.
! With the first crash of the collision
shots from the small arms were exchanE-
! ed from the decks of the two vessels
! Then the Wachusett backed OF and a
! demand fer surrender was made by Com
mander Collins on the officer in command
! on the Florida. Before 1t was complied
with two of the Wachusett's heavy guns
were discharged. though without aim or
effect Some OF the Florida's men Jump
ed overheard and while swimming were
| shot at from the Wachusctt.
The surrender of the Florida ended
| firing between the two ships. A cable
| was passed to the Florida and made
| fast about the foremast, and the Wa
| chusett began towing her prize out OF
the harbor. while the fifty-eight seamen
who had been taken prisoners were put
| on their parole not to attempt to escape.
Meanwhile an alarm had been raised
| on shore, and on two Brazilian ships in
| the harbor-the corvette that had done
police duty and a steamer Commander
Morris was reused from bed in a hotel
and rushed to the landing to find that
the Florida had been towed to sea.
The two Brazilian ships weighed anchor
and gave chase, the steamer towing the
corvette. They also fired in the diree-
ton taken by the Wachusett but with
out effect By daylight the Federal ship
and her prize were well offshore.
The seamen from the Florida were
kept in double irons througout the voy-
age north. until St Thomas was reached
Here, although the Wachusett was in
quarantine, eighteen Of them were un-
shackled and allowed to escape by
boarding a coal barge.
On arriving home Commander Collins
was ordered to appear before a court
martial to answer to the charge OF ''vio-
lating the territorial Jurisdiction Of a
neutral government"
He pleaded guilty. with the justification
that his act was for the public good"
The court ordered his dismissal from the
navy.
On September II. 1866, the Florida mean
while having been sunk. and the war
ended, the Secretary of the Navy dis
approved the finding of the court, and so
notified Commander Collins.
(The sinking OF the Florida will Se de-
scribed in this series).
Copyright. lsH)
TonNorrow-The Shena n o n
leaves England.