Omaha daily bee., 1915-02-26
British Flag in Civil War


------ Brooklyn Eagle. ---
The action OF the steamship Lustanla in recently
raising the United states flag a OF pro-
lection against German submarines has brought into
the discussion incidents OF the civil where the
British flag used by the confederates TO deceive
union cruisers and enable them TO escape into out
OF the port. a OF peculiarly interesting feat
ures was that Of the steamer oreto which was chased
by the United states soop OF war ONEIDA, commanded
by Commander George Henry Preble and other vessels
OF the squadron blockadng the port OF Mobile in Sep
tember 1857. and how the Oreto's commander finally
came to Washington to testify in Commander Preblcs
behalf The Oreto speedy and II gave its pur-
suers the slip and result OF this Commander Prebc
was dismissed from the navy, but restored by act
OF congress. After getting into Mobile the Oreto
changed it's to Florida and a confederate
privateer It. with that other confederate
prvateer Alabama. spread devastation upon the high
until the merchant marine Of the northern
received such blow that has not recovered from
1t to the present day
Since the appearance Of the item in the Washington
dispatches referring TO the affair OF the Oreto veer
Of the civil war. as they have com. together in
various parts Of Brooklyn have discussed the affair
in Mobile bay when the ONEIDA tried Intellectually tc
stop the Oreo. alias Florida and Commander Preble
was Immediately dismissed from the navy and began
his long and persistent fight for reinstatement Each
veteran Of the war, especially the naval veterans
as they talked this stirring event, added to It
by from his recollections and it has devoved
upon the writer 10 piece these together into consecu
tive narrative.
One veteran who was seen knew Commander
lfcDle ana lad talked with him In Washington dur
ing his long fight Tor reinstatement He said that
when Preble the Oneida first the Oreto he
thought Il British man-of-war who had come to
inspect the United states bIockading squadron. The
Oreto flying n English red ensign and pennant
and had every appearance of being English war
vessel Commander Preble discovered his mistake a
little too otc but when he did he fired at the stranger
nut aid not succeed in checking its speed wfch latter
took it out of reach OF the Onedas and into the
port Of Mobile
such
peciay after fifty years have elapsed since the &C.
currence, as in this In the discussions which
have followed the appearance Of the item above re-
erred to, there have been those who criticized Com
mander Preble accusing him Of dilatory action and
also those who vigorously defended him The latter
cited the fact that the commander OF the Oneida
whose previous record was untarnshed was a nephew
OF Commodore Edward Preble who won fame in the
war with Tripoli while those who were against the
oneida's commander quoted from Admiral FarTaguts
official report OF the Oreto affair which he says II
regret to be compelled again to make another nortfy
ing acknowledgment OF apparent neglect to wit the
running Of the blockade at Mobile by a ten-gm gun
boat supposed to be Lairds gunboat Captain Bullock
You Will perceive. however from Commander Preble's
report that there was lack of vigilance They saw
II In good time, but failed to sink capture it Why
Commander Preble did not fire into It after 1t failed
commander of the Rachel Seaman says and believe
they VIII admit. there never n finer opportunity
for stopping vessel until It passed them; then how
ever when 1t was too late. they commenced firing"
Commander Preble was so thoroughly convinced
that great injustice had been done hin, nv his
summary dismissal from the navy in which he had
borne very conspicious part that he immediately
asheu LOT court-nartia and an opportunity to tell
his story. This denied him on the ground that
ne was no longer an officer OF the navy He then
asked for board OF inquiry naval officers
were appointed to so act The report of this board
was rather discouragng II ran thus: TT IL the
opinion OF the board that Commander treble did not
perform his whole duty officer of the force
oiocKadins Mobile and further. that he did not do
utmost TO prevent the passage the steamer Creto
INTO the harbor as appeared from the statement con-
tanned In his report OF September to Rear Admiral
Fsrragut. to the effect that had he known the char
acter OF tho vessel he could have ii down"
To be turned down by President Lincoln to whom
Commander Preble appealed. by secretary OF the
navy and by board of inquiry of the naval depart
ment was certainly enough to discourage almost any
man. but not Preblo This disgraced officer now
turned to congress for Justice and then was fur
nshed one of the most dramatic incidents of the whole
story AS the case stood the odds were decidedly
against Commander Preble The naval COMMITTEES OF
the house OF representatives were very naturallv
guided by the official reports and by the action which
hsd already been taken. Unless Prebe could produce
some now evidence there was not much chance In
congress going against the This plucy naval
otticer was equal to the He and his friends
induced the commander OF the oreto later the priva
eer Florida, TO come TO Washington and testify as IN
~"at hau occurred when the latter past the
blockading squadron and got into Mobile war was
sun raging between the north and south when this
inquiry before the naval committee of congress was
begun but Commander J. N. Maffitt of the oreto
braved all the dangers came to Washington and
convinced the committee that 1t was the superIor
speed OF the oreto that enabled him to eludc the p
warships Commander Preble was then reinstated
served win distinction for number years and ar
81 was retired admiral.
WORD may be in order regarding the priyateer
Florida, previously the oreto. II changed its name
TO the Florida as soon il reached Mobile ono
aark night In the following December It ran IN.
blockade again reached the high seas and began fs
career OF destruction OF northern merchantmen nur
ing the first year It destroyed twenty-five such vos
seis' Inc steamer Electric Spark was captured M,
the Florida within few miles OF New York DurirS,
e ran OF 1863 the Florida entered the port of Rabai
brezll-a neutral port-where II anchored Al this
uiho the union gunboat Wachusett commanded ~,
captain Napoleon Collins, was also in port On Oc
tooer o. when part Of the Foridas crew was ashore
at midnight Captain Collins made an attempt to sink
tho Florida hut failing in this captured the prva
teer and towed II out to sea. II was ,ater s,,nk ~
Hampton Roads For this breach OF neutrality seer
tary seward later apologiEed to the Brazilian govern
ment. 9'
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