Charleston
Daily Courier
December 5, 1864
Page 1
The Seizure of the Florida
LIEUTENANT MORRIS’ OFFICIAL STATEMENT
The London ____ publishes
the following account of the capture of the Florida, written by Captain MORRIS, her late commander:
Bahia,
October 18, 1864
Sir—It is with
great pain that I have to report the seizure of the Confederate States steamer Florida, lately under my
command.
I arrived at this port on the 4th instant, at
9 P. M., to procure coal and provisions, and also to get some slight repairs
after a cruise of sixty-one days. Just
after anchoring, a boat passing around us asked the name of our vessel, and
upon receiving our reply, stated that the boat was from Her Britannic Majesty’s
steamer Curlew. Next morning I found
that the United States
steamer Wachusett was at anchor near us, but no English steamer, so I at once
concluded that the boat which had hailed us the evening before was from the
Wachusett.
We were greeted on the morning of the 5th by
a Brazilian officer, to whom I stated my wants, and was informed by him that he
would report the same to the President, and that until his answer was received
we could hold no communication with the above.
At noon I received a communication (which was left on board the Florida) from the
President, stating that he was ready to receive me. At our interview he informed me that
forty-eight hours would be allowed me to fit and repair, but that should his
chief engineer, whom he would send on board to examine the machinery, deem the
time too short, he would grant the necessary extension. He was most urgent in his request that I should
strictly observe the laws of neutrality, at the same time stating to me that he
had received the most solemn assurances from the United States Consul that the
United States steamer would do nothing in port contrary to the laws of nations
and of Brazil; and that he desired the same from me, which I unhesitatingly
gave.
The Brazilian Admiral, who was present at the interview,
suggested that I had better move my vessel in between his ship and the shore,
as our proximity to the Wachusett might cause some difficulty. My assurances to the President seemed to set
his mind at rest on the score of any collision between the two vessels, and upon
leaving him I immediately repaired on board and moved the Florida close ashore to the position
suggested by the Admiral. I found the
Brazilian engineer on board, and was informed by him that it would require four
days to repair the pipe of the condenser.
Feeling now no apprehension of any difficulty occurring while in port,
and wishing to gratify the crew with a short liberty, not only on the score of
good conduct, but also of health, I determined to permit one watch at a time to
go ashore for twelve hours, and I sent the port watch off that afternoon.
About 7:30 P. M., a boat came alongside, stating that
she was from the United States
steamer Wachusett with the U. S.
Consul, who had an official communication for the commander of the Florida. The letter, with the card of the Consul, was
handed to First Lieut. Porter, who, after examining it, and finding it directed
to Capt. Morris, “Sloop Florida,” returned it
unopened to the Colonel, stating that it was improperly addressed; that the
vessel was the Confederate States steamer Florida, and that when the letter was so
directed it would be received. The next
day (6th) a Mr. de Vidiky came on board, having received a letter
from the United States Consul, inclosing one for me. He requested me, before receiving my letter,
to permit him to read to me the one sent to him. It was a request of Mr. de Vidiky to carry a
challenge to the commander of the Florida,
and, in case of its acceptance, to offer his (the Consul’s) influence in having
the repairs of the Florida
speedily finished.
I informed Mr. de Vidiky that I had heard quite enough,
and, finding the letter to me still improperly addressed, declined receiving
it; but at the same time said to him that I had come to Bahia for a special
purpose, which, being accomplished, I should leave; that I would neither seek
nor avoid a contest with the Wachusett, but should I encounter her outside of
Brazilian waters, would use my utmost endeavors to destroy her. That afternoon, the port watch having
returned, I sent the starboard watch (the other half of the crew) ashore on
liberty, going also myself in company with several of the officers. From our nearness to the Wachusett, persons
on board of that vessel could well see these men leave the ship. At 3:30 A. M. I was awakened by the
proprietor of the hotel at which I was staying, and told that there was some
trouble on board the Florida,
as he had heard firing and cheering in the direction of the vessel, but on
account of the darkness was unable to discern anything.
I immediately hastened to the landing, and was informed
by a Brazilian officer, that the United States
steamer, Wachusett, had run into and seized the Florida, and was then towing her out of the
harbor. I hurried off to the Admiral’s
vessel, and was told by him that he was at once going in pursuit, which he did
as soon as steam was raised on board a small steamer belonging to the
fleet. The Admiral’s ship, being a
sailing vessel, sloop of war, was taken in tow by the steamer, and went out of
the harbor. He returned in the afternoon
with all of his vessels, having been unable to overtake the Wachusett. Upon mustering the officers and crew left on
shore, I found there were four officers, viz: Lieut. Barron, Paymaster Taylor,
Midshipman Dyke and Master’s Mate King, and 71 men, of whom six had escaped by
swimming from the Florida
after her seizure. Of the actual
occurrences and loss of life on board the Florida, I have been unable to find out very
little.
The substance of which I have gathered from the six men
who escaped, is as follows: That at 3:15
A. M. on October 7, Master T. T. Hunter, Jr., being in charge of the deck, the
Wachusett left her anchoring, and taking advantage of the darkness, steamed for
the Florida, from whom she was not seen until close abreast; that she was
hailed by Mr. Hunter, who receiving no answer, called “all hands” to
quarters. Before the officers and crew
were all on deck, the Wachusett struck the Florida on her starboard quarter, cutting
her rail down to the deck and carrying away her mizenmast, at the same time
pouring a volley of musketry and a charge of canister from her forecastle pivot
gun upon our decks. The Wachusett then
backed off, and demanded our surrender, to which demand Lieut. Porter declined
to accede. The enemy then fired again
and again into us, which was returned by the officers and crew of the Florida. Another demand was then made for our
surrender, and Lieutenant Porter answered, “I will surrender conditionally.”
The enemy then stopped firing, and the commander called
for Captain Morris to come on board.
Lieut. Porter answered that he, as commanding officer, would come on
board as soon as he could get a boat ready.
The enemy then sent a number of armed boats to take possession of the Florida. As soon as Lieut. Porter was heard to
surrender, fifteen of our crew jumped overboard to escape capture, of whom only
six succeeded, the remaining nine having been shot in the water by the men on
the forecastle and in the boats of the Wachusett. Mr. Hunter was wounded and a number of men
killed. The enemy made fast a hawser to
the foremast of the Florida
and, after slipping her cable, towed her out to sea.
I called in person on the President as soon as possible,
but could get no further information from him.
On the 8th I sent a protest to the President, of which I send
you a copy, marked 2. On the 10th,
our agent, was informed by the interpreter that the President did not intend to
answer my protest, as the Confederate Government had not been recognized by Brazil, and
that I could find all the official correspondence in the newspapers. I then wrote letter, marked 3, in which
reference is made to a letter marked 4.
Just before leaving Bahia, having
received no answer, I sent our agent, Mr. James Dwyer, to the President. The result of his visit is contained in his
letter, marked 5. The Bahia papers
contain a number of reports as to the killed and wounded on board the Florida, all of which I
have thoroughly sifted, and find no foundation for the ____.
At the time of her seizure there was about twenty-five tons
of coal on board, most of which was dumped.
The list of officers captured is contained in the report of Paymaster
Taylor, marked 6.
The enclosed newspaper is an official extract containing
all the Brazilian official correspondence in reference to the Florida.
I am very respectfully
your obedient servant,
C. MANIGAULT MORRIS
Lieutenant Commanding, U.
S. Navy
The London Times of 8th ult, says:
“The capture of the Florida
by the Wachusett in Brazilian waters, was reported by telegraph from Lisbon some days ago, but
it was not until yesterday that the flagrantly lawless nature of this
proceeding could be appreciated. The
story, as it has now reached us from authentic sources, begs those related of
Paul Jones and carries as
[Transcribed by Sharon Strout]