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[603] to sell her — and betook themselves to Liverpool, where a faster and better steamer, the Alabama, had meantime been constructed, and fitted out for their service. So the Nashville, which ran out of Charleston during the Summer, and, in due time, appeared in British waters, after burning (Nov. 19th) the Harvey Birch merchantman within sight of the English coast, ran into Southampton, where lay the Tuscarora; which, if permitted to pursue, would have made short work of her soon after she left, but was compelled to remain twenty-four hours to insure her escape. This detention is authorized by the law of nations, though it has not always been respected by Great Britain: Witness her capture of the Essex and Essex Junior in the harbor of Valparaiso, and her destruction of the Gen. Armstrong privateer in the port of Fayal, during the war of 1812. But the concession of such belligerent rights and immunities to a power which has neither recognized national existence nor maritime strength will yet be regretted by Great Britain, as affording an unfortunate and damaging precedent.

In October--the communications between our blockading forces in the Gulf and the loyal States being fitful and tedious — the North was startled by the following bulletin, which appeared as a telegram from New Orleans to the Richmond papers:

Fort Jackson, Oct. 12, 1861.
Last night, I attacked the blockaders with my little fleet. I succeeded, after a very short struggle, in driving them all aground on the Southwest Pass bar, except the Preble, which I sunk.

I captured a prize from them; and, after they were fast in sand, I peppered them well.

There were no casualties on our side. It was a complete success.


Commander Hollins, formerly of our Navy, and more notorious than famous for his bombardment of Greytown, Nicaragua, had drawn rather liberally on his imagination in the above. His prize was a deserted coal-boat; he had not sunk the Preble; and his “peppering” was done at a prudent distance, and with little or no effect. But he had burst upon our squadron blockading the mouths of the Mississippi, at 3.45 A. M. of that day, with a flotilla composed of Ills ram Manassas, three fire-rafts, and five armed steamers. The ram struck our flag steamship Richmond, Capt. Pope, staving in her side below the water-line, and, for the moment, threatening her destruction. Our squadron, consisting of the Richmond, Preble, Vincennes, and Water Witch, instantly slipped their cables, and ran down the South-west Pass, very much as they would have done had all on board been considerably frightened. Commander Robert Handy, of the Vincennes, ran his vessel aground in the flight, and deserted her, with all his men; setting a slow-match to destroy her, which happily failed. His vessel was recovered unharmed. The fire-rafts were entirely avoided; the Rebel steamboats not venturing within range of the Richmond's guns; while Hollins's haste to telegraph his victory seems to have cost him all its legitimate fruits. Beyond the destruction of the fire-ships, the losses on either side were of no account.

On the 29th of October, another and far stronger naval and military expedition set forth from Hampton Roads, and, clearing the capes of Virginia, moved majestically southward.

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