Wreck of the privateer Sumter.
She is Driven Ashore at Trinidad and becomes a Total Wreck — Statement of one of Her Crew — Movements Previous to Her Wreck, &c.
The following appeared in the second edition of the New York Herald of Thursday last:
‘
Capt. Atkinson, of the bark
Venus, from Curacoa, arrived this (Thursday) morning, reports:--
’
The Venezuela Consul at Curacoa had received advices from
Caracas (Venezuela) to August 22, which stated that the privateer
Sumter had gone ashore on the
Island of Trinidad —
Port of Spain — about the 20th August, and had become a total wreck.
The
Herald of Friday last publishes the following facts concerning the
Sumter:
‘
Captain Atkinson left Curacoa on the 29th ult. for New York, in command of the bark
Venue, with a cargo of salt, &c., consigned to
Messrs. Joseph Foulken & Sons, No. 25 Beaver street, New York.
A few hours before leaving a vessel arrived from Liconagna, bringing a Carracas paper, dated the 22d ult., and furnishing full and most authentic particulars of the total destruction of the privateer
Sumter.
The newspaper was sent specially to the
Venezuelan Consul at
Curacao, it was supposed, for this express purpose.
It stated that the
Sumter was wrecked on the
Island of Trinidad, and was bound for the
Brazilian coast on a cruise.
The Consul was the first to convey the tidings to
Captain Atkinson, and said, at the same time, his convictions were that the information was correct in every particular.
In corroboration of the above facts, the
Captain informs us that he brought a young man with him belonging to the crew of the
Sumter, who escaped from her at Curacoa by jumping over board and secreting himself in a private place until she left that place, when he engaged with
Captain Atkinson as a sailor.
When the young man came to learn the disastrous intelligence respecting her, he then made known his mind more fully, saying that he thought that would be the end of the privateer, inasmuch as when he was aboard of her the crew were in a most dissatisfied state, owing to the treatment they had received.
He expressed also his firm belief that the crew had run her ashore purposely, as they were worn out and tired with her commander and his movements.
From all these facts,
Captain Atkinson believes that she is a total wreck, as well as from the general conclusions come to by the inhabitants of Curacoa.
’
Movements of the Sumter Previous to the Wreck.
The following is a copy of a letter received by
Ellwood Walter,
Esq.,
Secretary of the Board of Underwriters of the port of New York:
‘
Curacoa, August 22, 1861.--The privateer steamer
Sumter was seen off Porto Cabello 14th inst. with a new prize — supposed the bark
Teresa, that had left Maracaibo for New York with a cargo of coffee.
On the 15th inst., a steamer flying the
American flag passed before the harbor, that reported herself as the
Key Stone State,
Commander Scott, in search of the
Sumter.
The pilot that went out to her could not state where she was bound to; but by last accounts from
St. Thomas we learn that the
Key Stone State was bound to Cienfnegos.
The pilot reported her as quite a new steamer.
The Key Stone State being five years old, it is supposed the steamer that passed only assumed the flag and name to gain information for her own purpose.
’
The Sumter at Trinidad, West Indies.
[from the Barbadoes Liberal, August 13.]
At
Trinidad, the arrival on the 30th ult., (July) of an armed steamer, the
Sumter, bearing the flag of the
Confederate States of America, caused a good deal of excitement, particularly among the
American merchants.
‘"None could tell,"’ the
Port of Spain Gazette states, "whether some one of the eleven prizens the
Sumter was reported to have captured might not be a vessel from or to this port.
Indeed, it was stated that the
Captain of one of
Messrs. A. Campbell & Co.'s vessels that left here some time ago, had been seen on board.
There were vessels bearing the flag of the
United States in the
Gulf, and others expected, the fate of which, if the
Sumter thought proper to wait upon them outside the Bocas, could not be doubtful.
Anxiety was felt about one of
Messrs. Dwight's vessels, which it was said left here with a considera-amount of specie on the 4th inst., and even there seemed to be some fears of the
Sea Eagle, now unloading a valuable cargo, consigned to
Messrs. C. L. Haley & Co.
The local authorities scareely knew how to receive officers sailing under this novel flag, for though the
British Government have recognized the existence of two belligerent Powers in the States, still, as far as we know, there has been as yet no recognition of the
Confederate States as a sovereign Power.
We believe that his
Excellency declined to receive the officer sent on shore from the
Sumter, except as a private gentleman, and the same course has been pursued by her British Majesty's corvette
Cadmus, which arrived on Sunday.
The
Sumter came in here for coals.
The opinion of the law officers of the crown having been taken, to the effect that these did not fall within the category of prohibited goods, the steamer got supplied.
The officers and men have frequently been on shore, and numerous visits have been paid on board the
Sumter by gentlemen of the town, and by them the courtesy and frank kindness of the officers is spoken of very highly.
The
Captain of the
Sumter, the day after his arrival, put on shore some prize prisoners (the mate and crew of the
Philadelphia bark
Joseph Maxwell), and on the 5th instant the
Sumter left the
Gulf ‘"on a cruise."’
The U. S. Steamer Keystone State in pursuit of the Sumter.
[from the Barbadoes Liberal, Aug. 13.]
The
United States war steamer
Keystone State, 8,
Commander Scott, arrived in
Carlisle.
Bay from
St. Thomas yesterday, in search, it was rumored during the day, of the
Southern steamer
Sumter, which we last heard of at
Trinidad.
The schooner Express came in shortly after from
Trinidad, having on board the mate of the
Joseph Maxwell, captured by the
Sumter off Porto Cabello, who had been put ashore at
Trinidad.
He was received on board the
Keystone State, which towards evening got up steam and departed.
In the course of the day a steamer was seen to leeward, and many persons thought it might be the
Sumter.
The Sumter at Paranaribo.
[from the New Haven Journal, Sept. 12.]
Advices received in this city yesterday state that the
Sumter was at
Paramaribo, Dutch Guliana, on the 20th of August, in want of coals and water.
The Keystone State arrived at
Trinidad on the 13th of August, remained only a few hours and sailed in hot pursuit of the steamer.
The
Sumter was armed with four guns and one sixty-eight-pounder amidships.
Other advices express the opinion that the
Sumter is bound around
Cape Horn into the
Pacific.
A vessel at sea Chased by a supposed privateer and subsequently burned.
The brig
Monticello arrived at Miragoane, St. Domingo, August 22, and reports on her passage, August 11, latitude 29:33, longitude 67:49, saw a brig chasing a ship and go under her quarter.
Shortly after saw a fire in the direction of the vessels, and at ten P. M. could only see from aloft a blaze and sparks flying.
