Daring exploit of citizens
--
Three Vessels Captured or Burnt.--About three weeks since,
Capt. Jas. Duke and eighteen citizens of
Mobile determined on making a "raid" excursion to the mouth of the
Mississippi, and left the city.
Nothing was heard of them until the 11th inst., when a fine propeller, called the
Boston, arrived alongside the
Mobile wharf with the
Confederate flag flying over the
United States ensign.
The
Tribune gives the following account of the daring exploit:
‘
After lying in wait, like Micawber, for something to turn up, and fighting mosquitoes in the swamp, on Tuesday evening, the 9th inst., they saw the
Boston towing in the ship
Jenny Lind, with a load of ice, from
Boston.
They boarded her, with their pistols drawn.
It was quite laughable to see the consternation of the abolitionists, many of them exclaiming: "I told you they were the d — d rebels!" "Here we are boarded by the d — d rebels," &c.
’
They cut the
Boston from the ship, put all hands on board, and on Wednesday morning, at 5 A. M., they saw the bark
Lenox,
Capt. Cole, from New York, with an assorted cargo of Yankee merchandise, making her way up the river to New Orleans.
They boarded her, took the captain, passengers and a part of the crew off, sent the others on shore, and then set fire to and burnt up the bark.
On Sunday they made chase after another which they overhauled some 35 miles from Pass a I Outre.
She proved to be the bark
Texana,
Capt. Wulff, also from New York, with an assorted cargo of merchandize and a quantity of arms.
They boarded her, took the captain, mate and some of the crew on board, sent the balance on shore; helped themselves to a couple of cases of fine hats, and set fire to and destroyed her, and then started for home, running through the fleet outside without being molested by them.
They brought in some 17 or 18 of the prisoners, including
Captains Cole and
Wulff, who are well known in this city as old traders.
In the
Mississippi river the
Confederates were for some time within speaking distance of the U. S. man of war
Portsmouth, 16 guns, and about half an hour previous to their capturing the
Boston, a gunboat had passed up within gun-shot of our men. The prize will prove very valuable to the captors, and shows what daring can accomplish in the way of a little private enterprise.
What a howl will go up in New York when they hear the news.
The Boston was cheered all along our front as she came in, with the
Confederate flag over the gridiron.
