Saturday, July 27. – A daylight sent a prize crew on board the Abby Bradford and directed her to proceed to New Orleans. At 6 got underway and stood out. As we were weighing anchor discovered a sail seaward, to which we gave chase and captured about 7 miles from the land. She proved to be the bark Joseph Maxwell, of Philadelphia. Sent the master in, with the paymaster, to make propositions to the neutral owner of one-half of the cargo for the delivery to him of his half and for the sale of the other half and of the ship. To my surprise, the governor sent me an order to bring my prize within the port and leave her until the courts of Venezuela could decide the question whether the ship was not captured within the marine league. Stood out to the prize, standing by our guns; sent the master and his family ashore in one of the prize’s boats, and put a prize crew on board and dispatched the prize to a port on the south side of Cuba. At 3 stood on our course to the eastward. At 5 passed a Yankee hermaphrodite brig running within jumping distance of the land.
Extracts from the journal of Commander Semmes, C.S. Navy, commanding C.S.S. Sumter
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