The Florida set sail, and October 4, 1864, entered the port of Bahia, Brazil. Three days later, while Morris and half the crew were ashore, Commander Napoleon Collins of the USS Wachusett, boarded the Florida and took possession. They towed it out of the harbor and sailed it to the US. This was a clear violation of the laws of neutrality. Collins was court martialled in the US and found guilty, but Secretary of the Navy Gideon Welles set the verdict aside as Collins was too much of a hero.
In Newport News, on November 28, 1864, the Florida was sunk under dubious circumstances after a collision with the USAT Alliance, a troop ferry. This was likely done under the orders of Admiral David D. Porter as the ship was about to be returned to Brazil.
Sounds Mighty Suspicious to Me. --Old B-Runner
The Battle of Fort Fisher, N.C.
