An item reported the arrival at Willemstad, Curacao on Wednesday evening the 17th at 19.00 o’clock of the CSS steamship Sumter (1) commanded by Raphael Semmes coming from Cuba. At 19.30 o’clock was a signal given for a pilot. The pilot was told that she was a warship of the Confederate States and that he wanted to enter the harbour. The pilot returned and informed the governor. The latter told the pilot that the Dutch cabinet ordered that privateers and their prizes were not to allow the harbour unless a disaster at sea was to be feared. The next day sent Semmes the governor a letter writing that he had a proper commission of the government of the Southern States. With this letter and the statement that he was not a privateer received Semmes permission to enter the harbour.
Note
1. Screw steamship rigged like a bark which was originally built at the merchant steamship Haban for account of McConnell’s New Orleans at Philadelphia in 1859, purchased by the Confederate States at New Orleans in April 1861, commissioned as a commerce raider 3 June, after capturing several prizes (18) entered she Cadiz to undergo repairs on 4 January 1862, forced to go to Gibraltar, laid up in April, disarmed and sold on an auction on 19 December, renamed Gibraltar or Gibraltar of London sunk in 1867. Displacement 473 tons and as dimensions 56 x 9,1 x 3,7 metres or 184’x 30’x 12’. Speed 10 knots. She was slightly armed with 1-8” shell gun and 4-32pd guns and a small crew of 18 men.
