USS Bermuda-- Part 4: Cannons and Paper

The USS Mercidita's boarding party found discrepancies in the cargo manifest, but also a thousand tons of contraband cargo including:  "a battery of seven field pieces (rifled), with carriages and everything complete, a number of heavier cannon, 42,720 pounds of powder in barrels, and  one-half and one-fourth barrels. 70 barrels of cartridges, over 600 cases of shells. etc....."

The ship's log revealed she had run the blockade before and her commander admitted the cargo was destined for the rebel states.  As a result, Commander Henry S. Stellwagen of the Mercidita seized the ship and sent her to Philadelphia under Lt. Trevett Abbott and a 30-man prize crew.

Part of the cargo seized was a shipment of blank paper sheets that were intended for printing Confederate currency.  This was by far the most important part of the Bermuda's cargo.

--Old B-Runner