A Federal deserter from St. Rosa Island.
Our city, especially the part in the vicinity of our office, was thrown into no little excitement on yesterday evening by the arrival of a Federal deserter in charge of a detachment of Capt. Clanton's Montgomery Mounted Rifles. He has a fine open face and talks pretty freely, and is not at all backward in giving a full account of the enemy and their fortifications. He sailed as a sailor on board the Niagara from Boston, where he had just arrived from a long cruise, and where he first heard of our political troubles, but was ordered to sea again almost immediately after his arrival. He has been a United States sailor for eight years, and was born in Maine. From him we glean that he was landed on Santa Rosa Island from the Niagara when she was here last, and has been standing guard on the island up to the time of his escape.--He affected his escape on Saturday night last by walking fourteen miles up the island and then swimming two miles across the sound to the vicinity of Capt. Clanton's camp, where he gave himself up to their hands. He reports but three sand batteries on the island with heavy guns and rifled cannon, and a deep entrenchment on the gulf side. He says there are twelve hundred men on the island attorned with a great amount of sickness. The Mississippi, the largest vessel out there when he left, carries three hundred and fifty men and eleven large guns. The other steamer were smaller and used as supply ships. The Niagara carries five hundred men and twelve eleventh Dahlgren guns. He states further that immediately after the arrival of the steamer from New Orleans, announcing the departure of the Sumter, the Niagara sailed in purenit. He adds that they are looking daily for the arrival of Dan Sickle's brigade to reenforce them, not having had advices of the brigade being disbanded. He says there are others who are anxious to desert, but with these exceptions they are all eager to fight. The reasons for his desertion are bad treatment generally and an innate dislike to land service, having been left by the Niagara. He has an intelligent cast of countenance, speaks well, and needs fair language. His story is plausible, and we give more than usual credence to to his statements.-- Fensacoiq Observer, 15th.
