Like her more famous sister Alabama (see lot 116), the Florida was also built in secret at Liverpool under a false name. Having successfully escaped from the Mersey still under the name of Oreto in March 1862, she made for the Bahamas and was eventually commissioned there as the Florida on 17 August. After an initail run of ill-luck, Florida captured the New York clipper Jacob Bell on 22 January 1863 which, with a cargo valued at $1½ million proved to be the single most valuable prize of the entire Civil War. Many more successes followed but eventually, in the autum of 1864, the Union Navy caught up with her. The U.S. sloop-of-War Wachusett was hunting for her as far south as Brazil and had put into Bahia to coal on 26 September. At about sunset on 4 October Florida came into the harbour although, having dropped her colours, was not immediately identified. After two days of mutual antagonism in the neutral port, Wachusott rammed Florida during the early morning of 7 October, got a line aboard her and towed her out to sea, eventually reaching Hampton Roads in November where, after a minor collision on the 19th, Florida sank on the 24th.