He nostalgically described Florida to a court of inquiry as "a very fast and a very handsome vessel indeed... A direct-acting screw of about 100 horsepower [75 kW] …about the same size in all respects as the U.S. steam sloop Pocahontas."

Attempting to repeat her success, she had loaded 211 bales in St. Joseph Bay near Pensacola, Florida when captured by Acting Master Elnathan Lewis, USN, with armed boats from the bark USS Pursuit on April 6.

Mr. Lewis, after running Florida aground twice and jettisoning 30 bales of cargo, found "it was impossible to bring her out without the assistance of the engineers, pilot, and mate; so rather than burn her he considered it prudent to bargain with them, and gave his word that they would receive $500.00 each.

There, on April 19, 1862, Commodore William McKean reporting to United States Secretary of the Navy Gideon Welles confirmed that Florida had never been converted: "I have examined her, and find that her upper deck is too light to carry guns of any weight.

Despite this rejection, the U.S. Navy bought Florida from the Philadelphia prize court on September 20, 1862, changed her name to USS Hendrick Hudson and placed 4, later 5, guns on board.