While "Acacia" was undergoing repairs at Portland, other Union ships continued to hunt for "Chesapeake". On 17 December, the recently captured blockade runner "Ella and Annie" — which had been hastily manned, armed, and sent to sea — finally caught up with her at Sambro, Nova Scotia. Shortly thereafter, the Northern gunboat arrived on the scene; and her commanding officer prevented "Ella and Annie" from taking the recaptured tug back to Boston, lest such action seriously undermine relations between the United States and the British Empire. Instead, to observe diplomatic niceties, he escorted "Chesapeake" to Halifax where he asked Canadian courts to restore her to her owner. The following morning, the repaired "Acacia" arrived at Halifax with witnesses who could identify and testify against the Southern sailors.