Phenix gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1825-1833, 1829-05-22

! ". oiAIES RIGATE JAVA,
Toulon, March 13M, 1929
! SIR: Having seen in the Toulon newspapers
what purports 10 be an account of the affray
that occurred at Mahon, between the French
and American sailors, on the evening Of the
| 18th Of Februurv. in which Lieut.. Mesnard oil
the French brig Faune was killed, and this &C
couu, being altogether incorrect, and calculated
TO reflect discrrdit on the character of the A
mercan officers then al Mahon, have thought
ii duty owed myself as well as the service
in general. TO give you statement Of the cir.
cums,ances as they have come 10 my knowl.
edge, and can with confidence appeal to the
Government of Minorea, and other authorities
Of Mahon, Gas far as they are acquainted with
the circumstances for the corr &c ness OF my
statement. / should not make this reference,
was il not tina, in the account published in the
a.. French paper, il is stated, that "these events
| have raised against them, the Americans the
indigo alton OF the Mahones, and the inha bi arts
OF Villa Carlus, George TOWN. who assured
! the authorities of the country that in no in>
stance were the French the aggressors."
On The 25,h Jan. last, about one hundred
men belonging t" The Java were on shore -
during The evening there was fight between
them aud the French sailors belonging to the
corvette Pomone, and brig Faune, in which
several of nv men were severely wounded, and
two Of Them dangerously so. Upon that ocea-
son, tn Gocernor of Minorca issued an order
dated 26,h Jan. 1929, isddressed to the Con-
suls,) with r,ques, that hey would commu
nicate the s.me the commanders Of public
| vessels in ports, directing that all seameD on
| shore should retire on board at sun set. In
compliance with that order, the AM rican sea
men were KEEP, on beard their ships until The
! 18th February, when obtain' d the consen' OF
the Governor for them TO visit the shnre du-
ring The eight succeeding days The FRENCH
ON the contrary appeared 10 lake no notice OF
| the order, but their svamen continued 10 sisi'
the shore, CONSTANTLY, al night, and generally
arm ed wi u swords Within week supsequrnl
TO III, ARRAY Of he 25,h January, above al uded
to, at my request, (rAade through our consul,
Mr. Ladicr.) ,he Governor IT norca pr"po
sed To the French consul, residing al Mah'n,
with view 20 prevent the sailors OF dlteren'
nations from meeting on shore, that thr r. nth
sailars should be allowed d certain n"mher al
DAYS (say ter) to visit the snore, aud ma alter
wards the Americans snoull come on shore,
| and so on alternately The Governor Inform
ed me ,ha, the French consul declined maki"s
ann such arrangement, TO which clrcums' an'e
we must attribute the unfortunate affair Of the
| 18th Feb last.
| | will now STATE the circumstances oil the
case, confirming myself 10 the evening o: the
Il5h February. Lieutenant Mesnard, with
several Of his men had taken mo custody
man belonging to this ship, ard was dragging
him along Castle stree, the general place OF
rrsor, for sailors) with the declared Object OF
taking him before the Governor, but for what
purnosr have not been able 10 learn ;he
man was severely beaten, and his cries OF muir
der brought several It his shipma'es to bis
rescue. and in the affray which ensued, the
French Lieutenant received a blow or the
head which fractured his skull, and terminated
his existence
A man belonging 10 the Java was passing
lp.aceably along the stree, Gin Grorg town.
alone when he was met by several French SAL
IInrs, one Of whom drew his sword, and ran him
through he body, Of which wound he died
the following morning; the poor fellow STATES
that the attack was entirely unexpected, as they
did not speak o him several other men be-
Iknyiny % the Jova were found alone and hof-
lribly mangled by the French sailors. am
lhapay to say, howe er, that only ohe has died
of his wounds.
The excitement against The officers and crew
he Java at this place is very great, and am
sorry to say, that this hostile spirit does not
spprar % he confined TO the seamen, but ex-
tends 10 the officers. however do not believe
,ha, the superior officers are so iillbtrs'' as TO
ch,rg. 10 the officers of the Java, the acts
committed by parcel Of rio,ous, drunken sal
lors on shore, where the officers OF course were
not with them, and consequently could no.
n,even, the riot, The only circum'tance
which could lead me to suppose that his nos
tile feeling extended to the superior othcers Is
The fac,. tina, he French commanding othcer
in this nor, did not upon my arri al, send
hos, 20 inquire # was in want OF any thl"g'
and wnh an Offer Of his services, which is all
ways customary even in foreign port In
this instance, (o say the least,l 1t bears all '"'
friendly aspect.
If French Friga,e were to arrive in one OF
our por,s. where we had some 20 ships OF war
living, and should remain there ten days, ana
Ire American officers should take no notice OF
her, during that time, ask wha' "ou'e' !"e
French say This IS precisely my s''uai'h
ha,n