Lynchburg Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1829-185?, 1851-09-22
Lieut.. Van. vechten's Narrative
Ofthc Lopez Expedition.
On Board Steamship Winfield Scott, ,
September IL, 1851. {

|
September IL, 1851. {
JAMES G.. BENNETT
DEAR SIR:-Having been connected
with the late unfortunate expedition against
Cuba under the command of General Mar
ciso Lopez, and allowed to return in safe
ty to my home and friends | feel it to be a
duty which | owe to the friends Of my un-
\ fortunate comrades and to the public al
| large, to publish through the columns oi
your valuable and widelycircalating paper
true account of the proceedings Of that
expedition, correcting, as far as possible
the false reports fer which for the last month,
have been in circulation throughout the
| United States, and endeavoring to do ius
| tice to ALL
| became connected with tire expedition
at New Orleans, receiving, on the 30ih
day of July last, an appointment as First
Lieutenant oi Company b, of Colonel w
l.. Crt'cnden's regiment, list Artillery J
commanded by Captain James Sanders.-
The expedition, as you arc already aware,
left New Orleans, at day break, on the
morning of Sunday, the Sd Of August, in
the steamer Pampero. We were towcd 10
tile mouth OF the H'er' our engine peihg out
., oroer' we remained III iue river unui
" ednesuay, = 'he o''' ana 'eit tnToogh the
Nor'neaSt ass nt 0 o cock T. NJ of
'nd' uay ior hey West nc intention at
'nd' '''io was 10 20 10 hcy !" es'' ana
there take on board pilot for the river St
'onnS-at which pace we were to embark
"S''' oat'ery or ar''lieFy' Win caisSonS'
a'i''namt'on u, ana harness complete 'oSein
cr WIN huinoef OF caVa'ry saddies-and
ron lhencc were 10 run 10 'he south5lac
Vi Nqoa a anu ii''o is near Us PoSS'oie 10 ru-
erto rlhcipe'
we reachcu hey "cs'' ana anchored
some distance 'rohi me ca'y' al about thfre
w. OF sunday 'iie ioth instant " me
d, hey west quantity OF brandy ana
champagne was received on noard' winch
was i'aolpeu !. 'o'erap'y iree'y ny Lopez ana
,iis s'au' ABOUT desA Oh thst any' no fi-
iot appearing Lopez called council,
composed ehIifeiy OF ','e Cnoans ana nun
ganans attached to the stan no Amen-
cans peihS ca''eol VINO dec'ded 10 give up
gong 10 o. Johh ''rer' ana run iIimc-
u'a'eiy ior 'iie ooas. vi - uoa' WHICH was
uoiie a' a''oo' ~ W. ne next morning
OWING 10 inc VARIATION oi ''ie compass ron,
"iusN,'' oe'"S s'ocNo" .i,di ~ we ,ou,u
ourselves III P''ii s'9nt o, 'iic Nioto Oas'le,
ana ABOUT tWeiVe miles ctstahf; lie Vessei
'''i'iieu'd'eiy .edueu 20 t'e noithMaio ana
"es'"aro a',, run OUT "i S'Sht Oh iana.-
= VI. v.
captain ana '"a,e y. OUT OF .he spanish schoon-
e'' ~ tc' as P"o'S' S'Sin9 'nefi 10 uhuer-
s'a"o INA. tney "ou'u DC shot they SNOW
ca any u,sPos''ioh 10 escape OF ueee'Ve'-
AT VI, we asai'i STOOD III iof .ne iand'
anl Soo'i a'ter uuSN SEM poat III 10 recon
no'trc' Wh'ch was haiied oy sentry on
,ne Waiis Oh tne iort' situated near DANA
iiohaa' me snip not oe'ns more 'han a
ni,ie from IT, AS soon as 'ne ooat report
co. NS'l'S were eN1nSui'i'eu aho press oi
steam put on, '''e soiP running 10 'he west
wato along the iaho'
Aoou' ~ ciooh, "hi'e running uhuer
'he charSe OF pno[' uhder press oi
Stea'ii' 'ne snip suuoeniy s'r''cN' ana pel're
'ne engines cou'd oe stopped fiad rnn
more 'i'ah her length upon coral reei, al,
'I' examining "er s''ua.'""' II WsS ounu
''i'' '"e "ay ,y'"9 =, ""'u' eiS"t 'ee. %
"d,er' W.'ie hei urdi' was over iii'e iee''
a'iu INA, 1t was nee coIoSa'y 'Iiat 'iq iorce
snouiu ~ i,i''i'e't,a'eiy i,'i'eu WHICH was
~ ~ ''o ""o"' o,"oN o'' 'ile my. mug
- tlie i~'i 1AusOSl' 'hs iaSt u Us u'SI'ii,
Iai ~ upo. 'No S.'oie y WA = iiau
zen '9us'' 20 'o'''u1. ~, "ou'', Soo'' Oo ,"1
nc ga 10 Vi up ~ Ut > Doa'' ia'i''e'
- 81 "" t,a''9 ~ ."e"'y .'el'
"I ''eu VI, .ie'' '''e "''S 'o.u' l'eu !. o,'i
~ ''o'' "rio" .ont1''e,' up "oti''' Va
uV'I ooui'lialiuit,s ~ -liiie'i'"n oo'iPa-
n,l'l i-ieu'','iD''' i1s'"'"Su uani' anu aoou
O. NV a'eo u 'i's Jo','t'u.y '1 u
80 'ie. VIZ Nou',''iu ~ 'ii9 4 =, "''u
oae' ,''u ~ '"e 'n' I''I .''oo' u cue i''e"
NV -'','9 o'' '.' -,
III : z o''','''.,''''g Z
- "f' - ~ = - 80 e''
- - "''I "o "'o. ~ '.'o ,.D-'au'0
~ II. y MIs aoou' 70 @ n,aion y 'nat pIaoe
r'iu "o"'u s''1 10 d'ia''e. 70 any ""u,n ,,,i nc
,ouii' 'nefe' wno o'u no'Jo'.i '','' mere
oei,is no means oi Transporting oa8gaSe a'
1a"a"os, wliere we iahueo' LOPEZ oroef,
eu oo.. N'l''ehden 10 remain mere mere ana ara
protect our stores CONSISTING OF loo,ooo
inasNet cartridges tnree thousand musHets
ana seVenhundred pounds OF powder'insegs
toSe'ner with the personal baggage OF all
'he ofhcers' saying that he would march on
70 Los rosas' with the regiment OF inian,
Try, commanded ny tol bowman, and
Send rom thence transportation ana ,hat
ne would remain 'here unt'i loihed ny cri'-
tenden- accordingly Lopez marched at