Washington sentinel. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1853-1855, 1853-11-05

anu tWO OtHerS tahlilB u route, Will
10 or l5 soldiers in each boat. OF course no
one expected any fighting, we only supposed
they were coming to demand the fine of $25
for firing the gun. l stood on the forward Of
the house, just over the gangway, with my boy
George beside me. Three boats came along
side, an officer came up the side. Captain
McCerran met him at the gangways and touched
his hat TO him. The officer demanded the $25
fine. Capt. McCerran paid him and said to
him, stay, sir, and collect another fine, as !
shall fire another gun. He then said to the
officer, athere is the gangway, leave my ship
The officer refused, then Capt .McCerran says
to him, "do you mean force that you come on
board my ship with an armed force in this
way?n The officer says d--n you, what do you
mean by force, and stepped over to the other
side of the deck. Capt. McCerran stepped to-
ward him, when the officer drew pistol, one
of three from his belt, holding his sword in his
left hand, cooked his pistol, and aimed it at the
| Captains head, saying, "move again and will
shoot you," and at the same instant saying, in
Spanish, "come up men,"
| stood still until this move of the soldiers.
| cav trouble ahead all of them rushed up in
sonfusion two muskets or pistols were fired; l
turnedaround, took my boy, ran aft with him, tied
rope round him and lowered him over the star
board quarter hearing at the same time several
shots fred. We were all entirely helpless, and
most of us were on the house with no weapons
| to defend ourselves. We had not anticipated
| any use for them. Some six or eight captains
jumped over the side of the ship into boat as
rapidly as possible, under the stern of the ship.
Several shots struck the water along side of us,
as we pulled around. We saw several other
captains holding on over the opposite quarter.
We pulled around and took them in. We then
went to the opposite ship and climbed up. As
we went on board again, we found they had
wounded Captain McCerran and put irons on
him. They dragged him over the side of the
ship into one of their boats and took him off as
| a prisoner. One of their own soldiers was shot
| by themselves and severely wounded. One
| American sailor was shot in boat alondside
of the ship, through the thigh; another through
| the hand. Captain McCerran ordered his col
ors hauled down and abandoned his ship to the
Peruvian government. He was struck on the
| head with boarding axe, and knocked down
| with the but of musket, and thus disabled.
No resistance was made, and many shots were
| fred at random by the soldiers, who were under
| no discipline.
We at once called q meeting on board Of
! another ship near by, and dispatched a boat I'M
| armed to inquire how badly Capt. McCerran
was injured No one was allowed to see him,
and no news was given from him. His officers
all left the ship: in the firing some of the rig
ging was shot away and some of the sails came
down in a muss she drifted in again toward
the rocks. The mate, who was forward, let
the anchor 90 and brought her up, and there
she was left On the 4th an American doctor
was allowed to attend Capt. McCerran and
dressed his wounds, but no one among US was
allowed to see him. We all met every day on
board some ship to talk over affairs and get the
doctors report. Our committee now returned
| from Lima with the news Of their reception and
| interview with the Peruvian government. They
demanded the recall Of the commandant and a
new one sentin his place. This was granted, and
| new one returned with them, with an order for
| the old one to return to Lima, to be tried by
| court martial On hearing of the difficulties
since we left, the new commandant refused to
act. 1t was too serious an affair." and thus it re-
| mained when left. The Defiance lay there,
abandoned by all her American officers; the
crew refused to work the vessel under any
other captain
During this time Captain McCerran was
prisoner on board the hulk, and no one of his
friends was allowed to see him; for the first
three DAYS he was iron and chained to ring
bolt in the deck, with only some straw to lie on;
not even the blood was washed from his
wounds for the first twenty four hours. No
American man-ofwar was about here, and we
shall be obliged to call on John Bull to help
us. An English frigate came in here soon
after the first affair. The commandant was
sent for; they had an interview; the command
ant said the American captains, when they
came on board the hulk in body, had come to
fight The English commander says: O. No,
sir, you did not think so; and it was lucky for
you that they did not, for if they had, you
would have swung at the yard-arm of the De-
iance long ere this The English command
ant heard all the charges against Captain Nc
Cerran: one was that he had killed his boats
vain. Can't McCerran had the man on board
his ship. and soon had him brought forward,
in irons. and gave his reasons for doing so. The
English commander asked the man, (who was
an Engshman,) Did you enter the Defiance
cabin against the express orders of the cap
tain?' The man answered, Il did," The
commander said to him, have nothing to
say for you, you ought to have been shot.
He is a stern old fellow; he said to the Peru.
Wan commandant, II tell you, sir the Ameri
cans are our brothers--children of the same
fathers--and we are bound to protect them in
the absence Of their national vessels; and, heed
YOU. sir, tell you in plain words, If you re
move that man from his vessel will play HI
with you"
The English are with us here, heart and
hand. This will cause serious troubles, think,
with our government and Peru, as the com.
mandant is the Oldest postcaptain in their navy,
and. from one of the most influential families in
the country. He is a very desperate man, with
no government over his passions. anticipate,
ere long, seeing the stars. and stripes flying at
the Chincha Islands and in the adjacent waters
hereabouts.
CALLAo, Sept. II, 1883.
A steamer leaves here to-day with our minis
ter Mr. Clay, bound for the Cmncha Islands,
to demand the release of Capt. McCerran. Much
excitement is caused here upon this subject.
| expect to leave here about the 18th or 10th for
~ JOHN R. CONGDON,
".. Barqne Hannah Thornton.
EpucArIoN.- beautiful passage occurs
in a late article in Frazer's Magazine: