The Hillsdale standard. [volume] (Hillsdale, Mich.) 1851-1909, 1853-08-30
THE KOssTA AFFAIR.
BY an officer on Board the st. Louis---From tn
Correspondent Of the Cincinnati Gazette.


In regard to the affair at Smyrna, which is
creating so much talk throughout Europe, and
which has been so much misrepresented, am
happy to have it in my power to send you an
account Of the matter from an officer on board
Captain Ingraham's vessel the st. LOUIS
The letter has just come to hand and hasten
to send it YOU 1t is from Passed Mdshipman
Charles b. Smith, of st. Louis, Mo-, to his
brother DR.. Smith, now in Paris, who has
kindly placed the letter at my disposal. The
letter says:
"We arrived at Smyrna Turkey in Asia)
the 23d of June, Immediately on our arrival
our Consul camo on board and informed Capt.
Ingraham that the Austrian Consul had in q
most shameful manner seized upon the body
Of Martin Eossta, q Hungarian refugee, upon
whose head Austria had set great price,
The young man in question had belonged to
Kosspths suite, and whilst obtaining paper
from the New-York State authorities, decar-
ing his intention of becoming a citizen of the
United States. He left the United States af-
ter staying there five months, and came to
Smyrna, where on tho 22d of June, whilst sit
ting i'm cafe, he was seized by three Greek
hirelings of the Austrian Consul, and in most
outrageous manner taken on board an Aus
trian brig -of-war which was in the port at tho
time, to be taken to Trieste.
Our Captain Immediately boarded the brig
and demanded to see Kcssta At first he was
told he was not on board; bat finally he visited
tho Austrian Consul and told him that he rouid
see him, that he beloved him to be an Ameri-
can citizen and if so, that he would have him
at all hazards. lie got to see Kossta, and as
ked him many questions, among which he as
ked him, ''When he left the United Statesp
"Why he did sop and "If he were an Ameri-
can citizenP To those questions he replied.
81 came to Smyrna to settle--I am not an A
merican." This was, in the presence of the
Austrian officers. Nothing then could DO
done. But Capt. Ingraham was not satisfied
as Kossta held paper swearing his intention
to become a citizen of the United States. He
wrote Immediately to our Minister at Constan-
tnople, who replied in a very indecisive and e.
vasve letter. The Captain again wrote to him
Mr. Brown, (Mr Marsh is absent)
On the 3Oth of June letter was sent on
board from the shore, signed "Humanitas,"
praying in pleading terms for the Interference
of our Captain for KoSsta.
As Capt. Ingraham had not received a Sec
ond reply from our Minister, Mr.. Brown, he
was determined that the man should not be
conveyed by steamer to Trieste until Mr.. b.
had replied. We Immediately got under way
and stood down, anchoring near the brig, foar-
ing she might unknown to us, send Kossta on
board the steamer, as il was our intention,
should he bo taken on board, md the steamer
put to sea- to 60 after her and release him.-
OF course protests against his removal were
made by our Consul and Captain to the Aus
trian Consul, under whose directions the Cap
tain of the Austrian brig was acting.
'In the meantime, an Austrian schooner of
war came into port. Next morning early, our
Captain received letter (from Mr.. Brown,
suppose-the lettor does not state) authorizing
him to take Kossta, be it by force, the letter
stating that Kossta, being an outlaU, and hol-
ding the paper he did, he necessarily belonged
to the United States. Capt. Ingraham imme-
diately boarded the brig and demanded to see
Kossta, and asked him again, care you an A
merican:" 81 ann ADO you demand pro-
lection of the American flag" 81 do."-
"1hen you shall hare IT," (The reader will
recollect that this part of the affair is omitted
in the English accounts)
This time the Captain saw Kossta alone;
before, it was in the presence of the Austrian
Captain, and he thought from the manner in
which he made his replies, that he was fright
ened.
Capt. Ingraham then informed the Austrian
Captain of the letter he had received, and of
course his orders: and added, that he would
give him four hours to deliver kossta up.
The Austrian Captain replied, at rests with
the Austrian Consul At 0 o'clock, tho A
mercan Consul came on board and told Capt.
Ingraham to lengthen the time, whereupon
letter was sent, giving till 4 o'clock, Z. Nj.
This was on the Cd of July. At IL o'clock,
A. NJ, we cleared ship for action, as did the
Austrian brig, schooner, and two steamers
We mounted twenty guns, four sixty-eght
Founders and sixteen thirty-two Founders; the
Austrian brig sixteen thirty-two carronades,
the schooner ton twelve pound carronades.
All preparation was made, and thousands flock
ed to the shore to witness the fight. We
carried 200 men; they had in all 240. A
committee of gentlemen on shore, not wishing
to sec bloodshed-and indeed it would have
been hard fght-called upon tho Austrian
Consul, and the matt3r was arranged by deliv-
ering Kossta up to the care of the French
Consul, vino is responsible for his body. to be
delivered only by the agreement of the Aus
trian and American Consuls So the matter
now rests with the two governments These
are unvarnished facts of the occurrence.
"At 4 o'clock, L. NJ, Kossta was landed, a.
mid Tho cheering of thousands for "America
and Kossta.' Parties were given, and the
hospitalities of the whole town extended us;
there were no persons ike the American
That samo evening, after Kosstas deliverance,
a steamboat filed with ladies and gentlemen
came near our ship, serenading us and shout
ing deafening cheers for our "fiag."