Washington sentinel. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1853-1855, 1854-08-22
The Greytown AffaIr--statement of the
Crew OF the Cyane.
From the Boston Herald. Angus,

From the Boston Herald, August 49,
The following statement, prepared by the
crew OF the Cyahe, was brought to our Office by
several of the gallant tars belonging to that
vessel, who earnestly desired its publication in
the Herald. 1t seems to have been written in
a candid and manly spirit.
Mr.. EDIToR-Sir: Excuse the great liberty
we take in addressing you these lines; but as
we have read, in the Boston papers, the incor-
rect account of the burning of Nicaragua, we
think it our duty, as American seamen, to rep
resent the affair as it really took place. Our
ship was sent to Nicaragua to obtain redress
for the burning of the Companys store-houses
and the insults offered to our consul, who had
a bottle broken over his head. Accordingly as
we understand, matters were offered to be ami
cably arranged, if they would agree to pay for
the burning of the point, and twentyfour hours
was given them to consider about it; also send
ing two steamers to remove the effects belong
ing to all foreign residents, land, in fact to any
other persons or property over to the Amer
can side for safety. But it appears that the In
habtants Of Greytown are nothing more than
set of rascally cut-throats, who sought only to
lay hold of the passengers bound to and from
California, and entice them to their dens of vii
lany, where they were soon stripped Of all they
possessed. And we do not doubt for an in
slant but that the enlightened and Christian
community will consider their fate as Just re-
,tribution for the crimes they have committed
1t is said that we fred red hot shot at the town,
which is false.
Previous to the bombardment a small party
of seamen and marines landed, under the com
mand of our first lieutenant, and proceeded to
the guard-house, and in the face of two or
three hundred armed men, brought off three
cannon, besides all the small arms and ammu-
milton we could find about the place, without
their daring to prevent or interrupt us. We
could not knock down the place, as the houses
were all built of wood and bamboo, therefore
we landed party ofSeamen and marines and
burned the town; sparing, however, good
many OF the small huts belonging to some of
the poorer sort of the native Spanish people
who were pointed out to US as having had no
hand in the transactions. There was an Eng
lsh man-of-war schooner lying there at the
time; and we can assure you, that if there had
been sloop ofwar, or even frigate, and they
had attempted to prevent us by force, we should
have given them as good a drubbing as we gave
the pirates. Our ship carries a heavy battery
four sixty-eight and sixteen thirty.two Founders,
commanded by q Grave and experienced officer,
in whom we could place all confidence Ali
our officers, in fact, are brave men and practi.
cal seamen, and a crew, that has been used to
the smell of gunpowder. Therefore, it would
have been hard matter for ship of the same
metal, or even larger, to have attacked us with
IMMUNITY. 1t hurts US exceedingly to read the
slurs that are thrown out against our captain
and officers, who only did as they were ordered,
executing the same in as humane manner as
could be expected. We request that you will
insert this in the columns of your paper, to stop
any further talk of the affair.
We remain, respectfully, your most humble
servants,
THE CREW OF THE CYANE.