Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1854-08-02
The Destruction of SAN Juan.

: OaPt. ilollns. The Cyane arrived at Ureyeowl
on the It'll Of July, with orders from the Execu
tive to enforce the payment of claim OF ga ;OOo
made by the Steamship Company, and demand
l redress for an insult to the Hon. Scion Borland
our late Minister to Central America. cores
pendent of the New York Herald, writing from
San Juan on the 18th ult., says;
The authorities here treated every attempt Il
an amlcable adjustment of the difficulty with in
suit and disdain. So, on the morning OF the 18th
we sent party on shore to capture their arms
and ammunition, and issued proclamation giving
them twenty -four hours to come to terms, or we
would blow the town down in the meantime the
commander Of an English war schooner entered a
protest against our proceedings; and Captain liol
Inns informed him that he was sorry ne must dis
regard said protest. but he intended to carry out
his instructions, and obey orders at all hazards,
and that ii the demands were not paid IN twenty
four hours, he would commence operations.
On the morning of the 18th, the inhabitants OF
The town left, and took TO the woods, leaving all
their property behind them. At nine O'Clock, the
twenty-our hours having expired, we hauled a.
breast of the town, and opened fire on 1t from
our sarboard battery, and continued firing several
hours, every shot taking effect; we shot away
, their 1lar staff, and down came the ensign; but
the houses being frame we could not do much IN
jury, therefore we ceased firing and sent party
on shore to burn the town, and in few hours the
whole place was in ruins. San Juan is now one
heap of smoking ashes.
neglected to say that the English vessel see
ing we were in earnest, left in tow OF small
steamer which had Just arrived She goes TO
Port ROYAL to report the fact to the squadron -
! We sail on Monday next for Pensacola or Boston
Another account says the inhabitants did not
believe that the town was to be demolished pill
laeed and burnt Most of the English went for
protection on board Of the British war schooner
Bermudas, Capt. Jolly, lying in the harbor. Mr..
Fabins, United States Agent, together with SIX
or seven of the Americans, sought protection under
the flag of the United States on board ct the Cy-
ane; and the remainder of the inhabitants OF Grey
town, including all Of the French and natives, to-
gether with few English and Americans. lett
the place during the night and morning preceding
its destruction. They all encamped together on
| the shore Ia the woods about mile distant. Not
anticipating the entire demolition OF the town BY
bombshells and torches, they took but little other
effects with them. All the property left was de-
s,royed Consequently the houseless inhabitants
were in great suffering for the want of food and of
infrmants left They had stretched up sheets for
tents. and many were obliged to sleep In the open
air. without the least shelter, and were half fam
ished for the want of food A brig laden with pro-
visions. which had just arrived as the lombard
ment commenced. has probably supplied them
The amount of property destroy by this bonn
| bardment is stated to be half million of dollars.
| Greytown consisted OF about eighty houses,
nearly all built of wood. and by far the greater
proportion Of them constructed in the United
States and taken there On shipboard. One Of
these-Lyon's hotel-cost SIS, 200. Not more
than one fourth of the houses in the new part of
the town. which has been built since 1850, were
occupied They have heretofore been occupied,
| but were deserted from business considerations
some time previous to this affair. The popula-
ton of Grevtown consisted of about five hundred
persons altogether; ofwhich number ten or twelve
we're from the United States. about twenty-five
were Englshmen, and twelve Frenchmen and
Germans. The remainder of the population were
Jamaica negroes and natives.
The following account is given ofthe difficulty
between Mr. Borand and the inhabitants Of the
town, during a passing visit there on his way
home from Central America, in May last:
This difficulty it will be remembered, origi
mated in misunderstanding between Capt. L. L.
Smith of the steamer Routh, and party of ma
tives, which resulted in Capt Smith shooting one
of them. The authorities sent party on board
the Routh. to arrest the Captain, and Mr.. BOr-
land, being on board the Northern Light, then in
port, proceeded with party OF Americans and
used force in resisting the arrest. MIR. Borland
subsequently went on shore, when the house he
stopped at was mobbed, and an attempt made to
arrest him, but the Mayor interfered ana prevent
ed his arrest, but stone was thrown and struck
him in the face by some of the excited people,
He was also compelled to remain on shore all
night, by the mob who surrounded the house
The arrest of Captain Smith, had they succeeded
would have been equivalent to his execution as
the authorities were unable, if so disposed to have
protected him from the mob. 1t was this certain
result that induced Mr. Borland to interfere for his
protection, and subsequent disclosures have render
ed it apparent that Capt Smith was juStifable in
the course he had pursued for the protection of his
vessel. A party of Americans were enrolled by
! Mr.. Borland. before leaving San Juan, from on
| board the Northern Light, and left there for the
protection ofthe property of the Transit Company
and the American residents. The retribution is
one of great severity, but we are pleased TO see
that it was executed without loss Of life.
A communication on the subject, from several
| American citizens and resident merchants at San
Juan, appears in a New York paper of the Goth.
These gentlemen say that since the settlement of
the difficulty with the Transit Company harmony
as general thing had existed until Mr.. Borland
forbade the arrest Of n homicide, and interposed
himself officially to preventive officers of the town
from doing their duty, and afterwards haranguug
the excited crowd, applying to them the most
abusive epthets.
MOVEMENTS FOR THE ACQUISITION OF CUBA.
"A despatch from Washington on Thursday last
says:
The signs Of the times indicate great and i'm
portant events in embryo. In March last the
President sent documents relating to the Spanish
difficulty to the House of Representatives, ac-
companied by message asking for enlarged
powers TO redress grievances. The documents
and message have since rested quietly with the
Committee on Foreign Affairs, that body finding
nothing in the papers to justify hasty Legislation
or anything that could not be easily arranged by
negotiations From that time it is thought that
the Administration has desired to have another
war message, but no opportunity has offered until
recent movements in Spain seemed TO open the