, 1860-03-30
AN INTEtLIGIRLE ACCOUNT OF
THE VAR IN THE GULF.
Arrival CT tic Prize xeea1ner l1nrquea
Dc IIabauA.


The steam propeller Marques dc uabaua. late |
captured By Captain Turner, OF the United
amc up tha river yesterday and anchored near
laughter houscIoint, below the city. Shortly
fter she came to anchor, We boarded her, and |
Terc politely aud kindly received BY Lieutenant
'aylor, who has the Marques in charge, witt. a
'rizc crew OF twenty men detailed from tue Sd
'annah and Sura:ogu. The Marques left Vera |
rug, on the day after her capture. for this purt.
tut one Of her engines falling to work, Lisusen-
mt 1ay !or was compelled to rely upon the re-
naming eng inc and her sails. She proved TO be
pretty good sailor, md reached the mouth Of
Nc river day before yesterday: The MiEanaon
otowed her, and will probably be in port to- 4
. Ihe: Marques is not very prcposse,sing |
looking craft. especially ou bsatd, her decks |
being sill numbered with the debris, filth and |
confusion. cseatrd By her recent owners, by
her crowded condition, and the confusion 10. |
Judge to be about eight hnndred tons. She
is we'll ma.ted and SPARED, mil has hjgl!
bulwarks. like ships OF war. She has quar- |
ter deck, quite high up from the main deck. |
Her build and style are English, aud we learn
that she WAS bnllt in Canada. whence size was
sent to Havana, and there bought by Mica.
mons agent. She is obviously au old and not
very valuable vessel, and was only 1t for an
enterprise in which there WAS great hszaFd-
She has no equipment, and was entirely un-
prepared for conflict. Her only 1rmS we're
three old Engiish-1n1le cannons, uumounted,
one eighteen and two nine FOUNDERS The
gun carriages to mount these cannous lay near
them, on tho main deck, in confused pile, with
other rubbish. There we're, NC learn, NO small
arms Oh board the Marques when captured
There was but one single mark Of the broadside
of the Satutoya noticeable on the Marques; q
.hirty-two pound ball entered her bulwarks
about midsaips, on the st4rboard, and pissed
L -. I-s1
hole, il it had been cut with circular saw. In
its passage Ills ball carried of ba:h legs of III
unfortunate American who, In an erll hour,
doubtless under the pressure Of some desperate
stress Of fortune, had enlisted in Marin's enter
prise. It is remarkable tia. he WIS the only
person on the Marques who was killed, aud he
was the only American in her crew. b. b1ed
to death lying in his bunk, which, with his
blankets, Is still to be seen, saturated with lis
blood, within few feet Of where he received
his death wound. Thcuame Of This unfortunate
man was not known to any on board. His
trunk will be opened when the United states
Marshal obtains possession OF the ship, in order
to obtain some clue as to Lis identity. The rest
Of the crew were Spaniards, Mextcans, Ger
maus and EnsliShu1en. There were twenty Of
shem held az prisoners, IN the forcnstle OF tile
vessel. They were iroued, Il rigor which was
deemed necessary by the commander, in vicw
of their equality in number With hi prize crew.
fotlorn, though they we're certa'aly u very mon
gre1 and untavorah!e looking set- The majority
IT them seemed to be of the very lowest class of
spanish, Portuguese and Mexican sailors+
There were, however. among them tao OF three
melancholy looking Germans, who did not seem
to relish the discomfosts Of their lot, nor to
manifest an appreciation Of the society OF their
| swurly companions from, more Southern
cline. In contrast with our bold, vigorous,
| weti-ftd Jack Tar*, this mongrel crew Ger
t''"'v presented very pitiful and piratical
| aspect.
rruu. conversation with The officers in com
n,and Of this prize we learned, in addition to
what has alrcady been published, that Aa.in's
ships we're not tired iuto until they had com.
menced firing, With rlu>ketry :nd IN eighteen
FOUNDER, into the fndiunola and Waye, steam
ers in the employ Of our squadron, wnich had
approached aud hailed the Niramon. to usccr-
tim her character and demand that she should
maud Of Capt. Dryson, Of the United S'ates
s!oop-of.war PIeble, and the Ware Of Lieut..
Canard, of the United Suites frigaie Savannah.
| Tie ludiancla il the stuamer owned by General
Gocouria, whth has been ensaged in tlle trade
between this city and Vera Cruz, and has re-
Gently been chalt.red by the Juarcz Govern.
ment- The Wave is pilot Steamer. They
were both chartered tu tow the Saratoga 10 4Ai-
ton Lizsrslo, to ascertain the character and pur.
poses Of MHrin@s squadron. A strong force ol
sailors aud marines, under the officers na I'd
were detached from the Savannah aud l'rctie
10 man these steamers, which, On the attempt
| Of Narin's ships to escape tie Savannah, WeEt
ordered by Captain Turner to intercept and te
! gure them to bring to. Huwirzers wcrc pacet
| On the Indiauo!a and W4yc, euti the sailors anC
marines were armed with tho Minnie rifle.
AS the American steamer approached t6'
Miramon, aud 1o:d1y hailed her, Il volley 0
mussetry w.s fired from llsr decks into the mel
/ IT. ,f liza 3.sEf.
| Wave bo.h returned the fire, and the Miramon
| in ealcavoriBS to escape from them, pas+ct
sitl.in point blank shot If tue Saratoga. whicl
immediately opened her batteries, and swept TIL
| Miratnon's decks with 4 larhcartl broaa>ide, .
the same lime lcliv eriug her sta1board brou.!
side into Marques de llabaua. The Nitan1o'
continued to fight fo- SOME time, her pivot tnr
| ward gun befn., well manned ard bundled. IT,
officer in command Of this qua, seeiau tie hope
lessaess Of aug luttt4cr tei;s..ance. refused I
continue the fight, waereupol, it is sAi.l, l.a vi,
se. npon by sl'c desperate crew with knives au
badly wounded. Finally, however, after hasin
some thirty cdd Of her crew killed and woundet
she ceased al resistance, was boarded by dt
taclln,ent fran the lndianola, ard taken posses
sion Of By Captain l.rJson
In Tue TWO steamers of Marin there wera il
all about one hundred and sky men. NJ color
, | were shown on ei'ler steamer ult'l after ou
vessels lad been fired into. Spanish color
stands fully and {aisly justified, so far ss Oh
officers are concerned, without reference to tn
question OF political aAd pa:onal law :ouchin
: the right 10 seixs and intercept these vessel
they committed the first violence. fired the iir:
, shot, wounded American citizeo1 on the deci
Of cur own ships, aad were justly punished an
| trea,cd is pirates ani frecbooters. It will
J wurse than vain or toolisl. for the Spanish al
.horitics to comp'uin Of the insult to their 1a
i'll this utr4r. Their seyersl dispatches Ill
protests to Captain Jarvis will be treated wit
, little attention aud respect. The other Office
of the foreign vessels at Vera Cruz, iuelud1n
the British and the French commanders, a
Commo lore.
[ttom the New ot;esas r1ca7uae. N.:sa 81
!, The United States prize stuia.,-r Murques {
la I1abana has 70; YET broken cargo. No o,
: knows what she has OF board, not ereu II
r prisoners or officers in Command. II is on
! known taat she is deeply laasn. The probab
ity is, therefore, that she bus still valuable IL
terials Of war, cannon, powder, shot and shell
. 1T least, stored away below. Some inasir
even that she may cven have specie hiddt
: away.
Tie vessel herself is in perfectly sound co
] dition, with the exception Of single cannt
. shot through her sides Sic is apparently abo'
probably designed for the st. Lawrence lunsl
trade. She is rery long, clear, and firmly bui
: like the lumbernen OF that river, nnd eve
, | bears on her sides the marks Of having OH
been employed in that business.
The engines, at all events, reTe built at A1o
treel. They are said to be very valuable and
j. | excellent condition. Altogether, the hull =:
= engines are estimated Ia be worth $40 .o11
e $4,000. Should it turn OUT now that the car:
is really US valuable Al hy some supposed, Il
q prize will "cut up pretty a:' for the eaptors
uet less than s12d,ooe to $500
The steamers original name is rot know
= nor anything Of her history before she eau
/ into the possession Of the Cuban Goverrme
;, as ma steamer. She then bo;e as lo: nas1
| the title of tie late Captain General Camel
Z Marques de la Habnua. This, however, is d
: now to be seen. 1t Was probably erased aft
q sailing from Hayana, when she was the thi
a time chris:ened, Santa Anna-" This Is h
last aud proper name.
, 1t the time Of her capture, the Santa All
:. had large quantity ot coal en- board. and
j.. still, after making the round trip from Uavan
e:a Sisal, Vera Cruz and Anton L'zardo. amp
: provided. 1t IS Of rery poor quality, and :"
: | doubtless purchased cleap ct llayaua-
, The General Mirauon is, VIC understand,
much less valuable steamer. Slc was also ve
bac1y injured during the engagement At AMI
+ | Liz .rdo. Her cargo also is believed 10 be vel
| valuable. though ii Is stated that everything I
| deck was tnruwa overheard whea it was SET
| the steamer must become prize This r
:. Commodore Marin's fig ship, and it there VI
4 anr specie on board, it doubtless went over to
: THE T1IQUALEs O< THE TExA
:, FKWS7IkIa.
| "
= | Official Correspondence Between Go
= xIuu.tut, aud the Sccrcsufy OF War.
Present State Of Affairs.