, 1860-04-03
MEXICO.
OFFICIAL AcCpCNT Of THE ClPTERE OF
THE SPANISH EulPs.
Report OF Captain TuFEcr.

Orr vrnA crrz, Ms1:es, I; CT ia Mh0 i.o.}
To Captain Jostph J1rris. Commanding q. s.
81 ip S4raAnuA. --
Sin: 0a tho morning Of the 9Th Instant two
large steamers appeared oil the harbor Of Vsra
Cruz, without my flAy being hoisted, although
= gun was fired from tue castl~ and the Mexican
Lag run up ut the same time to- Induce them to
90 So, Tneey were eridently confederates, as
!ney were hove to for spfpe ti!ne cQumunicat
ing with each other. After several hours. md
alter communicating wi,h the Spanish vessels
q war at sHcT!6rior5 which sent out s-boat ts,
t2en, they stood down the coast in tbe direction
OF a TON L'zirto: You directed ne mediate
y to = ace my ship il tow Of the small ssean,ers
hsfe. ite Wave aud the fndianola,: whicl, we're
rtaced'at your disposal, to follow them and to
ascertain their character, where they were from
OF what n"t'nn, where they fitted out, and what
was their utject upon this coast. and to renort
TO. Jou the result OF tae.e inquiries with all
'pract1cahe .dispatch:~ In obedience to these
orderst left here ubout sunset in two Of these
Tessels, gu board Of which p!accd.a detacI,-
ment OF about tAirtv-t,ve men and marines. in
casc they might 50 into shoal Of water, where
my sh'P, with ler large draucht, could not fdl.
10" auu communicate with them. The detacb.
mert on board the'Wave was commanded br
Lieutenant Joel Il: S. Lkennard, Of the <;aEan-
nah, accompanied by Midshiptnan Vim White.
commanded by Lieutenant Andrew Drvsou. Of
tie c2rve:te l'rrbse, accompanied BY Muster JOS
y. Miller, OF the same resse1, Lieutenant Andrew
i. Hays, Of the Marine Guard Of tue Savannah.
anu Lieut.. julius E. Metre, Of th: Marine Guurd
Of tue shio., lprocesded down tie coast, max
direct for Anton Lizar,io, fifteen miles distant:
where expected 10 find them. About mid
night .t~o large vessels were reported at
anchor at Anton Lizardo. | stood directly
for them* | h:sd directed my pilot to anchor
NE immediately between the two IT stcls. At
tue moment when I lad uearly reached tbis
point. mud The tow .was cast ol,. hoth the little
steamers being thead Of me, they hailed and
reported that tue large sseaner Of .tLe twp was
+ aader way, and ED saToriug to escape through
the southern passage. | ,ia:lel, aud ordered
thens-to nnrsnt lin, and to get IN board If pcs
=ib:e, as was ordered to communicate with tue
senior 0tlcrE, WHO l. isupposed was On },ourd this
vessel. At tue SINE moment fred j. al1ot
Ghesd Of him to br.ng him to. As soon as they
got close to him. which was but aiex ploment5,
10 my extreme astou isbmens, he opened a heavy
lire Of great gucs and mussetzy upon them, and
It was repu!'ed 10 me pt tue same time; thar the
other steutner vas slipping l1er cable I imme-
diatetJ ssye hin, a bioadaide, as had uot tie
remotett doubt Of bis being ia completely with
and under the orders Of the officer of tie other
steamer; and ! mas ueraid be would 20 to his
lssstance, 10. which easel should haye been Oh
liged to recall my Tss- els or to have witnessed
their capture Or destruction; aud rs be had tue
audse1ty TO fire into me without any proroca
J. ton whatever, was determined 10 seize him il
could. lie ran up the Spanish flag a. soon Us
hres. In the meantime the larger steamer
was ho1ly'cpgsged with the forces on board my
two mite ste.nieEs ia running fight. Finding
t4at ne could not get out of the southern
passage he immediately changed ilis cours, put
lis lead 10 the northward. mud passed inside If
uie to gam the northern passage, and to keep
out of the way uf my gut.s, followed be my ,ves
sell, warmy engaged with him Ill the time, lie
"as evidently tho fast for '4n wus xuininx
upon Them. As be Shut atead Of them, I got a
gun to bear upon him, and SHOT away his smoke
stack. l found Low that il was impossible to
hrew'ssiout dantez to MY vessels, US they were
III together. The chase. W4s confined in tho
midst Of d hot 6rc on either side | could not
but admir-, at this moment, the daring ratlap.ry
Of these line fellows coe,ending with 10 sur.rior
'".ce. They closed in upon uud rraIplcd
with him. III sl'no Of ilij cffofts t0 shake ,hem
ne ran his vessel ou shore; Ut all eyents,
pressed closely by them she grounded, which,
WAS Eot aware Of at the time. They werc
1lca dlntant about mite from ny ship, and
MY anxiety was intense for their. safe:r.' !
eou!d aaotd them no possible a,I. My. three
largest CATERS were inboard, and before could
hare DaanEtd my boats aud got 10. them
the ALTAR would have been ended. I was moi.
howeser, kept long IN susp use, for almost M
niedldtcty l Aearu t41ce CHEERS. aud was in.
formed that they were boardin. ler over tlc
bows. which could be distinctly SEN by our
glasses.
now return to The steamer apchorcd close
TO me. While tue engagement continued be-
tween the o'her resB:ls. aud ut The moment they
we're passing this ship, the FIRST Lieutrn mt,
who was IN the poop, called to me 10 say that
this steaHer was 6ring musketrv, I t,irt:ctrd
again disl:'on VI guns "a be x,veu him. whic1,
was Done l then halted aud ordered him on
board, saying if b. did nut .7ht!y como on
board would send guard to bring lin. He
came tn board and informed ME. in auswe- 70
my inquiries, that his ship was The MARQUIS Of
uAvauu; that be had been employed by (.untain
Marin, who commanded rhe other ship, to trans
port stores "nd munitions Of war. and taat lie
was Spanish.
In the meantime had seut an officer to bring
Captain Marin on board. as xoon as be rpnch, &
my cabin, asked him how l,c had dared to ire
upon our vss'clS- liz replied unbe.ita,iur|y.
aud IN tue presence OF a witness, that when IL.
observed my vessels steamu. into the harhor,
he had informed his crew that be was sure tl,er
were American vessels. o-Wnr. uud ncsI.iyn:v
forbid them to fire; but that it wa mixed creg
Of various nations, having been but ryccnilr
taken on board, and not bc.ng get properly dix.
cirlined, he found it impossible to co:rof ti,r,u
observed In lisl bat it wus d great outrncr
for, which lie would hare to answer. and u bi,.n
he pretended mes. deeply TO reg,ct. ali If
"h!th knew To be untrue, becnuse duribS The
action he was distinctly hard caiIjnv on la
men TO board with him, Youu i'll perceive hnw
all tins conflicts viii. the accompany ing d=pcsi
tiOns Of four OF his crew.
It how becomes mY painful duty to sneak of
circumstance which las accustomed 1ne Tho
deepest concern and regret. at about two hours
as'er tue cnsa:cm5nt, a buat came alongside
learn I'm I41E{tr L., 81,
wounded, dressed i'll cssizcn'> dress Upon in
ouEy was informed it was General Law. of,he
aic11can army. Immediately l had him taken
to my cablo. 1t seems by his own account as
he relaxed it to TIE, that, ~ was about leaving
era Cruz. be wus sent off to the Intiaroia b.
hls government to obtain some Information a.
TO my movements, and tllut in the hurry and
confusion 10 getting and towing out, hi: boat
lett hm. Ine officers commanding these res.
sells had been particularly instructed by me IN
allow no strangers, or other than Americans. to
remain Oh board-no one but their crews, eu.
giueers and tresEen. As these we're all strun
gers, the officer in command could nat 3ist;n,
gul~h between them and other strange persons
ou board, aud did not know tina. Be was on
board until he saw him wounded. I,nmediatelv
on my arrival here sent lin in q CIT Ia the
Caste, where he now is. This officer, Lieutsn.
ant Br. son. is not to blame. lie knew nothing
Of his coming en- board, or OF his being on board
him to me.
On cur part, am glad to be able to rerort to
yon tie small lass our tesse]s sustained in hi.
enlargement. huye but one MIN mn.t.}iv
wounded, who is still slire; one seriously. and
several slightly. This is tile tnorr r.,ns able.
as the engagement 1asted from a hall 70 three
quarters Of an hour aud the firing was incessunt,
during that tine. But it must be rem, ulber.d
that it was at night On the part of these ncn.
pie the less was uuch Eore severe Twelve
we're brought On board my ship Severely wound.
cd, three Ut Which hare died. lcyc sent a;l
the otSersto The hospital un shore. Tie wouu,Is
Ill almost every case beirs by Mia1ie rifle bnI'
let's, are very severe. ! should hare remained
a. Anton t.'zardo until the General Miramnn
was got ahuat, but the doctor reauested ,na
to calne up a. once with the wounJct, whom he
said it was impossible 10 moro to auy other
vessel.
cannot close this dispatch, sir. without ex.
pressing my extreme satisfaction with the con
duct Ct al; The officers aud men Of the etpr.i,.
tim. Ny own officers aud nlep, who, unt;:rtu-
nat-ly, lnd but susu!l sha1c ia the eura.e-
n=n;. by their alucrity, activity and proInn,i.
tude to obey and execute orders, taucht M. to
feel with what confidence couli dc,;trt} unon
them if MY ship should ut anY time he callc1i to
defend the honor Of our fla. hare alrcadr
spoken of the conduct Of our officers and men
oil board the intiiaao'a aud Wuye. On their
part i:was hr'liaot atlair. hare o1i,tcd to
state thu! the vessel Of Capt. Marin, called the
General MirAulon, did hot hoist her cotors Ut
at any TIME before, during. or after the engage
tacnt, nnI that il WAS brit tinnt moon,i.ht MI it,
When he could hare most easity satisfied him.
self that lhc Saratoga- could net possibly have
been vessel belonging to any Mexican power
OF party ltare also tmist:a to state that the
clearance papers Of the Marquis Of fIarana GER.
tify to only thiriy-tlrce persons on boar!:
,yhIrca7 utn informed by rhn nfIicrr nou, j.,