, 1860-03-28
The Capture Of Miramon's Cleaners.


-
DEFE-,*cRs OF rEn.1 CRUZ,
lFFom IL. no. r.cayr-t, nst.7
STATEMENT OF PRISONERS.
Four Of the prisoners, Robert Da3tz. Leon
Anosi, Arthur Comfy aad Jean Durand. all
FEencnmcn, have made statement Of the whole
affair. They testify that they shipped at la
Fana on bonrd tue steamer Gen. Mtran,on, then
known as C"Ereo No. l, ca the 3Gt., Of Fcbru-
arg. They were to hare a months nav in ad
vince, another months pay on their arriyal on
the Mexican coast, and j free passage back
again to Havana.
They sailed from Havaoa th. aG:h Of Febru.
airy, under the Spanish DAG. After th:y got out
side, however, the Mexican Tag was raized,
The crew now demanded their pey in advance.
according to promise, but li.i no: .et it. TLe
ne1t two days nothing Of importance occurred.
The third day tho Marques de Ia labaoa broke
down, and they were obliged to put into Sisal.
Here it was that they fell in With tic Spaai4h
mail steamer Mexico. from Vera Crrz, and
bound 10 Iaranc- Siguals were exchanged,
nil shouted, '* Hu7rah fnr Miramon."
This, say the prisoners, was tie first intirna-
t;on they had Of The character Ct the expedition
They did not esen know that they carried male
rials Of war. The cAnnons, small arms, snlmu-
milton, &C., we're slowed away below, ou: Of
sight.
The next day, however, the guns we're mount
ed, nud both steamers perfectly fitted up Us
mon -oe-war. New clothingwas also distributed i
among the crew, bearing the name of Ccu,
Miranon, in gold leaf. Some Of the crew al.
first refused to change, bat all finally yieliel
per force.
On their approach to Vera Cruz they Tell in
with vessel from which they learned that the
city w:s besieged- Cannonading had bsen
heard the morning before. The guns we're nvw
charged aud manned, AID orders issued to
lower the Mexican flag. At first, lhe prisoners
say, they thought the English coiors were to be
during the late iete, in the harbor of 1Ia=ana.
Tits, Of course, was not done. Eo:h STEAMERS
made their appearance before Vera Cruz, US be-
fore staied, without sny colcss whatever. The
captain said it was not necessary
TIE ExrEn11loS EEFoEr VERA CRrz.
The steamers c s,ne i'll sight Of Vera Cruz
little tc ere noon the mornlng Of the 9Th. At
l.! II. they were signa'ed from the castle as sus-
pic:ous steamers. Ghsr approached the town
from the sea, :ud IS if t,um tie north, and
missed directly u1drr the castle. 4 sho: from
tic fortress ordered them to come to and show
their culors- They gave it no heed. The Z.
s. s!oop- -oEuar Sayaunah YVES then anchored
near the caatlc. She also sigoaled the steamers
to si,ow their calors. ThsT :1rc no more heed
to her, however, tlaa they did to the castle,
but pursued their COURSE, past sAcS'ticios, d.
the Freach, Spanish and English mea of-war
we're a!t anchored; but there SEEMS to hare
been no communication :si,h them, nor, iudrel
did they appear 10 no:ice the suspicious resse='
PURSUIT OF THE STEAMERS.
As b:fore stated, Capt. Jarvis Immediately
ordered Capt. Tuner, ot The Saratoga, to 70 ia
pursuit. The Saratoga got under way 1t half
past eight in the evening. She YVES toWeI down
BY Gen. Goicomla's steamship lndianota, Capt.
flanders, trcm this port. and the steamer Wave,
also M AtaericHn vessel, but for sumc time ,a:t
Ct ass ste amer. Each Of them he'd two guns and
acue eighty nlcn on beard. i portion Uf these
were uAiigu Stutes marines, Grtescd thereon,
from the Savannah aud Preble, for the OCCASION
ARRIVAL AT'ASIOS SLIzAaDo-rARTlccLAEs OF TIE
WHOLE ENGAGEMENT.
Tae three veEsrls arrived 1t Anton Liza,tlo I
It.l. be(ure midnight. This is yerF safe bur
bur. som. iiftcea milcs below Vera Cruz, and
vel l.olccted By reefs en- every side licre
Airamon had previously hoistcd II flag to irti-
catc the place Of rendezT0Es. Both steamers
sill! hal s:caul up, ind seemed 10 have taken
po:i tisu as j! to make good their escape, if pur-
sued. o. the arrlya, however, Of the Sarato::t,
they we're Lusijy en5Hged communicating Win
tic shore, aiiJ. though tie rsuon was Shining
clear Us day, did nut SEE her approach till too
LATE. Taey were orcadfu'ly frightened. aud did
nut se.m TO be decided ut first what cours.. 10
PURSUE In the meantime, the Slra:n.A sent
out i smell boat 10 dent3rd 1f,er uatlan4.ty.
they tired npo3 it twscv, ~ before stated. The
Saratoga then opened u b:uA.ls'de upon tie
Gsu. Mi1Anuu, on beard Vi WHICH MAS Com.
Marin, and Game near siukir. il.T ct the first
shot. The steamer returned the shot, but, in
the iaa::H;iule cot uhIcr way, uaturll!y anxious
10 get ou. Of 81 hot place. The 1ndiaaoa par
srssi is'd soon came up with I:sr. Tire tira-
Iuou showed fight, but liz indiano:a returned
her FIRE, und tEaly buartied her Ct the t,oiut ct
the b.yonet. Il was il. this engagement tl,e.
tic 1ntiAno!2 had her pIu:-hnu.t carried AMY
t.: cannon sl.u:. She alEo Received ether $i.dt
damages, but uOthDy to Ill u3r Tay disable itr.
scr dues aur one OIL board nppea: 10 have bse:,
wsnaIed, except Cell GIic9ura, who recrirtd
a slight naunl o1 oil :cf Lis fl1nJs.
White Ail this Was going Gil, the Saratoga WAS
paying her Eest tects 10 tt. A:l,;uc, de Ii iiab.-
III. Ini6 Tas ihc vss:el wl.ca etearc,l from
H.vaua - spa:larsi- She did rot o:lrr much
rrsi,tance. s'uye slet i1oln ill.,: Saratoga
brought her to, and then ior TIC first .1lnr sIis
bcistcd the Spanish h4x-
E!:This uGair hAisGcl, tic Wave, unt;l nor in
attendance on TIC Saratoga, went IL the aid o.
tn. IrtiAuo:a, iruu, wtlirh the ten. M:ransuu
WAS making i desperate cii1:, to csc1pr, after
orce bein;; boarded. ln Lcr iiiyl.t, however,
surrendered without Resistance. She was E.t
Scticn oil, Luwcvcr, till two Gays after. ards,
and lllrn only b.: lhc aid uf her euusu,t, tI..
Marques 1e Ia 1labaua. She was finally tt.wed
i'to Vera Cruz Ly ike utiial,el. while sa Mar
qaes de la Uabana ha4 the nne1nA ctea hnnor CT
Istn:n'as, tic compliment, BY LOWING bas& the
Saratoga.
VINO DID TIE FIGHTING.
The French pris7nsrs above n.eati3ucd &c.
~ 4 1. s,t.,. T. II
tured STEAMERS WAS doEe principally by tue eti-
cc:s 10 command. They charged and dis, harsed
the canaon with their nwa la4hs, and did mos.
Of the lighting In this, however, they had tao
assistance OF six or. eight ether otlic-rs who
c1ale cn board the steamers i1l;ne neliateIv after
they nude the bnrbor- These last, as, JUDGED,
all the officers, are said to Lave biustsre.l con-
s'deEably ut first. parading themselves On the
deck with drawa swords, but finally to haze
fought brasely. Marin, il particular, fought
like tiger.
KILLED, wos:;ncD AND rE1sOSEES-cAPT. TueS-
ER's INTERVIEW WITH NAElS.
The number Of prisoners captured Is 20.
stated, mud but few o{ their natslcs are tiyca.
The two steamers are said 10 have had 25j men
on boart!, aud int few escaped. Besides, ell Of
ti,a'e who cantt On board At Anton Lizasdo were
taken.
The number Of killed and wounded was about
a., The torme. aze said to hare been thrown
oyerbo1td at once. The latter were first taken
on board the SaratoSa aud afterwards to Vera
Cruz.
Oh the 80 men, three fourtbs at least arc be.
licsed 10 be Suautarda. The res: were Tlcnch,
Fursusu"sc, Americans aud Coolies from Ma
lila. They were most Of them, doubt
less, iSnor!nt Of the real nature Of the expe-
diiou.
The FIRST engineer OF the Marques de la uaba.
na was al American. lie WAS killed by y shot
rom the Saratoga
The tirs. engineer ofthc General aIi-annn
was !: Fscrchnap. lie was elso killed. The
second engineer, also Frenchman, WAS at lust
accouats still at his; posi-, but untcr the cou;-
masd Of an American engineer.
Amcpg the prisoners uiore particularly men.
Toned arc Sr. Rafael and the Able Cbaudrun,
well known at Vera Cruz. The all.importan!
c:nsive, however, IL Commodore 34rin him.
self.
GAIT. TCRxEE's INTERVIEW WITH xA.1x,
When Siarin caue On board the Saratoga.
Captain Turner asked him why be lad thus tir-
Cd upoa American vessels. without any proyucs-
lion whatever, and in violation Of every raI. If
honorable warfare.
Na-ia replei that his men were COMPOSED Of
a'l sorss Of people, had been but receniiy ship
ped, we're badly disciplined and could rot Be.
controlled. lie confessed that lie knew tue Sar-
H. - - -