The Nashville daily union. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1862-1866, 1866-05-27
BOMBARDmENT OF CALLAO.

BOMBARDMENT OF CALLAO.
Official Dispatch of Commodore
Rodgers TO the Navy Department..
The following very interesting &C.
count of the bombardment of Csllao
was received by the Secretary of the
Navy from Commodore Rodgers:
! UNITED STATE STEAMER VANDERBILT, J
AT SEA, May 10, 1866. !
To the Hon Gideon WeIleq, Secretary Of Tho Navy:
SIR: l have the honor To report that
on the 9th of April the Spanish Ad-
miral, Mendez Nunez, addressed let
ter To the Diplomatic Corps in Lima
declaring that the port of Calloa was
blockaded from that date; also ana
other, iustifying the course of Spain,
and announcing that he should give
neutral inhabitants four days to re-
move their persons and property preyi-
GUS to the bombsrdment of the city
| On the 30th of April Admiral Pear
! son anchored our men-of-wRr out of
! gun-Bhot Of the Notifications of Calloa
merchant vessels had some days before
taken up positions out of the way OF
! hostile operations.
1t was thought that the attack
! would commence on the lst of May,
when the time expired given to neu-
trails for removal. But on the ID of
/ May, about 10 o'clock a. NJ, the Span
ish feet got under way. Some time
was spent in dressing their lines, and
about IL o'clock the squadron moved
in two divisions to attack the defenses
of CallaO. The first division, under
Admiral Nunez-consisting of the iron
clad Numancia, of 1000 tons buFthen,
with the frigates Blanca and ResOlu-
ciOn-moVed along San Lorenzo island,
10 attack the batteries on the south
aide of Callao while the frigates Villa
de Madrid Berenguela and Almansa,
passing in front of the national and
merchant vessels anchored in the bay,
steamed at first slowly toward the Pc
ruvian batteries on the north side of
the city. As these vessels approached
they accelerated their speed, and ran
swiftly into position At fifteen min
ules after Y the first gun WAS fired,
thought from the Numaucia, quickly
followed 10y two from battery on the
south side
The Spanish fleet carried about 24O
guns, mostly 32pOunder5 The NJ
msncia was armed with 6S-pounders, as
was also the three gun corvette Vince
dora, which was held in reserve to tow,
if necessary, and also, ] presume, to
cover the transports.
The Peruvian batteries numbered in
the aggregate A guns-hve of them
45Opounder Blakeleys, and four Arm
strong guns 3OOpounders, mounted on
top Of IRON turrets the rest were 81
FOUNDERS.
Sand bags were extensively used in
making the batteries, 10 which were
added brick masonry and some Of
adobe
The firing soon became warm. About
/ o'clock the Villa de Madrid set her
jib and trysaiIs and ran out of the
fight She made signals, and was taken
in tow by the NiucedOra, with steam
| escaping abundantiy from below She
was soon followed by the Rerenguela,
listed over to one side, and with smoke
pouring from her ports. just before
she retired a puff of black dust had
| shot out at her water line, on the side
away from the batteries A ball had
gone through the coal bunkers,
! thought and through both sides. We
saw men over tho side, attempting to
patch with canvas the ragged hole,
which seemed some two feet square
The Almansa moved on to Join the first
division, engaged with the Southern
batteries. The Resolution and Blanca,
about 230, steamed away from the
southern division, leaving the Almanss
and NumauCia still engaged These
vessels drew of at fifteen minutes be-
fore ) O. clock, the Peruvians firing after
them as longas their guns could reach.
The action, fought under way by the
Spanisrds, was urged on beth gides
with courage and persistency. The
Peruvian guns, which Wero all en-bar-
rette, never ceased firing, and the Span
iards, believe, only left off when their
ammunition was exhausted.
The killed and wounded in the bat
teries were said to number about eigh-
ty. In the irOn-clad battery marked
No. 5, in the accompanying drawing, a
Shell tA IlCAACNA lHAAAAALk OblAFl A'OHNRAi
and disabling the guns.
BY this explosion Senior Galvez, the
Peruvian Minister Of War and Marine,
was bloEn to pieces. Next to the Die.
tator in power, of liberal views, and
marked ability, his loss will prove a
serious one 10 his country His Excel
lcncy, the Dictator, is said to have been
everyWhere in the thlCkest OF the
fight, animating, encouraging, and dl-
reCting the Peruvian batteries.
/ do not know the damage to the
Spanish fleet but the loss was, no
doubt, heavy. ltwas obvious that sew
eral of the vessels had been badly
punished The Spaniards we thought,
did not 60 very near to the batteries,
many of their shot falling into the
water. The presence of torpedoes may
have inspired caution.
In coming away from farewell visit
to Admiral Pearson, | picked up one
floating adrIft near our vessel. 1t was
a red keg containing about fifty pounds
of wet powder, with some yards OF in
sulaLed wire attached; and inside, the
arrangement for explosion by galvsnic
battery.
The Senior Surgeon, Dr. Peck, was
sent to the Villa de Madrid and Beren- |
euela, as soon as they anchored, with /
offers of assistance. His services were |
accepted 10y the Surgeon of the Villa |
de Madrid. But on board of the Be
renguela the officers gathered around /
him at the Csngwsy, and said they 4
we're deeply grateful, but needed no |
help.
When the Numancis anchored, Dr. |
johnson was sent on board, while DR.. /
Peck, who had returned to the van !
derbilt, went on shore to tender his /
services to tho Peruvisns.
wss sorry 10 learn, through Dr /
Johnson, that Admiral Nunez had been /
badly wounded by splinters, no fewer
than eightiujuries having been received |
in the head, arms legs and side The /
doctor was not permitted to see the ad-
mirsl, and j apprehend he has been Sc
riously hurt
The Peruvian batteries we're but lit /
tie injured. The authorities on shore
were confident that on the morning /