Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1866-01-03
WAR BETWEEN SPAIN AND
MN ----. ClRlLIi- vi --.ILnll

-,lrs g CHILLI yd be,fjo4r
Detailed Account of the Engagement
-GaIIantFy of the ChiIIan Soldiers
Great RejOiciDgs in Chilli over the
Victory sickness of Admi raj Pareja
from the Panama Mercantile Chronicle. Dec. a.
Advices from Valparaiso are to the 81 o.
December. BY this arrival we have news
of one Of those gallant feats of arms fol
which Chill was distinguished in the wal
Of Independence. The Spanish glinboat
CoadOugs. carrying the Admirafs dis
patches from Spain, was captured within
ten leagues of the Spanish Admiral and
within gunshot hearing of the Spanish
squadron. - .'lHl -",
tOn Sept. II, at the beginning of the
blockade, the Chilian steamers Esmeralda
and Maipu slipped out Of Valparaiso under
the shadows of night. 1t was supposed
that they had gone to some far off sea
beyond the reach of the great Admiral's
guns. 1t Is now learnt that the Esmeralda
iound her way to the Chincha Islands, from
which place she started back in November
last to the coastof Chill, touching at I.eba
and Lots, and reaching Pichidanqui on the
21st, On Nov. "a she left for Coquimbo to
look after the Spanish gunboat Govadonga,
anchored there, and the Matias Cousino, an
English steamer captured by the Spaniards,
and doing blockade duty. The Captain
OF the Esmeralda, Don Juan Williams
RobolledO, being informed that the Spanish
ship Blanca had also arrived at Co
quimbo, put into Papudo-C -Chaho to await
aletter. On the morning of the 26th, the
Esmeralda communicated with the Pacific
Steam Navigation Company's steamer Val
paraiso, that was passing, and must have
learned that the Covadonga was following
not Tar off. The topmasts were at once
struck, preparations made for action, and
the Esmeralda steamed off to meet the en-
emy. AT 1890 they came in sight, The
Esmeralda hoisted the British ensign to in-
duce the CUvadonga to stop, and be thus an
easier target. AS soon as this was effected
the British ensign went down, the Chilian
flag went up, and the Esmeralda opened
fire, to whicllthe Covadonga at once repli-
ed. A brisk cannonade was kept up by the
Esmeralda, delivering shot and shell with
startling precision. a shell from her dis
mounted one of the Covadonga's cannon.
and did other damage. At the end of twen-
ty minutes the Covadonga was so much in
jured that she struck her flag and surren-
dered. The celebrity of the Esmeralda's
movements, and the great rapidity and ac-
euracy Of her fire, quite astOnished the
WIN uOb IuUEC biihU
three Shots The Captain of the Covadon-
ga acknowledged that in less than ten min
utes more the Esmeralda would have sunk
him. On surrendering, the prisoners-1l7
men and IA Otiieers-were Immediately sent
on shore at Papudo. ''. G. i- ,'7'.'-'i '4
Tine Covadonga had two men killed and
fourteen wounded. The Esmeralaa did not
lose man. Immediately on handling the
prisoners, Capt. Williams steamed ont of
port with the Covadenga in cOnsort, Under
command of Capt. Thompson, with crew
Of Chilian sailors, for parts unknown,
The whole affair, from the beginning Of
the attack to the departure OF the ships
from Paduco, occupied three-duarters of
an hour Ii is said. . '. 4 li.I" Z. '.. 81.
The armament of the Covadonga, is two
pivot guns Of 6S pounds aud one of 32
pounds. In her armory were found 300
rifles, 100 revolyers, 20 boarding -hatehets,
100 cutlasses, Se. .lisi-tl~ m ~ j"A 4
The armament of the Esmeralda, a nine
hundred ton sloop, when she left Valpar-
aiso, was eighteen short thiTty-two and |
twenty-four Founders, but it is supposed |
she landed some of her guns atone OF the |
Southern forts. On the 26th of November
hereFew numbered one hundred and tWen- |
ty-three men.
TheswhOle of Admiral Pareja's eOrres- |
bpndepce from Spain, and his code of sig !
nails were captured on the gunboat, and |
sent with the crew to Santiago. h. l,'..
The Senate Of ChiliVoted promotion to |
Capt. Williams, all the members rising to |
their feet and voting by acclamation. 1e |
Demls were chanted in the churches and |
The rejoicings have been unlimited, All |
The officers Of the victorious ship have been
gazetted to a higher grade. a, .subscrip-
tione for sword of honor for Capt. VIII
liams had already reached over $500. Chill |
may wen be proud ofthis feat, for it shows
that the spirit Of Cochrane and O'Higgins |
still animates the hearts of her gallant sons.
During the engagement the cannon
aiding was distinctly heard In Valparaiso,
but although curiosity was on the tip |
toe, no one had any idea of the great act
that was being performed. When the
mail Steamer Valparaiso reached VAL
paraisO on the. 26th, it was known on |
shore that the Coyadonga had left Coquim-
bo four hours before the mail steamer, and |
that the Esmefalda had been seen off Papu- |
do, It appears this Information was With
held from the Admiral. The news Of the |
victory reached Valparaiso by land on the
9th. For three days the inhabitants smoth- |
cred their joy lest the Admiral should get |
q hint Of the great news and send after the |
Esmeralda. The newspapers also kept silent |
until the 10Th, when the official dispatches
were published and the Admiral learnt on
that day, for the first time, Of the loss Of
his gunbOat, and that the crew had been
sent 20 Santiago ssog aTEaTgED fra II
The Chilians note several happy coinci-
dences In this affair. The Esmeralda was
the name Of C0ehrane's famous flagship;
the COVadonga was the first of the Spanish
sduadron that arrived in Chilian waters,
the capture was effected year and day |
after the explosion of the Spanish frigate
Triunfo at the Chineha Islands, and most |
Of the crew Of the Coyadongao were men
from the TfihnfO. The Captain Of the Co
yadonga was Don Luis Ferry.
Admiral Pareja, who is said to be Ill, sail
ed from Valparaiso on the LIST December,
Ia the Milla dc Madrid, it is supposed for |