, 1870-07-24
MEXICO,
official report OF tic Destruction OF
the E.irntical <te1ss1 s1acr Forward.

WAsuISGruS Juiy q.
\. ". Low. commanding Of the United States
steamer Nol!caE. Of the SOUL, l'2c!t. squad
ron. reports to the Navy Der ,rtment uH Ma
za,lon, SIesico June IL. tile details Of the
destruction Of Tie steamer fur ard, stating
that on the 9th Of that ,uotltl. INF 7la:iou NJ,
received ty tie Cn::eI States CIV II !. 1ta-
zai!ln, from nur Eoil=ul at tiua Is, tia, .
vesse1, on the night uf the .ith u! *. landed
between 1!D ana !.'st snen Of di.Iesr :. nat.o:1~
alitics. taking Possession ii ani ruaL:a;: Ill.
Custom House. forcing ferci::: merchants to
contribute funds ard Euoss ta : ia-,s alpni;;.,
and compelling the C.,se I'll S:atv- t'ca,r! uu-
der protest. to SUI ply cocl for the s'ele,ey
and taking OIL board. az ht-tag".. ciyi! ol,icera
If the MEXICAN Government: t.;,-. il ,iu,es IT
profound n are leswrar Mtsice a..I San sal
%aaor, couanli:tlng act- Of w2r. The centr.nu-
tione we're ea:oHcsl from Spanish, tsc1u1a;.
Ensl>s', aid American merchants, The
Gths':s vas info1me'. that the ve,se.
Of l'lasidn Vega. Int Vega has ::u, i, eiare.l
himself 10 IL at;ist; y engaged il She r.solu-
tim. Ever! tnsin t,le cisil cur;:s:l l., Of tho
country ABOUT N.:attaa. a.lI At S.n B.3 where
Vega "as rui'To"et1 tu te. ws~ icl:eve: to b..
luiel. No arrive civil car c4ist.., a.. :. the es-
issenre Of evil war on this c,as. mt !.ay;p:
leen rrrnE ni1ea y tue IT. a;lct Of the lui,e.l
States, and feeling satisfied tbs vessel was
acting As Vessel Of war without proper coal
miseion, that ahe was N.sel nut on the pro-
but IN reality for the pnrlp-e of robbery, Com
mander Low deemed It Gis inn 'a.iye duiy to
eEakd her ~ p!Eass. and 10 assu1e se1,flyi:y
Of navigation he considered it e.iuAls his duff
to pursue, and. if possible, capture OF de.:ray
her. He consequently made immediate :..eI'-
arations for gestlng uulvs Weigh. it bel:i: re-
ported that the Forwarl was stiIl in .I,>. s;alf
Of California. where lie atchotc,l with IT,. Mo-
hiram at Atala o1. tie mrI1.inc Of June :. Mo
eot no information there. ami !e:t fey La raz-
As the latter place he Was equally unfortunate
| in obtaining information, and left there.
anil. OIL tLe lGth, reached saa Bl1s.
where he heard the Forward had
gone TO Boea-lsaearau. a p!acA al,st,t half
way between san BIAS aud Mazatla:lan. for
tue purpose OF goii.!: M the user and Ian ling
her rlt1'NicF. Ihe Mulncau arrived there At
daylight o.. the n.esHins o5 the 1sth. AIMED
ard na::.. ! siA boats nuser tue cou,:aau.: Of
i'euten1:f Hrunson, the executive u::cetv
"Eh 'nt::z', t1on~ to tinll the rirasital steamer
a.! 'l:G ~ out, The boats passed through
| u SRI nt the outer har at : O'Clock. AMI
10 the ship thAt the Forwar} Was IN the river,
and tllat he Was going in scarc!, Of Lee. Thu
party II <surned The next day in the afternoon,
and reported the capture aud .!rsts,:e;,on hr
| burning Of the Fozwar,!, un.!ar scattering
fire uf four hst.i;nusn.ur rieSrs a:l the rites
| Of the lao men "!l., lad been removed from
her tilt. ra14'e afternoon to ! position the
| shore. the better to .tiefel,l her. The ho1ss
brought to the sllp the resnai1ls II: Jam",
| nonnel, cox+wa:n. killed. Ed reported two
officers ana Il, men wounded. Tile l.,..+ !.1L
! pulled nearly seventy miic@ sis4se i,avin. the
shiT, am! had t#rIs under ire ore h ,,ir. The
men conducted themselves admirably. anil az
con.Ii:s!ed the object of Il1e:r n,j~-lnn with
the caln,le-s Of old veterans Ii. ra!s.: t,'ltll
tho unqualified admiration Of fnH,:n .:,ltr
Inv. 1honS! the instructions to Lieutenant
| l5Ecnson did mt expressly conte1pp!a.. tho
| 1eetru.,ion Of the Forward. $:i}i IN view Of
the circumstances III the case. the desperate
resistance aud heaEr ire in her defence tho
lo,. sustained. and tue utter imi.raetita5ility
| Ut snosin: her, tho Forward beiuy; la ri OF tte
| reef. his aciion tefeiytd full approval Dun
nel was buried at sea On the afternoon Of tho
18th with appropriate ceremonies. Lieutenant
tntts, passenger on tnartl the 3lu.lca,:. uu-
der orders to join the tlaE--liiI, Of tho ueet.
Sclunteeret! 10 arcomPsny the expedition, and
was.g given charge OF boat. On board tho
Forward were found George n. Holden, prc-
| eumet1 to be the mate: F. ". johnson, rre-
tumed 10 lie the c,ginrfr and fnuE men, whom
! Low prnrcsd to turn over tu the Mexican
authorities 1t Mazst!an. No papers were
found Oh bDsr,l. Low tays: In this affair
have ctaeavn!esl to act with due s!eIllera-
I tion, srd have satisfied myself that the For
ward. according to Navy lsesuia. rs No ] O!2,
| wss vessel aetsns 81 vessel of war, nr 1,1i-
I yatcer, without having Enorer cusrmi,.iou 20
10 act. the officers 2na crow of wlI:cl. shall 10
considered HI llsa.e-. and tceatc.l accord
| iurty''