Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1873-11-25
CAPTURE OF THE VIReINIUs.


Yours, Ex>HARPER's FERRIAN.
CAPTURE OF THE VIRGINIUS,
Taken an British Waters, and Flying the
american Flag.
a Havana letter, dated the Stb, gives the
following particulars of the capture of the
Virginius:
The Virginius, shortly after the departure
of the French steamer for Santiago de Cnbs,
left Jamaica on the 9th ult II was the in.
tention of the expeditiopists on board to sail
direct for the shores of Cuba, but a slight
damage to the machinery Obliged them to en-:
ter the port of Hayti This they left, touch>
ing at Port-au Prince, Hayti, and another
port of the some island, until the Both, on
which day they concluded to sail for Cuba
and attempt landing. On this day the
Spanish Consul at Kingston advised the Gov
ernor at Santiago de Cuba that the Yirginius
was in the vicinity of hlorrant Bay, Ja9aica.
AS it happened. the Spanish man>of- war Tor
nado had that morning arrived at Santiago de
Cuba. and Governor Burriel Immediately
communicated to her commander, Costello,
his information, which caused him to leave
four hours afterwards. The following day,
the 31st, the Tornado, under full sail, aud
but little steam on, as some slight repairs
were being made to her machinery, came in
sight of the Vireinius, which probably sup>
posed the Tornado to be sailing vessel, as
her course was not changed On the Torna>
do every effort was made to hasten the repairs
they were engaged in, aud at 2 o'clock tho
chief engineer pronounced them completed.
All steam possible was immediately got up.
o1 Ho, -
reaching speed of fourteen knots, and slow.
ly gaining upon her.
The Virginius had in the meantime kent
on her course. but divining the hostile inten-
tions Of the Tornado, changed it toward Ja-
maics, and being out of coal commenced to
burn petroleum, grease, fat and other com>
bustibies from provisions on board, such as
hams. &c. Night closed in aud the vessels
were ia the same relative positions the Tor
nado, however, gaining on her prey The
bright light of the full moon kept the Vir-
glnius in plsin sight, and her two masts aud
dense clouds Of smoke, on account of the na>
ture of the fuel, c!esry visible to the slowly
gaining Tornado. Further to facilitate their
flight they threw overheard cannon and MANY
cases of arms and ammunition, afterwards
stated to be two thousand Reminstous, mi,
traliieuss, seven horses and quantity of pow
der and small arms. As soon as they got
within gunshot the Tornado fred gun, fol-
lowed by thrOe other shots and she'll. This
brought the Virginius to, and two armed
boats oamo alongside, took possession of the
vessel, aud made prisoners Of all on board.
At the time Of capture the Virginia. was
flying the American flag, but this was pnlled
down by Spanish officer, and the spanish
ensign hoisted in its place, although the pa
pers of the vessel, duly dispatched for Colon,
were handed to him. The vessel at the time
was in British waters, and within a league,
as am positively assured, of the coast of
Jamaica. On this point all accounts differ.
One gives the capture IS having been effected
twenty miles from Jamaica, and the official
account states twelve miles. The Diario
states at twenty>three miles, the Journals of
Santiago de Cuba eight miles and twenty
miles, and the Voz de Cuba twelve miles
The commander of the Tornado publicly sta
ted in Santiago de Cuba, that an hour later,
and the Virginius could have saved herself
by entering some port of Jamaica.
After the capture, the next two hours were
employed in transferring some Of the pris-
oners to the Tornado, and putting prize
crew on the Virginius. The total number of
persons on board amounted to 165, of whom
80 are said to be natives of the island. and
the remainder foreigners. OF these one hum
dred and sixty five persons, sixty-three are
thought to form the crew.
At midnight that night the two vessels
started for Santiago de Cnba, and arrived the
following day at S o'clock, p NJ. having
been joined by the Spanish steamer Can.a-
bro. This fact alone. of seventeen hours
steaming, would tend to prove that they were
at a considerable distance from Cuba, and
very near Jamaica, as the distance between
the islands is not more than one hundred
miles.
AN INCIDENT IN GEN. HARDEE's L1FE.-
(Col. A. P. Bennett in Richmond Enquirer.) J
After the close of the Mexican war, in 1S4S,
his company of dragons happened to be sta>
toned at Fort Brown. A squad of recruits
reached it, fresh from New Orleans. The
company was on parade one morning, when a
stout bully of recruit got into quarrel with
the orderly, aud became very disorderly.-
Captain Hardee, who was present, looking on
and waiting for the sergeant to form the com>
pany, finding that the latter could not quiet
the fellow, approached aud rebuked him for
his insnbordinate conduct The recruit
turned upon Hardee, cursed him, and went
SO far as strike him-whereupon the 1.-the
young captain caught him by the collar and
proceeded to dress him off quite handsomely,
pounding him until he cried for quarter He
then released him, and saying he hoped the
lesson he had received would not soon be for
gotten, returned the crestsfallen sbruiser" to
the ranks, and nothing more was ever said
about the affair, but that recruit remembered
his first lesson in Hardee's tactics no doubt
Throughout. his whole military life.
"A fourishing gbusiness-ornameutalp PEN
manship.