Buchanan County bulletin. [volume] (Independence, Iowa) 1869-1891, 1873-11-21
Capture Of tho virginius.

The following connected account
Of the capture Of the steamer Vir-
ginius by = Spanish gunboat, and
the trial and execution Of the lead
ers of the expedition is from the
New York specials to the Inter
! Deem:
a letter from Havana gives an
account of the capture Of the steam
err Virginius, from which it appears
that OH the 3Oth Of October the
Spanish Consul at Kingston, Jamai-
ca, advised the Governor at Santa
go de Cuba that the Virginius was
in the vicinity of Morrant Bay. The
Spanish war steamer Tornado had
that morning arrived at Santiago de
Cuba, and four hours after the Gov
ernor had received information of
the Virginius, went in search of
her. On the following day the Tor
nado, under full sail and but little
steam, as some slight repairs were
being made to her machinery, came
in sight of the Virginius, which
probably supposed the Tornado to
be sailing vessel, as her course
was not changed. On the Tornado
every effort was made to hasten the
repairs they were engaged in, and
at two o'clock the chief engineer
pronounced them complete. All
possible steam was Immediately got
up and the vessel headed for the
Virginius, soon reaching speed of
fourteen knots, and slowly gaining
upon her. The Virginius had, in
the meantime, kept on her course,
but, divining the hostile intentions
of the Tornado, changed it to ia
maica, and being out Of coal COM
men ced to burn petroleum, grease,
fat, and other combustibles from the
provisions on board, such as hams,
etc. Night closed in, and the YES
sells were in the same relative po-
! s;tions, the Tornado, however,
gaining. AS soon as they got with
in gunshot the Tornado fred gun,
followed by three other shots and u
shell. This brought-to the Virgin
JUS, and two armed boats from the
Tornado came alongside, took pos
session of the vessel, and made pris-
oners fall on board.
At the time of the capture, the
Virginius was flying the American
flag, but this was pulled down by Il
Spanish officer, and Spanish en-
sign hoistcd in its place, although
the papers of the vessel, duly dis
patched for Colon, were handed to
him. After the capture, the next
two hours were employed in trans
ferring some Of the prisoners to the
Tornado and putting a prize crew
on the Virginius.
At midnight the two vessels
started for Santiago de Cuba, and
arrived there the following after
noon at five o'clock, having been
joined by the Spanish steamer Can
tabro. Upon their arrival in port
the intelligence spread like light
ming, and attracted an immense
crowd of people. The Government
Palace and other public buildings
were illuminated, and all the au-
thorities, civil and military, went to
felicitate Governor Burriel upon
the news, who, in the evening gave
a brilliant reception. The vessels
were surrounded in the bay by 4
number of boats filled with bands
of music and cheering volunteers.
The festivities were kept up late in
the night.
On the following day (the 2d) a
courtmartial was held on board the
Tornado, which commenced at 8
O'Clock and terminated at 4. All
the prisoners were tried as pirates,
and the findings OF the court and
sentences were sent to the Captain
General and the Admiral in sealed
packets. After the court had con-
cluded it's task, all the prisoners,
with the exception Of Benbetta,
Jesus Del Sol, General Ryan and
Pedro Cespcdes, were transferred to
the Jail Of the city, escorted by .
force of volunteers and a number of
marines. General Burriel, it is
said, coolly asked that all the pris-
oners should be turned over to him,
except the captain and crew, who
should be sent to Havana at the
disposal of the Commandant Gen
eral de Marinats, and declared with
in twenty.four hours afterward that
all should be tried and executed, in
order to avoid any complication
with the exterior-that is, foreign
Intervention. He also detained !.
telegram which the United States
Consul had decided to forward to
the United States Consul at King
ston, reporting the capture, and in
quiring as to the nationality of the
Virginius.
The Virginius had her papers in
order, and was dispatched for Co.
Ion, all her passengers appearing
| Ou HcI papers DIS I1UO4eIo III u Idil'
way line building there.
All accounts differ as to the po-
sition Of the Virginius at the time
Of her capture. One gives the cap
ture as having been effected at %
miles from Jamaica, and the official
account says that it was twelve
miles. The Dia,io states it at 90
miles, and the journals Of Santiago
de Cuba at eight miles and twenty
miles, and the version OF the Poice
lie Cuba is twelve miles.
The commander Of the Tornado
publicly stated in Santiago dc Cuba
that an hour later and the Virgin
Jus could have saved herself by en-
tering some port of Jamaica.
1t seems that the Virginius, short
ly after the departure of the French
steamer for Santiago de Cuba, left
Jamaica on the oath ult. 1t was the
intention of the expeditionists to
sail directly tor Cuba, but slight
damage to her machinery obliged
her to enter port Of Hayti. This
they left, touching at Port au
Prince, Hayti, and another port Of
tho same island, until the 3Oth, up