Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1873-11-20
TIE ViRGlNiUS.
FULL PARTICULARS OF HER
CAPTURE.


New YosK, November I3.-An Ha-
vana letter dated 9Th instant gives the
following particulars of the capture of
the Virginius:
The Virginius, shortly after the de-.
parture of the French steamer for
Santiago de Cuba, left Jamaica. 1t
was the intention ofthe exDenditionists
on board to sail direct for the port of
Cuba, but a slight damage to the
machinery obliged them to enter the
port of Hayti. This they lief, touching
at Port au Prince, Hayti, and another
port of the same island. On the 30th
they concluded to sail for Cuba, and
ATTEMPT LANDING.
On that day the Spanish CONSUL at
| Kingston advised the government at
! Santiago de Cuba that the Virginius
was in the vicinity of Warrant Bay,
ia maica. AS it happened the Spanish
ma IN of war Tornado had that morning
arrived at Santiago de Cuba, and
Governor Burriel Immediately com
m'lnicated to her commander, Costello,
his information, which caused her to
i leave four hours afterwards.
The following day, the 3lst, the Tor
nado, under full sail and but little
steam on, as some slight repairs were
be ling made to her machinery, came in
in sight of the Virginius, which pro-
badly supposed the Tornado to be a
sailing vessel, as her course was not
| changed On the Tornado every effort
was made to hasten the repairs they
ere engaged in, and at 2 o'clock the
eli ief engineer pronounced them com
pleted. All steam possible was i'm
mediately got up and the vessel headed
for the Virginius, soon reaching the
eed of IA knots, and slowly gaining
On her.
THE CHASE.
The Virginius had in the meantime
) Ike pit her course. but divlning the
hostile intentions of the Tornado
! changed it towards Jamaica, and being
out of coal, commenced to burn petro-
leum, grease, fat and other combustibles
from the provisions.
Night closed in and the vessels were
in the same relative positions, the Tor
nado, however, gaining on her prey
The bright light of a full moon kept
the .Virginius in plain sight, and her
two masts, and dense clounds of smoke
on account of the nature of her fuel,
ere clearly visible to to the slowly
gaining Tornado. Further to facilitate
their fight, they
THREW OVERHEARD
horses, cannon and many cases Of arms
and ammunition-afterwards stated to
be 1900 Remingtons, a mitrailleuse,
SO ven horses and quantity of powde,
and small arms.
AS soon as they got within gun. shot
the Tornado
| FIRED A GUN,
followed by three others of shot and
shell. This brought the Virginius TO-
and two armed boats from the Tornado
came alongside, took possession Of the
vessel, and made prisoners Of all Oh
board. At the time Of the capture,
tile Virginius was flying
THE AMERICAN FLAG,
but this was pulled down by the
8 parish officer and the Sponish ensign
hoisted in its place; although the papers
OF the vessel, duly dispatched fol
Colon, were handed to him.
| IN BRITISH WATERS.
| The vessel at the time was in British
v aters and within league, as / am
positively assured, Of the coast OF
J amaica. On this point all accounts
differ. One gives the capture as having
b cen effected twenty miles from
| Jamaica; an official account states
! twelve miles; the Djario states twenty
three miles; the journals of Santiago de
Cuba eight miles and twenty miles, and
the version of the Vos de Ctt5c twelve
miles. The commander of the Tor
nado publicly stated it in Santiago de
! Cuba that an hour later and the Vir
ginius could have saved herself by
entering some port Of Jamaica.
| After the capture, the next two
hours were employed in transferring
s me of the prisoners to the Tornado
and putting a prize crew on the Vir-
ginius.
! 'THE PERSONS ON BOARD.
| The total number OF persons On
| board amounted to one hundred and
sixty five, of whom ninety are said to
| be natives of the island, and the re
mainder foreigners. of these one hun
bred and sixty five persons sixty three
are thought to form the crew.
| At midnight that night the two yes
sells started for Santiago de Cuba, and
arrived the following day at 5 o'clock
in the afternoon, having been joined by
the Spanish steamer Cantabro. This
fact alone, of seventeen hours steaming
would tend to prove that they were a
| considerable distance from Cuba and
very near Jamaica, as the distance is
not much above 100 miles.
THE COURT MARTIAL.
The following day, the I'd inst, a
l-eourt martial was held on board the
Tornado. which commenced at A. NJ
aud terminated at 4 P. M. All were
tried as pirates, and the findings of the
court and sentences were sent to the
captain general and admiral in sealed
package. After the court had conclud-
ed its task all the prisoners were
transferred to Jail.
General Burriel coolly asked that all
the prisoners should be turned over to
him, with the exception of the captain
and crew, who should be sent to Ha
r.ann of thu diannaol &c H. GA.....