Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1883-07-10
An Interesting Old Claim


The attention of the State Department
has recently been called to a claim OflOng
standing, which, when presented. while
Daniel Webster was Secretary of State
attracted general interest. The claim
has reference to the seizure and cOntsca-
tiOn by the Spanish or Cuban authorities
of the barks GeOrgiana, Of Maine, and
Susan Loud, of Massachusetts. In April,
1880, the two vessels cleared from New
Orleans for Chagres, having on board
many passengers bound for CalifOrni a
by way of the ISthmuS of Panama.
The gold excitement had not
vet died Out-in fact. was still at its
height, and some of the passengers were
already under contract to go to the Gold
den State to dig for quartz. Head winds
and a strong adverse current compelled
the vessels to stop at the Island of Con-
toy. on the coast Of Mexico. While there
the Spanish war steamer PIZarrO came
along and took possession of the vessels
and their crews and passengers and con-
veyed them to Havana, the Spanish
basing their action upon an allie
CATION that the two vessels were
part of an expedition bound for Cuba with
the object Of securing the independence of
the island. The passengers were all
thrown into prison, but subsequently all
but seven were, at the request of the
American Government, released and re-
turned to the United States, the seven,
together with the vessels, being taken to
Spain, where the men were imprisoned
and the vessels sold by order of the Span
ish Government. One Ofthe seven, a Cap
tain of one of the vessels, became insane
and ended his days, 1t is believed, in
mad house, but the fate of the others is
not remembered by those now interested
in the question. The passengers released
at Havana and returned to the
L 1 L
States Marshal and adjudged not guilty
of any intention to violate the neutrality
laws when they sailed from New Orleans.
The United States Government took up
the cause of the vessel owners and the
passengers, the former claiming indem-
nity for the loss Of their property, and the
latter for false Imprisonment. A vOlum-
inOus correspondence between the gov
ernment and the Spanish authorities
was the result; but the late civil
war coming on, ended the proceed
ings. A number of the passengers were
from Southern Ohio, and went in body
down the Ohio and the Mississippi to sail
from New Orleans to the Isthmus of Pan
anna. Several of the survivors live in
Mississippi and other Southern States.
Some Of those in Mississippi recently
wrote to Register Bruce, of the Treasury
Department, asking him to bring the mat
ter before the State Department with a
view of securing indemnity from the
Spanish Government for their false i'm
prisOnment, and he has engaged Gen. j.
d. Mcbride, an attorney Of this city, to
manage the case, correspond with
survivors throughout the cOun-
try wherever they may be found, as well
as the vessel owners or their heirs. The
wife Of the Captain Of!One of the vessels,
living in Mississippi, had in her posses
sion many valuable papers connected
with the claim. but in the Yicissitudes of
the late civil war they were lost and can
not Oe found. 1t is the intention to ask
of the Spanish Government an indemnity
OF S9OO,OOO, 10 be distributed among the
captives or their heirs. and more will be
asked for the vessel nNrnnrc