The Middlebury register and Addison County journal. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1883-1885, 1884-02-01
FORTRESS AND GUNBOAT.
FEDERAL CRUISERS ADVENTURE
IN PORTUGUESE WATERS.
The Fortress which Protects Eisbcn
Hlarbor Barely Escaping Dcs.r,,c-
tiOn-A story of the Late war.

Inc story Oh now Jne HUE fortress OF
Belem, which protects Lisbon harbor,
was nearly destroyed by an American
cruiser appears in the Philadelphia
Times, its informant being the Hon.
James E. Harvey, American minister to
Portugal under Lincoln, from whose lips
the narration was heard.
Yes" said Mr.. Harvey, the Portu-
guese are a very trying people to have
diplomatic dealings with. You have to
be exceedingly firm with them and it is
only by strong insistance upon your
point that you can carry it. Twice dur
ing the time l was at Lisbon l had fully
made up my mind to demand my pass
port. Nothing but my evident deter
mination to suspend diplomatic relations
unless my demands were complied with
brought the Portuguese ministry to
terms. The first occasion was when the
Confederate cruiser Stonewall came into
Lisbon for coal and provisions.
said very plainly to the minister
of foreign affairs that either the Stone
wall must go in certain time or would
go. The minister hemmed and hawed
and tried to get out of it. But finally he
agreed to my demand, and it was settled
the Stonewall would go at once. Before
she got away new trouble arose from
the United States frigate Niagara cross
ing the bar in pursuit of the Stonewall.
Before his vessel anchored I consulted
Captain Craven as to whether he could
whip the Stoncwall or not. He said he
was perfectly willing to fight if wished
him to- but he thought it would simply
be throwing away his vessel and the lives
of his men, the Niagara being an old
wooden frigate, though heavily armed,
and the Stonewall an ironclad Under
the circumstances it was concluded not
to make the fight but to let the Stone
wall depart in peace.
9 At the urgent request of the Portu
guese ministry, who were fearful of an
engagement taking place in their waters
| should the vessels anchor near each other,
| directed Captain Craven to anchor near
the fortress of Belem, some two or three
miles down the river, until the Stone
wall had put to sea. AS soon as she had
gone he was to come up and anchor OPP
posite the city, where the Confederate
was then lying. / had promised the
Portuguese ministry that in accordance
with international law, the Niagara
would not, of course, leave the harbor
until the Stonewall had had twenty-four
hours start. But the ministry, not al
together trusting either my assurances or
Captain Craven's pledged word, had
! given the officer in charge of the garri-
son at Belem orders to fire upon the Nj
agara should she attempt to leave the
harbor soon after the Stonewall. OF
this instruction | knew nothing" With
in the appointed time the Stonewall
steamed slowly past the Niagara,
which vessel, with steam up ana
guns loaded, lay ready to show good
fight were any insult offered to the flag
Nothing of the kind being attempted,
when the Stonewall was well over the
bar the Niagara began leisurely to get
under way. in order to proceed up to the
city. She had hardly started when bang .
went gun at her. fired from Bclcm, fol-
lowed by another and another At first
all on aboard was amazement, followed
by more amazement, and then indigna-
ton, with desire speedily to return shot
for shot. The boys, disappointed in
having had no brush with the Stonewall
soon became not ill-plcased at this
chance to have shot at somebody. The
eleven-inch guns were trained on the
little bird-cage of a fort; the prize marks
men took a good sight, every gunner
seized his string, and in twenty seconds
more Belem, the beautiful Belem; Belem,
the choicest work of Emanuel the Great :;
Belem, sacred to the mighty Nasco di
Canaan twenty seconds more Belcm
would have been knocked into Il cooked
hat But the command to fire was de
layed and delayed until the men thought
Captain Craven must have lost his wits.
Not so. He had ideas as to what was the
true cause of his vessel being fired on,
and wished, if possible, to restrain the
men until it could be shown his idea was
correct
suddenly the firing ceased. Every
man waited to hear another shot, but no
more came. There was huge disappoint-
ment on board the Niagara at thus a
second time being baked of Il fight and
much grumbling, but no disobedience.
The vessel anchored opposite the city
without further adventure"
Mr. Harvey speedily asked from the
Portuguese Ministry the meaning of this
(apparenD gross insult to our flag. The
ministry were all apologies. 1t was a
mistake. The officer in charge at Bclcm
NllcH llc SAW inc -NllSdId HCduInS OUT u
sea thought she was pursuing the Stone
wall and fired at her, per Instructions
He did not realize that the Niagara, be,
ing long vessel, had to make 4
circuit before she could turn her bow
up stream. AS soon as the vessel,
which steadily proceeded to de
scribe the necessary semi-circle, began
to head up toward the city the officer
perceived his mistake and ceased firing
This was all the explanation the ministry
proposed to make, and doubtless it was
the true one. But Mr.. Harvey knew very
well that unless more ample and public
apology were made the insult to our flag
would be telegraphed all over Europe
the explanation would not be considered
sufficient, the Confederates would laugh
at us and the national honor would suffer
lie therefore insisted upon two things
/. That the officer who had ordered the
firing at Belem be dismissed. 2. Tha