The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-05-08
FIRST BRUSH WITH SPAIN.
The Daring Exploit of Captain Rich
ard Cleveland.
From the Detroit Free Press.

ara cleveland.
From the Detroit Free Press.
The first American navigator to ever
SINCE the Spanish beard-and it was done
most satisfactorily, by the way-was Capt
Richard ]. Cleveland, native of Salem,
Mass, and at the moment in connection
with current events. this Incident in his
exciting career, which seems to have been
entirely forgotten. is of particular inter
est.
Capt. Cleveland. began his seafaring life
at an early period as a cabin boy, and
so rapid was his advancement that ut %
years of age he became captain. His life
on the ocean wave was one of continued
exciting adventure. He made many sue
cessful voyages, and amassed a large for
tune.
The particular voyage on which he had
his historic little brush with the Span
lards was brought about by an agreement
he entered into in 1901 with a traveller nam
ed Shaler whom he met while on a voyage
from France to Copenhagen The project
formed was a voyage around Cape Horn.
At Hamburg they purchased an American
brig of 175 tons, the Leila Byrd, tossed up
a coin to decide which should go as cap
tain and which as supercargo. Cleveland,
winning the command, invited Polish
nobleman, the Count de Roussillon, to
accompany them, and sailed Nov s, 1901,
for a two years voyage. The youthful
ness of these men, the Oldest of the three
not being 80 years Of age, gave a flavor
of impulse and adventure to an otherwise
sober mercantile enterprise.
1t is impossible in these days to appre-
ciate the uncertain and vague delights of
such an expedition, Every entry into
new harbor might imply fortune or
prison, for Spain had not yet lost it's con-
troll of the regions they were about to visit,
but claimed the right to monopolize the
commerce of all, and at each port there
was some pompous official to be managed
or bribed, but in general the pluck and
ready wit of the Adventures carried the
day. More than once, after being actually
imprisoned by Spanish officials, or ordered
out of the port, they quietly refused 20
weigh anchor until their wrongs had been
redressed and an, apology made.
On one memorable occasion. after going
on shore with a boats crew to rescue some
of their own men who had been improper
ly detained, they carried off the Spanish
guard, and then sailed within musket-shot
of a fort garrisoned by 100 men, compell-
ing their prisoners to stand conspicuously
by the bulwarks in order to ward off the
fire from the battery. One shot struck
tHSh just dooNS thS "dtSi INV anu sSNeAol
cut the sails and rigging. The Spaniards
had eight 9-pound guns; the Americans
had only Founders, but when Capt
Cleveland got these guns within range the
Spanish soldiers fed, and in ten minutes
the fight was over This memorable Incl
dent happened at the old Spanish settle
ment of San Diego, Cal When the Leila
Byrd was safe the prisoners We're set on
shore. and Capt. Cleveland had soon after
a several days visit from the Jolly
padres" as he called them. of the old
Spanish missions, who took uproarious sat
isfaction in the whole affair, and agreed
that the Spanish commandant, Don Man
uel Rodriguez ought TO be sent back to the
mother country as a poltroon.
To show the material that Capt. Cleve-
land is made of, 1t is but necessary TO re-
call one Of his best feats, which was the
performance OF voyage, then unexam-