The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-08-09
ur,r ADMIRAL sEATON
sCIIUOEDER, 4. y. y.


,rEN cBrI has been more than
Y ".. she scene ,. Of ., rr', is, ,s,ac,
activities on the part of Amer
IAN naval officers. even at times
when our country was at peace. one
...,h o,.,-.ou was in 1867. when the
,..,,,,,,,r.l.r uf small gunboaL without
,.,.,..,I.... and with but infrcquent and
mail communication with home,
,... Jr,s... action in an emergency and
s,,,d M,>.r' much trouble.
T.. cha. ..r.ug Of that year there lay
n, anchor under SACRIFICES Island, four
r,r.. -ou.uvlrd " Vera cruz harbor.
o..,,V 'rt.rna iontl group of war ves-
,.t r,rr American, British. French,
s,,n..t and AUSTRIAN culors. They were
r.r. o., watch developments in the
a..n sfru--Iv of the foreign empire
ng, fr, Emperor Napoleon had at
,.rirt,d ., impose upon the Mexican
c,.rl. 100 % 'mr when our civil war had
nr.y.nt.d us from uttcring the forbid
aim, word which rorbiddng word was
inferred md accepted Immediately after
~. fate. IT Richmond.
The l,-. Of the French army had sailed
on March II. nnd he Republican. or
th,.l forces Of Mexico had followed
cr..,. f.f..n their heels on their march To
nr -.l capturing town after town be-
,rd ,l,m. McNjco city still held out.
A. .v,I JOS Qurrrjaru where the doomed
s.Nr.lIlk, MaNmilian was hemmcd in
Nnrn
rs.n..l JOS som, 1000 imperial Mexican
tra... and foreign legion Of about
four hundred soldiers was the only other
pa,.. that -t.ll resisted the forces of
President Grulto Juarcz. While closely
invested 900 the land side, the city was
not nlu.hadcd from the sea.
Tn. American vessel was he gunbOat
Ti,uny a wooden sidcwheeler of the
double ,udrr type. the conception OF
which vas due to the exigencies of the
civil VAR being able to carry heavy
batteries Iu shallow water. Her battery
CON. -trl of two 80 FOUNDER rifles in
pyu, and four \ inch smoothbores in
hrmdS.dr. and she was commanded by
Commander T.. A. Roe. United States
navy The other vessels present We're
IN, British sloop of war Jason, Capt.
Aync,,y. he French corvette Phlege-
,han. capt. Pritzbucr: the Spanish gum
boat ll'ua and the Austrian frigate and
imperial Yacht Elizabeth. Capt. Count
Groicr who had been sent to Vera Cruz
for IN, express purpose of bringing Max
milan back To Austria upon the with
draW1' If the French army. When the
gallant but misguided Archduke refused
to abandon his partisans, but shu, him
self nap In Qucretaro, the Elizabeth re-
NAMED waiting and watching.
ON May 16 word was received that
Quer'taro had fallen and Macmillan
was tHr prisoner of President JuareZ
As 'ho outer dcfenCes of Mexico city
had been taken some line before and II
va. obviously n matter of hut short
time before that city would surrender
II seemed useless struggle for the one
remaining port. Vera cruz, to hold on,
and capt. Roe bent all his energies "a
induce Gov. Bureau To agree to pre-
lmn1rio~ of surrender. on three differ
ent occasions he succeeded in causing
him to agree To- meet the Liberal Gen
eral Bcua,.dus ON board the Tacony
and each TN" the prcarrangcd signal
nag 1T truce at the masthead. was
made bring the parties together but
''.' ''h' '"N. l'lr'hu put on Inc meet
'nf 300 one pf"l"Nt or another.
ON" other ihinG was beginning IL
WORRY lh' American commander; his
STAY .I port WIS approaching an end
nom '0" l''' mat the provisions in the
shr were becoming exhausted ana II
hdI n. H" reported by man To the com
mahl'' ~ chi't that II not relieved OF
W"N.~"H'd ny the iirst OF June the
II. "aN would nave to leave her station
Ahl N'' me n c"sSity ot the presence
~ '.' -.'p WAS constantly in evidence
ann urged upon NM
ON May - word was received from
NJ sumner the American Consul, thai
lH' iN' NHiIicS contemplated leVNlns by
l' heavy tax upon the inhabitants
4" Vera cruz including Americans. Roe
h'r.IH communicated win the EngllSf
d'I I..'Nrh Captains and induced then
To- accompany nm To the city, where
lHN called tn" three tonsuls together
ami Then request senior Bureau to at
t'w, II" rn". and they succeeded II
miN ny h.m give mp his intention
Though not without impressive threats
OF Gaming %" American reet from New
or r'l~ Tor assistance %.
I.N1.N an entirely new ana unfortu
81 Al.