Bombardment of Valparaiso The Bombardment of Valparaíso on 31 March 1866 happened after the Chincha Islands War , when a Spanish fleet shelled , burned and destroyed the undefended port of Valparaíso . Background . After the humiliating defeat at the Battle of Papudo and the indecisive Battle of Abtao , Rear Admiral Casto Méndez Núñez was ordered to take punitive action against South American ports . When the Chilean government ordered that vessels supplying or communicating with the Spanish fleet should not be allowed to enter Chilean ports , Méndez Núñez ' s first target became the most important and undefended Chilean city of Valparaíso . Attempts at mediation . Efforts to mediate were initially steered by European diplomats whose countrymen were most affected by the initial blockade of Chilean ports and by the threat of bombardment . High - level contacts took place intensively in late 1865 and early 1866 between London , Paris and Madrid . A formula to resolve the conflict appeared , at one stage , to have been secured . In the final two weeks , the United States was especially active . The American minister to Chile , General Hugh Judson Kilpatrick and the US Naval Commander John Rodgers who was at port commanding a US naval squadron composed of the ironclad monitor and the steamers , and attempted a last - minute settlement with the Spanish Admiral . To that effect they enlisted the cooperation of the commander of the British Pacific Station , Rear Admiral Joseph Denman , who had under his command two warships : and . The British commander , despite coming under great pressure from British merchants in the city , later changed his mind and decided to enforce a strict neutrality , refusing the cooperation of his ships . Ultimately , all the attempts at mediation failed , as the chief condition of Admiral Méndez Núñez was the proper salute to the Spanish flag , the return by the Chileans of the captured Schooner " Covadonga " and the immediate payment of a crippling indemnity . The talks broke over the matter of the flag salute . When General Kilpatrick threatened to defend the port with the US squadron and attack the Spanish fleet , Admiral Méndez Núñez famously responded with , " " I will be forced to sink [ the US ships ] , because even if I have one ship left I will proceed with the bombardment . Spain , the Queen and I prefer honor without ships than ships without honor . " " Consequently the Spanish Admiral , notwithstanding the protest of the diplomatic corps , gave notice on March 27 to all neutrals to evacuate the city . Bombardment . At 7 am on March 31 , the Spanish fleet took positions in front of their targets . It consisted of the " Numancia " , " Resolución " , " Villa de Madrid " , " Blanca " , " Vencedora " and the " Paquete del Maule " . The frigate " Berenguela " remained behind to guard against the possible escape of the merchant fleet . At 8 . 10 AM , the " Numancia " discharged two shots as final notice and to give opportunity for the people still in town to take cover . The bombardment itself started at 9 am and lasted for three hours without fire being returned , as Valparaíso was totally defenseless . The Spanish bombarded the town unhindered . The loss in public and private property was estimated at $ 1 , 000 , 000 , and in merchandise at $ 9 , 000 , 000 , huge sums at the time . One recent account suggests that in today ' s money the losses amounted to the equivalent of around $ 224 , 000 , 000 The action created an international scandal . While the Spanish were heavily criticized for attacking an unarmed city , so to was the British government for not employing its own naval force to protect the lives and property of its own nationals . A large argument developed in the British Parliament when news arrived in May 1866 . Painting . James McNeill Whistler , who was on board the American ships , painted his famous " Nocturne in Blue and Gold : Valparaíso Bay " the night before the bombardment . It shows the Chilean merchant fleet at their moorings waiting to be destroyed .