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* for being run on a reef by an American pi-
lot, whom they had compelled to serve them,
but who preferred to serve his countrymen,
the Creole ran up to the pier, and the men
jumped ashore just as the Pizarro dropped
anchor, not two hundred yards distant.
Thus ended this piratical expedition in a
complete failure. Not one iota of good was
accomplished ; not one human being, slave
or free, was released from oppression, nor
was even one found who desired a change
of rulers, or favored the liberators, except
through fear. Even the blackest scoun-
drels that were released from their prisons
by them, who it might naturally be suppos-
ed would gladly avail themselves of the op-
portunity to escape their coming doom,
fought with desperate valor against the in-
vaders.
Not a single circumstance occurred dur-
ing the entire campaign, to corroborate the
statements of the sympathizers with oppress-
ed Cuba, in regard to the insurrectionary
feeling among the Creoles—nothing to in-
duce the belief that the Lopez party were
"looked upon by the inhabitants as aught else
than a band of buccaneers.
We are aware that some of the leaders
have attributed the failure to landing in an
inappropriate place; but we think if Lo-
pez, having once been Governor of the
Island, having friends there with whom he
had for several years been in correspond-
ence on the subject, and having complete
and solitary control of the expedition, did
not know the best place for the purpose,
and knowing, conduct them to it, his infat-
uation, not to call it insanity, in leading his
men to such certain defeat, is unexampled.
Then, too, when we consider the mischief,
political and moral, which has accrued from
the rash undertaking; the family circles that
have been robbed of a beloved brother or
son, the widows whose midnight ‘toil at the
needle but feebly supplies “the food and
raiment for the children. left fatherless
through its agency, we cannot but condemn,
in the strongest terms, its avaricious, nar-
row-minded projectors.
Firmly we hope that its fate, and that of
the ling one, may d ge all fu-
ture attempts. It can never succecd, for at
least two grand reasons. First, it is impos-
sible to take a sufficient foree from the
United States, without the aid of govern-
ment, to effect that object. Second, from
~ the naturally cowardly and treacherous dis-
position of the Spaniards, no dependence
ean be placed on them. Even supposing
them to be desirous of effecting a revolution
of government, and the invaders for a while
to be triumphant: atthe slightest indication
ofa reverse, they would not scruple to cut
the throats of the friends who had periled
their lives to aid them. ,
That this is so, any one knows who has
carefully noted their actions during the
events recorded in the history of the last
four hundred years.
Let us leave this subject, and take up
another thread of our history.
When the Pizarro arrived at Havana
with a portion of the prisoners, the news
was communicated to the American commo-
dore, then in port, with two war vessels, a
“brig and a steamer, and also to Campbell,
the American consul.
Both these gentlemen used every excr-
tion to aid us, but were haughtily told that
they could have no jurisdiction in the mat-
ter, and would not even be allowed to see
the prisoners. The commodore, who had
a pretty correct idea of the injustice of the
proceedings, dispatched the brig to the out-
Dodge's Xiterary Those.
side of the harbor, with instructions to lay
off and on, and when the IIabanero with
the remainder of us hove in sight, to fire a
signal gun, that he might be made aware of
it, and run out with the steamer, intending
to take us off at all hazards—peaceably if
possible.
The Habencro, however, discovered her
first, and suspecting her object, again put to
sea until night, then returning, under cover
of the darkness, anchored close under the
walls of Moro Castle, thus placing herself
under the protection of its guns.
In the morning she entered the harbor,
and transferred us to the lower gun-deck of
the ship-of-the-line Soberano, where we
found our companions. Ilere we were
placed in irons until our final disposition
was determined upon. Tow we lived
through the confinement, abuse, and sick-
ness of the next two months, it would be dif=
ficult to imagine.
Our irons were shaped like a horse-shoe,
with a ring in each heel. ‘These were plac-
ed on the ankles, and a bar with a head on
one end put through the rings behind the
leg, and securely fastened by padlock or
rivet, at the other, Eight or ten were thus
crowded on to one bar. Our bed was the
oaken deck, and our living half an allow-
ance of wretched bean soup, and three
crackers, per day.
These latter were plentifully seasoned with
a species of black bug, with which the flour
of which they were made (Spanish navy-
bread is always made from damaged flour,)
was doubtless alive.
We were particular enough to pick them
out for awhile, but eventually found it would
not do to stand on trifles. -
Our clothes, what we had left, were hang-
ing in tatters. The thievish Spaniards had
stolen not only our blankets, but every ar-
ticle of clothing not actually on our backs,
as well as every article of personal property
we possessed.
This was done by the sailors and marines,
the money and valuables found on each
man being taken care of by the government
authorities, who possessed the propensity of
the i in a degree corresponding
with the superior station they held.
One of our men, Tucker Holland, a Mis-
sissippian, had over nine hundred dollars
taken from him, but on being released had
but six hundred returned. Others were
robbed in even greater proportion ; some
not having their money returned at all. To
add to the horrors of our captivity, since
becoming prisoners our clothes and persons
had become infested with vermin.
To a person by whom cleanliness is con-
sidered as the first pleasure and duty of life,
the awful fecling engendered by such a sit-
uation must be experiened to be realized.
For ten days after our capture we were not
allowed to wash ourselves.
When sickness assailed us, and we asked
for a physician, we were told that it was
better to die by sickness than hanging.
We were not allowed to see and converse
with any person not connected with the
Spanish government, and of course knew
nothing of how our position was regarded at
home, except what was told us by our cap-
tors, i. ¢., that the government considered
us pirates, and had communicated to the
Spanish authorities their intention of re-
maining neutral, no matter what disposition
was made of us.
This in reality was untrue, and we did
not at first believe it; but after days and
weeks and months had passed without hear-
ing one word from home, to the contrary,
the conviction gradually settled down upon
us that we had been unjustly deserted by
the government to which we looked for pro-
tection, cither without inquiry as to our
guilt or innocence, or from fear of interfer-
ence affecting the next clection of its offi-
cials. .
In the meantime, while waiting for the
result of tardy cabinet cogitations, the Span-
iards deemed it best to give us a mock trial,
as a cloak to their conduct, should they be
allowed to hang us.
For this purpose the queen’s attorney and
an interpreter came on board, and one by
one the prisoners were examined and cross-
questioned. This occupied some weeks.
When it was concluded, we were assured
that we would be hung on the 2nd day of
August next.
We had become desperate; all the kind-
lier feelings of friendship and sociability
were banished or died out in our bosoms.
Knowing that death was certain, the men
gave up to despair, grew morose and even
savage in their dispositions, and scrupled
not to wrangle with each other for a lion’s
share of our scanty food.:
Thus we worried through, day by day,
what was to be the remainder of our unfor-
tunate existence. Captain Benson was
melancholy and reserved, seldom spoke, and
spent most of the time reading his Bible,
a copy of which he possessed, which and a
dream-book were the only books among us.
The dream-book was industriously circulat-
ed every morning, and dreams interpreted.
A small looking-glass which we happened
to have in our pocket when captured, also
went the rounds, each one being anxious to
see how much his beard had grown the
previous night.
A few days after we reached Havana, the
Georgiana and Susan Loud were brought
into port. ‘We could sce through the open
ports near us, the whole process of dismast-
ing and repairing them. After this was
accomplished, they were loaded with lum-
ber and sent to Spain.
The little hope that we before entertain-
ed vanished entirely when we saw this, for
they had as good aright to confiscate our
lives as property. Benson, particularly, be-
came gloomy. Tis all was embarked in
that vessel, his death would deprive his wife
and little ones of a protector, and the con-
fiscation of his vessel had already deprived
them of property.
What a hollow mockery is the vaunted
will and power of our government to pro-
tect her maritime commerce! Jere was a
worthy, honest seaman, who had never vio-
lated our laws, but, though deceived and
deprived of his command by a set of scoun-
drels, had in good faith, With honest pur-
pose, taken his papers from the Custom-
House for a voyage to Chagres, whither he
stipulated to carry passengers, taken pris-
oner, his vessel condemned, and himself to
be hung—because, what ?—because the
American authorities were too weak or too
lukewarm in their duty to make a proper
investigation of the matter and decide
promptly where the wrong lay.
No matter if he did show every disposi-
tian to do what was right—no matter what
his intentions were, or what injustice placed
him in his present situation—it was a well-
known fact that his vessel carried a part of
the expedition to Contoy Island, therefore,
it was meet that she should be taken from
him, and that he should suffer death ‘most
ignominiously. Neither is his case an ex-
ception.
If an American vessel is captured by a
foreign power, a commodore is not empow-
ered, as is the case with an English oflicer, to
immediately retake her, and demand repa-
ration for the outrage. Ife must sail home,
report, and go about his business. Then
commences a diplomatic correspondence,
carefully worded for fear of giving offense,
extending perhaps through long years.
Meanwhile the vessel is sold, used, worn
out and abandoned, and the owner, if he is
so fortunate as to escape imprisonment, after
waiting for indemnity until his fast waning
confidence in the integrity of our govern-
ment is entirely lost, turns his attention to
some other means of gaining a livelihood, if,
indeed, he has lived so long, and the claim
is dropped.
Why this should be we cannot see. Are
there not men in our navy as worthy of
confidence as any in the English? We
think there are. When men like Commo-
dore Morris have spent their lives in our
navy, when they have commanded vessels
built and manned for the very purpose of
redressing such injuries, until three score
and ten years have whitened their locks,
and added to their experience, their judg-
ments are worth a dozen of those of a cab-
inet drawn together, but a few days before,
perhaps, from lawyers’ offices, counting-
rooms, or the battle-field; possessing, may-
hap, no more knowledge of the political
duties they are to perform, than the veriest
clown.
In the instance before cited, should the
owner of the vessel be imprisoned, his
chance is next to hopeless, as far as govern-
ment aid is concerned, as numbers can tes-
tify; among whom our fellow-prisoners,
Kendall, who was imprisoned by the Mexi-
can authorities some years since, and sev-
eral Americans now imprisoned in Italy,
may be found.
One source of amusement to us, during
the confinement, was the observance of
Spanish manners and customs. They are
an essentially old fogyish people.
naval equipments and conveniences are but
little different from those used by Colum-
bus.
Indeed, on board the Soberano there was
a brass piece, curiously carved, and inscrib-
ed with the insignia of royalty, that had
been used by Cortez in Mexico. It had
been bestowed upon this vessel for two rea~
sons: first, because she was the oldest ves-
sel in the service ; and second, as a reward
for her bravery in an engagement from
which she emerged perfectly sound, while
ten of her compeers went to the bottom.
This feat she accomplished by her peculiar
manner of fighting, #. €., getting before the
wind and firing stern chasers at the enemy
as long as there was one to be scen.
A world of labor was bestowed in keep-
ing her guns and woodwork clean. Every
morning, after breakfast, a sailor went
aronnd with a bucket of slush and a brush,
leaving a small dab on each gun. He was
followed by others, who with the bare hands
manipulated until the piece was sufficiently
lustrous to please the eye of the corporal.
The posts, capstan, and other fine wood-
work were treated in the same manner, oc-
cupying sometimes three . hours’ time for a
single post.
Every morning, about four o'lcock, the
corporal awoke us by kicking us on the
soles of our feet, as we lay extended in rows
on the deck, and removed us to the oppo-
site side of the vessel, while ours was being
scrubbed. ‘This latter operation was per-
formed by scattering sand on the deck,
dashing on water, and then with a small
Their .
Pema i, aemennt
Dose. Fe.
— eg! ere
-
en
——i—
~~