Papers Relating to Foreign Affairs, Accompanying the Annual Message of the President to the Second Session Thirty-eighth Congress, Part IV
Mr. Harvey to Mr. Seward.
Sir: I have the honor to enclose herewith the translation of a letter published in one of the leading journals of this city, which professes to give the details of an event at Bahia that had occasioned much excitement there.
[Page 322]I am informed that the late commander of the Florida was among the passengers in the Brazilian packet for Southampton yesterday, by which this news was brought to Lisbon.
I have the honor to be, sir, your obedient servant,
Hon. William H. Seward, Secretary of State, Washington City.
Bahia.
The papers received by us from this city are of the 13th October. The most important news they contain relates to a serious question between the governments of Brazil and the United States, which has been provoked and caused by the commander of the federal steamer Wachusett, which has dared in the Brazilian waters to attack the confederate steamer Florida, to kill some of her men on board, and to take her away from the port in opposition to international rights, and in spite even of the fire of the corvette Dona Januario, which tried to put a stop to the outrage committed by the commander of the Wachusett.
The following is referred to in the Jornal de Bahia:
Treason, insult, and cowardice—We have now to register another outrage to our sovereignty, another insult made to our means of defence.
The public is already aware of the occurrence which took place in our port between the North American steamer Wachusett and the confederate Florida, but as it might be appreciated unjustly, and to the detriment of our national honor, we shall minutely relate all the circumstances as they took place. The steamer Florida, belonging to the southern Confederate States, had entered our port on the 5th from Santa Cruz, Teneriffe, in sixty-one days, to repair her machinery and take in provisions and water, as the crew had been under one ration of salt beef and drinking filtered sea-water. The American consul claimed from the president of the province that she should not be admitted in the port, and that she should be brought to account for not having respected the Brazilian waters, she having set fire to an American vessel near the island of Fernando Noronha. The president declared that he had allowed her two days which she required to repair her machinery.
The North American steamer Wachusett was lying in port. As soon as the Florida came in there had been an evident movement on board of her.
Fearing some rencontre, as a cartel had been issued, the provincial president obtained from the American consul his word of honor that the country would be respected, and that no occurrence would take place inside the port or the national waters.
The Florida for greater security placed herself under the batteries of the flag-ship.
On the 6th, the latter’s crew being much in need of repose, one half thereof had liberty given them and went on shore, returning on board in the evening, many of them quite drunk, and the commander of the Florida, considering himself safe in a neutral port, allowed eighty of his crew and several officers to sleep on shore on the night of the 6th instant. At 3.10 a. m. the officer on watch, Hunter, jr., was surprised to hear that on board the Wachusett they were slipping their chains, and he immediately called his crew to quarters—a very difficult operation.
Almost at the same instant he was being boarded by some boats full of men, who received from the Florida a discharge of musketry, but the Wachusett [Page 323] came to the relief of her boats without its having been perceived, having smothered his fires and availed herself of the very dark night. She had left her anchorage and swiftly proceeded to the Florida, passing under the stern of the Dona Januario, the latter ordering her immediately to cast anchor, to which the commander of the Wachusett paid no attention, but rapidly threw herself on the Florida’s stem which was lying to the north with her head to the flood. Hardly was she on the Florida but she fired her bow-gun on her with shot and canister, and sending on board the Florida (which at once lost a mast) many of her men, and receiving a slight volley from the Florida. It is reported that there were many deaths on both sides in the fight which then took place, chiefly hand to hand, both sides being armed with swords and revolvers, but it lasted a short time, as the Florida’s crew only consisted then of about fifty men. Among the dead the officer on watch is reported as having received a ball in his chest and having been subsequently hung; that the officer, Stone, having killed more than six men, and finding himself surrounded and overpowered, had fired into his own mouth, thus expiring immediately, and that another officer who had jumped on board the Wachusett had then stabbed and killed six men, but had himself subsequently been killed.
Of fifteen sailors who threw themselves overboard four escaped, having been picked up by merchant vessels lying near. The remaining eleven were shot by the enemy, who fired nine shots on one man alone. This rapid fight was followed by a short silence, which gave place to prolonged hurrahs from on board the Wachusett.
The chief of division, Gewazio Manceba, sent a boat under Lieutenant Varella to the Wachusett, to order the commander immediately to cast anchor, as he would sink her if the manifestations were continued. The commander replied, under his word of honor, that he would do nothing further, and that he would immediately return to his moorings. This reply was given to the officer, the commander not permitting him to come on board the steamer. But the Wachusett had rapidly passed a tow-rope to the Florida, and, pretending to resume her moorings, proceeding, steering southwest, passed at a distance of a cable’s length from the Dona Januario’s bow; the latter then fired eight shots at the steamer, which made no reply, but, on the contrary, tried hard to get beyond reach of the corvette’s range. The latter’s shots almost all struck the steamer, as the uns were pointed by her best artillerymen.
In this state of things, the crews of all the ships of war being at quarters, the chief of the division ordered the steamer Paraense, who had her fires lighted from the commencement of the fight, to take the corvette in tow as soon as she had sufficient steam, and the corvette aiding with her sails, so as to be in a position to retake the prize. The division got under way in the following order: steamer Paraense, corvette Dona Januario, and hiate Rio de Contras. Judging by the speed at which the North American steamer was towing the Florida, it was expected that the corvette would gain on her. When outside the lighthouse the chief of division called all the officers to his cabin, and invoking their attention to the insult which had been received, declared that he was going to sink the steamer to retake the prize and bring her back to port if possible; that, burning with indignation, he was prepared to sacrifice to demonstrate that the honor of a nation was not to be thus wounded with impunity. These expressions were received with enthusiasm by all the officers, who called for the fight with immense ardor. Chase was immediately given to the steamers, which were ahead at a distance of five miles, and doing their best to run away.
Up to 7 o’clock in the morning the Paraense, with the corvette in tow, was gaining on the American ships in a decided manner; the fight appeared now certain; but the wind died away gradually. The Florida, which up to this moment was being towed, began to steam and had her sails out, thus, along with the Wachusett, gaining ground and ignominiously running away from our ship. [Page 324] The corvette continued a vigorous chase, as well as the other vessels, while the Americans pursued their flight. After losing sight of land, and the fugitives being likewise out of sight, the pursuit was given up at 11.45 a, m.
We are told that the enthusiasm, valor, and courage displayed by the chief, his officers, commander of the corvette, and the respective crews, were indescribable.
It being impossible to do more, the chief of division with his staff came on board the steamer Paraense and entered the port at 3.30 p. m., leaving outside the corvette and hiate Rio de Contras.
The Florida was repairing one of her engines, some of the tubes whereof are now in the navy yard.
It is to be deplored that none of the forts should have fired at least one shot, especially the Gambon fort, as the fugitives passed within one-third shot distance from her. The sea fort, when the boarding took place, merely fired three blank shots as a signal. Although badly armed, these forts might have caused some damage to the fugitives, and perhaps have forced them, by some unexpected effect of the shots, to stay their course; nevertheless everything and everybody appeared to be asleep when the honor of the country was in danger.
It cannot, however, be denied that the North Americans have committed in our port, within our waters, an act of barbarism, or rather of real piracy, which is tantamount to an infamous treachery towards their adversaries, an insult to us, and a shameful cowardice on the part of a nation which prides itself on its naval strength.
Reprisals.—Yesterday when the news was known in the city of the insult offered to us by the American steamer Wachusett, which captured at night within our port the confederate steamer Florida, a mob of people went to the office of the American consul at the Conceicai and pelted with stones the coat of arms which hangs over the door, took it down, and rolled it along the streets. In front of the custom-house some of the Florida’s crew wanted to secure the coat of arms, which, however, was not given up to them.
The police immediately sent a force to the house where the consulate is located, and kept guard on the house till night-fall.
Exequatur.—The president of the province cancelled, yesterday, the exequatur of the American consul.
The American consul, Wilson, who had slept on board the Wachusett went away in the steamer, abandoning his consulate.
Note.—In order to save the mail, it was necessary to employ the hands of two copyists.