No. 189.
Mr. Francis to Mr. Fish.
Athens, February 3, 1872. (Received March 1.)
Sir: Brigands are still hovering on the route between this city and Marathon. Yesterday a party of Americans, consisting of Messrs. Barksdull and Potter, of No. 21 Front street, New York, and my son, Charles S. Francis, made an excursion to Marathon. They were accompanied by a cavalry escort furnished by the government, which assured them that they would have perfect protection. Small squads of infantry were placed at several points where an ambuscade by the brigands would be possible but for this precaution, On their return, and when within fifteen miles of Athens, a dispatch was received by the commander of the escort from the war office, urging the party to hurry their return so as to reach Athens before dark, as positive information had been obtained that Spanos’s band of brigands were skulking about the mountains on the route. Very soon an alarm was given by some infantrymen in advance. The cavalry with the party dashed forward with great rapidity, and captured a man said to be a brigand. He was on horseback, but could not escape, as cavalry were within easy firing distance of him before he was aware of their pursuit. He halted at their command, was disarmed, and searched. There were found in his possession a forged pass, some money, and a quantity of ointment used for dressing gunshot wounds. The man was conveyed to Athens, and lodged in jail.
The minister of war informs me that the government is doing all that is possible to hunt down and capture the brigand band now skulking among the mountains on the Marathon route.
I am, &c,