Our accounts of the exciting events of which Carthagena has been the scene must commence with the arrival there of her Majesty’s ship Torch, Commander Dyer, on the 30th ult., to relieve her Majesty’s ship Pigeon. The men-of-war in harbour, the arsenal, and all the harbour defences, were then in the hands of the Intransigentes, who were rapidly preparing the Mendez Nunes for sea, and were getting the hungs into the Numancia. The paddle-wheel frigate Fernando el Catolico was ready for sea. On the 1st inst. the work of preparation on board the Mendez Nunez was completed, and she was seen to be getting up her steam. The commander of the Torch had just heard of the bombarment of Almeria, and he therefore proceeded on board the Mendez Nunez and warned her Captain not to attempt any similar proceeding, lest he should be convicted of piracy. The Captain was only a port pilot, the ship had no regular officers, and her crew were also nearly all landamen, chiefly militiamen. The Captain said he would refer Commander Dyer’s message to the Junta, whereupon the letter informed him that he himself would be held responsible for any piratical act committed by the ship under his command. In consequence of this the Mendez Nunez and Fernando el Catolico did not put to sea, as intended, and it was reported that the Captain and most of the crew afterward deserted the former ship.
The next morning at eight o'clock her Majesty's ship Swiftsure, Captain Ward, and the German man-of-war Friedrich Carl, Captain Werner, made their appearance, escorting the Almanea and Victoria, who showed no colours. The Spanish ships anchored immediately in Escombrera Bay, at the mouth of the Carthagena harbour, the allied ships after a little manoeuvring taking up a position seaward of them. The Torch was ordered to get up steam with all despath, and request the Consul to go on board the Swiftsure. The German gunboat Dolphin arrived shortly after this.
The Government is that of the Canton, and consists of Contreras, Roque Barcia, Ferrer, Romero, and Sauvale; the Junta is the municipal body. There are other distinctions also -- for instance, they of the Canton can write; the others are ignorant of this as well as, most probably, of the other R's; the Canton Authorities have also the advantage of dress, but so counterbalance this the Junta decidedly consume more garlic. So that, after all is said, there is not very much to choose between the two. Commodore Werner and Captains Ward and Dyer met these deputies with General Contreras and his staff in the cabin of the Friedrich Carl, and deputations from the crews of the detained ships were also on deck. The Spaniards were not informed of the intention of the allies to land crews of the Victoria and Almansa unarmed except the officers, who were to be allowed to retain their arms. The Spaniards demurred and said they would sooner die than leave the ships. They were asked to reconsider that decision, and were told that if they had not left the ships quietly by 6 p.m. on the following day, force would be used to drive them out. The deputations from the crews were then seen and this message repeated, with a notice that if they wished to go on shore quietly at 6 a.m. the next day they were to hoist a blue flag.
On the return of the Junta and members of the government to Carthagena, the excitement increased threefold, but the Torch stayed in the harbour all night watching the proceedings of the ships, and the Dolphin anchored between her and the Escombrera Bay by the rising ground on which Fort St. Julian stands. At 7 a.m. on the 4th the Dolphin and Torch were ordered to weigh and close the large ships. At 8 the blue flags were hoisted on board the Victoria and Almansa, but there was a stormy meeting on board the Friedrich Carl, between Captains Werner and Ward and the Spanish deputies. The deputies besought that the Spanish ships might be allowed to proceed into port, on a written agreement being given that they sould not put to sea, but their request was no acceded to, upon which the deputies said they would die sooner than accept such terms. They added that every battery was manned, every soldier in the city standing at his arms, and the crews of the ships ready to fight to the death. The Captains pointed to the blue flags on board the Spanish ships as a contradiction to this statement, and said that they were ordered to act as they had stated and would fulfil their orders whatever might be the consequences. By 11 a.m. about 600 or 800 men had been embarked in the boats of the Spanish ships, under the superintendence of English and German officers, and a guard of marines of both nations being on board both ships. The Dolphin took these boats in tow, and the Torch was ordered to clear for action, load her guns with case shot, and cover the landing. This was done at Fort Navidad, close under the guns of a heavy battery and of the Mendes Nunes, and moreover the Torch was obliged to pass this ship to go into the inner harbour to turn. As she did so the crew were at quarters, keeping the heavy guns pointing at her, and were very excited, crying out, "Let us fire and sink her," and using abusive expressions. The mole battery guns were also loaded and pointed at the Torch. However, she was allowed to proceed out of harbour again unmolested, but the Mendez Nunez got her steam up and prepared to weigh. The Numancia also hauled out of dock. Here we must record the universal testimony of all who were either engaged in, or spectators of, the affair to the coolness displayed by Captain Dyer.
THE ENGLISH SHIPS AT CARTHAGENA:- The correspondent of the New York Herald, writing from Carthagena, Says:- "When the Victoria and Almansa were captured by the Swiftsure and the German man-of-war Frederick Charles, and brought to anchor at Escombreras, under the guns of the fortresses of rebellious Carthagena, a small British gunboat, the Torch, carring only four guns, lay within the port. Preparations were made by the excited rebels to recapture the Victoria and Almansa; the Mendez Nunez, Numancia, Tetuan, and Fernadez el Catolico had their steam up, and the men were all prepared to launch out. The Torch slipt out of port and went for orders to Captain Ward, of the Swiftsure. Soon after her went a boat from the Numancia, bearing a threat from Contreras that the first foreign ship that entered the harbour would be fired upon. Captain Ward gave the commander of the little Torch a letter carrying a counterthreat, that if the rebels fired on any foreign vessel he would bombard the town, and this message was to be taken to the Junta. The Torch prepared for action; her four guns were cast loose, and she steamed boldly up the harbour, making straight for the Numancia (which had her steam up) and looking as if she meant to run her down. On coming alongside, the captain ran up the side of the tall ironclad, and as he stepped on board was greeted with cries of "Cut him down!" "Death to the foreigner!" and so forth. But he turned coolly round and told his lieutenant to signal the Swiftsure for orders as to what should be done if the Numancia fired upon the Torch. The answer was instantly seen at the masthead of the Swiftsure: it was "Board!" A crew of 180 men, all told, were to board the Numancia with a crew of 600! The commander of the Torch, after telling the captain of the Numancia what Captain Ward's intentions were, asked him what he meant by having steam up; to which the pale-faced rebel stammering replied that it was for the purpose of moving nearer to the city. The British commander took off his cap, waved an adieu, and having gone back to the Torch, steamed farther in. Then, manning his boat, he was rowed ashore, and met there an excited crowd collected to do him violence. But he was no more daunted by the fierce looks of the people than by the iron-clad. As he passed along them he politely took off his cap, and, having delivered his senior's letter to the Junta, went back to the Torch, and then steamed to the Swiftsure to report.
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