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1.          1




CAPTAIN JOSEPH FRY.








Al










LIFE~~~2 7ttl 
OF
CAPT.~~~~~ JOSPHFR


THE CUBAN MARTYR.
BEING
A FAITHFUL RECORD OF HIS RRMARKABLE CAREER FROM CHILDHOOD TO THE TIME OF
His HEROIC DEATH AT THE HANDS OF SPANISH EXEcUTIONERS; RECOUNTING
His EXPEFRIENCE- AS AN OFFICER IN THE U. S. AND CONFEDERATE
NAVIES, AND REVEALING MUCII OF THE INNER HISTORY
AND SECRET MARINE SERVICE OF THE LATE
CIVIL WAR IN AMERICA.
BY


JEANIE MORT WALKER,
OF NEW ORLEANS.
Vubliz1tcb for the 13encfit of t1e UlibobG abfI Orpinns of easpt. fr
SOLD BY SUBSCRIPTION ONLY.
ftARTFORD):
TIHE J. B. BURR PUBLISHING CO.
87 5.




F
/7T5"
Wig
1 75
Entered according to Act of Congress in the year 1874, by
THE J. B. BURR PUBLISHING COMPANY,
In the Office of the Librarian of Congress, at Washington.,   /l,  -I
' '  '  




DEDICATED
TO TLE
xr'rubn of tet 1ibhobo anb Ite erpta;
TO THE
Compatriots of ftle et o;
TO THE,oTerM of fjree  uba;
TO HIS BROTHERS,
ife <ellobfs of tie fEla  irleans ctabemg of cdutcs;
AND TO
Fir xambton yorratit,
THE BRITISH DEFENDER OF AMERICAN HONOR.




"The noblest gift a hero gives his race
Is to have been a hero!"
GEORGE ELIOT.
"Lubenter quiesceremus libertate parta;
Quiescemus amissi, perlubenter."
"Willingly would we have died to liberate our country;
not having been able to liberate her, we die still more
willingly."
WALTER SAVAGE LANDOR
"What though we fail! we feed the high
Tradition of the world,
And leave our spirit in our people's breasts."


GEORGE ELIOT




PREFACE.
INSPIRED as it is by the tenderest sympathy for
the widow and orphans of the "Cuban Martyr," I
trust that my little memorial volume may touch the
hearts of all his countrymen with a keener sense of
their own bereavement, through the simple recital
of his virtues. To know what he was is to realize
what they have lost.
By a sudden, cruel blow bereft of husband and
father, their protector and support, a heart-broken,
invalid widow and seven young children —the eldest a fair, delicate young girl, the oldest son a
cripple from infancy, the youngest scarcely more
than a mere babe - are lift totally unprovided
for. To the bitter agony of their great grief are
added the trials and hardships of poverty. They
suffer in silence, shrinking from the publicity into
which they have been forced.    They make no
appeal to the sympathies- to the charities —of
the world.
9




10                 PREFA CE.
Shall they continue to struggle on unaided? Let
every heart that thrills over the story of his life
respond freely to this appeal, and gladden their
stricken hearts.  Let their "luxury of woe" be
superseded by the luxury of that ease and comfbrt
which his life-long exertions failed to secure to them.
Let not his last words prove vain: "... people will be kinder to you now, Dita; " "God will
raise up friends for my poor widow and fatherless
children."
NEW ORLEANS, August, 1874.       THE AUTHOR.




INTRODUCTION.
"For the main point in biography is to present the man
in all his relations to his time, and to show to what extent it may have opposed or prospered his development;
what view of mankind and the world he has shaped from
it; and how far he himself may be an external reflection
of its spirit."- GOETHE.
"IN all ages the biographies of great men have
been fruitful in lessons; in all ages they have
been powerful stimulants to a noble ambition; in
all ages they have been      regarded  as armories
wherein are gathered the weapons with which great
battles have been won." Thus writes George H.
Lewes, in his " Story of Goethe's Life." He also
says, "Humanity reveals itself in fragments. One
man is the embodiment of one kind of excellence,
another of another. Achilles wins the victory, and
Homer immortalizes it; we bestow the laurel crown
11




12


INTRODUCTION.


on both. In virtue of a genius, such as modern
times have only seen equaled once or twice,
Goethe deserves the epithet of 'Great.' Nor is
it in virtue of genius alone that he deserves the
title. Merck said of him that what he lived was
more beautiful than what he wrote."
Goethe, though a great man, and a great poet,
was "an inconstant lover and a tepid politician."
His life was one of serene quiet. The friend of
princes and the favorite of fortune, he knew nothing of those struggles which make the hero. He
died in the quiet calm of old age, surrounded by
all those most dear to him.
This is one of the "fragments" in which "humanity reveals itself."
Here is another, strong  in contrasts. JOSEPH
FRY, though not a great poet, was a great man.
Of him, too, it may well be said that "what he
lived was more beautiful than what he wrote."
His life itself was an epic poem. An idolizing
husband and an indulgent father, his life was one
long but vain struggle with misfortunes; one unbroken series of disappointments. But amid all
the hardships and sorrows of poverty, he ever




INTROD UCTION.


13


displayed a courage, a chivalry, a tenderness, a
fidelity unsurpassed by the heroes of history or
of romance.
He was endowed with exceptionally fine natural
capacities, and his mind was well cultivated. He
read much and thought deeply, being especially
fond of speculating on abstruse subjects. He possessed large scientific attainments, and his inventions and discoveries will yet be of value to the
world; though, unfortunately for himself, he had
not the kind of genius which could put them
successfully before the world or carry them into
practical operation on a large scale.
His phiysique corresponded grandly with his chivalrous character. His eyes were of rare beauty
and peculiar mesmeric power. He was of noble and
imposing figure; tall, of almost gigantic stature, martial bearing, and singularly impressive appearance.
He has been described as "a noble-looking old
man, fully a head taller than any of his crew," but
he was not an old man, for he was but little more
than forty-five years of age, though hardships and
anxiety had blanched his hair years ago. Withal,
he was admirably proportioned, and, both in form
and feature, recalled Hamlet's words,



14               INTRODUCTION.
"A combination and a form indeed,
Where every god did seem to set his seal
To give the world assurance of a man."
His record has been an honorable and a brilliant
one, as the following pages will show. If a pure
life, rich in honor, kindness, gallantry, truth, and
faithful services, both in peace and   in war, deserves remembrance, Captain Joseph Fry will never
be forgotten.




CONTENTS.
CHAPTER I.
BIRTH, ANCESTRY, AND CHILDHOOD OF CAPTAIN JOSEPH FRY.
- A MISCHIEVOUS BUT WINNING LAD. - HIS EARLY SYMPATHIES FOR THE DISTRESSED. - MINISTERING AT THE BEDSIDE OF A DYING OLD NEGRESS AT FIVE YEARS OF AGE. -
HIS PRANKS WITH THE COUNTRY WASHERWOMEN. - NICKNAMED "JOE LE DIABLE." — IMPRISONED IN A CLOSE
CHEST. -GOES INTO THE PUBLIC STREET IN HIS NIGHTGOWN. HIS MOTHER'S DISMAY........ 27
CHAPTER       II.
LITTLE JOE IS SENT NORTH TO BE EDUCATED. —THE OLD
FRUIT-STALL KEEPER MISSES JOE.-AN INTERESTING
TALE. - JOES MOTHER MOURNS HIS ABSENCE, AND PINES
AWAY AND DIES IN HER GRIEF. —JOE IN CHARGE OF HIS
QUAKER AUNTS IN RHODE ISLAND.-AT SCHOOL IN
BALLSTON SPA, N. Y. —LEAVES SCHOOL. -ENTERS THE
HARDWARE BUSINESS.-TAKES SUDDEN LEAVE OF HIS
UNCLE. - HIS AMBITION FOR A MIDSHIPMAN'S BERTH. -
IN WASHINGTON, PENNILESS AND ALONE. -SEEKS PRESIDENT TYLER, AND WINS HIS ADMIRATION. — RETURNS
HOME WITH A WARRANT IN HIS POCKET, AND RECEIVES
CONGRATULATIONS FROM ALL......... 35
CHAPTER       III.
THE YOUNG MIDSHIPMAN ENTERS THE NAVY.-WHILE AT
THE NAVAL SCHOOL HE MAKES SEVERAL CRUISES. -ATTACHED TO THE STEAM FRIGATE MISSOURI.- THE FRIGATE BURNT OFF GIBRALTAR.- NARROW ESCAPE OF
YOUNG FRY.-LOSS OF HIS OUTFIT.-CAPTAIN NEWTON'S TESTIMONIAL TO FRY'S CHARACTER AND HONORABLE CONDUCT.-PROMOTED TO THE GRADE OF PASSED
MIDSHIPMAN.-CRUISES IN THE GULF OF MEXICO, ON
BOARD THE VIXEN. -THE FLEET BOMBARDS VERA CRUZ.
15




16                C.CONTENTS.
-CONCLUSION OF THE MEXICAN WVAR.- FRY VISITS
HOME. - FALLS IN LOVE WITH AGNES SANDS. - HIS MARRIAGE. - ON BOARD THE WALKER, IN THE UNITED STATES
COAST SURVEY. - IN COMMAND OF THE WILLIAM A. GRAHAM. -HIS DUTIES INTRODUCE HIM TO THE SOCIETY OF
AGASSIZ AND OTHER DISTINGUISHED MEN, WHOSE APPROBATION HE SECURES............ 46
CHAPTER       IV.
IN COMMAND OF THE GRAHAM. —EXTRACT FROM MIDSHIPMAN FRY'S JOURNAL. - HIS AUNT'S ANXIETY. - HIS ESTIMATE OF SUCCESS-AT PENSACOLA. -THE LAUNCH OF
THE DRY DOCK.-" CAPTAIN" FRY'S MEDITATIONS ON
THE OCCASION. - THE VOYAGE FROM PENSACOLA TO
CHESAPEAKE BAY VERY SEVERE. -THE PROVISIONS GIVE
OUT.-A "BREAKFAST" AT LAST. —ARRIVAL AT NORFOLK.- ASKS TO BE RELIEVED FROM THE GRAHAM.APPOINTED TO THE SUSQUEHANNA. - TRANSFERRED TO
THE PLYMOUTH. -SAILS FOR THE EAST INDIES.- KEEPS
A JOURNAL FOR HIS WIFE...........         52
CHAPTER V.
ON BOARD THE PLYMOUTH. - FRY BEARS HIS LONG ABSENCE
PHILOSOPHICALLY. - NOTES FOR HIS WIFE. - THE " COMFORTS " OF SICKNESS ON BOARD SHIP. - THE PLYMOUTH
LEAVES NORFOLK FOR THE INDIAN OCEAN.- FRY'S COMMENTS ON HER DEPARTURE. - HIS PEN PICTURES. -MADEIRA AS SEEN BY FRY. - HOSPITALITY OF THE AMERICAN
CONSUL.- DEATH OF LOPEZ, THE CUBAN PATRIOT. -
FRY'S PREMONITION OF HIS OWN CAPTURE AND DEATH.AT RIO. - ITS BEAUTIFUL HARBOR. - BOTANICAL GARDENS. - ROUNDING THE CAPE OF GOOD HOPE. — CHRISTMAS DAY. - FRY'S VISION OF HOME. - FROLIC AMONG THE
MIDSHIPMEN. - DINING ON IMAGINARY VIANDS. - SCENE
IN THE WARD-ROOM.............. 60
CHAPTER VI.
AT THE ANTIPODES. — JAVA. - MISERIES OF A STRANGER IN
A STRANGE LAND. - AT BATAVIA. - JUNKS AND JOSSES. -
THREE DAYS ASHORE.- LUDICROUS SCENES. - TAKING




CONTENTS.                  17
" TIFFEN," OR LUNCH. - A RELISH. - SHARKS' FINS
MADE DELECTABLE. — BIRD'S-NEST SOUP.- CHINESE DINNER. - HOW THE TEA-LEAF IS PREPARED FOR USE.-FRY'S
VISIT TO THE GOVERNOR'S PALACE AT BUITENZORG.SPLENDID GROUNDS.-IMMENSE TREES. - THE BANYAN
TREE. - BEAUTIFUL BIRDS. - JAPANESE WARE. - PASSAGE INTO THE CHINA SEA.- SINGAPORE..- FINE ROADS,
ETC. - A CHINESE TEMPLE.- HINDOO TEMPLES.... 72
CHAPTER VII.
FRY TIRED OF HIS MODE OF LIFE. - CONTEMPLATES RETIRING
FROM THE NAVY. - AN OFFICER'S VIEWS OF LIFE ON
SHIPBOARD. - FRY MEDITATES ON HIS IDLE LIFE. - MACAO.
- LETTERS FROM HOME.- A NATION IN BOATS. - TANKAS
"MANNED" BY GIRLS.- EXPERT SAILORS.- FRY'S GLOWING DESCRIPTION OF THE TANKA GIRLS.- THEIR "C MOTHER
AT HOME." - A MINIATURE JOSS HOUSE.- A PORTUGUESE
FAMILY IN CHINA. - THE SOAP FRUIT. -  CAMOENS'
CAVE," THE CHIEF ATTRACTION OF MACAO.-HERE THE
PORTUGUESE POET WROTE HIS "LUSAD."..... 96
CHAPTER       VIII.
THE PLYMOUTH LEAVES MACAO.- AT AMOY. -THE CITY
OUTVIES ALL OTHER CHINESE CITIES WITH ITS SMELLS.A REMARKABLE JOSS-HOUSE DESCRIBED. - CHINESE REGARD FOR THE DEAD.- THEY ARE CREMATIONISTS.- THE
MISSIONARY SETTLEMENT AT FOU-CHOU.- THEIR DELIGHT AT THE SIGHT OF AMERICANS. - FRY'S JOY ON
MEETING THE LADIES. - HE FINDS DITA'S LIVING STATUE
THERE. - MANDARINS.- A STREET SCENE. - MANNER OF
SMOKING. - CONSECRATING A MAN-OF-WAR JUNK TO THE
SERVICE OF JOSS. - AT NING-PO.- THE WAR-SHIP. —
TAOU-TAI. - NING-PO FURNITURE. - FRY AT THE LOO
CHOO ISLANDS.- HOMEWARD BOUND.- THE CAPE OF
GOOD HOPE........... 107
CHAPTER IX.
Two YEARS OF HOME SERVICE. - PENSACOLA NAVY YARD. -
AN EVENTLESS PERIOD. -AN INCIDENT WHICH GAVE BIRTH
TO " THE CHRONICLES OF LEVI." - CAPTAIN LEVY DROPPED




18                 CONTENTS.
BY THE NAVAL BOARD. - THE " CHRONICLES," WRITTEN BY
LIEUTENANTS PAUL AND HOE, TELL THE STORY.-AN INSIGHT INTO LISTLESS LIFE ASHORE........  118
CHAPTER X.
IN ACTIVE SERVICE AGAIN. - CRUISE TO THE SOUTH PACIFIC.
-  LO, THE MORNING BREAKETH! ) - ROUNDING CAPE
HORN VIA THE STRAITS OF LE MAIRE. — AT VALPARAISO,
FEBRUARY, 1858. —TERRIBLE HURRICANE. -FRY SENT
HOME ON THE SICK LIST. - RECOMMENDED TO THE RETIRED
LIST. - PLACED IN CHARGE OF THE LIGHT-HOUSE DEPARTMENT OF THE GULF COAST. -SURRENDERS HIS TRUSTS.
- OFFICIALLY COMPLIMENTED. - RESIGNS, JANUARY, I86I.
- CASTS HIS FORTUNES WITH THE SOUTH.- PEN PORTRAIT
OF FRY BY A BROTHER OFFICER. - COULD NOT SERVE TWO
MASTERS. -ILLUSTRATION OF THE CHARACTER AND COURSE
OF FRY................  125
CHAPTER XI.
CONFEDERATE RECORD. - CAPTAIN OF ARTILLERY. - LETTER
OF CAPTAIN ROY.- FRY DOING DUTY AS A COMMODORE. -
APPROVES AND RECOMMENDS THE TURRETED MONITORS. -
CONTRIBUTES FOR THE FIRST IRON-CLAD RAM, THE MANASSAS.-ESTABLISHES A MILITARY AND NAVAL MANUFACTORY OF GUN-CARRIAGES, ETC.- ESCAPE OF THE SUMTER AND THE GALLANT SEMMES.-FRY PLACED IN COMMAND OF THE IVY. —REPORT OF THE NAVAL EXPEDITION
OF OCTOBER I2, 86I. —AN INTERESTING DOCUMENT.TRANSFERRED TO THE MAUREPAS. — LETTERS TO HIS
WIFE. —SCENES ON BOARD THE MAUREPAS. ---A PROVIDENTIAL INCIDENT.-CAPTURING COMMISSARY STORES,
ETC. —DISTRIBUTES THEM TO THE PEOPLE.-FEDERAL
EXPEDITION UP WHITE RIVER OPPOSED BY FRY. -TAKEN
PRISONER. - CHARGE AGAINST CAPTAIN FRY REFUTED. 136
CHAPTER XII.
FRY PLACED ON THE EXAMINING BOARD. -VISITS VARIOUS
CITIES.-PUT IN COMMAND OF THE EUGENIE. -GREAT
SUCCESS. - STATIONED AT ST. THOMAS, BERMUDA, AS
GOVERNMENT AGENT. - SENT TO SCOTLAND FOR A BLOCK



CONTENTS.                  19
ADE-RUNNER. - PLEASING INCIDENT. - MAKES SEVERAL
SUCCESSFUL TRIPS IN THE SHIP AGNES E. FRY.-SUNK
IN CAPE FEAR RIVER.- CAPTAIN FRY IN MOBILE BAY.THE GREAT NAVAL FIGHT.-PREPARATIONS TO RUN THE
BLOCKADE.- TRANSFERRED TO THE MORGAN. -CLOSING
SCENES OF THE WAR. - TRIBUTE TO THE MEMORY OF
CAPTAIN FRY BY A BROTHER OFFICER.- FRY'S GREAT
BRAVERY DURING THE FIGHT IN MOBILE BAY... 166
CHAPTER        XIII.
AFTER THE SURRENDER. -WITHOUT HOME OR COUNTRY.BUSINESS LOSSES. - HIS MECHANICAL SKILL. - ON THE
BOARD OF MARINE INSPECTORS. - PROHIBITED BY THE
LEGISLATURE TO ACT.- HIS INVENTIVE GENIUS.- EXPERIMENTS WITH SUPER-HEATED STEAM. - SECURES LETTERS
PATENT. -HIS INVENTION APPLIED TO FRUITS. -RECOMMENDS IT FOR DISINFECTING PURPOSES. -MEMBER OF THE
NEW ORLEANS ACADEMY OF SCIENCES.- METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS IN LOUISIANA.- RESOLUTIONS OF THE
ACADEMY ON HIS DEATH. — EFFORT TO RAISE THE TRADES
TO THE RANK OF PROFESSIONS.-SAD FAILURE TO SECURE
A LIVING BY KEEPING BOARDERS. - REMINISCENCES.. 190
CHAPTER XIV.
THE VIRGINIUS. - HER HISTORY. -JUNE, I87I, LANDS ORDNANCE STORES NEAR SANTIAGO. ---CHASED BY THE BAZAN. -CONVOYED BY UNITED STATES STEAMER KANSAS. -
LANDS ON THE SOUTHERN COAST OF CUBA, BEARING A
SUPPLY OF ARMS.- ACCEPTS COMMAND. — BLOCKADERUNNING AND PENALTIES UNDER THE LAWS OF NATIONS.SAILS TO JAMAICA TO TAKE CHARGE OF THE VIRGINIUS. -
RECEPTION AT KINGSTON. - TEN DAYS OF FEASTING AND
MIRTH. —LETTER OF GENERAL RYAN..... 214
CHAPTER XV.
CLEARING OF THE VIRGINIUS. - SAILS FROM KINGSTON AMID
THE CHEERS OF THE PEOPLE. - SERIOUS ACCIDENT TO DR.
GOVIN AND ASSOCIATES. -RESCUED BY GENERAL RYAN.
— CUBAN LADS PREVENTED FROM GOING WITH THE VIRGINIUS.- LANDING AT PORT AU PRINCE FOR MATERIALS
2




20


CONTENTS.


OF WAR. - ORDERED OUT OF PORT. - THE SPANISH MANOF-WAR TORNADO STARTS IN PURSUIT, AND CAPTURES
HER. -- CAPTAIN FRY SHOWS HIS PAPERS, AND PROTESTS.
-THE SPANISH OFFICER'S REPLY.- PRISONERS TRANSFERRED TO THE TORNADO. - A PRIZE CREW PLACED IN
CHARGE. - SAILS FOR SANTIAGO DE CUBA.- OFFICIAL
REPORT OF THE CAPTURE. - ACCOUNT OF THE CHASE BY
ONE OF THE ENGINEERS. - THE TORNADO'S RECEPTION IN
PORT WITH HER PRIZE. - COURT-MARTIAL. - INSURGENT
LEADERS SHOT. - BURRIEL'S REPORT. - BARBARITY OF
THE SPANISH SOLDIERS, ETC.......... 224
CHAPTER XVI.
DEATH OF CAPTAIN FRY. -QUESTION OF THE LEGALITY OF
THE CAPTURE OF THE VIRGINIUS. - MOCKERY OF TRIAL.
A DEED OF FEROCIOUS ATROCITY.-THE BRITISH CONSUL'S PRCTEST INEFFECTUAL. - THE AMERICAN CONSUL
ABSENT. - A COMBINATION 0_ PERFIDY AND SACRILEGE ON
THE PART OF THE CUBAN BUTCHERS. -FRY'S OFFICIAL
PROTEST.- MARCHING TO EXECUTION. - UNWAVERING
TREAD.- HOW THE VICTIMS MET THEIR DEATH, AS DESCRIBED BY AN EYE-WITNESS. - A HORRIBLE SCENE.. 267
CHAPTER XVII.
FIFTY-THREE VICTIMS MURDERED, AND NINETY-THREE REMAINING. - SIR LAMBTON LORRAINE PROTESTS. - THE
CUBAN BUTCHERS DESIST.- SIR LAMBTON'S RECEPTION
IN NEW YORK. — DECLINES A PUBLIC OVATION. SILVER
BRICK. - SIR LAMBTON REWARDED BY THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT.- BURRIEL PROMOTED TO THE RANK OF MARSHAL OF SPAIN.-FLAG OF OLD ENGLAND...282
CHAPTER        XVIII.
PUBLIC OPINION. - INDIGNATION  MEETINGS. - BALTIMORE
SPEAKS. - ST. LOUIS RESOLUTIONS. - PRESIDENT GRANT
CALLED ON TO ISSUE A PROCLAMATION, ETC.- MEETINGS
AT NEW YORK, BROOKLYN, AND ELSEWHERE. - PROCEEDINGS AT NEW ORLEANS. - HOW THE CUBAN PATRIOTS
REGARDED THE CAPTURE OF THE VIRGINIUS.- OPINIONS




CONTENTS.                  21
OF THE LEADING PRESSES OF NEW YORK, ETC.- "JUSTITIA'S" COMMUNICATION TO THE NEW YORK HERALD. -
EXTRACT FROM AN ENGLISH PAPER..... 293
CHAPTER        XIX.
DIPLOMACY. -CONFLICTING OPINIONS AS TO THE STATUS OF
CUBA. - METHODS OF ARGUMENT. -- SHOULD SPAIN BE
HELD RESPONSIBLE FOR THE BARBARITIES OF THE CUBAN
VOLUNTEERS? - REVERDY JOHNSON'S OPINION. - CONTRARY OPINION OF OTHER PUBLICISTS.- INSTRUCTIONS OF THIE
UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT TO GENERAL SICKLES, MINISTER TO SPAIN. -MR. SECRETARY FISH'S STRANGE PROCEEDINGS.-" THE GOSPEL OF PEACE.".. 315
CHAPTER XX.
RESTORATION OF THE VIRGINIUS. - LIBERATION OF THE SURVIVORS. - CONDITION OF THE VIRGINIUS AT THE TIME OF
SURRENDER.-SHE SINKS IN EIGHT FATHOMS OF WATER
OFF CAPE FEAR.- HER SURVIVORS IN PRISON.- SENT OFF
IN THE NIGHT AS A MEASURE OF DIPLOMACY.- CONDITION
OF THE PRISONERS WHEN RELEASED.- COVERED WITH
FILTH, VERMIN, AND RAGS. - TAKEN BY THE JUNIATA TO
NEW YORK.- SENT TO THE HOSPITALS. - MEDITATED
BARBARITIES WHICH THE SURVIVORS ESCAPED.- BITTERNESS OF THE SPANISH PRESS......... 330
CHAPTER XXI.
PRESIDENT GRANT'S SPECIAL MESSAGE, SUMMING UP THE VIRGINIUS AFFAIR, JANUARY, I874. - THE LONDON TIMES'
VIEW OF THE CASE. - THE NEW YORK HERALD'S COMMENTS, CONTRASTING THE COURSE OF THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT AND THAT OF THE UNITED STATES... 34(
CHAPTER XXII.
RETROSPECTIVE VIEW OF CUBAN HISTORY. - CUBA'S MINERAL
WEALTH AND AGRICULTURAL RESOURCES.- HER MARITIME POSITION.- LONGFELLOW'S DESCRIPTION OF THE
ISLAND.- GOVERNMENT OF CUBA PRIOR TO AND SINCE




22


CONTENTS.


1837. - TAXATION WITHOUT REPRESENTATION. - HUNGRY
OFFICIALS. - SKETCH OF LOPEZ. — HIS TWO EXPEDITIONS.- COLONEL W. S. CRITTENDEN. - THE LATTER
EXPEDITION. - INCIDENTS. - COLONEL CRITTENDEN AND
FIFTY FOLLOWERS CAPTURED AND SHOT. - CRITTENDEN'S
UNSHRINKING BRAVERY. —REMAINS OF THE MURDERED
VICTIMS DESECRATED. - LOPEZ VANQUISHED AND GARROTED. - GENERAL CONCHA, THE "BUTCHER OF ATARES."
-OTHER EXPEDITIONS.- THE IMMORTAL CESPEDES. 360
CHAPTER       XXIII.
LAST WORDS OF CAPTAIN FRY. - HIS LETTERS HEROIC POEMS. - LETTER TO HIS DAUGHTER AGNES, NOVEMBER 4,
1873, HERE PUBLISHED FOR THE FIRST TIME. — LETTERS
TO DR. V. O. KING, MRS. DICKSON, HIS AUNT, AND TO HIS
BROTHER WALTON. - LAST LETTER TO HIS BELOVED
WIFE. - LETTER TO PRESIDENT GRANT. - No NOTICE
TAKEN OF IT. - CAPTAIN FRY'S LAST APPEAL FOR HIS
MEN, IN A LETTER TO GENERAL BURRIEL. - COMMENTS
OF THE PRESS UPON THE LAST WORDS OF THE SAILOR,
GENTLEMAN, AND HERO, FRY..........        426
CHAPTER XXIV.
CAPTAIN FRY'S RELIGIOUS CHARACTER. - HIS MOTHER A
ROMAN CATHOLIC. -HIS BOYHOOD MOSTLY SPENT IN THE
PURITAN HOME OF HIS GRANDFATHER. - A CATHOLIC
EDITOR'S ENCOMIA.- A PROTESTANT WRITER'S PRAISE. —
GENERAL QUESADA'S APPEAL TO THE ARCHBISHOP OF NEW
ORLEANS. -A SOLEMN REQUIEM MASS CELEBRATED. 459
CHAPTER XXV.
TRIBUTES TO THE MEMORY OF CAPTAIN FRY. - LETTER FROM
MR. DE CORDOVA OF JAMAICA. - OTHER LETTERS. - " A
NAME LUSTROUS IN ITS SUBLIME HEROISM." —"A CUBAN
PICTURE," A POEM. - "0, REST YE IN PEACE." - REPRODUCTIONS FROM THE PRESS: THE MOBILE REGISTER,
THE NEW YORK TRIBUNE, THE NEW ORLEANS HERALD,
TIMES, &C.-" VIRGINIUS," A POEM.-" AMICUS'S VERSES
TO THE MEMORY OF CAPTAIN FRY...... 469




CONTENTS.


23


CHAPTER XXVI.
HELP FOR THE WIDOW AND ORPHANS. -CAPTAIN FRY'S
SACRED LEGACY TO HIS COUNTRYMEN. - GENERAL QUESADA'S WARM-HEARTED APPEAL.-THE APPEALS OF THE
PRESS SINGULARLY DISREGARDED.- RESPONSE OF ST.
LOUIS. - VARIOUS ABORTIVE EFFORTS TO RAISE MONEY
FOR THE SUFFERING FAMILY OF CAPTAIN FRY. - "A
WOOD AND COAL YARD" BUSINESS PROVIDED.- A FINAL
APPEAL IN THE ELOQUENT LANGUAGE OF THE MOBILE
REGISTER..............                489
APPENDIX.
CHAPTER I.
THE NAVY OF TWENTY YEARS AGO.- SEVERAL EVILS OF
THE SYSTEM. -CAPTAIN FRY'S SUGGESTIONS OF AMELIORATION. FLAGRANT ABUSES. - EXTRACTS FROM CAPTAIN
FRY'S JOURNAL: A THOROUGH AND ABLE DISCUSSION OF
THE NEEDED REFORMATION. - THE NAVY (THEN, 1854)
"THE SPECTACLE OF AN INSTITUTION GONE TO DECAY." -
THE SAILOR'S COMFORTLESS LIFE AND LABORS GRAPHICALLY PICTURED. - MERIT NO ASSURANCE OF POSITION
IN THE NAVY.- "POSITION HAS THE EAR OF POWER." —
" POWER, LIKE THE CUTTLE-FISH, CAN BLACKEN ALL WHO
THREATEN IT."- CAPTAIN FRY'S DEFINITION OF EVIL.WHAT FOLLOWED THE ABOLITION OF THE CAT-O'-NINE
TAIL -DISCIPLINE IN THE NAVY, ETC. —THE SHAME OF A
REPUBLICAN GOVERNMENT, ETC........ 521
CHAPTER        II.
DREAMS OF MISS1ONARY LIFE IN JAPAN.- CAPTAIN FRY'S
LETTER TO HIS WIFE IN REGARD THERETO, JANUARY,
I855. —HE SELECTS THE ISLANDS OF LOO CHOO, IN HIS
FANCY, AS A PR6SPECTIVE RESIDENCE. ----LOO CHOO INTERESTINGLY DESCRIBED. - THE SITE OF "A PERFECT
GARDEN FOR MAN." - DIFFICULTIES AND SACRIFICES
WEIGHED, ETC..............        539




24                CONTENTS.
CHAPTER        III.
PREFATORY. - THE JAPAN EXPEDITION. - THE SECRECY
ATTENDING IT. - NO NOTES OF IT IN CAPTAIN FRY'S
PRIVATE JOURNAL. - THE REASON WHY. - SKETCH OF
PERRY'S EXPEDITION. - JAPAN'S SECLUSION FROM THE
REST OF THE WORLD. - PORTUGUESE, ENGLISH, AND
DUTCH EFFORTS TO EXPLORE AND ESTABLISH RELATIONS
WITH JAPAN. - THE UNITED STATES THE FIRST NATION,
IN MODERN TIMES, TO EFFECT A TREATY WITH JAPAN.
— HISTORY OF CERTAIN ATTEMPTS TO SECURE INTERCOURSE WITH JAPAN. - EXPEDITION UNDER COMMODORE
BIDDLE, 1846. —THE EXPEDITION OF THE PREBLE, I849,
UNDER COMMANDER GLYNN.-PERRY'S EXPEDITION.. 549
CHAPTER IV.
CONCLUSION. -ACKNOWLEDGMENTS TO VARIOUS PERSONS.THE PRESS, ETC. —NOTICES OF THE PRESS..... 588




LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS.


i. CAPT. JOSEPH FRY. Frontispiece.        a 
2.YOUNG FRY'S INTERVIEW WITH PRESIDENT TYLER,3. FRY RESIGNING HIS COMMISSION, - 
4. CAPT, FRY ON BOARD THE POWDER BOAT EUJGENIE, -
5. RECEPTION AT KINGSTON, IN HONOR OF FRY, RYAN,


Page,
431"
'33
169


AND VARONA,-223
6. TORNADO, IN PURSUIT OF, THE VIRGINIUS, )        233)
7. CAPTURE OF THE VIRGINIUS, -  -       -          237
8. SANTIAGO DE CUBA,-253
9. RYAN, VARONA, CESPEDES, AND DEL SOL,  -         257
10. EXECUTION OF RYAN, VARONA, CESPEDES, AND DEL SOL, 261
i i. EXECUTION OF CAPT. FRY AND HIS COMRADES,      277
1 2. SPANISH ATROCITIES,-281
13. SIR LAMBTON LORRAINE,-285
14. BRITISH WAR VESSEL NIOBE, IN THlE HARBIOR OF'
SANTIAGO DE CUBA, —289


15. CHILDREN OF CAPT. FRY,
16. MRS. AGNES E. FRY,   -


- - - - 431


a443








CHAPTER I.
BIRTH, ANCESTRY, AND CHILDHOOD OF CAPTAIN JOSEPH FRY.
-A MISCHIEVOUS BUT WINNING LAD.-HIS EARLY SYMPATHIES FOR THE DISTRESSED. - MINISTERING AT THE BEDSIDE OF A DYING OLD NEGRESS AT FIVE YEARS OF AGE. -
HIS PRANKS WITH THE COUNTRY WASHERWOMEN. - NICKNAMED "JOE LE DIABLE."- IMPRISONED IN A CLOSE
CHEST.- GOES INTO THE PUBLIC STREET IN HIS NIGHTGOWN. - HIS MOTHER'S DISMAY.
JOSEPH FRY was born at Tampa Bay, Fla., on
the fourteenth day of June, 1826. On the paternal side the ancestral record runs back to
his great-grandfather, Captain Samuel Fry, of
East Greenwich, R. I. In colonial times this
worthy sea captain made voyages in the sloop
Hlumbird from   Narragansett Bay to the West
Indies and the Caribbean Sea. Later in life he
was a patriot of the revolution, until disabled
by blindness from active services on sea or
shore.
27




28     ANCESTRY AND PARENTAGE.


Joseph Fry, a younger son of this ancient
mariner, having served his apprenticeship at
the printer's art, in Rhode Island, —where he
espoused Miss Anne Bowler,-removed to Albany, N. Y., where he published, in 1813, the
first Directory of that city. Engaging subsequently in trade, he acquired a modest competence, maintaining throughout a long life an
unblemished reputation for probity and discretion.
Samuel Fry, his eldest son, and the father of
our hero, was born in Albany, and educated
there.  He chose the profession of law, and,
after having been admitted to the bar, removed
to the Southern States, residing, at different
periods, in Pensacola, Mobile, New Orleans, and
other cities. He became thoroughly identified
with the South, loving her people and her institutions. In politics he was an uncompromising democrat of the " old school." He went to
Florida as secretary to Governor Walton. He
was a man of splendid natural talents and fine attainments, but of such singular reserve and modesty that he could never plead at the bar, and




HIS MOTHER.


29


finally gave up the practice of his profession on
that account. He held many responsible public
offices, in both Alabalma and Florida. He died
in Augusta, Ga., shortly after the close of the
late civil war.
He married Mile. Marie Louise Senac, daughter of Pierre Senac and Agnes Krebs, of Florida.
She was born in Pensacola, under the Spanish
flag, of Creole parents descended from honorable
French and Spanish families. She was a woman
of very imposing presence, much above the medium height, and was very graceful and affable
in her manners.   She never spoke English,
though understanding it, both as spoken and
written.  She possessed a mind of wonderful
strength and rare capacity, though very feminine and retiring in her manners and disposition.
Soon after the birth of their eldest child, Joseph Fry, they removed to Key West, where
the father had long held the position of deputy
collector.
"Joe," as he was always called, early displayed great vivacity, and was very mischiev



30


LrEARNING TO TALK.


ous, though so engaging and winning in his
manners as to disarm   all resentment.  He
learned to talk at an unusually early age, and,
when but eighteen months old, spoke both English and French fluently. At that tender age,
it was a favorite diversion with his parents to
feign not to understand the mother tongue of
the other, when he would run from one to the
other, translating the English message of the
father into French in addressing his mother,
and delivering the French reply of his mother
in English.
At a very early age, he manifested that lively
sympathy with persons in distress for which he
was so pre-eminently characterized during his
whole life.  It is related of him, that when
about five years of age, he was fond of playing
near some springs on the outskirts of Pensacola,
where they at that time resided. His mother,
fearing that some accident might befall the
daring child, forbade his going there alone.
One day he was missed.     After a hurried
search about the premises, one of the servants
went to the spring, but not finding him there,




THE STARVING NEGRESS.


31


was returning in much alarm, when, hearing a
childish voice proceeding from a miserable hut
near by, she entered, and there found the lost
child, seated in this wretched hovel, by the bedside of an apparently dying, aged negress, offering kindly words of consolation. He was carried home, and, when questioned by his mother,
confessed that he was on his way to the forbidden spring, when he was startled by hearing
low moans issuing from the hut. Entering, he
found the old negress, who told him she was
sick and dying for want of food and drink. He
ran home for food for her; but fearing he might
be prevented from returning, if discovered, he
concealed himself until able, unobserved, to pro.
cure what he sought, when he flew back to the
hut with it. He then brought water from the
spring, and sitting down by her side, tried to
console her by his childish prattle.
At this time he was the special dread of all
the washerwomen of the country, who frequented the springs for lavatorial purposes, the water
being supposed to possess peculiar cleansing and
bleaching properties.  He would steal away




32


yOE LE DIABLE.


from home, armed with a squirt-gun; and woe
to all their snowy linen spread upon the grass
to bleach! They revenged themselves by calling him, "Joe le Diable," a sobriquet doubtless
well earned by his numberless pranks, which,
however, he atoned for by deeds of kindly
thoughtfulness far beyond his years.
When about six years of age, he was sent on
a visit to his maternal grandmother, in Mobile.
It being impossible to keep him in sight during
the day, she, in order that she might know
where to find him, sent him to school. He did
not remain there lonr, however. Finding the
ordinary methods of restraint totally inadequate,
the schoolmaster on one occasion, for some unusually mischievous outbreak, shut him up in a
close  chest for several hours. He was taken
from it insensible, and carried home nearly asphyxiated.
At this time he was greatly exercised as to
the choice of a profession.  He had hitherto
manifested a decided preference for the drayman's calling, but conceiving an ardent admniration for the Bishop of Mobile, whom he visited




CHILDISH BEAUTY.


33


daily, his mind now wavered between the nearly
evenly-balanced bishop and draylman.
Shortly after this his parents removed to Mobile. He was a source of great disquietude to
his mother, continually running away, although
she resorted to every imaginable method of
keeping him at home. On one occasion she undressed him and put on his little night-gown,
supposing that he certainly would not venture
into the street in that garb. What was her dismay, missing him soon after, at finding her
young hopeful in the street, flying his kite with
as much nonchalance as though robed in the
most approved costume.
A life-size portrait, in oil, painted at this age.
presents a perfect model of boyish beauty.
Seated in a crimson fauteuil, dressed in a darkblue suit, with broad, falling collar and black
neck-tie, the attitude and expression have all
the gravity and dignity of manhood combined
with the smooth, round face and rosy cheeks of
childhood. We see there the glorious, large,
dark eyes and broad, open forehead of later
years. These only remained unchanged through




34         EARLY GRA Y HAIRS.
life; though the eyes lost the careless, happy
glance of youth, and were underlined with the
dark traces of grief and anxiety, the forehead
became seamed with care, and the dark, wavy
locks assumed the iron-gray hue of age long
ere Time had touched them with his frosty
fingers.




CHAPTER II.
LITTLE JOE IS SENT NORTH TO BE EDUCATED. - THE OLD
FRUIT-STALL KEEPER MISSES JOE.-AN INTERESTING
TALE.-JOE'S MOTHER MOURNS HIS ABSENCE, AND PINES
AWAY AND DIES IN HER GRIEF.-JOE IN CHARGE OF HIS
QUAKER AUNTS IN RHODE ISLAND.-AT SCHOOL IN
BALLSTON SPA, N. Y.- LEAVES SCHOOL.-ENTERS THE
HARDWARE BUSINESS.-TAKES SUDDEN LEAVE OF HIS
UNCLE.- HIS AMBITION FOR A MIDSHIPMAN'S BERTH.
IN WASHINGTON, PENNILESS AND ALONE.-SEEKS PRESIDENT TYLER, AND WINS HIS ADMIRATION.-RETURNS
HOME WITH A WARRANT IN HIS POCKET, AND RECEIVES
CONGRATULATIONS FROM ALL.
JOE'S father, proud of the manly beauty and
quick intelligence of his son, desired to make
him known to and loved by his northern relatives, and accordingly decided to send him North
to be educated. This determination caused his
mother the deepest sorrow, and her grief was not
groundless, for she never beheld him again.
When but eight years of age, he left home
under the care of a gentleman going to New
3                          35




36


THE CRAZY FRUIT-SELLER.


York, whence he was sent to his paternal grandparents, residing in Albany.
A few days after his departure, an old woman,
with white hair streaming over her shoulders,
and with insanity depicted in every feature,
rushed into his mother's room, crying, " Where's
my boy? What have you done with Joe? Joe,
Joe, Joe!" she called loudly. Mrs. Fry was much
alarmed at this strange violence, while the younger children gathered around her, clinging to her
garments, and trembling with fear. The servants
finally succeeded in calming this strange visitor;
making her understand that Joe had gone far
away, and would not return for several years.
She gave a low cry, saying, in a moaning tone,
"0, my son, my son, my son." Striding to the
door, she turned upon the threshold, and raising
her hand toward heaven, she invoked a malediction upon the heads of those who had deprived
her of her child. Upon making inquiry it was
ascertained that she was a poor half-crazed creature, who lived in a little shanty, in front of
which she kept a fruit-stall. Many of Joe's missing hours had been passed there. When she




HIS MOTHER'S DEA TH.


37


went out to make purchases of fresh fruit, he
would remain and guard her stall for her until
her return. Often, when the old woman was
sick, he had taken care of her, and attended to
her stall at the same time. It is not strange that
in her half-crazed brain she conceived the idea
that he was her own child, for he had been as a
son indeed to her.
A second and a third child followed Joe to
New York. The tender mother pined for her
children, but the father, sternly consulting
only his own ideas of what was right and best,
refused to call them home.
Receiving their education in New York, their
English letters were but little consolation to the
aching heart of the gentle Creole mother, and
she gradually wasted away under her wearing
grief, and sank into an early grave, leaving five
young children, the youngest but a few weeks
old.
The little orphans were placed under the
care of two maiden aunts in Greenwich, R. I.
The severely quiet, strict, Quaker habits of these
excellent ladies ill accorded with the impulsive




38


SCHOOL YEARS.


joyousness of childhood. The impress of the
unwise restraints of this portion of his life is to
be traced throughout Fry's whole career, and he
frequently refers to it in his letters and journals.
The gentleman who had charge of him on his
journey North was very fond of conversing with
him in French. He would say to the travelers
around him, "Listen to him.   It is not often
you can hear so young a child speak such
French as that.   He has the pure Parisian
accent."
As soon as he was domesticated in his grand.
father's family, he was sent to a private school,
and afterward   attended  the  "Albany  Male
Academy," making satisfactory progress in all
his studies.
He also attended a boarding-school at Ballston Spa, N. Y. The first year he was dissatisfied, and was treated with great severity by
the principal; but the next year a new principal was engaged, and Joe became very much
attached to his school and to the teachers. He
always maintained a tender regard and affection
for the new principal, and after the close of the




TRIES FOR A WARRANT.


39


late civil war, entered into business engagements with him; which, however, resulted very
disastrously for Captain Fry, as he not only sank
all his own means, but also involved many of
his friends in his losses, causing him great mental distress, as well as pecuniary embarrassment.
Leaving school at a very early age, he was
employed by one of his uncles in the hardware
business; but a few weeks sufficed to show his
inadaptability to this occupation.  His ardent
and enthusiastic temperament could not brook
the details of such employment, and his adventurous spirit chafed in the harness of commercial
routine.
He greatly surprised his uncle, one day, by
appearing before him with his valise in his hand,
and the announcement that he was going to
Washington for a midshipman's warrant!
"Why! it is preposterous," exclaimed his uncle. "Do you not know that your father has
already made application, through the member
of Congress from his state, and has been told
that there is no possibility of obtaining an appointment, as there are already too many midshipmen?"




40


DELA YS AT WASHING TON.


"Yes, I know all that, uncle; but I have a
strong presentiment that I shall succeed."
"What! a boy like you succeed, where men
of influence have failed? What presumption! "
"Nevertheless, uncle, I will try. If I do not
get what I want, I will try for something else.
The fact is, uncle, I cannot any longer hold a
position where I am ordered to carry pots and
kettles around!"
His uncle very reluctantly advanced him a
small sum of money, and he bravely set forth
alone, on what was considered a quixotic expedition, with a light heart and buoyant step, inspired with the hope of success, and resolved
that he would succeed.
Young Fry was a handsome, bright lad, with
very preposessing manners; and on his arrival
in Washington at once won the interest of those
to whom he related his errand.
He did not succeed in obtaining an interview
with the President as promptly as he had anticipated, and, at the end of two or three days,
found himself in a strange city, without money
and without fiiends, and his errand still unaccomplished!




S




4 


ii:11, 1 i


1!.


YOUNG, FRY'S INTERVIEW WITH PRESIDENT TYLER.




DINNER WVITII THE PRESIDE~NT.


43


He represented his situation to a gentleman
who, from the first, had manifested great interest
in him, and who at once told him not to be
uneasy, that he would be responsible for his
bills!
This kind friend also obtained for him  an
audience with the President, allowing him to
make his own application in his own way.
President Tyler gave him a very kindly reception, and listened to his earnest appeal.
Then, without any reply, either encouuraging
or otherwise, invited him to dine with him. the
next lday.
Young, Fry found himself one of a very distinguished party the following day - members
of tie cabinet with their wives; members of
Congress; officers of the army and navy, etc.
He soon found himself the "' observed of all
observers," for it seems that his story had been
whispered about, and every one shiowed a desire
to see and converse with thle venturesome lad.
Malny kind wishes were expressed, and everything conspired to render him   hopeful and
happy.




44


THE WARRANT GAINED.


The President, won by his ardor and youthful
manliness, granted his request, and the next day
he received his warrant.  The compliments
which were showered upon him from so many
distinguished men and beautiful women were
sufficient to have turned the head of one older
and wiser than he.
Ah! what a proud and happy boy he was
when he returned home with his appointment!
What congratulations from  all quarters!  He
was frequently stopped on the street by strangers, and made to recount his adventures. But
he bore his honors meekly, for, as he said to his
sister, when relating the affair to her in later
years, "Although I was so young, I understood perfectly that all this praise was paid to
my success. Iad I failed, although the effort
would have been just as meritorious, I should
have been set down as a fool, and would htav
had to endure the sneers of the very persons
who applauded the most when I succeeded."
Several years after entering the navy, he was
on a visit to Albany, and one day, whilst conversing with his uncle, who had designed making




' ORIDERED ABOUT."          45
a hardware merchant of hirn, orders from  the
Navy Department were handed himl. Upon
reading them. his uncle remarked, ' Well, Joe!
it seems to me you are ordered about as much
in your present profession as you were when
with me."
"Very true, uncle," replied the nephew, remembering the former conversation, bhut I have
my pots and kettles carried around for me!"




CHAPTER III.
THE YOUNG MIDSHIPMAN ENTERS THE NAVY. -WHILE AT
THE NAVAL SCHOOL HE MAKES SEVERAL CRUISES. - ATTACHED TO THE STEAM FRIGATE MISSOURI.- THE FRIGATE BURNT OFF GIBRALTAR. — NARROW ESCAPE OF
YOUNG FRY. -LOSS OF HIS OUTFIT.- CAPTAIN NEWTON'S TESTIMONIAL TO FRY'S CHARACTER AND HONORABLE CONDUCT. -PROMOTED TO THE GRADE OF PASSED
MIDSHIPMAN.- CRUISES IN THE GULF OF MYXICO, ON
BOARD THE VIXEN. -THE FLEET BOMBARDS VERA CRUZ.
- CONCLUSION OF THE MEXICAN WAR. - FRY VISITS
HOME. - FALLS IN LOVE WITH AGNES SANDS. - HIS  ARRIAGE. -ON BOARD THE WALKER, IN THE UNITED STATES
COAST SURVEY. - IN COMMAND OF THE WILLIAM A. GRAHAM.-HIS DUTIES INTRODUCE HIM TO THE SOCIETY OF
AGASSIZ AND OTHER DISTINGUISHED MEN, WHOSE APPROBATION HE SECURES.
HAVING obtained   the coveted   midshipman's
warrant, young Fry entered the United States
navy on the fifteenth of September, 1841.
He graduated from    the United States Naval
School at Annapolis, having inade several cruises
46




THE FIRST CRUISE.


47


on board the receiving ship North Carolina, as
a student of navigation.
His first experience as a naval officer was
acquired on board the beautiful steam frigate
Missouri, the pride of the navy. This ill-fated
vessel was burned off Gibraltar, the officers
barely saving their lives, losing everything but
the clothing they had on. The loss of his naval
outfit, which had cost him five hundred dollars,
was a very serious misfortune to Fry, involving
him in debt for its renewal, and crippling him
for several years.
The following testimonial from his commander
on the memorable cruise, was preserved by him
with honest pride:"NEW YORK, May 30, 1847.
"SiR: Your letter of the twenty-fifth instant,
via Washington city, is received. In reply to
your request for a letter to be presented to the
Board of Examiners at their next meeting, it
affords me much pleasure to state that while
you were under my command, on board the
United States steam frigate Missouri, your char



48


THE MEXICAN WAR.


acter and conduct on all occasions met with my
entire approbation.
"I am, very respectfully,
"Yours, etc.,
(Signed)    "JOHN THOMAS NEWTON,
" Captain, United States Navy.
"Midshipman JOSEPH FRY,
" United States Navy."
At the examination, which took place on the
seventh of August following, he was promoted
to the grade of passed midshipman.
His next cruise was in the Gulf of Mexico,
where he was a participant in the exciting
events of the Mexican war.
Texas, having declared her independence of
Mexico, and established a republican form of
government, was recognized as an independent
power by the United States. On her application
she was admitted into the American Confederation as one of the States of the Union. This
was regarded by Mexico, who still claimed Texas
as part of her own territory, as a hostile act.
War was accordingly declared between Mexico




MARRIAGE TO MISS SANDS.


49


and the United States, and an American squadron
sent to the Gulf of Mexico, to co-operate with the
army under General Taylor and General Scott.
Fry was on board the Vixen, one of the fleet
engaged in the bombardment of Vera Cruz, in
March, 1847, this being his first experience in
naval warfare. After a series of brilliant victories, the war was brought to a close by the conquest of the Mexican capital.
Fry returned home, where he next ranged
himself under the banner of the all-conquering
hero, Cupid. He laid siege to the heart of a
"fayre ladye" with such vigorous assaults that
the citadel surrendered.
On the tenth of August, 1849, at the age of
twenty-three, he was married to his first cousin,
Agnes Evelina Sands, daughter of Major R. M.
Sands, of Prince George, Md., who died in Florida during the Indian war, in 1836. Her mother was Adele Senac, sister of Marie Louise Senac, mentioned as the mother of Captain Fry.
The marriage ceremony was performed by Archbishop Blanc, in the old Catholic church, on
Chartres Street, New Orleans.




50


COMMANDS A VESSEL.


One who saw them in Pensacola, shortly after
their marriage, says, "Never did the eye behold, or the artist dream of, a more lovely picture than was presented by this young couple.
He tall, majestic, a very Apollo for magnificent
beauty; his face, which in later years wore a
look of subdued grief, then radiant with youth,
love, and happiness. She with that rare loveliness peculiar to the Creole girls of the Southern
States, with glorious, large, dark eyes, and a
Madonna look of purity and innocence."
Fry now served for several years on board the
vessels of the United States Coast Survey, especially the Walker; and in 1851 he was placed in
cornmmand of the schooner William A. Graham,
carrying her from Mobile to Norfolk, Va.
This was "a government vessel on scientific
duty," attached to the Coast Survey, and he had
the gratification of finding himself thrown into
the society of persons of note, of whom the lamented Agassiz and Professor Hale kindly expressed their approbation of his " nautical and
gentlemanly qualities," in a public paper.
His father and sister accompanied him as far




INTENDED GUESTS.             51
as Key West. The celebrated Swedish authoress, Frederika Bremer, and the well-known
Southern writer, Mme. Le Vert, of Mobile, were
to have been of the party, but for the great calamity of the burning of tie St. Charles Hotel,
in New Orleans, by which they lost their baggagle.




CHAPTER IV.
IN COMMAND OF THE GRAHAM. -EXTRACT FROM MIDSHIPMAN FRY'S JOURNAL. - HIS AUNT'S ANXIETY. - HIS ESTIMATE OF SUCCESS-AT PENSACOLA. —THE LAUNCH OF
THE DRY DOCK.-" CAPTAIN" FRY'S MEDITATIONS ON
THE OCCASION. - THE VOYAGE FROM PENSACOLA TO
CHESAPEAKE BAY VERY SEVERE. —THE PROVISIONS GIVE
OUT.-A "BREAKFAST" AT LAST. -ARRIVAL AT NORFOLK. -ASKS TO BE RELIEVED FROM THE GRAHAM.APPOINTED TO THE SUSQUEHANNA.- TRANSFERRED TO
THE PLYMOUTH.-SAILS FOR THE EAST INDIES.- KEEPS
A JOURNAL FOR HIS WIFE.
FROM a journal kept at this time by Midshipman Fry, I am permitted to make the following
extracts: -
"I shall never forget the intense anxiety of
my dear aunt E —       when she learned that I
was to be captain of the schooner, and go to
sea; and that the safety of the vessel and all
on board, depended upon my knowledge and
skill.
52




GLOR Y- WORSHIP.


53


" Ah! he is so young! " she would exclaim. 'If
he could only get -  to go wiith him."  This was
an old Creole, half dock-loafer and half freshwater sailor, whom she imagined to be a man of
experience, and who could take care of me!"
Of the change in his reception, occasioned by
his new position, he says very truly,"The world worships glory, and people are
as ready to promote the interests of the successful, where it may be done without self-sacrifice, as they are to oppress the unfortunate with
their scorn. As criminals are unfortunate, so
all who are unfortunate become, equally with
the criminal, the objects of suspicion, distrust,
and often persecution. In order to succeed in
the world, one must never appear as a suppliant.
The bold and resolute, the unfeeling, the selfish,
and the tyrannical, always flourish, while modest
virtue goes to the wall."
Rather melancholy conclusions to have reached
so early in life!
Entering Pensacola harbor in time to witness the launch of the dry or floating dock, he
writes, -
4




54


HEROIC FANCIES.


"It was a pleasant day, and nearly every
soul for miles around Pensacola had gathered
together to witness the launch of the largest
object that ever was made to float since the
days of Noah's ark. The harbor presented a
very lively spectacle, with the numerous small
sail that dotted the surface, and the beautiful
Walker making an occasional circuit amongst
them."
He confesses, with the ingenuous vanity of a
youthful officer,"I fancied myself quite a naval hero, as I
maneuvered the Graham, laying off and on, luff.
ing up and bearing away, and imagined that
the schooner worked to the admiration of all
the people on shore, whose attention I supposed
to be divided between the dock and the schooner, the two most important objects to my ozin
mind.  Alas for the vanity of human expectations! "
Captain Fry "flourished extensively on shore,
and had much business with important people,"
who regarded him with some curiosity, "for
it has not occurred during many years that so




NA [VAL PROMOTION.


55


young an officer has had the good fortune of
sailing a government vessel in the capacity
of legitimate commander. I mention this, not
to prove that I had any reason to be vain, but
to show you the state of the navy as compared with the prospects and conditions of officers who lived long ago. Perry and McDonough
were scarcely two years older than I now am,
when, as commodores, they engaged fleets with
the English, and captured them. As for me, at
the rate of past promotions, it will be fifteen
years yet before I shall be made a lieutenant,
and I have already served ten years."
The voyage from  Pensacola was a very unpleasant one for the young commander, from
adverse winds, squalls, and gales. He says of
his trials,"The sails were so old that I had to reef
them to save them from being blown away
whenever the wind freshened. They were so
thin you might see through them in places, and
I had to have them patched every day.
"Calms and squalls alternating for several
days, our provisions began to give out. The




56


NEAR STARVATION.


men placed themselves upon an allowance of
bread and water, which was all they had left,
and only two meals a day. I had nothing but
some rice and lard, upon which I subsisted for
several days. I managed to get one day's provisions from a schooner, and a pilot-boat nearing
us, we got bread and pork enough from her to
last us in.  Had another nor'-wester blown,
and then been succeeded by a calm, I should
inevitably have drifted into the Gulf Stream,
and we should all have starved to death. My
men were getting weak on their low diet when
we spoke the pilot-boat.
"At last a breeze sprung up, and we ran into
Chesapeake Bay, anchoring at night where, next
morning, we could go on shore and breakfast.
Such a breakfast!
" At a little store near the landing provisions
were kept for the fleet of vessels lying in the
harbor. I bought what was needed for my
crew, and then asked if I could get breakfast
for myself. The man's wife, a beautiful country
girl I then thought her, seemed taken somewhat
aback, but started off, and in half an hour such




A MURDEROUS APPETITE.


57


piles of waffles, bacon and eggs, and other homely productions met my view as were equaled
in enormity only by the appetite I brought to
bear to their utter demolition. The work was
absolutely murderous on my part!"
Arrived at Norfolk, circumstances led Fry to
request that he might be relieved of the command of the Graham. This request was granted,
and quitting the coast-survey service, he was
ordered to Washington, where he applied for
orders to the East Indies. He was appointed to
the Susquehanna, but was subsequently transferred to the Plymouth, on account of "complaints on the part of four passed midshipmen,
six midshipmen, and one other individual, who
were all crowded into an apartment not nine feet
square." It is not strange that they protested
against any further addition to their numbers!
And now followed an absence of several years
from his young wife and a little daughter of
a few months old.
The long leisure hours of a sea voyage to
China would often have hung heavily upon his
hands had he not occupied himself in writing.




58


yO 7URNAL AT SEA.


Recognizing the fact that the incidents of a
sea-faring life possess a peculiar interest to
"shore-going people," and remembering how
vague and indistinct become the recollections
of even the most interesting occurrences after
the lapse of years, and feeling the want of occupation for the many idle hours which are the
lot of midshipmen, he early formed the habit
of keeping a journal, finding it, as he says, "a
delightfil recreation when writing with the
image of a loved wife in the mind's eye, feeling that the kind heart and loving nature of
the beloved one who alone is to peruse the
pages will see no faults to condemn, or, if seen,
will pardon them."
The following pages are gleaned from such
a journal, kept solely for his own occupation,
and his wife's perusal, from 1851 to 1854, during a voyage to China and Japan, as passed
midshipman.  The reader will bear in mind
that I give it literally, as it was penned by a
young midshipman, amid the noise, confusion,
and turmoil of a man-of-war, and intended only
for the indulgent eyes of a loved wife - to




70 URNAL AT SEA.           59
whose courtesy I am indebted for the privilege
of their perusal, and the permission to copy
such portions as I might judge to be of interest to the general reader.
I have made the extracts somewhat copious,
believing that they portray the man more vividly, more truly to the life, than could possibly
be done by any mere descriptive phrases.




CHAPTER V.
ON BOARD THE PLYMOUTH.- FRY BEARS HIS LONG ABSENCE
PHILOSOPHICALLY. - NOTES FOR HIS VWIFE. - THE " COMFORTS" OF SICKNESS ON BOARD SHIP. - THE PLYMOUTH
LEAVES NORFOLK FOR THE INDIAN OCEAN.- FRY'S COMMENTS ON HER DEPARTURE. - HIS PEN PICTURES. - MADEIRA AS SEEN BY FRY.- HOSPITALITY OF THE AMERICAN
CONSUL. - DEATH OF LOPEZ, THE CUBAN PATRIOT. -
FRY'S PREMONITION OF HIS OWN CAPTURE AND DEATH.AT RIO.- ITS BEAUTIFUL HARBOR. - BOTANICAL GARDENS. - ROUNDING THE CAPE OF GOOD HOPE. - CHRISTMAS DAY.- FRY'S VISION OF HOME.- FROLIC AMONG THE
MIDSHIPMEN.-. DINING ON IMAGINARY VIANDS.-SCENE
IN THE WARD-ROOM.
THE prolonged absence from his loved ones
was necessarily a source of much grief and mental anxiety; but Fry philosophizes bravely over
it, striving ever to find a drop of honey at the
bottom of the bitterest cup.
"What appear to us most serious evils often
prove to be, in point of fact, our greatest blessings. We do not know what is best for us at all
60




PHILOSOPHY OF HAPPINESS.


61


times; but could we but bring ourselves to believe this, and remember it at all times, our happiness would be greatly promoted. But few, if
any, escape their share of trials; it is necessary
that we should suffer in order that we may enjoy
with greater zest those blessings which, were we
accustomed to them continually, we should cease
to recognize as such. I have been very happy
with you, my Dita; but, had not the preceding
years of my life been years of sorrow, I might
not have been so keenly alive to the happiness
of our union. Even now the sorrow that I feel
depends for its very existence upon the former
bliss I experienced, and arises wholly from the
contrast; and but for this sad separation, I
should lose the pleasure of anticipating and the
bliss of realizing the reunion for which we hope."
True to his philosophy, he finds a gleam of
comfort even in that most comfortless of all conditions, sick on board ship.
"It is a horrible thing to be sick on board of a
man-of-war; but there are advantages and disadvantages in every walk of life. We have
skillful physicians always at hand, medicines and




62


EAST INDIAN CRUISE.


food furnished freely, and as good care taken of
us as circumstances can possibly admit of. Although it is true that we miss the sympathizing
look and ministering hand of loved ones, we
yet have the comfort and satisfaction of feeling
that those who love us are not saddened by
witnessing our sufferings."
On the twenty-third of August, 1851, the
United States man-of-war Plymouth sailed from
Norfolk, Va., for the Indian Ocean. Fry writes
thus:"There were sad hearts enough on board, for
none could say how long the ship would be
gone, or who should survive to return in her.
Many sad changes must, in two or three years,
take place in the social condition and relations
of so many individuals. In all probability, among
our two hundred souls there are those who see
their native land for the last time; yet all hope
to return. All have too much to live for to
feel willing that this should be the last sunset
their eyes should ever behold over the land containing what, to them, is the whole world."... A light breeze, and the ship's yards




A GALE.


63


brace sharp up, and our noble vessel proves that
she possesses in a remarkable degree one of the
best qualities of a ship. A few days out, and
we experience a sharp gale. Some grow seasick, and some grow sick of the sea, as they
think of dear wives, and children, and homes,
left far behind. One gentleman, quoting Haliburton's wit, remarked, that 'if Britannia ruled
the waves, he wished she'd rule them straight!'
There was some little excitement attending the
blow, but by far more disgust; as nearly every
one on board experienced to his perfect satisfaction - or dissatisfaction, rather -
'... the pulse's maddening play
That thrills the wanderer on the trackless way,'
and had a fair opportunity of comparing Byron's
description with their own experience of a sea
life."
Madeira-with its beautiful mountain scenery, its lovely city, Funchal, "in a nest on the
side of the mountain," its streets paved with the
smooth, round pebbles from the beach, which no
carriage wheels ever break - has been described
too often to offer any novelty.




64


MADEIRA.


The people are portrayed by Fry as "poor
but industrious, not very moral, and badly of
for soap, which, being a government monopoly,
is so expensive that common people cannot
use it.
Riding out into the country, he says, -
We found the sweetest heliotrope, as well as
the largest, that I ever saw; it grew nearly as
tall as the Louisiana crape myrtle, and formed
hedges. The cattle of the country browse upon
geraniums and other, to us, rare flowers, which
grow wild, in the most magnificent profusion,
and in the greatest variety.
"How I enjoyed these rides! Each horse was
followed by a groom, who kept up with the
horse all day, up hill and down. When the
horse galloped very fast, the groom would seize
upon the tail, and follow on! *
"I enjoyed the hospitality of our consul, John
* Might not the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals find a valuable hint here? When, for
every step taken by the horse, the driver takes two, he
must enjoy a "fellovw-feeling" which should make him
"wondrous kind " 




DEATH OF LOPEZ.


65


Howard March. He is very wealthy and a regular prince of a fellow. Whether he has visitors
or not, the same amount is always provided.
This being generally known, no one hesitates to
dine at the consul's for fear of trespassing upon
his hospitality.
"We spent nine days at Madeira. As we
were preparing to leave, a Spanish steamer came
in, and brought news of the capture and death
of Lopez. She was just from Havana, and we
learned afterward that she had on board a number of the prisoners taken with Lopez."
Poor Fry! little did he dream that, twenty
years later, a similar fate to that of Lopez was
to be his own; that he was to die in the same
cause, a victim to the same perfidious barbarity,
meeting his fate with the same heroic courage.
Lopez, however, was even denied the death of a
soldier.  The garrote — that hideous machine,
with its fatal iron collar choking out the last
gasp-was his fate.
Prophetic of Fry, Lopez walked to his death
with a firm tread, addressing to the crowd words
of piety and patriotic fervor, then calmly resign



66


RIO 7ANEIRO.


ing his pure, brave spirit to God.  His last
words were, " Adios, Cuba querida!"
A run of thirty-one days of calm and rainy
weather carried them to Rio, of which Fry thus
writes: "Earth boasts no more beautiful scenery
than the harbor of Rio - a very fairy land, with
its lovely bays, its distant mountains, its nearer
hills, its sandy beach."
He describes in graphic language the famous
botanical gardens, with their rare and beautiful
trees, shrubs, and flowers. He was particularly
struck with the "c groves of camphor, cinnamon,
and clove." A peculiar feature which he mentions is ' a raised walk, lined on either side, for
several hundred yards, with ornamental palm
trees of a peculiar species, the trunk of which
looks as if smoothly turned and shaped, tapering
gradually from the base to the intersection of
the leaves, where the diameter is less than one
third of what it is at the base —an alley of
them, all so exactly alike as to appear the work
of art rather than a natural growth."
Rounding the Cape of Good Hope without
touching land, they enter east longitude on the




CHRISTMAS AT SEA.


67


eleventh of December, "in seventeen hundred
fathoms, or ten thousand two hundred feet, of
water, a thirty-two pound shot taking thirty-five
minutes to strike the bottom."
Christmas day brought with it sad, sweet
thoughts of home and far-distant loved ones.
"How many little darlings are sleeping restlessly, disturbed by dreams of stockings stuffed
so full! Bless their little souls! I hope not one
will be disappointed. When I think how very
easy it is to add to the real happiness of child
hood, I cannot understand how any one can be
indifferent to it. The memory, in after life, of
those happy moments when the imagination was
so vivid, and the heart so easily impressed, constitutes a source of pure and living pleasure
which is unrivaled.
"One who has passed an infancy, childhood,
and youth of wishes not gratified, longings not
to be appeased, ardent expectations disappointed,
and baffled hopes, feels that he began life too
early, and that he has been wrongly deprived
of childhood's inalienable privilege - happiness.
I do not advocate injudicious indulgence, but




68


CHILDREN'S FEELINGS.


children are frequently tried cruelly and unnecessarily.  They are wantonly exposed to
temptations, trials, disappointments, and regrets,
equal in intensity to those of mature age,
though unsupported by reason, which teaches
to avoid evil, or by philosophy, which aids to
endure what cannot be cured. It is a merciful
provision of Nature that childish grief is of coinparatively short duration, and its sources of enjoyment abundant and varied. How heartfelt
and unalloyed are those early joys! How pleasant to remember the quick throb of the heart,
the joyous, impulsive leap into the air, the hearty
shout at the realization of some cherished desire!
Who, on the other hand, cannot recall the heavy
shock of some overwhelming sorrow, the agony
of mind at the announcement of some casualty?
How completely absorbing is each grief! How
peculiar the mixture of doubt, hope, anxiety,
with which the child looks up to the bystander,
-be he who he may,-conscious that, were
he only interested, so much might be done! It
is astonishing, when we reflect upon it, how carelessly we disregard the feelings of children, for




WOMAN'S INFLUENCE.


69


the impressions received in infancy and childhood color the remainder of life; they are
stamped in indelibly. My wife! if in my early
days I had known such a being as yourself, I
should have been happier and better as a child;
even as, as a man, I have been made better by
associating with you. What an influence for life,
for eternity, do you exert upon my soul!  I
am happy, I am benevolent, I have pleasant
thoughts, and, though far from home, would ever
be happy while memory lasts, could I withdraw
myself from the world, the world with which I
have no sympathy, the world of people for
whom   I care not, this world of the Indian
Ocean!
"Ah, my Dita! you are yet sleeping. Soon
you will arise, go early to church, say prayers
for all, even for me, Dita; and God will answer
such prayers, and bless me in some way I know
not of. Ah, had I the power to influence your
dreams, and that you might wake to find them
true!"
On Christmas day, as a substitute for the lacking reality, the midshipmen had a merry make5




70


A BARMECIDE FEAST.


believe dinner,-molasses and water for port
wine, a magnificent " no-turkey," etc., —congratulating themselves aloud, for the benefit of listeners, on their forethought in having secretly,
while in Rio, provided so bountifully for the occasion, drinking so many toasts, and making
such noisy speeches, apparently carousing so
deeply as to induce the belief among the sailors
that they were all intoxicated, especially as they
repeatedly called the steward to carry out the
empty bottles. Going on deck after dinner, the
sailors regarded them with intense curiosity and
open-mouthed grins, in anticipation of the expected sequel; but perceiving no symptoms of
the supposed drunkenness, as they preserved the
customary grave deportment of passed midshipmen " on their dignity," the grins gradually subsided as the truth dawned upon their minds, and
the game became apparent. "And so the frolic
was over; but we were miserable enough, after
all, in spite of our gay make-believe."
In painful contrast with this innocent frolic
was the grand dinner of the ward-room, with its
unlimited supply of champagne, etc.; "where




THE WARD-ROOM CHRISTMAS.


71


they got merry and more merry, noisy and more
noisy, enjoying exceedingly the fun, until it culminated in a general row, one officer being finally suspended by the captain for drunkenness
and disobedience to orders. It is thought he
will resign from the navy, and go home. We
all sympathize with him exceedingly, for he is
kind-hearted and gentle, and all like him very
much."
"December 29.
"There are many pretty sick fellows among
the officers since Christmas....The ship is sad,
from the captain down. Thoughts of home, sad
thoughts, mixed with serious reflections and d,
spondent feelings; and all the result of Christmas carousals!"




CHAPTER VI.
AT THE ANTIPODES. - JAVA. - MISERIES OF A STRANGER IN
A STRANGE LAND - AT BATAVIA. - JUNKS AND JOSSES.THREE DAYS ASHORE. - LUDICROUS SCENES. - TAKING
" TIFFEN," OR LUNCH. - A RELISH. - SHARKS' FINS
MADE DELECTABLE. - BIRD'S-NEST SOUP.- CHINESE DINNER. - HOW THE TEA-LEAF IS PREPARED FOR USE.- FRY'S
VISIT TO THE GOVERNOR'S PALACE AT BUITENZORG. -
SPLENDID GROUNDS.- IMMENSE TREES.- THE BANYAN
TREE. - BEAUTIFUL BIRDS. - JAPANESE WARE. - PAS-.
SAGE INTO THE CHINA SEA. - SINGAPORE. - FINE ROADS,
ETC.- A CHINESE TEMPLE.- HINDOO TEMPLES.
REACHING the Antipodes, Fry endeavors to
find some consolation in the thought that he has
reached a point in distance from home, beyond
which it is impossible to pass.   One step in
either direction is inevitably nearer home!
"January 11, 1852.
"A glorious fine day, with a fresh trade-wind
blowing for three or four days. We hope that
in passing the Straits of Sunda, we will stop for
a few days at Batavia, in the Island of Java.
We hope to get in soon. Our ship is getting




A STRANGER'S MISERIES.


73


light; we have been consuming two hundred
and ten gallons of fresh water for fifty days,
and as many pounds of beef or pork, to say
nothing of beans, bread, etc.; we shall soon
have to go on rations! At any rate, if we go
to Batavia, we shall have fine appetites. Only
think, Dita, of the fine fat dogs, nice rat pies,
cat-and-mouse stew, and the elegant bird's-nest
soup! How fat we shall all get! "
After a run of sixty-two days, the Plymouth
came to anchor in the roadstead of Batavia..
The following extract from "A Seven Months'
run around the World," by James Brooks, depicts very graphically the miseries of a stranger
in a strange land, only briefly alluded to by Fry,
in his Journal.
"What a miserable life it is to be in a country
where you can understand nothing through your
ears, except the yelling and mewing of cats,
the barking of dogs, and the crying of babies,
strapped on their mothers' or little sisters'
backs! Even dogs bark, not in English, but in
a Japanese way. The baby-crying is the only




74


NEW SIGHTS.


real familiar sound to greet my ears. The cocks
have a new way of crowing, and the hens of
cackling. None of the birds sing as our birds
sing, if any of them sing at all, though they
make an infernal noise for birds. There are no
sheep to bleat and make you happy; and the
cows, if there are any, and the bulls, but very
few, are so well drilled they never low or roar.
The temple bells, even, are not our bells. They
do not speak English, or French, or German, or
any other European language, but utter notes
of their own.  I should, therefore, have the
blues in such a deaf and dumb land, if American and English friends had not sprung up in
all directions The fish, all, are new fish, as well
as the birds; the trees, most of them, new trees;
the flowers all new, if we had not imported
many of them into America. I cannot even go
a-shopping alone, where there is anything wonderful to buy. I cannot tell what I want; and
when I do, I cannot get at the price of it, especially in measures and weights, all new to us,
and worse, by far, than the kilometers and kilogrammes of our French and Continental neigh



SPEECHLESS CURIOSITY.


75


bors. If the rascals that went to work at that
Tower of Babel had had any idea of what a
confusion in the world they were making, do
you think they would have tried to build it?
Here I am in a Yeddo street, staring and stared
at, knowing nothing, and profiting nothing from
Greek, Latin, or some considerable smattering in
several European tongues. I would (perhaps?)
give up all my five or six years of Greek and
Latin if I could only speak five or six words of
Japanese, - such as, What's the price of this or
that?' or, 'Show me some silks, or crapes, or
satins, or fans, or lacker, or copper engraving.'
Here are thirty-five millions of living Japanese,
and I have spent years of my life studying dead
Latin, and deader Greek (I would do it over
again, though), and I can't read the names of
the streets, or the numbers of the street! I do
not know even my letters!   I want to ask a
million of questions, —such as, 'How do you
weave or spin that?' or 'carve this?' or, 'Why
do you stable your horses' heads where we put
the horses' tails?' 'Why do you mount your
beasts on the wrong side?' 'Why don't you use




76


BA TA VIA.


wheelbarrows in lieu of bamboo baskets, when
digging canals in Yeddo?' 'Why do you saw
backward?' 'Why do you plane backward?'
But I cannot talk; I am deaf; I am dumb; I
might as well be a horse in Yeddo, when alone,
as a man in the streets all alone!"
Captain, or rather Midshipman Fry wrote thus
of Batavia:"It would take months to relate the impressions made upon my mind by the numberless
objects I met with worth mentioning or describing.  I spent three whole days on shore in a
perpetual whirl of excitement.  How often I
wished for you, Dita, to gaze with me upon the
beautiful scenes and strange objects which we
met at every step! As I write, images crowd
upon my brain in wild confusion, and I am out
of patience at my lack of descriptive powers.
" Among the first things that excited our curiosity were the Chinese junks-vessels strange
in construction and ornamentation, and carrying
an odoriferous freight, of which the perfume was
far from heavenly, Celestial though it was! Every
junk has its joss stuck all over with rows of little
flags.




PARLORS IN 7A VA.


77


"Passing between two long walls or breakwaters, -which form a canal safe and easy of
passage, however rough the sea may be outside,we landed at some stone steps, where we found
carriages, and little horses of most diminutive
size. No one walks; so we entered carriages;
but we attempted in vain to start.  The little
horses would not budge until, after much whip.
ping up and assistance in pushing and pulling
rendered by the bystanders, they finally moved
off prancingly.
"We had to wait some time for the lowering
of a drawbridge, the mechanism of which was
very curious, and interested me much.  The
sides of the road, and the banks of the canal,
were lined with avenues of trees of exceeding
richness of foliage, and in great variety. At
last we reached our hotel, where we found the
gallery fitted up as a parlor, or rather, the parlor
outside of the front walls! We were highly
pleased with the effect of these front-gallery
parlors.  The result was particularly fine at
night, when they are lighted up by lamps with
many-colored shades hung against the walls.




78


TIFFEN.


"After arranging about our rooms, we asked
for lunch, or tifien, as it is here called. A little
table is set out with chicken stew like our own,
besides curry and other East Indian dishes in so
great variety as to charm  hungry sailors just
from a long voyage. We tasted dish after dish,
and ate mangoes and other fruit. The tea is
perfectly delightful, and would be a great comfort to many a poor old woman who swallows
her 'Bohea' with great gusto, but who knows
nothing of the genuine article. At dinner we
had so many dishes that we were, I may say,
hours, tasting them, and the Malays behind our
chairs were constantly removing dishes and
helping us to others, done up in a style not to
be surpassed even by Creole cooking, which it
resembles very closely. The curry reminds me
strongly of gumbo file.  The coffee, the real
Java, is delicious."
The following detailed account of a similar
dinner, by a more recent writer,* will be found
interesting in this connection:* Walter A. Rose, in Appleton's Monthly for June,
1872.




A 7A VA DINNER.


79


"The table was covered with various dishes,
or rather bowls, the steaming contents of which
filled the room with vapor. As it was growing
late, and would be dark long before dinner was
finished, numbers of paper lanterns, suspended
in festoons from. the ceiling, illuminated the
room.... The first course was laid out in
a number of porcelain saucers, prettily painted,
and consisted of various cold appetizers. Though
fully determined not to be fastidious, I rejected
a relish of earlh-zworms, salted and dried, which
seemed to be much patronized, and took as a
tonic a small cup of so-y- a kind of sauce made
from beans - and a few thin slices of ham.
The second course was smoking hot, and all the
viands which composed it swam in soup. Some
bowls contained a heterogeneous compound of
pigeons' eggs, duck, and fowls chopped very
fine, and a multitude of other ingredients only
discernible by taste; others, little balls made
of sharks' fins, a peculiar kind of sea-slug, and
pounded shrimp.... The next dish, or compound, presented for our delectation, was bird'snest soup, that epicurean luxu:y which holds




80


BIRD'S-NEST SOUP.


such high rank in the cuisine of China. I was
in duty bound to taste this, so did not wait a
second invitation from my host. I confess I was
disappointed. Whatever nutritious properties it
may possess, it was nevertheless almost tasteless,
and, though my olivaster companions partook of
it with much gusto, and evident appreciation, I
did not consider it even the equal of vermicelli
soup, which, in appearance, it much resembled.
These  nests, however, command   very  high
prices, especially those which are white, and of
a fine and delicate texture. When properly
prepared, they resemble isinglass, and are subject to a high import duty. They are principally brought from the south end of Sumatra,
and are the produce of a species of swallow.
In shape they much resemble a saucer, with one
side flattened by adherence to the rocky sides
of caverns. In preparing them for the table,
they are thoroughly cleansed and placed with a
little ginseng inside the body of a fowl, which
is allowed to stew all night; they are then torn
to shreds, reboiled in good stock, and served up
with hard-boiled pigeons' eggs and soy.




A CHINESE DIA.NER.


81


"When this course had been removed, hot
wine was handed round.... Edibles of a
solid nature were now placed upon the board by
the neat-handed domestics. Carp and red mullet,
which attain great perfection here, played vis-avis to ducks, fowls, and the innumerable ragouts,
without which a course would be considered
incomplete.... This course was succeeded by
what is invariably a sign that the feast is
drawing to a termination; each person was
supplied with a bowl of rice, and tea was served
in place of wine.... Then, as if by magic,
the table was strewn with many-hued flowers.
The gorgeous beauty of the peony vied with
the wax-like purity of the camellia japonica;
yellow and white azalias blended their blossoms
with the lovely rose; the deep crimson carnation
contrasted finely with the virgin whiteness of
the jasmine flowers; and their exquisite aroma
crowned our senses with delight. Fruits are the
concomitants of flowers, and at Chinese feasts
appear simultaneously with them.  Before us
were piles of delicious yellow mangoes and
bananas, oranges, figs, pomegranates, and trays




82


THE DESSERT.


of carambolas, le-chees, and other foreign fruits.... At a signal fiom our entertainer, we all
arose, and followed him into an adjoining apartment, dispersed about which were many beautifully carved ebony tables, some of them richly
inlaid with ivory, porphyry, and mother-of-pearl... Several servants soon appeared, each bearing a tray, upon which were arranged a multitude of small porcelain tea-cups, tastefully and
fancifully painted, with covers upon them to prevent the aroma from evaporating. The Chinese
eschew milk and sugar, and brew their favorite
beverage very differently from  foreigners.  A
few leaves of choice growth and early gathering
are placed in the bottom of a cup, and upon
these boiling water is poured. The infusion exhales a delicious aroma, and in flavor far excels
the decoction which Western housewives delight
to drink, and designate tea."
I will also insert the following from a recent
contributor to the same journal, with regard to
the preparation of the tea leaf:"The peasantry collect the leaf, each family
its own little parcel, sun-dry it before the doors




THE TEA CROP.


83


of their little cabins, and convey it to some
pack-house in the district, loosely packed in cotton bags.   In every district there are many
pack-houses owned or rented by native tea dealers from the ports; the peasant thus has the advantage of competition. The tea dealer empties
the bags into great heaps, from which the leaf
goes through the process of 'firing,' in cast-iron
bowls made for the purpose. He then sorts into
qualities, packs in the usual leaded chests, and
sends it to a treaty port to be sold in open market.... The finest tea, composed of the tender,
budding leaf, is necessarily limited in quantity,
as the leaves are very small, and only a small
proportion can be picked without injuring the
plant. When the 'chops' of such teas reach the
treaty ports, they are the object of active competition.  Each foreign house has its friends
among the dealers, and exerts all its influence
to secure these so-called 'fancy chops.'  The
finest Congous and Souchongs go to Russia and
England."
The following passage from   Fry's journal
shows his love for, and appreciation of, the beau



84


BUITENZORG.


ties of nature: "Our consul, Mr. Reed, got an
order from the governor for post-horses, and
gave his own traveling carriage; and we went
to visit the country seat or palace of the governor, at Buitenzorg.  We were accompanied
by two Dutch officers, who were sent by the
Dutch admiral to show us the place. At about
six o'clock in the morning we took coffee and
cigars, and started off, a party of ten. Our consul had given us a letter of introduction to his
brother-in-law.  Stopping at his house, our attention was drawn to a clothes-line on which
were stretched quantities of female apparel,
which, grotesque as it may appear, saddened us
by the recollections they brought up of happier
days. Such things are not seen every day by
poor sailors. The gentleman not being at home,
we went on to Buitenzorg.
"The grounds comprise some five hundred
acres, though apparently much more extensive.
The walks and drives through them are magnificent, and are tastefully laid out. There are
thousands of varieties.of trees, each bearing a
label with its name upon it. Some are very




A PARK IN 7A VA.


85


wonderful, either for size or for some peculiarity
of growth. One immense tree had thick roots as
large as my leg, all lying upon the surface of the
ground, and growing into each other as they radiated from the trunk, forming a curious network.
There was one immense specimen of the banyan
tree, having all its lower horizontal branches supported by natural columns. Another extraordinary tree had neither leaf nor branch, but, like
an enormous serpent writhing in agony, pursued
its tortuous way, up one tree, around it, and
along its branches to another, twisting itself into
such sudden and severe contortions as defy description or belief. We spent four or five hours
walking around these grounds, meeting new and
beautiful objects at every turn. We gathered
fruit from the nutmeg tree ourselves, and saw
apparently every species of flower under the
sun, beautiful birds and butterflies, herds of hundreds of deer, grazing quietly. In a wire cage
were two of those diminutive deer called Java
moose, about the height of a rabbit. Further on
we found another large wire house, inclosing
several trees, and tenanted by pheasants of dif'
6




86


A JA kVANESE LANDSCAPE.


ferent species. In another were some doves,
partridges, and a magnificent bird with a most
lovely crest of blue, downy feathers. We passed
on, and found cages containing monkeys, panthers, boa constrictors, deer of enormous size that
came and thrust their heads where we could rub
their noses.  We then visited the palace, and
saw two beautiful statues on the porch, a cage
containing remarkable monkeys, and another
with a bird of paradise. It is said that a live
bird of paradise has never been seen in England
or America, and we were told that one thousand
pounds sterling is a standing premium offered
for one in England.
"We went to the top of the palace, and had a
most glorious view of the country around. In
the rear is a range of mountains with a smoking
volcano. The garden is bounded partly by a
rapid river that winds and twists about, and is
led into the grounds and forms a beautiful lake,
in which   swans were gracefully swimming.
There were bathing houses of -basket or wickerwork, beautifully paved with water of crystalline
clearness. We were growing fatigued, and re



JAPANESE GOODS.


87


turned to our hotels with weary limbs but cheerful hearts."
What a pure touch of nature is this simple
recital of the effect upon the wanderer's heart
of the homely sight of a clothes-line hung with
women's garments!    How  graphically he describes the strange vegetation of that far-off
land, and the caged animals of a governor's private menagerie! Such an excursion must have
been a rare treat to the nature-loving sailor boy,
landing from the long cruise of nearly seventy
days.
Nor is he less appreciative of the beauties
of art.
"At Batavia there is a store that is exclusively Japanese in its contents, and full of curiosities. You are aware that the Japanese are a
people so well satisfied with their own institutions, customs, laws, religion, etc., that they do
not permit intercourse with foreigners of any
nation, and have resisted the efforts of all people
to land or have any contact with them, the
Dutch being the only people with whom they




88


MOTHER-OF-PEARL WORK.


hold any intercourse, except the Chinese, even
that being limited to two ships a year.*
"The Japanese are an exceedingly ingenious
people. The japan ware, of which papier mache
is but a poor imitation, is very beautiful. I wish
I could describe the process to you. Imagine a
warehouse filled with furniture all covered with
mother-of-pearl work most exquisitely executed;
flowers and birds of the brightest and richest
hues, even the ground and water represented in
mother-of-pearl, inlaid in pieces so minute as to
seem like grains of sand; bouquets, wreaths,
birds of paradise, peacocks-all glowing in the
most gorgeous colors. I have made the beginning of a collection for our little girl. If I had
the means, I would take home a perfect museum
for her; but of course all the handsome things
are very expensive."
Leaving Java, they continue their journey
eastward.
* See Addendum for sketch of " Perry's Expedition,"
the Plymouth being one of the squadron employed in
that undertaking.


i




PASSAGE TO CHINA.


89


"February 10.
"This is exceedingly dull business. There
are several passages into the China Sea, and the
periodic wind, called the north-east monsoon,
blows down the sea, creating a strong current
in the different straits. We are anxious to get
on, but the current is so strong that we hardly
make anything against it, and we are almost
desperate. We have been out eight days, and
are no nearer China than when we started.
"March eth  STRAITS OF BANCA.
"We are to-day trying to leave the northern
entrance of these straits. We are nearly through,
being thirty-four days out from Batavia. It is
not known whether we stop at Singapore or
at Manilla, on our way to Canton. We expect to find letters at the latter place, but cannot possibly get them under thirty or forty days,
when it will be seven or eight months since our
last dates from home.
"I am   completely disgusted with the idle,
worthless life I lead, and the poor prospects
ahead of me.




90


SINGAPORE.


"My Dita! I find I am beginning to bear
our separation better! I do not think it is
because I am so much the creature of habit,
as because, a large portion of the cruise being
accomplished, hope now enters largely into the
combination of circumstances and feelings.
"I expect to see a great deal on this cruise,
and I enjoy the prospect of seeing so many
strange things, and especially the pleasure I
anticipate in telling you of them. We have
fine moonlight nights now, and the fact that
you gaze upon the same moon, only twelve
hours later, makes me wish that I could inscribe a message for you upon her fair face!
How I envy her the privilege of watching over
you and gazing upon you every night!"
"...  April 4.
"Singapore is a pleasant enough place, but
does not compare with Batavia. The first day
I went on shore, I started off in a palanquin,
with the captain's clerk, and rode over the
finest roads I ever saw, were it not for the
material of which they are made, which throws




MR. WHAMPOA. THE 7JO. S.


91


off an impalpable red powder which penetrates
the clothes and hair, a:nd stains everything it
comes in contact with.
" We went first to the store of a Mr. Whampoa, a Chinese merchant of great wealth, and
consequent respectability. The lower part of
the building was a sort of grocery, or provision
store, and counting-room; up stairs is a dry
goods, millinery, and general curiosity shop,
containing the greatest variety of fancy articles, rice paintings, filigree card-cases, crape
shawls, etc.
"From   Whampoa's store we rode to the Chinese Temple. The Temple, or Joss-house, contains
shrines inclosing the divinities ---representations
in wood of a very fat and very dull-looking man,
seated in the recess. The whole of the inner
part of the temple is beautifully carved, with
figures of gods, demons, etc., ugly enough, all
of them.
c" We visited the Hindoo Temple next, but saw
nothing of peculiar interest, except the devotion of the priests, who would not allow us to
examine critically and irreverently their gods.




92    THE MOSQUE TE THEATER.


"We next visited the Mohammedan Mosque. I
have great respect for the Mohammedans, for
they practice their religion faithfully, and glory
in it. At one side of this mosque is a large
basin, twenty feet square, filled with water, in
which the faithful wash their feet before going
to their devotions, with stepping-stones from
the basin to the mosque. In their devotions
they fall prostrate, with their foreheads upon the
stone floor.
"We next went to the Chinese Theater, a
funny place, where the people gaze at the play
from the streets, and to see which there is, consequently, nothing to pay.  You never heard
such music in your life. It is fearful, and yet
they seem to think the more they get of it,
the better. They beat gongs and kettles, and
blow instruments of piercing sound, and make
a deafening roar, which is perfectly excruciating. The representation was simply absurd."
The following particulars with regard to the
Chinese Theater, from a more recent writer, will
complete the picture:



THE CHINESE STAGE.


93


"The first thing that strikes the European
spectator of a Chinese play, is the total absence
of scenery and stage properties. When, for
instance, some of the characters are supposed
to go away, and only appear again in the next
scene, this is denoted by their turning their
heads away from the audience, while the other
actors proceed with their parts. It often happens, too, that when an actor has to sit down,
there is no chair upon the stage; in which case
he gravely bends his body as though he were
sitting, and remains in that position until the
scene is over! The costumes, on the other hand,
are very rich, and are accurate imitations of
those of princes, mandarins, etc., mostly of thick
silk, embroidered in gold and silver.... As
for the actors, they are excellent mimics; they
arrange themselves in very picturesque groups,
and their memory is so good that they require
no prompters."
To return to Fry's journal.
"We next drove out to Mr. Whampoa's garden, and were much interested in what we
saw. He has a fine collection of strange ani



94


A CHINESE MERCHANT.


mals. A young elephant is used to plow
with, and we were entertained with an exhibition of his accomplishments.  Among the
animals were a number of tapirs. I did not
visit the house, which is said to be beautifully
furnished and equipped, its paintings, etc., being very fine."
In the official report of Commodore Perry's
expedition to Japan, I find the following additional items concerning Mr. Whampoa: —
"With a Chinese merchant, who seemed to
be imbued with the true spirit of hospitality,
many of the officers of the ship formed an agreeable acquaintance, and were charmingly entertained at his house. This gentleman's name is
Whampoa-a man of courteous bearing and
great intelligence, and who had made considerable progress in the English language, which he
spoke with some fluency. His country residence
was the most beautiful on the island. The house
was large, commodious, and tastefully furnished,
and the rooms were filled with objects of curiosity and virtu. Surrounding the dwelling were
extensive pleasure grounds and plantations, on




A CHINESE MERCHANT.           95
which the various productions of the island
were cultivated to great perfection. There were
collections of strange animals and rare birds.
The residence of the hospitable Whampoa,
where Commodore Perry dined and passed the
night, was surrounded by all that could delight
the eye, or add to the enjoyment of life."




CHAPTER VII.
FRY TIRED OF HIS MODE OF LIFE. - CONTEMPLATES RETIRING
FROM THE NAVY. - AN OFFICER'S VIEWS OF LIFE ON
SHIPBOARD. - FRY MEDITATES ON HIS IDLE LIFE. - MACAO.
- LETTERS FROM HOME.- A NATION IN BOATS. - TANKAS
"MANNED" BY GIRLS. -EXPERT SAILORS.- FRY'S GLOWING DESCRIPTION OF THE TANKA GIRLS. - THEIR " MOTHER
AT HOME." - A MINIATURE JOSS HOUSE. - A PORTUGUESE
FAMILY IN CHINA. - THE SOAP FRUIT. - " CAMOENS'
CAVE," THE CHIEF ATTRACTION OF MACAO. —HERE THE
PORTUGUESE POET WROTE HIS " LUSIAD."
" IN about ten days more I shall hear how you
were three months ago, Dita! When two years
more shall have rolled around, my ship will leave
for the United States; and when she gets there,
our daughter, if alive, will be four years oldquite a young lady! She will be almost too big
to play with the toys I have bought for her. At
Canton I must get advice as to what to get for
her. I shall find lots of things, and mean to
make her the dispenser of happiness to all the
innocents in the neighborhood.... Ah, if I
96




TIRED OF NA VAL LIFE.


97


only ever realize my hopes of enjoying my
home, what happiness it will be! I often fancy
myself with my little girl. I am so anxious that
she shall be happy, and that she shall love her
father."
"April 18.
"Ten months ago to-day our ship went into
commission.  What a long time we had to look
ahead! and now, one third of the cruise is
accomplished. It is thought that the Saratoga
will go home this fall, which will make two years
since she went into commission. The Marion has
gone home, after being out only two years; and
if we are allowed to do likewise, in fourteen
months more we will ourselves be returning!
"I am so anxious to lead a different sort of
life, that I can hardly make up my mind to
remain in the navy after this cruise.  It is so
hard to be separated from you for so long a
time, that I feel sometimes that I could risk
everything to be with you. I reason with myself in this way: 'I can certainly earn, by hard
labor, as much as I now leave you by allotment;
there are ways enough open to me of at least




98     UNSA TISFA CTOR Y PROSPECTS.


gaining an honest livelihood, and I ought, by
perseverance and unremitting industry, with
what advantages I possess in the way of my
professional knowledge, to be able to obtain
employment at any time; and then, with the
testimonials I possess, I would have a very
decided advantage. Now, if I stay in the navy,
I shall be long in gaining promotion by any
means, and, though my pay is sure, I shall
waste my whole life in this idle way, and, having
my mind running upon home all the time, be
consequently miserable all my life. I feel sometimes I will try it, and trust to God for health
and strength.  I should gain health of both
mind and body by active exercise, and happiness in working for my family and being with
them; and then, when the time comes for me
to die, I should have the happiness of closing
my eyes for the last time amid the forms and
faces I love best. I consider myself degraded
in serving here as passed midshipman; for I am
not of the slightest use on board ship, except in
doing duty in place of some lieutenant who may
happen to fancy himself sick. The lieutenant,




PARENTAL LOVE.


99


if necessary, should die in the discharge of his
duty, and let the passed midshipman step into
his place - to die in his turn and let others be
promoted. I do not fancy exposing my life
merely to protect a more fortunate officer, however willing I might be, and am, to give it for
my country."'
" MACAO.
"We arrived here on the twenty-second, and
dispatched a boat to the shore immediately for
letters. I received three or four of those fine
large letters which are the envy of all who see
them, and which are readily distinguishable by
their size, and the beautiful style in which they
are directed. You cannot imagine the delight
with which I devoured their contents. I am
glad you wrote so much of our dear pet. 0,
my Dita, the longing I feel to take the dear
little thing to my heart is agonizing! Yesterday I was on shore, and saw a beautifiul child
of about the same age as ours. I was almost
crazy at the sight.  Twenzty months old!  How
she must prattle by this time! I fancy I can
see her trotting about, following you around the




100


MACA O: TA NKA BOA TS.


house. What a recompense for the hardest toil
of the day would it not be to me, could I only
lie down on the floor and have a good romp
with her at night!
"And now for Macao, and what I saw, felt,
and did.  You probably know    that a very
numerous Chinese population lives entirely in
boats; some of them so small that one pities
the poor unfortunates who live so miserably.
They are born, grow up, marry, and raise children in these boats. You would be astonished
to see mothers, with infants at the breast, managing the sails, oars, and rudder of the boat as
expertly as any sailor. The tanka is of very
light draft, and, being able to go close in shore,
is used to land passengers from the larger boats.
As we neared the shore, we noticed small boats
pulling toward us from all directions.  Soon a
boat, "manned" by two really pretty young
girls pulling oars, and a third sculling, came
alongside, calling  out earnestly, ' Talcee me
boat!' 'Takee me boat!'  They had beautiful
teeth, white as ivory, brilliant eyes, and their
pretty faces, so earnest and pleading, were
X,.....:.  e 




TANKA GIRLS.


wreathed in smiles as we gave them the preference over others that joined us from all quarters, clinging to the sides of our large boat, and
impeding our headway. The boatmen tried in
vain to drive them off  One brute of a fellow
splashed repeatedly a poor girl, who. though not
at all pretty, had such a depth of meaning and
such a sad expression in her eyes and face as
charmed me completely. It would have interested any one to hear her scold back, and to see
the flashing of her eyes, and the vivid expression in every feature. When I frowned at our
sailor, the sudden change in her face from anger
to smiles, the earnest 'takee me boat,' as she
caught evidence of sympathy from me, was
beautiful. We were assailed with these cries
from so many, and there was such a clamor,
that, in self-defense, we had to choose a boat
and go.  The first-mentioned girls, on account
of their beauty, won the majority, and their
boat was clean and well furnished, which is
more than could be said of many of them. I
caught the look of disappointment which passed
over the features of the girl I have described,
7




102


THE RELIGIOUS INSTINCT.


and it haunts me even now.    Trifling as it
appeared to us, such scenes constitute the great
events in their poor lives, and such triumphs or
defeats are all-important to them.
" Upon entering the tanka boat, we found the
mother of the young girls, and a young infant
dressed heroically. The infant was the child of
the prettiest one of the girls, whose husband
was away fishing. The old woman was quite
talkative, and undoubtedly gave us lots of news!
"They had a miniature temple on the bows
of the boat, with Joss seated cross-legged, looking very fat, and very red, and very stupid.
Before him was an offering of two apricots, but
Joss never deigned to look at it, and apparently
had no appetite. I felt a sincere respect, however, for the devotional feeling of these poor
idolaters, recognizing even there the universal
instinct which teaches that there is a God.
"I called upon the commodore, who received
me with great courtesy, and gave me a very
interesting account of the voyage out, by the
way of Mauritius, of the Susquehanna,. to which
I was first appointed.  She has gone on to
Arnoy.




SOA P-FRUIT.


103


"I made the acquaintance of a Portuguese
family, named Lurero. The young ladies are
quite accomplished, speaking French, Spanish,
and Italian, but no English. They came down
to receive the visit of our consul and lady, who
called while I was there. Mr. Lulrero gave me
some specimens of a soap-fruit, and showed me
the tree. The fruit is an exceedingly fine soap,
which, without any preparation, is used for washing the finest goods.
"We expect to hear of the sailing of the
'Japan Expedition' by the next mail.  When
Commodore Perry arrives, we shall be kept so
busy that time will fly rapidly, and we shall
soon be looking forward to our return home,
unless Japan disturbances (which are not seriously anticipated) delay us.
" I did not tell you of my visit to 'Camoens'
Cave,' the principal attraction of Macao. This
'cave' was the resort of the distinguished Portuguese poet Camoens, who there wrote the
greater part of the 'Lusiad.' The cave is situated in the midst of the finest wooded walks I
ever saw. The grounds are planted beautifully,




104


THE POET CAMOEN.,


and immense vases of flowers stand around.
The grounds are not level, but lie up the side
of a slope or hill, irregular in shape, and precipitous on one side.  There are several fine
views, particularly that of the harbor and surrounding islands."
I will here reproduce the following additional
items regarding Camoens, from the pen of Walter
A. Rose: -
"Macao had a particular interest for me as
the first foothold that modern civilization obtained upon the ancient shores of 'far Cathay,'
and as the birthplace of one of the finest epic
poems ever written.... On one of those calm
and beautiful nights peculiar to sub-tropical
climes, I stood alone upon the white sea-wall,
and no sound fell upon my ears save the whirring mbnotone of insects in the trees above the
hills, the periodical chime of bells from anchored
ships, and the low, sweet cadence of the incoming tide. I thought it must have been such
a night as this that inspired Camoins when he
wrote,



THE POET CAMOENS.


105


'Now Cynthia's rays with gentle lustre shone,
Reflecting from the sparkling silvered waves;
In harmony the starry sky appeared,
A field celestial, strewn with heavenly flowers.
The furious winds, pent within distant caves,
In quiet slumber, undisturbed reposed;
But through the silent night the watchful guard
On board the fleet their usual vigils kept.'
"Three enormous boulders of gray granite,
hoary with years, mossy with lichens, constitute
the cavern wherein the famous Luis de Camnoens
found the retirement and inspiration that gave
birth to the 'Lusiad.'   The Cave of Camoens
is now barred with iron portals, through which,
however, a view of the interior is obtained. On
a lofty pedestal in the centre, upon which stands
a finely-executed bronze bust of the poet, are
three stanzas from the poem in bronze letters.
As I stood gazing upon the features of the illustrious bard, my heart echoed a later poet's sentiment, -
'Man's inhumanity to man
Makes countless thousands mourn.'
' From one of the western terraces the view
was magnificent. The declining sun was slowly




106


CAM;OENS IN THE EAST.


sloping to rest in the bosom of the sapphire sea,
which sparkled and shone with vivid golden
light stolen from the rich rays of Phoebus.
Here and there light clouds, tinged with roseate
and amber lines, flecked the clear azure dome
of heaven; and far away upon the horizon, the
white sails of vessels could be descried - specks
of life, relieving and enhancing the glorious
blending of colors."
Canmoens' visit to Macao occurred during his
banishment from Portugal in consequence of
his pertinacious courtship of a lady of rank,
whose parents did not desire an alliance with
the poet, who, though of respectable family,
was poor, and looked upon as an adventurer.
He proceeded to Goa, in India, where he again
involved himself in trouble by writing his "Absurdities of India," and was banished to the
Moluccas, whence he visited Macao.
The derivation of the title of his poem is this:
Lusus, the companion of Bacchus, is represented
to have made Portugal his adopted country.
Hence it was called Lusia, and its natives
Lusians; hence the "Lusiad," the epic poem
of Portugal.




CIIAPTER        VIII.
THE PLYMOUTH LEAVES MACAO.-AT AMOY. -THE CITY
OUTVIES ALL OTHER CHINESE CITIES WITH ITS SMELLS.A REMARKABLE JOSS-HOUSE DESCRIBED. - CHINESE REGARD FOR THE DEAD. - THEY ARE CREMATIONISTS. -THE
MISSIONARY SETTLEMENT AT FOU-CHOU. -THEIR DELIGHT AT THE SIGHT OF AMERICANS.- FRY'S JOY ON
MEETING THE LADIES. -HE FINDS DITA'S LIVING STATUE
THERE.- MANDARINS.- A STREET SCENE. - MANNER OF
SMOKING. - CONSECRATING A MAN-OF-WAR JUNK TO THE
SERVICE OF JOSS.- AT NING-PO.-THE WAR-SHIP.TAOU-TAI. - NING-PO FURNITURE. -FRY AT THE LOO
CHOO ISLANDS. - HOMEWARD BOUND. - THE CAPE OF
GOOD HOPE.
FROM Macao the Plymouth proceeded to Hong
Kong, thence to Amoy, whence Fry writes,"June 22.
"I went on shore a few days ago to view the
goodly city of Amoy. All Chinese towns have
a strong odor, that pervades the atmosphere,
and sickens every one unaccustomed to it; but
this city of Amoy, has a thousand horrid smells,
107




108


ANV A  tMOY 7OSS-HOUSE.


which gagged and stifled me at every step. I
breathed through the folds of my handkerchief,
and hurried on. The streets are so narrow that
I could almost touch the houses on opposite
sides at once. The houses are built low, with
but one story, and placed so near each other
as to exclude the rays of the sun. The people
in one house see and hear everything that passes
in that of their opposite neighbor.
"We visited a Joss-house, and found it a
very remarkable building.  The gate opened
into a sort of court surrounded by representations of Joss in his various moods and conditions.
In one place he was playing, with a delighted
expression of countenance, an instrument resembling a lute; in another he was in a listening attitude; again he was represented with a
demoniacal expression of fury.  There were
Josses in black, as ugly as the devil; and in
other colors, uglier still; but the majority were
gilded.  In the center of the court was the
temple, highly ornamented and curiously constructed, especially the roof, which was all open
work. The court and all the inner temple was




FUNERAL URNIS.


109


supported by stone pillars, upon which were
carved, in alto-relief, figures of dragons writhing about them. The temple is surrounded by
out-houses, in which the priests live. From this
central temple there is a walk to the after-part
of the court, which continues to the wings,
and leads out to a most romantic spot at the
base of a hill, completely covered with rocks of
immense size, which threaten, apparently, to descend and overwhelm the temple-gods and
all - in a complete smash.
"The Chinese are careful about their graves,
or rather of their dead, for there are no graves.
Before tombs or vaults stand jars with covers
cemented on; there are the urns in which the
ashes of the dead were deposited. Our guide,
observing a midshipman examining curiously
a bone which he had picked up from beside
an urn, exclaimed angrily, 'Putee down,' 'No
can takee up;' adding sorrowfully, 'What for
takee up?'"
The Plymouth now proceeded on a cruise up
the coast of China, stopping at the different ports.




110


AMERICAN MISSIONARIES.


Fou-Chou was found to be quite a missionary
settlement, and the missionaries highly delighted
to see these, the first Americans who had visited
their port. Fry was equally pleased to find himself among them, especially the ladies and the
little children. He writes,"You cannot realize how delightful it was
to me to meet with these good people, who
reminded me so much of home; and I was very
happy with them. Foreigners rarely visit the
port, and this was the first man-of-war that
had ever landed there, from our nation; in
fact, the first of their countrymen they had
ever seen there, and they were as happy in
the meeting as we were. While taking tea,
the lady from the next house came over with
her little boy in her arms, and she looked so
much like you, dearest, that it quite startled
me. I had been struck in church by the strong
resemblance of figure, neck, profile, and eyes,
and was very glad to see her again. A sweet
little girl of two years old was lying asleep by
her mother in church. When the service was
over, I could not resist the temptation of hang



MANDARINS.


111


ing over the little thing, and fanning her as
she slept.
"The missionaries present so great a contrast
to the rest of the world, that I cannot help
wishing for the peace and purity of their lives.*
I visited them frequently, and enjoyed their society much better than that of gayer people. I
feel assured of their sincerity and goodness, for we
never hear any scandal from them. Their piety
must be genuine, for they make no parade of it.
"The morning after our arrival, I was entertained by seeing some Mandarins. At a little
after sunrise I saw a Chinaman put down a
camp-stool, and immediately a queer-looking
old fogy take his seat upon it and commence
gesticulating to others, dressed all alike, and
who were apparently servants, and flew about
evidently upon urgent business. He appeared
to feel his consequence immensely. One servant fanned him, while another brought him
tea; a third stood by with a pipe, which he
must have lighted twenty or thirty times in


* See Addendum for "Dreams of Life in Japan."




112


CHINESE SMOKING.


the course of fifteen minutes.  Their process
of smoking a pipe is very curious. They do
not fill it and smoke it as we do, but act as
differently in this as they do in every other
matter. The pipe is constructed to hold water:
a tube is let down into a cylinder at the side,
communicating with the stem; a pinch of tobacco is rolled up and put in the mouth of the
tube; the servant then blows upon a piece of
burning paper, which ignites into a blaze; handing the pipe to the Mandarin, he applies the
fire; the tobacco is consumed in three puffs,
and the ceremony has to be repeated. After a
while, a second Mandarin, of a higher rank, came
to the same spot, and it was very amusing to
see them. They both made a rapid rushing bow,
as if they were going to dash their heads together, like goats in a fight, at the same time
clasping their hands and smiling as they rose.
"Several more came, of different ranks, and
the same ceremony was observed, until one of
still greater position came, when the whole row
bent to him with clasped hands. 'They then all
went into boats and worshiped Joss, and then




NING-PO.


113


went 6ff to a man-of-war junk, where they beat
gongs, and made quite a fuss consecrating her."
"August 6.
"I have been spending several days among
the missionaries at Ning-Po. They appear to be
extremely zealous in their good work.  The
Chinese regard foreigners more favorably here
than elsewhere in the Chinese empire, and the
missionaries have a great deal of influence, and
do much good.
"We visited officially the Taou-tai and the
Admiral, and were received with firing of small
cannon and Chinese music.
"I would describe the Ning-Po furniture to
you, but that I hope to have some pretty specimens of it for you. Independent of the inlaying, which is very pretty, the carved work is
very curious, and worth having. I have ordered
a miniature bedstead, couch, table, and chairs,
for our little daughter's baby-house, and in
Canton I will get a china tea set to correspond.
"Beautiful picture frames are made, carved




114


HOMEWARD BOUND.


with groups of figures, trees, flowers, etc., and
inlaid with ivory very prettily."
Passing over the next two years, May, 1854,
finds Fry at the Loo Choo Islands, the objects
of the Japan   expedition  successfully accomplished, and with every indication of a speedy
return home.
"Many articles of the navy rations are already
short, our bread spoiling, and indications of a
speedy return are manifesting themselves. There
will be nothing left for Commodore Perry to do,
and he will be in a hurry to get home to reap
the fruits of his successes."
But it was not until the sixth of November
that they passed out of the Straits of Sunda, and
entered the Indian Ocean, homeward bound. He
then writes,"We were fortunate enough at once to take
the trade-winds, and at this moment are almost
flying on our way home. The weather is just
cool enough to be pleasantly bracing; the sky
clear, except when the trade-clouds, in large, detached patches, float by.




A TEDIOUS PASSAGE.


115


'We have everything we can desire, except
sufficiently grateful hearts for God's mercies to
us, and are as happy as people can be who see
some prospect of a speedy termination to a longcontinued separation from all they love best....
"O, Dita! that passage down the China Sea
was dreadful. We toiled incessantly, day and
night, for twenty days, when the blow ceased,
and it fell calm, and left us at the mercy of a
current that caused us to lose in two days all
that we had gained, inch by inch, for three
weeks! We were fifty-one days getting to Singapore, and eleven to Java Head, the whole of
which distance is sometimes made in eight or
ten days. We are now going at the rate of
nearly ten miles an hour over a stretch of five
thousand four hundred and sixty miles, the distance to the Cape of Good Hope from the Straits
of Sunda. The whole distance from China is
sixteen thousand miles; but we may depend
upon fast winds nearly all the way now, and
hope to arrive off New York early in February.
"All my anticipations, faint as they were,
have crumbled away, in regard to the action of




116


RELIGIOUS 7VIEWS.


Congress upon the Navy Bills. Not one of the
bills from which I had hoped so much became a
law.*
"I hope, my Dita, for better times, and that.
in the enjoyments of our society, we may forget
our troubles, and learn to recognize in them
trials from God for our own good. How much
happier we should be in this world, if we would
only cultivate the hope of happiness in the next!
How insignificant our cares would seem when
viewed in their relation to our eternal interests!
May God grant us light, and hope, and strength,
and faith, and patience!"
Here we close the journal. If I have been
copious in my extracts, it is because I felt that
they afforded an insight into the very heart of
the real man, portraying his character as no
words of mine could do.
We have seen the young naval officer in the
performance of his duty; the honest, upright
man, striving to make his way in the world; the
* A bill to create an intermediate grade of second
lieutenant, and a bill for the relief of the Missouri sufferers.




RELIGIOUS VIE WS.


117


affectionate, almost idolizing husband; the tender, devoted father; the humble, earnest Christian, longing to know his duty, and willing to
do it.
No two persons can see the same things with
the same eyes, or receive the same impressions
from them. Hence the scenes and events portrayed present some elements of novelty and
interest as described by the young midshipman
in the simple, unadorned language of entries in
a private journal for his young wife's reading.


8




CHAPTER IX.
TWO YEARS OF HOME SERVICE.-PENSACOLA NAVY YARD.AN EVENTLESS PERIOD. - AN INCIDENT WHICH GAVE BIRTH
TO " THE CHRONICLES OF LEVI." - CAPTAIN LEVY DROPPED
BY THE NAVAL BOARD. - THE " CHRONICLES," WRITTEN BY
LIEUTENANTS PAUL AND HOE, TELL THE STORY. -AN INSIGHT INTO LISTLESS LIFE ASHORE.
AFTER an absence from  home of nearly five
years, Fry was once more reunited to his family,
and enjoyed two years of home service, being
stationed at the Pensacola Navy Yard.
During this period nothing transpired worthy
of record. A trifling incident which had occurred at the Navy Yard some time previous,
was made the subject of an amusing iraveslie, a
copy of which I found among Fry's papers.
A certain Captain Levy, of the navy, had
been dropped by the action of the Naval Board.
Having basely slandered one Antoine Collins,
hotel-keeper at Pensacola, and a most worthy
118




THE "BOOK OF CHRONICLES."


119


man, the offender was duly punished by his
brother officers, and the following account of
the transaction written by Lieutenants Paul and
Hoe -
THE BOOK OF CHRONICLES.
DRAMA TIS PERSONAE.
ALEXANDER,... Commodore A. J. Dallas.
MASON,...... Lieutenant Mason Hoe.
JOHN,.                Commander John Gwin.
ANTHONY,.. Keeper of Hotel, Pensacola.
The King's Home, Jefferson's estate, Monticello; the
Idol, Jefferson's statue.
I. And it came to pass, in the days of Martin,
king of the people, that great ships were sent
out to far countries, to guard the commerce, and
to carry gold and silver for the merchants.
II Now, these ships had captains, who were
men of great skill and prowess upon the seas;
and Alexander was the chief captain over all
the captains, and he was beloved of the people,
seeing that he had ruled them with justice and
wisdom.
III. And John, one of the captains of Alex



120    THE "BOOK OF CHRONICLES."


ander's ships, falling sick, he received permission
to return into his own land.
IV. Alexander wrote unto the king's ministers, saying, "Send me another captain instead
of John, that none of the king's ships may fall
into the hands of the enemy."
V. In the mean time, a young man named
Mason commanded instead of John.
VI. Mason was a young man, and violent,
but much beloved by the people.
VII. And behold, when the king had read
the letter of Alexander, the chief captain, he
called a council of his ministers; and when they
had communed together, they appointed one
Levi, saying, "This man hath eaten the bread
of the people, for, lo! these many years, and
hath not served his country."
VIII. And the king commanded that he
should be sent instead of John.
IX. Now, this Levi was a Jew; but he did
not worship in the synagogue, for in those days
the Jews were scattered abroad.
X. Levi was also rich, having ensnared a rich
woman in a far country; and when she found




THE "BOOK OF CHRONICLES."


121


that he had dealt deceitfully with her, she paid
him a ransom, and let him go.
XI. And Levi was despised by the people,
knowing that he had dealt deceitfully and
treacherously with the woman,
XII. And seeing also he had offered to the
people a brazen statue, as an idol, which they
accepted not.
XIII. They were sorely grieved that, with
his riches, he had purchased the king's house;
and they murmured, saying, "Shall the king's
house become the tabernacle of a Jew?"
XIV. And behold, when Levi received the
king's commandment, he took his servants and
his raiment, and travelled into the South, and
sojourned for a short time in the chief city.
XV. And he girded himself up, and left the
chief city; and touching at Mobile, he journeyed
by sea, and landed at a place called in the Spanish tongue Pensacola, where the king's ships lay.
XVI. And behold, he dwelt at the house of a
publican named Anthony. Now, this publican
was much respected in the city for being an
honest and just man.




122


THE "BOOK OF CHRONICLES."


XVII. Now, Levi, while he tarried here, behaved himself haughtily before the people; and
when Anthony heard of it, he desired him that
he should leave his house.
XVIII. And Levi departed, and went unto
Mobile. And behold, when he met there with
those who were of the king's house, he spoke
falsely of the publican, saying, "While I tarried
at this man's house, about the ninth hour, I went
in unto my chamber, and lo! I found this man
therein; and his staff was by his side.
XIX. "Now, his intention was to rob me,
seeing I had much gold and silver with me."
But the bystanders believed him not.
XX. And one of these who was present and
heard these things journeyed unto Pensacola,
and told them unto the publican; and when he
heard it, he was moved with indignation.
XXI. And when John's ship returned from
Mexico, Levi took shipping, and returned unto
Pensacola, to take charge according to the king's
command.
XXII. And passing by the ship, he hailed
unto him, saying, " Send me a boat to take my




THE "BOOK OF CHRONICLES."


123


servants and my stores." And Mason asked
him, saying, "Is that Levi, our captain?" and
he answered him, "Yea."
XXIII. And they sent him a boat, and
brought his raiment, his servants, and his stores;
but Levi himself passed on to the city.
XXIV. And in the evening, as he walked out,
the publican met him by the way, and desired to
speak with him.
XXV. But Levi refused him haughtily, saying, "It is not meet for me to speak with a publican in the street; come again at a more convenient season, and I will hearken unto thee."
XXVI. Then the publican was filled with
wrath, and caught him by the garment, saying,
"Sir, thou must hearken unto me now, for thou
hast borne false witness against me."
XXVII. And when Levi would not hearken
unto him, but spoke disrespectfully unto him,
the publican was filled with wrath, and wrung
his nose, and spit upon him, and treated him
despitefully, and laughed him to scorn before
the people.
XXVIII. And all the congregation laughed,




124     THE "BOOK OF CHRONICLES."
and reviled him, saying, "Where has the spirit
of the king's warrior fled?"
XXIX. And Levi withdrew himself from the
people, and went in unto his ship, and shut himself up for many days.
XXX. The rest of the acts of Levi are not
recorded in the Book of Chronicles.




CHAPTER X.
IN ACTIVE SERVICE AGAIN. -CRUISE TO THE SOUTH PACIFIC.
-"LO, THE MORNING BREAKETH!" - ROUNDING CAPE
HORN VIA THE STRAITS OF LE MAIRE. - AT VALPARAISO,
FEBRUARY, I858.- TERRIBLE HURRICANE.- FRY SENT
HOME ON THE SICK LIST. - RECOMMENDED TO THE RETIRED
LIST. - PLACED IN CHARGE OF THE LIGHT-HOUSE DEPARTMENT OF THE GULF COAST.-SURRENDERS HIS TRUSTS.
- OFFICIALLY COMPLIMENTED. -RESIGNS, JANUARY, 1861.
- CASTS HIS FORTUNES WITH THE SOUTH. - PEN PORTRAIT
OF FRY BY A BROTHER OFFICER.- COULD NOT SERVE TWO
MASTERS.- ILLUSTRATION OF THE CHARACTER AND COURSE
OF FRY.
IN 1857 we find Fry again in active service,
with every prospect of a pleasant cruise to the
South Pacific.
Under date of Portsmouth, N. H., Nov. 29,
1857, he writes thus:"Waiting for a suitable wind to proceed to
sea. At muster, the first lieutenant read, in the
presence of the captain, officers, and crew, the
captain's internal rules and regulations for the
125




126


ACTIVE SERVICE AGAIN.


government of all on board. The captain made
a short and appropriate address to the crew,
commending their good conduct up to the present moment, and promising every indulgence
-consistent with the performance of duty — to
the well behaved, and certain punishment to
such as should deserve it. The men and officers
appeared well satisfied with their captain, their
ship, and each other, as well as with the prospect
dawning upon them of a pleasant cruise, foreshadowed in the care and interest manifested by
the captain in the comfort and well being, the
discipline and order, of everything relating to
the subjects of his command."
Passing Pernambuco on the twenty-sixth of
December, they made the run to Rio in thirtyone days, the " quickest on record."
On the twenty-seventh of January, 1858, I
find the following entry:"Our purser is a gentleman of over forty
years of age, who has been but recently
appointed, and to whom matters relating to
ships are new and often repugnant. He has
sustained severe affliction in the loss of children,




THE POETICAL PURSER.


127


- and otherwise, - and has commenced this life
rather late to make the change in habits and
associations pleasant.
" He has been sick, nervous, and unhappy,
without receiving any extraordinary degree of
sympathy - for they who go down to the sea in
ships are not famed for the possession of the
gentlest sympathies, or for the manifestation of
tender emotion at the sight of suffering in others.
He, however, has not yet been hardened in like
manner, and, fancying me to be the 'prey of
secret grief,' was not so absorbed in his own
trouble, but that a ray of sympathy found its
way into his soul. I found the following lines
in pencil in my room last evening, over his signature:
'FOR JOSEPH FRY.
'FROM HIS FRIEND, C. C. JACKSON.
' Lo, the morning breaketh! "'
'LIFT thine eyes, 0 child of sorrow!
Lift from earth thy tearful eyes 
See, there dawns a joyous morrow
Far in yonder skies!




128          THE PURSER'S POEM.
'Lo, the clouds are swiftly breaking!
Hope's bright sun gleams forth to cheer
Thy sad heart to gladness waking
From its night of fear.
' What though fortune's frown oppress thee,
Though thou drain'st life's bitterest cup;
Jesus stoops from heaven to bless thee --
He will bear thee up.
' Though - thy dearest ones forsakenThou dost roam the trackless sea,
Let thy faith remain unshaken -
Jesus loveth thee I
'To despair yield no dominion
O'er thy spirit's drooping wing;
Soon released, on angel's pinion
Thou in heaven shalt sing
' Praises to the Lord who led thee
Through a world of sin and strife;
He who by the wayside fed thee
With the bread of Life I
'Gave thee drink from that blest fountain
Whence such healing waters pour;
Traveller, on God's holy mountain
Thou shalt thirst no more I
AT SEA, SOUTH ATLANTIC OCEAN,
January 26, 1858."'




CAPTAIN FRY INVALIDED.


129


Rounding Cape Horn, they accomplished what
few navigators are able to do-make the passage through the Straits of Le Maire, having a
fair wind and a smooth sea.
In the course of some sixty days, they had
passed from the severe cold of New Hampshire,
through the heat of the torrid zone, into the
extreme cold of south latitude fifty degrees.
They reached Valparaiso on the twenty-third of
February, after having experienced a fearful
hurricane, such as struck terror into all hearts;
but they escaped without any accident, not even
the splitting of a sail.
Fry was subject, at that period of his life, to
an affection of the heart, and the motion of the
vessel augmented his sufferings so much that he
was finally sent home on the sick list, and recommended by the ship's surgeon to go on the
retired list; as the aggravation of the malady,
caused by the motion of the vessel, might bccasion its fatal termination very unexpectedly.
He accordingly returned home, and, after
recruiting for some time, was placed in charge
of the Light-house Department of the Gulf




130


RESIGNS AND SECEDES.


Coast; which position he held until the break.
ing out of the late civil war, discharging his
duties faithfully and honorably, finally surrendering everything with which he had been
personally intrusted in such perfect condition
that he was officially complimented for the superior order of all matters under his control.
Having surrendered everything under his
charge to the United States officials, he resigned his commission on the twenty-sixth of
January, 1861, the very day on which Louisiana,
his adopted State, seceded from the Union.
Thenceforth his fortunes were cast with the
South, the land of his birth, the home of his love.
Ranging himself under the banner of the
Confederacy, he served her faitlhftlly from beginning to end, believing conscientiously that
he was but doing his duty. Believing her rights
infringed, her liberties attacked, he - true to the
spirit he had ever shown -attached himself to
the side of the weak and the oppressed, fighting,
as he thought, not to subvert the Constitution,
but to sustain the true principles of Republican
liberty.




I
4
I




7.- /.. I,




FRY'S OFFICIAL QUALITIES.


133


One who knew    him long and intimately*
writes me thus of him:"He was then in charge of the Eighth Lighthouse District - a position for which he was well
qualified, involving, as it did, not only his professional talent as a mariner, but those scientific
and engineering qualifications which he possessed
in the highest degree. His strict personal attention to the duties of the office commended hint
to all with whom he did business. With strict
justice, he did what was right in his best judgment, from which he never swerved. No consideration could induce him to allow any imposition
upon the government which he served.....He
was in my office when the gun was fired announcing that our beloved State (Louisiana) had
been voted out of the Union. He started from
his seat, exclaiming, 'I must resign! I cannot
serve two masters! I am southern born! with
the South I must stand or fall!' I tried to persuade him against too hasty action, as I was of
* Captain John Roy, who is himself honorably mentioned by Admiral Semmes in his "Memoirs of Service
Afloat."




134


HIGH SENSE OF HONOR.


the opinion that a peaceful solution of the question at issue would soon be reached, and that
injudicious action on his part would endanger
his position in the navy. He replied that, as a
true-born American, he could not stop to think
of family, friends, or self, when his country's
welfare was at stake. He wrote his resignation
on the spot, and forwarded it to Washington at
once. I believe he was the first United States
officer to resign in Louisiana."
The resignation of a commission in the navy
was no slight matter to a man to whom his profession was his only fortune. Where he was,
promotion and honors, probably a competency
for his old age, awaited him. Going with the
South, the future was dark and uncertain. In
case of victory, his future could not be bettered;
in case of defeat, ruin and starvation stared him
in the face. And yet a hesitating thought never
entered his mind. In his opinion, but one path
lay open to him honorably to pursue, and that
path he entered unhesitatingly, and walked
undeviatingly.
The language of Robert E. Lee, in his letter




GENERAL LEE'S VIEWS.


135


to his sister, informing her of his resignation,
might have been used by Fry:"In my own person I had to meet the question whether I should take part against rny native
State. With all my devotion to the Union, and
the feeling of loyalty and duty of an American
citizen, I have not been able to make up my
mind to raise my hand against my relatives, my
children, my home. I have, therefore, resigned
my commission, and-save in defense of my
native State, with the sincere hope that my
services may never be needed-I hope I may
never be called on to draw my sword. I know
you will blame me, but you must think as kindly
of me as you can, and believe that I have
endeavored to do what I thought right."
9




CHAPTER XI.
CONFEDERATE RECORD. - CAPTAIN OF ARTILLERY. -- LETTER
OF CAPTAIN ROY. -FRY DOING DUTY AS A COMMODORE. -
APPROVES AND RECOMMENDS THE TURRETED MONITORS.CONTRIBUTES FOR THE FIRST IRON-CLAD RAM, THE MANASSAS.- ESTABLISHES A MILITARY AND NAVAL MANUFACTORY OF GUN-CARRIAGES, ETC. —ESCAPE OF THE SUMTER AND THE GALLANT SEMMES.-FRY PLACED IN COMMAND OF THE IVY.- REPORT OF THE NAVEL EEPEDITION
OF OCTOBER 12, I86I. —AN INTERESTING DOCUMENT.TRANSFERRED TO THE MAUREPAS. - LETTERS TO HIS
WIFE. -SCENES ON BOARD THE MAUREPAS. — A PROVIDENTIAL INCIDENT.-CAPTURING COMMISSARY STORES,
ETC. - DISTRIBUTES THEM TO THE PEOPLE. - FEDERAL
EXPEDITION UP WHITE RIVER OPPOSED BY FRY. - TAKEN
PRISONER. -CHARGE AGAINST CAPTAIN FRY REFUTED.
PENDING the organization of the Confederate
navy, Fry, unable to remain inactive, tendered
his services to the army, and, as "captain of a
regiment of artillery," was placed in command
of the barracks below New Orleans. He held
this position but a short time, however.
The Confederate navy having been organized,
136




FRY AT NEW ORLEANS.


137


S. R. Mallory, " the most efficient Secretary of
the Navy the United States ever had," holding that position in the Confederacy, with the
venerable Lawrence Rousseau, the hero of forty
years' honorable service in the Federal navy,
as commanding naval officer in New Orleans,
Fry resigned his honorable position and rank
in the Confederate army, and reported for duty
in the navy, where he felt he belonged, and
where he believed he could render more efficient
service.
Captain Roy writes me of him at this period,"I lost sight of Captain Fry, after his resignation, for some months.  When I was again
brought into contact with him, he was acting
as assistant to Commodore Rousseau. It was
then that I saw and admired the sterling worth
of Captain Fry. Commodore Rousseau was old,
and not as active as he had been, and the almost unlimited power of the Commodore devolved upon Fry. To him were intrusted the
many projects submitted for gunboats, guns,
gun carriages, etc., all of which he carefully examined, recommending their purchase or rejec



138       RECOMMENDS MONITORS.
tion, as seemed most likely to benefit the governinent.
"As yet nothing had been known of Turreted
2Ionitors, with revolving gun carriages, commanding the whole circle of the horizon. A model
of a gunboat, with two turrets, very similar
to those afterward used by the United States,
was submitted, by a citizen of New Orleans,*
to Commodore Rousseau, and by him referred
to Fry for his opinion. He saw its advantages
at once, and reported favorably. The commodore authorized him to recommend five lightdraught gunboats, on the turret principle, to be
built for the lake. He wrote to Mr. Mallory,
the Secretary of the Confederate Navy, recommending that these boats should be built as
rapidly as possible. Mr. Mallory referred the
matter to parties in Richmond, who are supposed to have reported adversely, as the boats
were not built. The good service done in the
United States Navy by boats built after this identical model, proves the correctness of the judg

* The original model is still to be seen in that city.




OFFICIAL CAREFULNESS.


139


ment of Captain Fry.    About this time he was
instrumental in the construction of the first
'iron-clad ram,' the Manassas.     He also instituted a manufactory in the Custom       House in
New Orleans, where both naval and army gun
carriages and platforms were made.*        In his
duties he was careful of the smallest details
relating to the government. I remember on one
occasion a bill for transportation of ordnance
was referred to him. He thought the charge
was larger than was right, and sent a messenger
to various other parties for an estimate. The
result was, that the transportation    was afterward done for just one half the first charge.
This is but a trifling illustration of the principles of uprightness and honesty which guided all
his transactions, and by which he was governed
* Admiral Semmes, in his "Memoirs of Service
Afloat," attributes the establishment of this manufactory to my informant, Captain Roy, himself, "whose
services" he says, "I was fortunate enough to obtain... lie contrived, most ingeniously, and constructed
out of railroad iron, one of the best carriages (or rather slide-and-circle) for a pivot-gun which I have ever
seen."




140


COMMANDS THE IVY.


all his life; whether serving the United States
or the Confederate States, in public life or in private, he was severely conscieznious.... No labor
that he could perform, no invention that he
could contrive, to forward the interests of his
country, was left undone or withheld.    He
devoted much thought, time, and labor, in his
leisure moments, to perfecting a process of rapidly drying the gun carriage timber that was
used in the Custom House workshops."
Fry was afterward dispatched to Montgomery and elsewhere, on special business for the
Navy Department, being engaged in this and
similar service until placed in command of the
Ivy, a small tender of the forts, and letter of
narque.
Admiral Semmes had been during this time
engaged in fitting out the Sumter, which had
been turned over to him ' a dismantled packetship, full of upper cabins and other top-hamper,
furniture, and crockery, but as unlike a ship of
war as possible." Carrying but five days' fuel,
and with no accommodations for the crew of a
man-of-war, she was nevertheless transformed




TIlE SUMTER.


141


into the renowned privateer which played such
havoc with the Federal commerce in her brief
career of six months, having captured seventeen ships, and kept five or six men-of-war
constantly in pursuit of her, thus effectually
weakening the blockade force, etc. The tranlsformation was effected under inconceivable difficulties. "With no navy yard with well-provided
workshops and skilled workmen, ready with
all the requisite materials at hand to execute
orders, everything had to be improvised," two
long months being consumed in making the
necessary alterations and additions.
The mouths of the Mississippi River were
blockaded in May, 1861, the steamer Brooklyn
having taken up her position at Pass-a-l'outre
on the 26th, and the Niagara and the Minnesota
a few days later.  On the 18th of June, the
Sumter dropped down to the barracks to receive her powder, and then ran down to an
anchorage, where she remained several days,
that her crew might be drilled, before attempting to "run the blockade."  On the 21st of
June, the Ivy reported that the Powhatan,




142


THE SUMTER GOES TO SEA.


which was blockading   the South-west Pass,
had left her position in pursuit of two ships,
which were supposed to be laden with arms
and ammunition for the Confederates. Here
was apparently a fine opportunity of getting
out to sea; it was lost, however, by the refisal
of a pilot from the light-house to go on board
the Sumter, and the Powhatan returned to her
station the next morning. The Ivy was dispatched to the pilot's station at the South-west
Pass, but returned with the reply that there
were no pilots on duty!
The Ivy was again dispatched with a written order for the arrest, if necessary, of three
or four of the most experienced pilots of the
bar. This brought the captain of the Pilots'
Association, and several pilots.  The Ivy was
now dispatched to the city, returning with a
supply of coal, etc., and on the 30th of June,
the Brooklyn having gone off in chase of a
sail, the Sumter's anchor was gotten up in
"double quick," the propeller started, and off
she bounded "like a thing of life," and was
soon out upon the high seas. The Brooklyn




THE IVY A POOR AFFAIR.


143


had only chased to the westward some seven
or eight miles,-being hidden from sight by
one of the spurs of the Delta, —and speedily
made chase. As she crossed the bar, the Sumter was barely out of reach of her guns, the
group of officers on her quarter-deck being
plainly visible, many of them  glass in hand.
By skillful maneuvering, the Sumter at once
began to gain perceptibly on her pursuer, and
the chase was soon abandoned.
The anchorage at the "Head of the Passes,"
which had been occupied unmolested by the
Sumter, was now taken possession of by the
Federal vessels, and held by them until they
were dislodged by Commodore Hollins.
The Ivy, now commanded by Captain Fry,
continued to report the movements of the vessels of both fleets, telegraphing in September
for a rifle-cannon with which Fry hoped to be
able to " disable the Niagara's machinery."  He
writes of the Ivy, "She is a very good vessel
to run away from the enemy in, but utterly
worthless as a war-vessel.... All I can do
is to keep a lookout on the motions of the




144


COMMODORE HOLLINS' RAM.


enemy, and report them from dary to day...
I visit one or both of the Passes every day, and
make them fire up every time; they appearing
to suppose that I want to get out."
On the 12th of October occurred the gallant
ram exploit of Commodore Hollins. A steamtug had been transformed, under Fry's superintendence, into a nondescript iron-clad, by means
of bars of railroad iron fastened to the hull of
the boat, and to a frame work above the decks,
a stout iron prow being secured to the bow,
several feet below the water line. The Federal
fleet consisted of the Richmond, the Vincennes,
the Preble, and the Water Witch. The Richmond, being higher up the Pass than the other
vessels, was first assaulted by the Pamn Manassas,
some of her planks being started below the
water line, though the force of the blow was
broken by a coal schooner lying alongside.
As the ram drew off, a broadside was fired
into her from the Richmond without effect.
The following extracts from a rough draft
of a report to Commodore Hollins, found among
the papers of Fry, will be found interesting.




FRY'S REPORT OF THE FIGHT.


145


Whether it was copied and forwarded in this
form, I am unable to say.
"CONFEDERATE STATES STEAMER IVY,
October 14, 1861.
"SIR: I have the honor to communicate to
you the following report of the events connected with the expedition of the 12th inst., so
far as they relate to the steamer Ivy, under
my command.
"After reaching the point at which you
stopped with the different steamers, I drifted
until I could distinctly see the loom of the
lights on the deck of the ship nearest the telegraph station, as I judged from seeing a bright
light in the operator's house. Suddenly a succession of rapid discharges from this vessel occurred, followed by others from a different direction, and then after a pause all was still,
the pause being preceded by the flight of a
rocket. It had been previously reported to me
that a rocket had been thrown up, but not
seeing this followed by any unusual demonstration, I awaited quietly the result. It was some
time after this report that the broadsides from




146


1 DANGER OF THE MANASSA5.


the Preble were fired. The steamers Tuscarora
and Watson passed me then, with the fire-rafts
in tow, and, following the line of the left shore,
commenced to light their fires, and proceeded
down, as I judged, directly upon the enemy. I
kept them in view, and it was the universal impression that the ships were on fire and being
consumed, until, the fires being well lighted,
they emerged from the flames.
"My anxiety for the Manassas was intense. I
believed her calculated to run down a single
vessel, but not to sustain a cross-fire at a short
distance directed at her sides. My delight was
unbounded to see her slowly emerge from the
smoke, an immense volume of it conveying the
impression she was herself on fire. Her progress
was so slow I was convinced she was crippled;
but her commander declined my offer of assistance until she got aground. I then parted two
lines in trying to get her off, and went in search
of assistance, and communicated to the flag officer, and to the McRae, the intelligence of the
Manassas having sunk the Preble, as it was not
doubted she had gone down.




THE WHI~TE FLAG.


147


"The Tuscarora being on shore as well as the
Manassas, I was on the point of going to the assistance of the former steamer, when, it being
daylight, the enemy's forces were discovered together in the South-west Pass. It occurred to
me, that on discovering the weakness of our
force, the Richmond might return.  I started
down the Pass to engage them until the two
steamers might be gotten off; but the enemy
crowded on all sail, and pursued their flight
till they reached the bar. I there engaged the
Richmond, Water Witch, and Preble, at long
range, they replying to my fire with rifled cannon.  It was my intention to keep stern to
them, presenting as little surface to their fire as
possible; but this was impossible, and the efforts
made to keep the Ivy's head up stream retarded
our progress. Meanwhile their shots reached us,
passed over and by us. Shortly after, the flag
officer, in the Calhoun, accompanied by the
Jackson and Tuscarora, appeared, when a white
flag was displayed by the Richmond. I was astonished beyond measure at this, and stopped
my fire. Being in the presence of the corn



148


A DECOY SUSPECTED.


mander-in-chief, I started to report the circumstance, when the flag was hauled down, the act
being preceded by the discharge, as I believe, of
an eleven-inch gun and her whole broadside.
The only explanation of the flag of truce which
suggested itself to my mind was, that the sloop
of war being aground with her stern to us, the
Richmond being also in the mud, they presumed
our other steamers were armed with rifled cannon, and, being at our mercy, they meant to
make an appeal to us to stay proceedings.
When we started up the river, they fired their
whole broadside, which appeared as if they had
intended to decoy us within certain range of
her guns, to destroy us.
"Finding that it was useless to continue at
long range, I ran down within easy range of the
enemy, and firing so as to take perfect aim at
him, my shell exploded alongside of his smokestack. It was then reported to me that the flag
officer was calling us, and I reluctantly left at
the moment when I was able, for the first time,
to hull the Richmond every time. The sloop of




THE ENEMY ESCAPE.


149


war was within easy range of us; but my hope
was to have crippled the steamer on the bar, and
so I disregarded the firing of the sloop of war
and of the Vixen.
"The next morning, by order of Lieutenant
Commanding -     (name undecipherable), I visited the bar, and found that at daylight two
transport steamers had gotten the sloop of war
off. The Richmond appeared much farther in
than the rest, and by the stern I could not tell
whether she was afloat or not; but she appeared
to be so. A pilot told me he had watched the
whole fight, and that one of our shells had
struck her on the quarter, and that the scar was
plainly visible through his glass.
"It now only remains for me to speak of my
officers and men. They all acted to my perfect
satisfaction. Midshipman Robinson displayed all
the qualities I expected of him. My clerk, Mr.
C. F. S. Sands, took an account of the shots fired
from each vessel, a matter requiring much coolness under fire. Midshipman Roby possesses the
qualities of perfect courage and coolness in a degree I have never seen excelled, if ever equaled.




150


NUMBER OF GUNS FIRED.


I believe he will be distinguished to an eminent
degree during the war; and I cheerfully reconmend him to you, and through you to the Department, as an officer to whom may be confided
any trust requiring intelligence, coolness, and
judgment, under the most trying circumstances.
I have seen him on three several occasions under
fire, and a reputation previously achieved Was
fully sustained.
"Mr. Sands' report of the brush with the
enemy was as follows:Number of guns fired by the Richmond,. 107
"e    "rc      Vincennes,.   16
"r  "a      VWater Witch,   18
"On the part of the Confederate forces, as follows: -
By the McRae,........   23 guns.
"   Ivy,........26 "
"   Tuscarora,.....             6 
"I have the honor to be, sir,
"Very respectfully,
"Your obedient servant,
"JOSEPH FRY,
"Lieutenant Commanding."




SERVICE AT FORT PILLOW.


151


On the eighteenth of October, General Lovell
took command of the Department. The river
fleet was ordered to Fort Pillow, Lieutenant Fry
retaining command of the Ivy. He was thus
spared the pain and mortification of witnessing
the fall of his beloved New Orleans, the ensuing
April.
The external line of defense on the north
passed through Bowling Green, Fort Henry, Fort
Donelson, etc., the Federals holding Paducah, at
the mouth of the Tennessee River, and Cairo, at
the mouth of the Ohio. An inner line, including
Fort Pillow, Island No. 10, etc., soon became the
outer line, by the fall of Forts Henry and Donelson, in its turn abandoned for a third line, still
more contracted and more strictly defined.
After doing good service on the Ivy, Lieutenant Fry was transferred to the Maurepas, and
saw active service in the defense of these various
points.
His letters to his wife form a perfect bulletin
of this portion of the war, with the exception,
however, of the very items in which eze are most
interested, namely, his own individual share in
10




152


FRY IN THE MA UREPAS.


it; for he was not a man to say much of his own
exploits, however brilliant and daring they may
have been, and were, as we know from others.
On the fifteenth of March, 1862, he writes
with a sad heart of the evacuation of New Madrid,"Our people yesterday put it out of our
power to fight the Federal gunboats, thus giving the enemy a stick with which to break our
own heads, placing a fortification between us
and Island No. 10, to pass which we should run
the chance of being disabled.... I intend,
though, dear Dita, to make a name for the Maurepas, with God's blessing on my efforts. If we
win our independence, I mean my children shall
have no cause to blush at their name. My officers are all ready and eager for service, and I do
not think will be first in a retreat."
On the twenty-first, he wrote,
"I have been leading a most active sort of
life since I came here, and this is the first morning that I have not been up at daylight. I do
not think I have averaged more than three
hours' sleep in twenty-four for the last five days.




NARROW ESCAPES.


153.. We have been struck eight or nine times
by cannon balls, and probably by thirty or forty
balls. The deck has been covered with splinters; my back, also; my stove-pipe cut in two in
the cabin; my table, secretary, sideboard, looking-glass frame, etc., all smashed and scratched;
and yet nobody hurt, except one man, who had
a twenty-four-pound cannon ball pass between
his feet without touching  i;m! — cutting his
trousers, however, and knocking him, heels over
head, about twenty feet. His feet swelled up,
and he was laid up for two or three days, but is
about again.... I could fill pages if I were to
tell you one half we have seen and done within
a few days.... All the gunboats, except the
McRae and Ivy, have been hit by cannon balls..  I have just seen a Memphis paper, giving
an account of our fight. It speaks of us last, although we began the fight some time before any
other gunboat got in it, and says we got one
shot through our pilot house, and another cut
our hog-chain, when the fact is, we received
eight or ten shots, besides being pretty well
riddled with rifle shots. We had been there




154


UNSELFISH DARING.


three days, and had three fights with shore bat
teries. Sic transit gloria mundi!"
On the first of April, he wrote again,
~... We, and the Pontchartrain, and the
Polk, have been running past their batteries, in
turn, nearly every night; and although they try
their best, they have never hit one of us... I
forgot to tell you that, night before last, just
after passing the enemy's batteries, I heard a
shout, as I thought, on the bank. We were within
forty yards. I stopped the boat, and shouted
repeatedly, but could get no answer. At last I
heard groans, and sent a boat on shore. This
occupied an hour, as the current was so swift
the boat could hardly pull up against it. A man
was found in the river current, clinging to a
branch, in an almost exhausted state. I asked
him why he did not answer when I called. He
answered, he could not. It was almost pitch
dark. He had been riding a fine horse, got into
a stream, his horse drowned, and he saved by a
miracle. The enemy had not fired at us, for
some unknown reason. If they had done so, I
would not, probably, have heard his cries or




FRY'S HUMANE SPIRIT.


155


groans; so I believe the whole thing providential, entirely."
This incident, so simply and naively related,
is probably as striking an instance of reckless,
unselfish daring in the cause of suffering humanity as has ever been placed on record. To stop
a gunboat, and hold her motionless under the
guns of the enemy's battery for an hour, attracting attention at the same time by repeated
shouts in order to ascertain the source of a shout
and subsequent groans, heard apparently on the
bank, is a deed worthy of the noble heart and
humane spirit of Joseph Fry, and deserving of
more enduring record than I can hope to give it
in these unpretending pages.
His letters abound with exhibitions of the
same pure spirit of humanity and regret at the
inevitable cruelties of war. "I hope we made no
widows to-day," is his frequent exclamation after
a gunboat fight.
After the fall of Island No. 10, the Confederate forces were drawn within still more contracted limits. The river fleet was stationed at
Randolph, ten miles below Fort Pillow, and Fry's




156


SER VICE IN WHITE RIVER.


boat was kept busy running up and down the
river between those two points. On the twentyfirst of April he wrote to his wife,"I sent a letter to General Beauregard yesterday, proposing that we shall fortify Fort RPandolph with our guns. We could do twice the
amount of good with them on land, and willif we have time to mount our guns - check the
enemy there, should they take Fort Pillow.
Should they run by here at night, there is
nothing to check them this side of Memphis;
but if we fortify Fort Randolph, we can make a
strong fort of it."
Resistance proving ineffectual, Fry took the
Maurepas up White River, where his men
cleared the country of Federals from St. Charles
to Jacksonport, Ark., capturing commissary stores
and burning cotton. On one occasion they captured about one hundred hogsheads of sugar,
and a large quantity of provisions of all sorts.
He sent word to the country people for miles
around, and they came from all directions with
wagons and carts, wheelbarrows and baskets,
helping themselves freely and gratefully. Learn



THE FIGHT A T ST. CHARLES.


157


ing that a Federal fleet was ascending the river,
the Maurepas and two wooden boats were, in
order to obstruct their passage, sunk across the
channel at St. Charles, Ark., by orders of her
commander, after the removal of her valuables,
her guns being used to form a battery on the
heights. Here occurred an incident of which
several contradictory versions have  recently
been published.
A Federal expedition, fitted out at Memphis,
including the gunboats Mound City, St. Louis,
Lexington, Conestoga, and a number of transports, was sent up the White River to the relief
of General Curtis, who was supposed to be on
his way down fromt Missouri. At St. Charles
they were stopped by Fry's battery. The gunboats, led by the Mound City, closely followed
by the St. Louis, opened fire on the battery on
the sixteenth of June. A shot from one of Fry's
heavy guns penetrated the steam-chest of the
Mound City, by which she was immediately
enveloped with scalding steam, her men leaping
from the port-holes into the water. A Federal
account of the affair, published in western




158


A FA4LSE ACCUSA TION.


papers, states that "the men in the water were
fired upon by Fry's express command;" but a
deed so barbarous is so utterly incompatible
with what we know    of Fry's humanity and
high-toned honor, that it becomes an impossibility to give it credence. The aspersion called
forth a number of indignant denials from both
ex-Federals and ex-Confederates, of which I will
reproduce only the following from eye-witnesses
and participants in the affair.
The first is from Captain John V. Johnston,
who was first lieutenant of the gunboat St. Louis,
in which capacity he participated in nearly every
river battle of the war, beginning with Fort
Henry. On the publication of the statements
above mentioned, Captain Johnston called at the
office of the St. Louis Globe to give his voluntary testimony to the brutality and falsehood of
the charges against the memory of Captain Fry.
He met in the office a reporter, with whom he
lad been well acquainted during the war as a
war correspondent. The following conversation
then took place, as published in the St. Louis
Globe:



DETAILS OF THE AFFAIR.


159


The Globe reporter asked Captain Johnston
what he knew of the truth or falsehood of the
charge against Captain Fry.
Captain Johnston. I know them to be false;
they never had any foundation whatever.
Globe Reporter. Had you an opportunity of
seeing what took place then, and would you
have seen the shooting of men in the river, if
it had occurred?
Captain Johnston. Certainly. The Mound City,
under command of Captain Kelly, went ahead.
The St. Louis, under Captain McGonegle, who is
now dead, followed. Whlen the Mound City's
steam-chest was cut, of course her machinery
stopped, and she drifted down the stream. The
St. Louis passed her, and took her place. The
rebels continued to fire their artillery, because
there was no signal of distress given, and no
truce asked; and the St. Louis kept up a brisk
fire on the fort all the time.
[The captain here made a correct diagram of
the fort, the river bank, the river, and the gunboats.]




160


DETAILS OF THE AFFAIR.


Globe Reporter. How many men were killed
while in the river?
Captain Johnston. I heard of but very few.
A  great many jumped into the stream    after
they had been scalded, and died as a result of
the scalding.  They were literally  mad, of
course, and did not know    what they were
doing; but those who were shot in the river
were shot with grape and canister, which the
rebels were trying to fire into the port-holes of
the St. Louis. They fired fiom a high bluff, and,
as they were not able to depress their guns sufficiently, their shots went over us and fell into the
river, hitting a few of the men who were struggling there;
Globe Reporter. Didn't the rebel infantry fire
at our soldiers in the water?
Captain Jolnzston. Not at all. They made a
rush to board the Mound City with pikes, but
the St. Louis kept the Mound City from drifting into the bank; so they couldn't get aboard
of her.
Globe Reporter. Did you see Captain Fry after
the battle?




FRY'S O WN STA TEAMENT.


161


Captazi Johnston.  I did.  He was badly
wounded, and, as he passed the St. Louis in
a yawl, as a prisoner, he asked me if I had a
surgeon on board. I told him I had not, but
that there was a good surgeon in the Conestoga,
down the stream. He went to the Conestoga,
and there met Captain McGonegle and several
other officers whom he had known in the navy
before the war. They asked him in my presence
if he had ordered the shooting of men in the
river. He unqualifiedly denied it, and said he
hoped his old classnates would not think he
could be guilty of such a thing.
Captain Johnston related a great many other
incidents of the battle,-all proving beyond
doubt the bravery of Fry, and his innocence of
the foul charges now trumped up against him.
We know him personally to be a competent witness in the case, and to have been present in
the engagement referred to. His story is plain,
straightforward, and truthful in every respect.
As an officer on board the St. Louis at the
time of the explosion on the Mound City, he
was both an eye-witness and a participant in




162


ADDITIONAL TESTIMONY.


the affair, the St. Louis being the only iron-clad,
besides the Mound City, engaged in the fight.*
Another gentleman, an ex-Federal officer also,
who assisted Fry on board the Federal gunboat,
got a surgeon for him, and stood by him while
his wound was probed (a silk     handkerchief
being drawn entirely through his body, which
agonizing operation he stood without flinching),
fully corroborates the statements of Captain
Johnston in a published communication on the
subject, adding,:' Captain Fry would not have
taken undue advantage of any one; he was a
man too pure in spirit and noble in sentiment;
and whatever charges of this nature may have
been made against him, are altogether without
fo Lndation."
Such statements as these. voluntarily offered
for publication by those who were ranked among
* Captain Johnston being in New Orleans in July,
1874, in command of a river steamer, I had a very
pleasant interview with him, in which he fully confirmed
the above statements, giving me some additional details,
which prove the impossibility of Captain Fry's having
given any such order, or that any such order was given
at all.




ANr ACTUAL ALIBI.


163


"the enemy" at the time of the occurrence,
should forever set at rest all such questions,
did not the whole tenor of Fry's life make such
a deed an absolute morAl impossibility.
In addition to this, I have a certified account
of the affair from one of Fry's own men - the
one, indeed, who "pulled the lanyard" for the
shot which disabled the Mound City, and wlio
was then sent to Captain Fry to report the
disaster. He states that Fry was at least a
quarter of a mile further down the river bank,
with Midshipman Roby and two small Parrott
guns. Having had to run that distance to reach
Captain Fry, he can testify that it was a physical
impossibility for Fry to have given the order to
fire on the men who leaped from the Mound
City into the water to avoid the escaping steam.
Fry was not wounded during the engagement,
but by a stray shot during the retreat.
Captain Fry himself, in after times, when
"fighting his battles o'er again," said of this
White River affair, that it had been reported to
him that the Federals were sending small boats
loaded with armed men from the gunboats below




164


LETTER FROM HOSPITAL.


with a view of cutting off his retreat from the
rear.  Under these circumstances Lieutenant
Roby with five or six riflemen was stationed
to open fire on these boats, in order to interfere
with their design of cutting off his retreat.
This was probably the true explanation of the
affair which has been tortured into the charge
of the grossest inhumanity.
Being thus wounded and a prisoner, Fry was
carried to the hospital at Memphis with the
Federal wounded, whence he wrote as follows
(the Federal surgeon Dr. H. Beauchamp acting
as his amanuensis):"U. S. N. HOSPITAL SHIP, RED RIVER.
{ OFF MEMIPHIS, June 22, 1862.
"... You will no doubt be surprised to learn
that I am  a captive, and wounded....   My
wound is not very painful, but, as the nerve of
motion is cut, I cannot use my right arm; therefore I am compelled to get the aid of another to
communicate my condition. The surgeons do
not consider my wound dangerous; time and
patient waiting will do all toward my recovery.
"I sunk the Maurepas to close the channel in




LETTER FROM HOSPITAL.         165
White River, to prevent the Federal gunboats
(four in number) from ascending. I then landed
my crew, and, assisted by Captain Dunnington
with two guns' crews from the Pontchartrain, and
some forty or fifty rifelemen, fought the gunboats
until a large land force in our rear compelled us
to retire up the bank of the river. I lost six or
eight of our men, and was the only officer captured or wounded that I know of."




CHAPTER         XII.
FRY PLACED ON THE EXAMINING BOARD. -VISITS VARIOUS
CITIES.- PUT IN COMMAND OF THE EUGENIE.- GREAT
SUCCESS. - STATIONED AT ST. THOMAS, BERMUDA, AS
GOVERNMENT AGENT.- SENT TO SCOTLAND FOR A BLOCKADE-RUNNER. - PLEASING INCIDENT. - MAKES SEVERAL
SUCCESSFUL TRIPS IN THE SHIP AGNES E. FRY. -SUNK
IN CAPE FEAR RIVER. - CAPTAIN FRY IN MOBILE BAY.THE GREAT NAVAL FIGHT. - PREPARATIONS TO RUN THE
BLOCKADE. - TRANSFERRED TO THE MORGAN. - CLOSING
SCENES OF THE WAR. - TRIBUTE TO THE MEMORY OF
CAPTAIN FRY BY A BROTHER OFFICER. - FRY'S GREAT
BRAVERY DURING THE FIGHT IN MOBILE BAY.
AFTER his exchange, Fry rejoined his family,
then in Georgia, and remained with them    for
several months, in wretched health from his
wound and the privations he had endured.
Unable to remain long inactive while his
services were needed by his country, he, with
his arm still in a sling, applied for orders. He
was ordered to Richmond, where he was placed
on the Examining Board, visiting Charleston'
166




I ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~




CAPTAIN FRY ON BOARD THE POWDER BOAT EUGENIE.




SAVES A POWDER SHIP.


1G9


Savannah, Montgomery, Mobile, and other southern cities in the performance of his official
duties.
When his health was sufficiently restored to
admit of more active service, he was placed in
command of the government blockade-runner
Eugenie, sailing under the Confederate flag in
his official capacity.
Here he proved himself a skillful, daring coinmaLnder, and met with remarkable success. Here,
too, he exhibited the same indomitable courage
for which he had already distinguished himself;
the same self-sacrificing spirit in the cause of
duty, and the same pure humanity.
On one occasion the Eugenic, when coming
in loaded with gunpowder, ran on the bar outside of Fort Fisher, within range of the guns
of the blockading squadron. Fry was ordered
from the fort to abandon his vessel in order to
save his crew from what was considered an inevitable explosion. Determined to save his ship
or perish with her, he sent off, in small boats,
all Qf the men who would go; and then re
mained at his post, with shells falling in the
11




170


SUCCESSFUL VO YA GES.


water all around him; lightened her, and with
the tide carried her safely in-a deed of cool
gallantry not surpassed in the annals of war.
lIe stood the chance of being blown up, without the excitement of battle to nerve him, for
he had no armament with which to return the
fire. To have made his escape to the adjacent
coast would have been easy, and would have
been obedience to orders; but he could not
abandon his vessel and her precious cargo -
so needed by his country —merely to save his
own life.
Running the blockade of course enabled Fry
to procure many comforts and luxuries for his
family, of which they, in common with all the
people of the South, had hitherto been deprived.
On one occasion he writes from Wilmington,
under date of July 17, 1863,"God has favored me with a successful voyage, and I have arrived with a valuable cargo,
and some comforts and necessaries for you."
After enumerating a long list of articles, provisions, clothing, etc., he adds, "You will find




ENO YS KIND A CTIONS.


171


some Cod-Liver Oil, Chloroform, and Cantharides
Ointment, which you will please give to Dr.
B -    as I bought them for him to do good wivth
for God's sace, remembering our little boy, whom
IHe saved through Dr. B -  's instrumentality.
You will find mustard, too, which you must
share with the sick." Enumerating a list of
presents for various parties, he adds, "It is
such a luxury to be able once in my life to
reciprocate kind acts!"
In the spring of 1864, he was stationed for
some time at St. Thomas, Bermuda, as government agent for the Confederate Navy; after
which he was sent to Scotland to bring out a
new  blockade-runner, building on the Clyde,
which, in honor of her future commander's wife,
was named the Agnes E. Fry.
While in Scotland a pleasant little incident
occurred to Fry, the recital of which may serve
to vary the monotomy of these saddening reininiscences of the days of the Confederacy.
Standing at his window one day, humming a
favorite air, Fry unconsciously raised his voice
until he finally sang aloud the closing verses




172


PRINCE NAPOLEON.


of "CPartant pour la Syrie."  He hears an echo!
The song is repeated in a clear soprano voice,
with an unmistakable French accent! Looking
in the direction of the voice, he perceives upon
an adjacent balcony a group of elegantly dressed
ladies and noble-looking gentlemen, evidently
foreigners. As he descended the stairway, he
met upon the landing a gentleman in magnificent uniform, who saluted him courteously as
he passed on.  Upon inquiry he ascertained
that the gentleman was Plon-Plon, the Prince
Napoleon! It will be remembered that Qiueen
Hortense was the reputed author and composer
of the charming chansonette which Fry was singing, and his thus singing it while standing in
such close proximity to the group of French
travelers, was evidently regarded by them as
a delicate personal compliment, which was as
delicately acknowledged.
Returning home in charge of "the finest ship
that ever entered Wilmington harbor," Fry made
several successful trips with her. To show the
high esteem in which he was held, and the absolute confidence placed in his skill and ability,




PRAISED BY HIS OWNERS.


173


I venture to make the following extract from
a letter addressed to Mrs. Fry by one of the
owners of the vessel:"RICHMOND, October 8, 1864.... A telegram  from  Wilmington advises
rle that the fine steamer A. E. Fry had returned safely to Bermuda, after four unsuccessful attempts to run through the blockade into
the former port. The ship is owned partly by
the firm of Crenshaw Brothers, in connection
with the government, and is commanded by
your husband, Captain Joseph Fry. I have
not been informed of the circumstances, but
am satisfied that the skill and good judgment
of Captain Fry have saved the ship from capture
or destruction...."
In November he made a successful run into
the harbor, and on the 10th wrote from Smithville, near Wilmington, thus:" Many vessels have arrived here since I first
left Bermuda, and it is also true that many
have been lost trying to get in.   God has




174


STRONG SENSE OF DUTY.


watched over our safety, and prospered us
wonderfully.  I have been chased over and
over again;... have had the yellow fever on
board; have headed for the bar about seven
times in vain.... I never was so happy in
my life as when I at last arrived, and thought
I should be with you in three or four days;
nor so miserable as when I found they wanted
me to try and go out again immediately, by
which I lose my chance of coming home. But
I am bound to do it. I am complimented on
having the finest ship that ever came in, named,
too, after her whom I love more than all the
world beside.  The owners are my personal
friends, and are pledged to take care of you
in my absence, or in case of my capture. She
is a vessel they especially want me to command,
and although I would not leave without having
seen my family for twice her value, still duty requires that I should do so."
He telegraphed at once for his family, and
they remained for some time at Smithville.
On the 5th of December, 1864, he wrote
from Nassau, —




LOSS OF THE A. E. FRY.


175


"I am here safe and sound, and the ship,
named after the idol of my heart, is paid for;
thanks to the dear God whose providence has
crowned my efforts with success.... I am afraid
---  will be disappointed at my not getting
to Bermuda, biut you and I, dearest, will thank
le bon Dieu that I am safe here. I am trying to
get back soon, doubtful as it looks.  Colonel
Crenshaw* is expected here daily. I hope he
will arrive before I leave; I should like to have
him see my ship as she looked this morning!"
After three successful trips, the Agnes was
unfortunately run ashore by her pilot, and sunk
in the Cape Fear River, where she now lies.
By a singular coincidence, near the spot where
the Agnes E. Fry had been lying for so many
years the Virginius also slink.
Reporting for "orders" after the loss of the
Agnes, Captain Fry was next sent to Mobile Bay.
In August, 1864, a Federal fleet of fourteen
steamers and four monitors, carrying in all one
hundred and ninety-nine guns, and two thousand seven hundred  men, having passed the


* Part owner of the vessel.




176


OPERA TIONS A T MOBILE.


forts at the mouth of Mobile Bay, engaged
the Confederate squadron of three gunboats
and one ram; namely, the Morgan, Gaines,
and Selma, and the ram    Tennessee, carrying twenty-two guns, and four hundred and
seventy men.   Under such heavy odds, the
engagement lasted but a short time. The Confederate gunboats were soon dispersed by the
overwhelming superiority of fbrce. The Gaines
was sunk, the Selma and the Tennessee surrendered, the Morgan escaping uninjured.
A portion of the Federal fleet then took
position immediately outside the lower line of
obstructions, and about four miles below the
city of Mobile, the heavier war-vessels returning to guard the entrance of the harbor.
By this movement, four Confederate blockaderunners were shut up in Mobile Bay; namely,
the Denbigh, used by General Maury as his
headquarters, and as dispatch  boat during
the siege of Mobile; the Virgin, afterward
sold, and renamed VIRGINIUS; the Mary and
the Red Gauntlet.
To attempt to run these vessels out to sea was




THE RED GAUNTLET.


177


a hazardous enterprise. After forcing a passage
through the line of obstructions (as effectual
against one side as the other), there was the
upper Federal fleet to pass, risking a chase of
twenty-six miles, smooth sailing, by these fleet
double-enders, only to confront the equally fast,
but more heavily metaled war vessels at the entrance of the harbor.
To undertake this dangerous and difficult task,
Captain Fry was selected, and sent to Mobile in
the spring of 1865.
The Red Gauntlet was placed under his orders
and loaded with cotton. Under Captain Fry's
energetic management, the vessel was soon ready
for sea; but then came a series of delays. A
hole had to be made in the obstructions, and this
in itself was quite a task, as all the work had to
be done at night, to avoid attracting attention
and creating suspicion on the part of the enemy.
On the fourth of March he wrote to his wife,
"Things are not working smoothly. It is very
slow work; and bright moonlight nights are
coming on pretty soon, and I fear we shall be
detained some time yet.... General orders say




178


COMMANDS THE MORGAN.


the place is threatened; so I am glad you are
not here.... If the steamer had been ready,
and the obstructions removed, we would have
had a splendid time lately to go out; but I fear
now we shall have to wait two weeks yet, before
we can leave."
It was proposed that the torpedo boat St. Patrick, under command of a gallant young lieutenant named Walker, should go out at the same
time as the Red Gauntlet, and "create a diversion" with her torpedoes.  Finally all was
ready; but just as the vessels were weighing
anchor, an order came detaining them, and Captain Fry was again forced to do what he always
most hated, - he was forced to uait.
The design of running the Red Gauntlet out
was finally abandoned, and Captain Fry transferred to the gunboat Morgan, in command of
which he participated in the closing scenes of
the war. He fought his gunboat with indomitable valor, until his last shell was expended, and
his vessel in a sinking condition.
I am indebted to one of the officers on board
the Morgan, a lieutenant of marines, for the fol



HOW FRY FOUGHT.


179


lowing graphic description of the fight and the
surrender. It is also a graceful tribute to the
memory of Captain Fry.
"The work of the defense of Mobile had now
begun in earnest. Our works and batteries at
Blakeley and the Spanish Fort were regularly
invested by a large force of Federals, and the
gallant handful of Confederates defending them
were up night and day, without rest, fighting all
the time.
"The duty of the Morgan was, with the wooden-clad Nashville and the two small iron-cldds,
the Huntsville and the Tuscaloosa, to guard the
river, to prevent the enemy from erecting batteries, and to shell their infantry. To this work
Captain Fry applied himself with eagerness, and,
for about six days and nights, he went up and
down the Tensas River, firing wherever there
were indications of activity on the part of the
enemy.
"The Federals succeeded, however, in establishing batteries, and then the work became
more serious. Our gallant captain (I believe he
loved to fight) would move his vessel close up to




180


AT BLAKELEY.


a battery, and fire away until he was ordered
from shore to haul off:
"Thus our life continued for about ten days,
when the, to us, eventful ninth of April dawned.
We were at anchor in the Tensas, just above
Blakeley Landing and just off the extreme right
of the enenly. We had orders to shell their
lines vigorously, and we did so up to dinner
time. Orders were then received by Captain
Fry, instructing him immediately after dinner
to move down stream, and attack the Federal
left. All hands went to dinner, and while we
were quietly munching our corn bread and sour
bacon, whiz! bang! and everybody jumped to
their feet.  We had been struck by a shell.
Being the first one, it created some excitement;
but I felt perfectly serene, for I knew the contents of the orders just received by the captain,
and supposed that of course he would obey orders, and move down stream, and thus we would
get out of range of that c -- d masked battery.
But he did no such thing.   The rattle was
sprung, and, 'All hands to quarters!' was the
cry I heard on deck.




COOLNESS IN BA TTLE.


181


" To a land-lubber like myself the scene which
greeted me as I reached the deck was, if not
altogether pleasant, at least novel. The entire
battery, seven guns, was all ranged on the starboard side. Everything was so orderly that the
movements of the men looked like clock-work;
nothing to interrupt the cool commands of the
officers, save the ugly whiz and thud of the enemy's shots, as they passed us or struck. In less
time than it has taken to write this, the ship was
ready for action, and the command to commence
firing rang out fore and aft.
"And now commenced a scene of unsurpassed
coolness and bravery. The Morgan was a wood.
en vessel with flush deck; every man was visible
from his ankles up. Her position was about one
thousand yards from the enemy's battery, which
was mounted with Parrott guns, and countersunk under a hill. The men all appeared selfpossessed, and worked like true soldiers; the
officers appeared as cool and collected as if assembled for inspection, while Captain Fry walked
leisurely fore and aft, seeing everything for himself, and encouraging his men by an appearance




182


THE LAST SHELL FIRED.


of sang froid which I for one could scarcely ap
preciate at the time, but which, as I now look
back at it, was truly magnificent.
"Pretty soon the Federal battery 'got range'
on the ship, and then their hits were frequent.
After one hour and a quarter's fight, the forward
division was reported out of ammunition. Then,
in a few moments more, a report that a plank
had been ripped out of the ship's side just at the
water line, and that it was impossible to plug
the hole. Quick as thought, away went glns
(rendered useless for want of ammunition) and
chain-boxes to the port side, to lift the 'unpluggable' hole out of the water.  Ten minutes
more, and the after broadside guns reported out
of munitions, and only two more shells for the
seven-inch after gun left on hand.
"These reports came thick and fast, and this
last one convinced Captain Fry that it was time
to quit the fight, and try to save his ship, crippled as she was, and his men. He ordered the
last two shots fired, and that we should then
quit the action.
"Here I must be permitted to relate two inci



CARE FOR HIS MEN.


183


dents, one of which shows how invariably Captain Fry thought of others before himself, the
other brings forward his great coolness in moments of extreme peril.
"When the forward division was reported out
of ammunition, the men had nothing to do but
to lie around decks taking the enemy's fire.
One of the men was carelessly lean:ng against
the foremast. Captain Fry, noticing his position,
touched him  gently on the shoulder, saying,
'Don't stand near that mast; you run a double
danger, for you may be splintered;'- risking
the danger himself while warning the man, who
quickly and thankfully took his advice, and
stood away from the mast.
" When - after one hour and fifty minutes'
fight with this battery, a crippled ship under his
command, and nothing left for offense or defense
-Captain Fry had determined to 'back her out,'
and had given orders accordingly, his executive
officer (a brave and efficient soldier, whose talents and bravery, if the occasion offers, will add
luster to the achievements of the khedive's
army), seeing the almost desperate condition of




184


" WEIGH, AS USUAL!"


things, approached him, and touching his hat,
said, 'Captain, I suppose we shall slip the cable,
sir?'  The men were all standing looking
toward the group of officers, when the captain
answered, 'No, sir; weigh the anchor, as usutal!'
Hearing the captain's cool reply, his crew gave
him three rousing cheers, which could be clearly heard by the enemy, and must have been
strangely incomprehensible to them, coining, as
it did, from what they could plainly see was a
disabled and sinking ship.
"The Morgan hauled off, and was so badly
crippled that she could not be repaired and got
ready to return to duty until the evening of the
evacuation of Mobile, when she went over to the
eastern shore to watch the movements of tbhe
enemy, and cover the retreat of our river transports. We then ascended the Tombigbee River
to Demopolis, and there awaited in mournful inactivity the news of the sad ending of our longa
struggle.
"A week passed, and we were ordered to return to Nana Hubba Bluff, to surrender our ship.
"Only one incident of this too sad part of our




THE WRLONG CHUTE. 


185


history will I relate. I would not mention even
this, were it not that it speaks of him whom we
have loved and lost in terms more emphatic
than any words that might be used by his eulogists. I have always- spoken of Captain Fry as
the only man I ever knew of whom I thought
that danger could never present itself to him in
such a shape, or so unexpectedly, as to startle or
unnerve him.   The following incident will, I
think, tend, to prove the correctness of this
opinion: -
"On the morning of our surrender, at about
six o'clock, I was seated in the captain's room in
his cabin. He was still in bed, and the men
were washing down decks in order that the vessel might be in presentable trim for 'Messieutrs
les Yankees.' All at once a most terrible noise
was heard overhead, as of big guns upsetting,
and trees and branches crashing through the
ship. It was evident, that through the fault of
the pilot, we had taken the wrong chide in passing an island in the river, and that we were
'taking the woods for it.' Captain Fry called
out, 'Tell them to back her!' I rushed to the
12




186


THE MORGAN DAtMAGED.


hatch, but the ladders were up on deck, as it was
'washing down decks.' No resource was left me
but to call with might and main to the men on
deck, which I did, but in vain. These same men
whom I had seen, a short week since, face death
in battle with such bravery and coolness, now
that danger came upon them so unexpectedly,
and in such a novel shape, were livid and spellbound with fear; they paid me no heed. Suddenly I felt, first a hand and then a foot upon
my shoulder. Then I saw the captain go up
through the hatch, all undressed as he was, seize
the deserted wheel, ring the engineer's bells, to
'stop her,' and disengage the ship from her perilous predicament.
"But the old Morgan was sadly worsted in
this, her last encounter, her wheel-house torn
away, etc.; and when, a few hours later, we
passed her into the hands of her new masters,
they did not appear to think that they were receiving the surrender of a 'first-class frigate.'
"The officers and men under the command of
Captain Fry, on the Morgan, almost adored him
during his short stay with us; and their respect




AN HONORABLE SURRENDER.


187


for his gallantry, and reverence for his strict integrity in all things, were such that those little
short-comings in the commissary line which hungry soldiers are sometimes guilty of, and which
were often winked at by commanding officers,
were carefully hidden from him, as all well knew
that no amount of privation could induce Captain Fry to look with a lenient eye upon either
the wrong done or the doer thereof."
One little incident of the surrender of the
Morgan, not mentioned by the foregoing narrator, illustrates the characteristic trait last mentioned. Previous to leaving the vessel Captain
Fry made a personal inspection of every article
belonging to the ship.  Finding one spy-glass
missing, all work was stopped, and search for the
missing glass instituted. This proving fruitless
for some time, the captain informed both officers
and crew that not one man would be allowed to
leave the ship until the spy-glass was accounted
for. After holding out for some time, one of the
men brought it to the captain, saying that he
had found it secreted in the bore of a cannon.
The surrender of the Morgan was reported to




188


OFFICIAL COMMENDA TION.


the Federal government as the only vessel received with "all her property intact."
Captain Fry himself said of the surrender of
the Morgan, "If I had not been obliged to obey
the orders of my superiors, I would have fought
my vessel until she sunk, and would have preferred going down with her to surrendering her;
but as I was forced to deliver her, I would not
disgrace myself and my flag by performing my
duty in any way unworthy of an officer and a
gentleman."
The following testimonial from the Commanding General of the Department of the Gulf con.
firms the opinion of his character expressed in
the preceding pages: —
"CAPTAIN JOSEPH FRY, late Confederate Navy.
"MY DEAR CAPTAIN: In April, 1865, while Can.
by's army was attacking Mobile, I did what I
could to have you placed in command of the
Confederate gunboat Morgan, because I especially desired that that boat should be commanded by, a bold and enterprising captain,
and because my observation of you during




OFFICIAL COMMEN~DA TION.


189


your service at Mobile, and also the concurrent testimony of your brother officers of the
navy, satisfied me you were the proper man to
meet that desire.
"Your conduct while in command of the Morgan fully sustained your reputation, and satisfied
me that you were justly entitled to the high
character you bear.
" I am, with great respect,
"Most cordially yours,
"DABNEY H. MAURY"
A similar testimonial from Admiral Raphael
Semmes was also found among his papers.
After the surrender of the Morgan, Captain
Fry returned to Mobile on parole, on board the
steamer Southern Republic, and a few days
afterward went to meet his family in Georgia.




CHAPTER XIII.
AFTER THE SURRENDER. - WITHOUT HOME OR COUNTRY. ---
BUSINESS LOSSES. - HIS MECHANICAL SKILL. - ON THE
BOARD OF MARINE INSPECTORS.- PROHIBITED BY THE
LEGISLATURE TO ACT. - HIS INVENTIVE GENIUS. - EXPERIMENTS WITH SUPER-HEATED STEAM. - SECURES LETTERS
PATENT.- HIS INVENTION APPLIED TO FRUITS. - RECOMMENDS IT FOR DISINFECTING PURPOSES.-MEMBER OF THE
NEW ORLEANS ACADEMY OF SCIENCES. - METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS IN LOUISIANA. — RESOLUTIONS OF THE
ACADEMY ON HIS DEATH.- EFFORT TO RAISE THE TRADES
TO THE RANK OF PROFESSIONS. SAD FAILURE TO SECURE
A LIVING BY KEEPING BOARDERS. - REMINISCENCES.
AFTER "the surrender," Fry returned     once
more to New Orleans with his family. He felt
that he had neither home nor country. He
knew that his profession was closed to him forevermore; but he hoped, by honest labor, to
gain a livelihood for his loved ones.
It would be a painful task to follow him
through all his fruitless struggles - an unbroken series of disappointmernts, failures, and
190




BVUSIAESS DIFFICUL TIES.


191


losses. In his own mournful words, "the avenues to prosperity were closed on me to such a
point that I was not able to provide bread for
my wife and seven children, *Eho know what it
is to suffer for the necessaries of life."
Possessed of fine mental capacities, and large
scientific attainments, Captain Fry yet knew
nothing of business 8methods.  His career as a
naval officer had unfitted him for any other
calling.
With great mechanical skill, he was incapacitated for manual labor by the wound in his
shoulder, from the effects of which he never
recovered.
A fair and honorable prospect seemed to open
before him in his appointment as a member of
the "Merchants' Board of Marine Inspectors of
New Orleans," his associates on the board being
Commodore William W. Hunter (a veteran of
the United States Navy, who was promoted to
the rank of rear admiral by the Confederate
Navy just before the close of the war), Captain
R. F. Gayle, and also a highly respected master
of the Merchant Marine, James C. Wilner. This




192


IINVENTIVE GENIUS.


board of marine inspectors was created by the
Chamber of Commerce of New Orleans, the presidents of the different marine insurance companies (to the number of fourteen) and the various
boards of marine underwriters (through their
general agent) testifying to their "entire confidence in the ability and integrity" of these
gentlemen, promising to "recognize and give
full credit to their certificates," etc. Notwithstandiig these high, and apparently all-sufficient,
indorsements from those most interested in the
matter, they were prohibited by the State Legislature of Louisiana from exercising their official
functions under heavy penalties.
Captain Fry had rare inventive genius; but
invenlors are proverbially unfortunate. They plant
the seed, of which others reap the harvest!
He entered enthusiastically into schemes which
he lacked the funds to carry into practical execution on a scale large enough to be profitable.
Among other projects, the application   of
"super-heated steam" for drying purposes engaged his attention, and absorbed all his means,
but without yielding any profit..




SUPER-HEA TED STEAM.


193


From its original application to the desiccation
of woody fiber, especially in the rapid and thorough seasoning of lumber for building purposes,
he perceived the feasibility of extending it to
the desiccation of fruits, vegetables, and even
meats and fish.
He proved its perfect applicability to the
sweet potato, the fig, the banana, and plantain,
and other perishable tropical fruits, by experiments on a small scale, which were a perfect
success. But although he forwarded specimens
and specifications to Washington, and obtained a
patent on both the " process " and the " product,"
these "letters patent" have remained a dead
letter to all intents and purposes, as he had not
the means of bringing it before the public, and
making   it practically  available.*  He justly
regarded this as a very valuable "household
industry" for the impoverished South.
* It is to be hoped that this matter may yet be taken
up by those interested in developing the minor resources
of the South, and that ere the term of his patent (seventeen years from July, 1869) expires, his children may
reap the fruits of his inventive genius.




]94


CLEANING RA MIE.


Six months after his death, a lost sample of
beef prepared by this process, and carelessly
wrapped in a piece of newspaper, was found
among his papers in a state of perfect preservation. It was probably five or six years old,
which is certainly a sufficient test of the value
of the invention for sailors on a long cruise, if for
no other purpose; as the meat, when properly
prepared and cooked, is absolutely fresh meat.
He also applied the same process to the preparation of the Ramie fiber, as is seen in the
following extract from one of the papers of
the day:"Last Monday evening our worthy fellowcitizen, Captain Joseph Fry, related to the New
Orleans Academy of Sciences the subject-matter
of a new and important discovery. The discovery relates to a process by which the ramie plant
can be completely freed of its crude bark, all
the ramie fiber retained and rendered beautifully silky and elastic. This is welcome news to
those interested in the treatment of this promising rival of King Cotton. Captain Fry said,"' The ramie is cut green, and in that state is




THE RAMIE PROCESS.


195


said to be liable to fermentation. To obviate
this it is only necessary to dry it. The practice
now is to keep the stalks in water, which serves
to exclude the air.
"'The difficulty in the treatment of ramie
consists in the tenacity with which the outer
bark clings to the fiber which it encases, and
(owing to the gum or mucilage with which it
abounds) the separation of the fibers from each
other. This mucilage it is desirable to get rid
of without depriving the fiber of that which it
contains, as it serves to give the fabric the bright
luster which characterizes it.
"' Whilst wet, in which state it is now cleaned
by the machines proposed, much of the fiber of
the finest quality adheres to the wood.
' A remedy for the above consists in drying
by dry steam or hot air, and manipulating either
by hand or by machinery whilst dry and hot.
This method dries tie mucilage, which readily
breaks up and permits a ready separation of the
fibers from  each other. Whilst hot, the outer
bark separates from the fibre with perfect ease,
and every fibre leaves the stalk as easily.




196


A NEW INDUSTRY.


"'The treatment of this staple by dry steam
is preferable, because it excludes the atmosphere, and because, if a process be needed for
bleaching, a dry-steam atmosphere furnishes the
best means of conveying fumes of sulphur, or
of chlorine.
"'The chief value of this discovery consists
at present in its furnishing a ready means by
which a new industry can be started and tested.
I would recommend the purchase of a few plants
by persons who have waste ground and much
idle time. When planted and sufficiently grown,
the tin closet or kitchen fitted to the best stoves
would make a dryer of capacity sufficient to pay
for the stove in a short while at prices which
can be obtained for the fibre, if what is said
about it be true.
"' When drawn from the dryer in the proper
state (dry and hot), it can be treated by hand
very easily and profitably.
'It can be easily treated in large masses, —
in sheaves, in bales, or loose, -and from an
ounce to a thousand tons at a time, with the
utmost economy."'




A DISINFECTANT.


197


The application of C super-heated steam" for
disinfecting purposes was brought by him before
the Board of Health of New Orleans, and
adopted by them with great success; but a
stranger was employed to make the application
- notably during the prevalence of yellow fever
on board the Essayons, a dredge-boat employed
in keeping open the channel at the mouth of
the Mississippi River.
Captain Fry was an active and honored member of the New Orleans Academy of Sciences,
and an examination of the records of that institution shows how much he had this subject at
heart by the frequency with which he brought
it before that body for discussion.
He was for some time curator of the academy;
and his name also appears repeatedly in the
proceedings as taking an active and intelligent
part in the discussions of that learned body on
scientific topics, especially such as had a practical bearing-the importance of solar eclipses,
the velocity of currents, etc.
His name also appears frequently on important committees. He took an active part in the




198


OBITUA R Y RESOLUTIONS.


matter of meteorological observations in Louisiana, and was appointed a  committee of one"
to confer with the Smithsonian Institution in
regard to obtaining the instruments necessary
for such observations —  a correspondence which
he conducted with such discretion and ability as
to obtain the most complete success.
At the first meeting of the academy held after
the reception of the news of his tragic death,
Dr. J. R. Walker, a fellow of the academy, offered
the following preamble and resolutions, which
were unanimously adopted by a standing vote:"Whereas, by the recent unparalleled atrocities committed by the Cuban authorities, our
esteemed friend and brother, Captain Joseph
Fry, met an untimely death on the seventh of
November, 1873; and
"Whereas, the deceased was for many years
an honored fellow of this academy, endeared to
all by his amiable character, personal worth, and
many noble qualities of head and heart; and
"Whereas, the loss inflicted by this barbarous
outrage falls not only upon his bereaved widow
and orphans, but also upon all who are interested




OBITUARY RESOLUTIONS.


199


in scientific investigation, and more especially
upon his co-workers in the cause of practical
education, and the application of science to arts
and industries; therefore, -
" Resolved, That in the death of Captain Joseph
Fry, his afflicted family has lost a kind and devoted husband and father; this academy an
esteemed and honored fellow; New Orleans a
trustworthy and patriotic citizen; the world of
science an earnest worker, and the cause of
human freedom a most devoted champion.
" Resolved, That we indorse the universal sentiment that this cruel, brutal murder is an outrage
upon civilization and humanity, which merits the
most speedy and condign punishment.
"Resolved, That we hereby express our keen
sense of this great bereavement, and tender to
the mourning family, thus ruthlessly bereft of
companion, support, and protector, our heartfelt
sympathy and condolence in this their great
anguish, affliction, and irreparable loss.
" Resolved, That the rooms of this academy be
draped in mourning for ninety days.
"Resolved, That this preamble and resolutions




200


INDUSTRIAL INSTITUTE.


be spread upon the minutes of this academy,
and furnished to the city papers for publication,
and that a copy be sent to the family of the
deceased."
The columns of their hall were heavily
draped with the emblems of mourning for several months, speaking eloquently to the hearts
of his fellows of the once active brother whose
voice would be heard no more in their midst.
In 1872 and 3, the subject of a "polytechnic
and industrial institute" was started in the
New Orleans Academy of Sciences, and earnestly agitated by a number of the most prominent citizens of New  Orleans.  The project
aimed at the establishment of a school for
technical training in the physical sciences, and
formal instruction in the mechanical arts- a
training which should impart skill and dignity
to labor, and raise the trades to the rank of professions by substituting for the mere muscular
effort of unskilled labor and uneducated toil
the results of mental culture -in the practical
application of science to art.
At the first meeting of those interested in this




POL YTECHNIC INSTITUTE.


201


project, Captain Fry took an active and earnest
part in the proceedings, and was one of the
committee of five appointed to take the initial
steps in inaugurating the scheme. At the subsequent convention of the delega tes representing
the diversified interests of the State, Fry took a
prominent part, the subject being one especially
congenial to his mind. A standing "committee
of fifteen," of whom Fry was one, was appointed
to report plans, etc. After it became a chartered
institution, Fry was one of the board of managers, as will be seen from the following article
from the New Orleans Times:
"ALLIED MIND AND MUSCLE. -It will be remembered that in February last, at a meeting of the
New Orleans Academy of Sciences, upon motion
of Dr. V. O. King, the initiatory steps were
taken to found one or more polytechnic schools
or colleges in this State. The results of the
assiduous and intelligent labors of a number
of learned, scientific, and public-spirited citizens,
to carry the resolution into practical effect, are
now before us in the shape of a charter, which
was approved last month by District Attorney
13




202


PROSPECTUS.


McPhelin, as being in conformity with the general law of the State.
'* This Polytechic Industrial Institute of Louisiana proposes to establish, first, a college wherein
shall be taught the sciences, and the special application to the arts of mathematics, and of
natural and experimental science; then, workshops, factories, and laboratories, model farms
and gardens, where the students may work
under the direction of practical overseers and
scientific instructors, on the condition that, during the term of tuition, their labor shall conpensate for their support and education, the
profits of this labor to be distributed only among
the graduating students.
"The corporators and managers of the institute for the first year are those well-known
gentlemen: C. G. Forshey, J. R. Walker, Dr.
Thomas Nicholson, W. B. Koontz, Dr. J. S.
Copes, Daniel Dennett, Dr. V. O. King, Newton Richards, W. M. Burwell, Robert M. Lusher,
J. B. Knight, Joseph Fry, Judge T. Wharton
Collens, Dr. J. S. Knapp, and Daniel Edwards.
" The mover of the initiatory resolution before




ED UCA TED LABOR.


203


the Academy of Sciences happily characterized
the results of a polytechnic education as an
indissoluble alliance between mind and muscle.
The great industries of civilization have their
props in the laboring classes; and the most
despotic governments of Europe, which formerly
based their strength on blinding the intellect of
the masses, have been forced to recognize the
fact that the educated laborer -using that word
in its largest sense, whether in agricultural, coninercial, maritime, or mechanical industries -contributes the most to the wealth and strength of
the State.  Hence polytechnic institutes thrive
in those countries.
"Free England, with her usual practical good
sense, has given a powerful impulse to a system
of education which, in its very idea, is so strikingly emblematical of the sources of her vast
wealth. Educated labor, the alliance between
mind and muscle, so peculiarly induced by polytechnic training, having done so much for other
countries, we may confidently anticipate from
the inauguration of the system in our State
benefits too easily conceivable to need elaborate




204


BOA RDING-HO USE: IT FAILS.


elucidation at our hands. We may not realize
them in our generation; but our sons will."
But gratifying to his pride, and honorable to
his memory, as were such positions as these, as
showing the esteem in which he was held by his
fellow-citizens, they could not, and did not, provide food for his family.
When everything else had been tried, and
had failed, some friends assisted Mrs. Fry in
opening an establishment for the reception of
boarders for the summer season at one of the
Gulf-shore watering-places.  The grief of Captain Fry at beholding his family dependent upon
the exertions of his loved wife for support was
agonizing.
But even this proved a failure, the income not
sufficing to pay the rent, to meet which even the
mattresses from his children's beds were seized!
I will introduce in this connection the following reminiscences, hastily jotted down by a
mutual friend, on learning the near completion
of my "labor of love."  I trust I may be pardoned for giving also the accompanying graceful
letter:



MR. ALEXANDER'S LETTER.


205


' Mrs. JEANIE MORT WALKER.
"MY DEAR MADAM: In noting the genuine
sympathy of your heart for the family of my
friend Captain Joseph Fry, which actuates you
to voluntarily assume the task of giving to the
world the history of as true and noble a nature
as ever lived, I beg to offer my mite in assisting
with the accompanying random recollections of
him.
"If more time had been taken by me 'to cull
from memory's waste places,' I might have given
you more and better matter regarding Captain
Fry's sojourn here.  There are many things
lying dormant in my mind, relating to him,
which I cannot now put into shape; but I do
not regret it, for I know, madam, your ability,
research, and graceful style will add a charm to
your present undertaking which could not be
enhanced by any aid, however labored, which
could be given by"My dear madam,
"Your obedient servant and friend,
" A. ALEXANDER."




206


REMINISCENCES OF FRY.


"My earliest acquaintance with Captain Fry
was just after the close of the late war of secession. A mutual friend, Judge William C. Swan,
of Tennessee, brought us together for the purpose of engaging my attention with a patent
dryer, for which Captain Fry had obtained the
agency and control for the South.
" After a half hour's talk with him, I was
struck with the impracticability of his business
ideas; but learning afterward from Judge Swail
that he had been almost all his life in the naval
service of the United States Government, I
ceased to be surprised at his want of knowledge of business life; and no doubt that want
was the cause of his failure, for a long period of
time, to interest business men in a very meritorious enterprise. When he finally succeeded in
getting it started, and became its chief manager,
it was probably his lack of knowledge how to
conduct the detail of the business that was the
main cause of its failure, thus giving a deathblow to the hopes he had long cherished of
acquiring a competency from the dryer.
"I met him frequently during that time, and




A GENTLEMAN.


207


afterward, and always with increased interest
in the man.
"A gentleman by instinct as well as by education, he seemed always to know when his conversation was not in place, and to be ready to make
allowance for the want of this intuition in others.
I remember, on one occasion, after I had become
very intimate with him, and he was regular in
his morning calls at my office, a gentleman
stepped in one day to inquire for him.    It
appears that in a fit of abstraction, or from
some other source of annoyance, I answered
the gentleman rather abruptly, or petulantlyand he retired from  my office nettled by my
manner.   Some time after this, w-hen Caplt:iil
Fry doubtless thought that the offense had been
forgotten by the gentleman, he approached me
in his peculiarly impressive manner, and with
gentle words, but firm  expression, said, 'MyZ
relative (calling him  by name) was seriously
offended by your manner on that occasion (recalling the circumstances to my memory). He
called there to inquire for me, and you answered
him so shortly that he felt hurt, and spoke to




208


PEA CEFUL DISPOSITION.


me about it. I told him that you were a gentleman, and that certainly there must be some
mistake about it. I want you now to meet and
become acquainted with him.'
"I at once disclaimed any intentional offense,
and asked him to say so to his relative. This
seemed to please him, and at the earliest moment
he took the opportunity to introduce us. This
was done with such an evident desire on his part
that I should make a favorable impression, that
the 'amende honorable' was made on my part
with hearty good will. His face beamed with
genuine delirght when he saw that I had entered
into the good graces of the gentleman.
"I mention this only to show the peaceful
disposition of the man. He seldom or never
referred to the prominent part he took in the
late war, but was particularly happy when he
could speak of some peaceful episode in which
he was an actor.
"Apropos of his love of talking on any given
subject, he told me a laughable anecdote illustrative of his talking propensities.  He said,
When I was in Richmond, Mr. Mallory (then




FR Y'S TALKING.


209


Secretary of the Confederate Navy) sent for me
one evening very late. We had had frequent
conversations on naval matters, and I thought
"surely something of importance is up;" so 1
hurried to Mr. Mallory's room, and found him
wearing an anxious and wearied look. He was
seated before the fire in a large chair, and when
I entered he said, in a languid tone, "Fry, I am
glad you've come; I've lost sleep for two nights,
and I want you to talk me to sleep!"'
"Fry related this with the utmost sanig froid,
and with a humorous expression, apropos of the
discovery he had just made, that by talking so
long he was detaining me from my dinner!
"No one ever met him who was not struck
by his large, soft, dark eye; languid when not
roused to energetic thought, but beaming with
brightness when animated by deep thoughts
seeking for utterance. Alas! his struggles with
a cold and unappreciative world left only the
expression of sadness to his eyes.  My heart
has often bled for him in his vain search for
employment suited to his capacities as a naval
officer, by which he could support his family.




210


SPIRITUALISM.


His self-abnegation in behalf of his wife and
children was that of a Spartan. His remark to
me on one occasion was, 'I have eaten nothing
to-day; my family work for what little they
have, and I cannot, in justice to myself, eat of
the fruits of their labor, when I am not able to
help them to food.'
"This remark shows the soul of the man, and
his deep consideration for the welfare of others;
afterward so splendidly, so grandly, exemplified
in his appeal for the crew of the Virginius, forgetting himself in his efforts to save them. Can
the name of such a man die, so long as the art
of printing lives?
"He had some peculiar views as to the hereafter. I have heard him say that he could do
all that spirilual mediums accomplish by 'tabletippings,' 'rappings,' etc., etc., though I never
witnessed any manifestations of his power. He,
however, did not profess to be a spiritualist, only
that he thought that spirits could and did return
to commune with mortals. I judge that he could
be classed with what are denominated ' Christian
spiritualists' (he was a communicant of the




THE DRYER PLA N.


211


Catholic Church) a class who believe in the
phenomena of spiritualism, but doubt its orthodoxy, and reject its teachings, when they conflict
with their preconceived ideas of religious belief.
"The germs of many future inventions for
preparing vegetable food for preservation, by
desiccation can be traced to his mind. He had
a favorite idea of taking a 'patent dryer' to
some one of the islands in the tropics, and preparing the plantain and banana for the markets
of the world by desiccation.
"Indeed, he prepared some specimens to show
the feasibility of the plan; and really, nothing
more delicious can be conceived of than the
banana thus prepared. Iis idea was never carried out, for want of means and proper parties
to engage in it. As he was not slow in giving
out his ideas on important inventions, doubtless
others have reaped or will reap the benefit of
some of his suggestions.
"These imperfect recollections about a good
and noble-hearted man are thrown together
hastily by one who knew him well, who loved
him, and who did what he could to cheer him




212


RETURNS TO THE SEA.


in his troubles. If, dear madam, you choose tc
use what I have written, I will feel rewarded."
Portions of these reminiscences will be found to
be a repetition of what I had already written
myself; but I preferred to insert the contribution
entire, as I received it, as it only serves to corroborate my statements, and to make more
palpable the stern necessities that drove hir
to his death.
Weary of the vain struggle with adversity
and misfortune, sick at heart from witnessing the
sufferings and privations of his family, Captain
Fry finally determined to seek employment elsewhere, and endeavor to return to the old seafaring life.
When he had paced the streets of New Orleans for many a weary night, there being no
room for him in the one poor little room which
sheltered his wife and seven children,-when the
proud spirit of his wife had bowed itself to the
necessity of asking for food for his children, and
had received the miserable dole of " one pound
of soda crackers and a slice of cheese,"-is it




NO ALTERNATIVE.           213
strange that he gladly accepted the captaincy of
the Virginius?
Even the slanderous epithet pirate, which has
been so freely bandied, -could he have even
dreamed of its possible application to himself,would have weighed but little in the balance
against the destitution of his loved ones, the
gaunt want and misery staring them  in the
face.




CHAPTER XIV.
THE VIRGINIUS.-HER HISTORY.-JUNE, 1871, LANDS ORDNANCE STORES NEAR SANTIAGO.-CHASED BY THE BAZAN.- CONVOYED BY UNITED STATES STEAMER KANSAS.LANDS ON THE SOUTHERN COAST OF CUBA, BEARING A
SUPPLY OF ARMS. - ACCEPTS COMMAND. -BLOCKADERUNNING AND PENALTIES UNDER THE LAWS OF NATIONS. 
SAILS TO JAMAICA TO TAKE CHARGE OF THE VIRGINIUS. -
RECEPTION AT KINGSTON. - TEN DAYS OF FEASTING AND
MIRTH.- LETTER OF GENERAL RYAN.
ON the twentieth of July, 1873, Captain Fry
went to New York, where he hoped to obtain
the command of an ocean steamer.
Being  introduced to General Manuel Quesada, then residing in New York as agent of
the Cuban Republic, he was offered the command of the steamer Virginius, then lying in
the harbor at Kingston, Jamaica.
The Virginius (or Virgin, as she was originally named) was built on the Clyde, in 1864.
She was designed especially for a blockade214




THE VIRGINI US.


215


runner, for Confederate service, and was one
of the swiftest vessels ever constructed, her
lines being most symmetrical, and her engines
remarkably powerful for her size. She had an
eventful career in running the southern blockade, and made several successful trips between
Havana and Mobile. She was finally shut up
in Mobile Bay, and was used by the Confederates as a dispatch and transport steamer between Mobile and Spanish Fort.
After the close of the war she was trans.
ferred from the Naval to the Revenue Depart
ment, and was employed in the mercantile trade
between Havana and New Orleans; but owing
to her small carrying capacity, and the immense
amount of coal required to run her, she was
found to be unprofitable. She was therefore
put up at public auction, and was sold by the
Federal authorities to an American firm.
On the twenty-fifth of September, 1870, she
was registered in the Custom  House at New
York, and having complied with all the requisites of the statutes, and taken out American
papers in legal form, she cleared for Venezuela




216


CUrBAN CHARTER.


in October, carrying out General Quesada and
twenty-one other Cubans.
From that time on, she did not return to an
American port, but she preserved her American
papers, her claims to American nationality having been recognized by the consuls of all foreign
ports wherever she landed, and the protection
of American men-of-war afforded, whenever
claimed or needed.
That she was chartered by the Cuban Junta
there is apparently no doubt; but the Cubans
themselves, fully appreciating the value to them
of her nationality, took extraordinary pains to
preserve her from any suspicion of violation of
the registry or national laws of the United
States, consulting eminent legal authority, and
keeping strictly within the bounds laid down
by their counselor, never going beyond the occasional carrying of a Cuban supercargo- this
not coming within the provision of the navigation laws forbidding the services of alien officers
on board of American vessels.
Reaching Venezuela safely, the Virginius, after
considerable time devoted by General Quesada




SPANISH THREA TS.


217


to necessary preparations, was loaded with ordnance stores, which were safely landed the twenty-first of June, 1871, near Santiago de Cuba.
June, 1873, found General Quesada at Aspinwall again, where the Virginius put in for repairs. Her previous feat having gained her
considerable notoriety, her arrival in the port
was the signal for watchfulness on the part of
the Spanish authorities, and she was speedily
followed by the Spanish man-of-war Bazan,
which anchored   between the Virginius and
the shore, her commander not failing to let it
be known that his instructions authorized him
to sink her if she attempted to escape. General Quesada declared that he would blow her
up, at no matter what sacrifice, rather than
permit her to be taken. Great excitement prevailed, but the United States consul having
certified that her papers were all right, and
that she was entitled to proceed as a United
States merchant vessel, the United States steamer Kansas, which had on the previous occasion
escorted her out of port under the guns of a
Spanish steamer, again convoyed her safely to
14




218


RUNS TWO CARGOES.


sea on the first of July, 1873, the Kansas remaining outside the harbor until the Virginius
was out of sight.
The United States steamer Canandaigua being also in the harbor, the Spanish commander,
finding the odds against him, made no hostile
demonstrations, other than the threats already
mentioned.
The Virginius made her second landing in
safety on the southern coast of Cuba, landing
a large supply of Remington rifles, cartridges,
fifteen needle-guns, and other war material.
Thus the nationality and ownership, char'acter and occupation, of the Virginius were matters of newspaper notoriety when her command
was offered to Captain Fry. It was well known
that she was engaged in "blockade-running,"
if that term could be applied where there was
no formal blockade to run, but where it was
necessary to elude the vigilance of the Spanish
authorities in order to land arms and amrnunition, provisions and supplies in general, for the
use of the Cuban insurgents.
Captain Fry, knowing these facts, accepted




LEGAL RISKS INCU'RRED.


219


the captaincy of this vessel for the sake of the
moderate salary of one hundred and fifty dollars
per month, which, being paid in advance, enabled him to send one hundred dollars at once
to relieve the most pressing necessities of his
destitute family —the remaining fifty dollars
being necessary to replenish his own dilapidated wardrobe and procure his outfit.
As an old naval officer and Confederate blockade-runner, he knew the legal penalties to which
he was liable if captured, viz., the confiscation
of the cargo, and perhaps a short imprisonment
for himself.  By the laws of nations, " blockaderunning" does not jeopardize a man's life.
Even in the heat and passion of sectional warfare, it was never regarded in any other light
than as a violation of the revenue laws of a
nation, and Fry trusted implicitly to the American flag, under which he sailed, to protect him
from  any violation of international law. He
probably looked upon landing on an unprotected, non-blockaded, island sea-coast as mere child's
play, compared with the risks of Confederate
blockade-running, and willingly incurred  the




220


2FESTIVITIES AT KINGSTON.


possible danger for the sake of the immediate
relief it afforded his family.
In view of the stern necessities of his case,
who dares to blame him?  Can a man be censured for risking his liberty for the sake of
bread for his starving children?
On the fourth of October, 1873, Captain Fry,
with a number of Cutban patriots, sailed from
New York in the mail steamer Atlas, for Kingston, Jamaica; and on his arrival there, he at
once took command of the Virginius.
The ten days of their stay in port were,
from all accounts, an uninterrupted succession
of dinners and balls given to the members of
the expedition by prominent Jamaican residents,
sympathizers in the cause of Cuba Libre; Mr.
De Cordova, the Peruvian consul, Dr. Manuel
Govin, president of the Jamaica committee of
the "Friends of Cuba;' and many others; the
last ball being given on board the Virginius on
the eve of her departure.
But one hour before sailing, General Wash.
Ryan wrote to a friend in New    York,"... Since our arrival we have had a splen







RECEPTION AT KINGSTON, JAMAICA, IN HONOR OF FRY, RYAN AND VARONA.




FEASTS AND BALLS.          223
did time; feast after feast, and ball after ball.
The first ball was given by the Peruvian minister, in honor of General Varona and myself.
All the fashion and wealth of the place was
present. Mr. Govin, General Cordova, and
Judge Ticheborn gave the others, and joyous
they were. The place is filled with beautiful
women and splendid men; generous to a fault,
and liberal as princes....




CIHAPTER XV.
CLEARING OF THE VIRGINIUS. -SAILS FROM KINGSTON AMID
THE CHEERS OF THE PEOPLE.- SERIOUS ACCIDENT TO DR.
GOVIN AND ASSOCIATES.- RESCUED BY GENERAL RYAN.
-CUBAN LADS PREVENTED FROM GOING WITH THE VIRGINIUS. —LANDING AT PORT AU PRINCE FOR MATERIALS
OF WAR.- ORDERED OUT OF PORT. - THE SPANISH MANOF-WAR TORNADO STARTS IN PURSUIT, AND CAPTURES
HER.- CAPTAIN FRY SHOWS HIS PAPERS, AND PROTESTS.
-THE SPANISH OFFICER'S REPLY. - PRISONERS TRANSFERRED TO THE TORNADO. -A PRIZE CREW PLACED IN
CHARGE.- SAILS FOR SANTIAGO DE CUBA. - OFFICIAL
REPORT OF THE CAPTURE.- ACCOUNT OF THE CHASE BY
ONE OF THE ENGINEERS. - THE TORNADO'S RECEPTION IN
PORT WITH HER PRIZE.- COURT-MARTIAL.- INSURGENT
LEADERS SHOT. - BURRIEL'S REPORT. - BARBARITY OF
THE SPANISH SOLDIERS, ETC.
ON the twenty-third of October the Virginius
sailed from the harbor of Kingston, Jamaica,
having been regularly cleared by the American
consul, and every precaution taken to provide
against any irregularity or violation of the law.
They left the wharf amid loud and repeated
cheers, and were accompanied a short distance
224




CAPTAIN URAN'S LETTER.


225


out by a large number of Jamaican and English
residents. Among the excursionists were the
Peruvian consul, Mr. De Cordova, who made the
men a most eloquent address, which was received with shouts of applause; Dr. Manuel Govin, through whose patriotic efforts alone the
Virginius was enabled to leave the port; Captain Uran, of the British ship West Derby; and
some sixty others.
After the melancholy finale, Captain Uran
wrote to the brother of Captain Fry, making the
following important statement respecting the
clearance of the Virginius from  the port of
Kingston:"BRITISH SHIP WEST DERBY,
"MOBILE, November 20, 1873.
" IMR. WALTON FRY, corner Camp and Julia Streets, New
Orleans.
" MY DEAR SIR. AND BROTHER SUFFERER: Within
inclosed you will find a letter of introduction
firom your brother, Captain Joe Fry, commander
of the United States steamship Virginius, with
whom   I was well acquainted, having met him
several times at the port of Kingston, Jamaica.




226


A BONA FIDE CLEARANCE.


On his departure from that port, myself and several other gentlemen, including the custom house
officials, accompanied the United States steamship Virginius clear of Port Royal, on which occasion, and for our convenience, the government
steam launch was kindly placed at our disposal.
"The above-named steamship cleared from
Kingston, Jamaica, as a bona fide passenger ship,
under the United States flag, this fact being previously verified by the commander of a United
States ship of war.
"On the twenty-eighth of October, the West
Derby, under my command, left Port Royal.
From the twenty-eighth to the thirtieth, we
had light winds and calms. On the thirtieth,
at six A. M., nautical time, made Portland
Point, bearing north; distance from the Point
about two and a half nautical miles.   Was
boarded by the Virginius. Heard no complaints
from Captain Fry of being short of coal. They
were then all well, Captain Fry, Mr. Ryan, and
other friends whom I had met at Kingston, including my dear brother, who was the only British subject on board the Virginius.




SHIPMENT OF CRE W.


227


"On my arrival at Mobile, to my great surprise, I heard of the massacre of the whole crew
and passengers of the United States steamship
Virginius. I have minutely examined the crew
list, and do not find there. any one's name of
vwhm I have any recollection. I verily believe
the names are fictitious. I am prepared to state
that the whole of the crew was bonafide shipped
before Mr. Nunes, acting United States consul at
Kingston.
'" 1 am, dear sir, and brother sympathizer and
sufferer,
"Yours truly,
" THOMAS URAN,
"Master British Ship West Derby, Mobile."
"UNITED STATES STEAMSHIP VIRGINIUS,
" OFF PORTLAND POINT, JAMAICA, October 30, 1873.
"DEAR WALTON: I have no time to do more
than to introduce Captain Uran to you. IHe
will give you the latest news.
X Yours,        - JOE."


The excursion had nearly proved a fatal one




228


ACCIDENT TO DR. GO klN.


to Dr. Govin. When leaving the Virginius for
the steam tug which was to convey the party
back to Kingston, and which had accompanied
the Virginius out for that purpose, the ladder
gave way, and precipitated Dr. Govin, and the
pilot, and another gentleman into the water. A
heavy sea was running, and the steam tug bumping against the side of the Virginius, so that escape from death seemed almost impossible, as
they necessarily'fell between the Virginius and
the launch. To add to his danger, Dr. Govin
was quite lame from a severe fall he had met
with, a few days previous; and more than this,
the pilot, a very heavy man, had clutched him
in the water, and was holding him down. When
the alarm reached the cabin, General Eyan, who
was dining, rushed on deck, and throwing off his
coat, jumped overboard, and at the peril of his
own life, rescued the drowning men. All honor
to this gallant act of the Cuban patriot, General
Washington Ryan! Nor was this the only noble
act of his life. Through his coolness and bravery
a sailing party of eight gentlemen were rescued
from a watery death, the previous summer, hav



GENlERAL RYAN'S GALLANTRY.  229


ing been upset when sailing on the river opposite
Washington city. "The evil men do lives after
them; the good is oft interred with their bones."
Let the name of Washington Ryan prove an exception to this saying; let us forgret all his alleged frailties, and remember only these heroic
deeds.
Eight young Cuban patriots, mere lads, who
had concealed themselves in various hidingplaces on the vessel, hoping in this way to elude
the vigilance of parents and guardians, and reach
the Cuban army, were, to their great regret, discovered in time to be sent back with the excursionists on the steam launch.
After running into Jerernie for repairs, having
sprung a leak, the Virginius landed at Port-auIPrince on the twenty-seventh of October, and
took on board, under cover of the night, a large
qualntity of war material, which has been described as consisting of five hundred Remington
rifles, a number of Spencer and Winchester rifles,
four hundred revolvers, slx hundred sabers, and
a, large amount of ammunition, besides clothing,
medicines, and provisions; being the largest con



230


THE SPANIARDS WA TCHFUL.


voy of war material ever sent out at once to
Cuba.
The papers of the vessel being all en regle, the
Spanish consul was not able to detain her or do
anything against her. She was, however, ordered out of the port by the government, and,
after having got her cargo safely on board, is
said to have left in such haste as to leave her
anchor in the harbor.
The Virginius, since her last daring exploit,
had been closely watched by the Spanish authorities; and on the thirtieth of October, a
telegram was received by the Spanish consul at
Kingston, from Santiago de Cuba, asking for information respecting her movements. The donsul replied that she was in the vicinity of Morante Bay, Jamaica. This information was at
once communicated to Castillo, commander of
the Spanish man-of-war Tornado,* then lying in
the harbor of Santiago de Cuba.
* It is a somewhat singular coincidence that the Virginius and the Tornado were both constructed by the
same builder, in the same yard on the Clyde, for the
same purpose, namely, Confederate blockade-running.








TORNADO IN PURSUIT OF THE VIRGINIUS.




THE TORNA DO CHASES.


233


The Tornado, on receipt of the intelligence
concerning the Virginius, immediately started in
pursuit.
On the thirty-first, she came in sight of her,
and gave chase.    The Virginius changed her
course toward Jamaica as night closed in, the
Tornado gaining on her, though petroleum   and
fat were used for fuel, and the cannon, arms, and
ammunition were thrown overboard to lighten
her.
The Tornado, when within gunshot, fired four
shots and a shell. This brought the Virginius
to; when the Tornado sent two armed boats
alongside, took  possession of the vessel, and
made prisoners of all on board.
The passengers and crew had determined to
blow up the ship rather than fall into the hands
of the Spaniards; but Captain Fry, in the integrity of his own heart, trusting to the honor of
The Tornado was a very swift-running iron vessel, a
screw steamer, bark rigged, carrying ten guns. At the
close of the war, she was sold to the Peruvian government, and afterwards passed into the hands of the
Spaniards.




234


THE VIRGINIUS TAKEN.


others, said, "I want to save you. This is an
American ship; she has American colors and
American papers, an American captain and an
American crew. We have neither arms nor ammunition on board; we have only passengers,
and are going to Port Limon, Costa Rica."
Believing that upon the statement of these
facts the authorities would not dare to interfere
with the passengers or the ship, they surrendered. Captain Fry showed his papers, and protested against the capture in the name of the
American government, and placed his ship, his
passengers, and himself under the protection of
the flag of the United States.
In reply the Spanish officer said, "I do not
care what flag the ship carried; it is a pirate
ship, and you are all my prisoners." Turning to
a subordinate, he ordered, "Take down that
d-d old rag, and hoist the Spanish flag!"
When the American colors were hauled down,
the Spaniards kicked and trampled upon it, and
applied to it the most opprobrious epithets. Addressing the Spanish officer, Fry said, "If my
men were armed, you would not thus treat the
American flag with impunity."




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CASTILLO'S REPORT.


237


Captain Fry, Rizo, secretary of Del Sol, and
interpreter of Fry (from whom I have these details), and eight others were left on the Virginius, securely tied, and placed in the cabin,
until they reached Santiago.
All the prisoners, with the exception of these
ten, were transferred to the Tornado; and
placing a prize crew  on the Virginius, they
sailed for Santiago de Cuba, where they arrived
at five P. M., the next day.
Castillo, the commander of the Tornado, made
the following report of the chase, capture, and
boarding of the Virginius to the naval authorities at Havana. It is dated from  Santiago de
Cuba.
"In conformity with orders received by me, as
commander of the corvette Tornado, to carefully
watch the coast between Cape Cruz and Santiago de Cuba, I left the latter port on the twenty-ninth of October. On that night I cruised in
close proximity to the land between the points
indicated, being led to believe by certain calculations, that whatever might be the maneuvers




238


CASTILLO'S REPORT.


of the Virginius during the night, it was evident
that during the day she must lie well off, partly
to avoid being seen, and partly to reserve her
resources until the proper moment for landing
should arrive.
"During the night of the thirtieth instant, we
continued our cruise without incident, and had
started on a new course at daybreak next morning, when the man on the lookout reported seeing the smoke of a steamer proceeding in the direction of Jamaica. With a view of ascertaining
what she was, and at the same time to save as
much fuel as possible, we followed her, hugging
the coast for about eighteen miles, when she
changed her course to south-east by south.
"From the first moment that we saw her, there
was great activity on board, the whole of the
steam power from all the boilers being brought
into requisition; and at about half past two
o'clock in the afternoon, we commenced to give
chase. The position and course of the vessel
principally, if no other reasons, led me to believe that this craft was none other than the filibuster Virginius; for I imagined that she was




CASTILLO'S REPORT.


239


proceeding from Jamaica to Cuba when we saw
her, but failing under the circumstances to land
on the Island of Cuba, she had turned about
again for Jamaica. These suspicions were confirmed by her sudden change of course, and the
evident activity on board to make all the speed
possible, as flames could be seen emanating with
the smoke from her funnels. In addition to this,
we now saw, by the light of the moon, when she
changed her tack, her two smoke-stacks and paddle-boxes. I instructed the engineer to carry on
all steam possible, and drive our vessel throughl
the water as quickly as he could. Owing to the
darkness, we thought she was about five miles
ahead, and hoped to overhaul her before she
made Point Morante.
"At half past nine, while in her immediate
neighborhood, we fired five shots, and shortly
afterward sent out two boats, under the cornmand of Don Enrique Pardo and Don Angel
Ortiz, with orders to take possession of the Virginius in the name of the Spanish nation. The
report of these officers has already been made,
and I content myself with informing you, that at
15




240


CASTILLO 'S REPORT.


eleven o'clock at night, the Virginius, flying the
Spanish flag. was headed toward Cuba, having
on board a prize crew, after we had removed the
bulk of the prisoners on board our vessel.
"The cargo of arms and war munition was
thrown overboard during the chase, but the
empty cases fell into our possession, including
cartridges and other articles, which are included
in the inventory which I have already handed in
to the authorities. The enthusiasm of the crew
simply baffles description, when success crowned
our efforts. The prisoners were treated with
such consideration as their character deserved,
and the necessity of their safe-keeping demnanded.  The Virginius, under our convoy,
reached Santiago de Cuba on the first of November, at five o'clock in the evening, when our
arrival was made the signal of a genuine out.
burst of patriotic enthusiasm.
"The importance of this expedition, when the
number and rank of the prisoners are considered,
cannot be overrated.


"Upon my arrival in port here, I gave official




REPORT OF ORTIZ.


241


information of the capture to the authorities, and
what must now follow has to be dictated by the
officers of justice. In conclusion I have only to
add that I congratulate all the officers of the
Tornado, from the highest to the lowest, for the
severe lesson that they have given to the enemies of our country.
"DIONISIO CASTILLO."
The report of Midshipman Don Angel Ortiz
Monasterio was as follows:
"ON BOARD THE TORNADO,
" SANTIAGO DE CUBA, November 2, 1873.
"In consequence of instructions received from
you, to proceed and capture the ship which you
had chased during the afternoon and at night of
the thirty-first, I embarked in the quarter-boat
of this corvette, accompanied by the first engineer and four firemen, besides the boat's crew,
which was indiscriminately made up of persons
from all classes of the sailors and troops on
board this ship.  In those moments of enthusiasm it was impossible to prevent those who




242


REPORT OF ORTIZ.


wished from embarking in the boat. Having
pushed off from this ship, I directed my course
toward the steamer chased. At nearing, and
finding her full of people, I remarked that any
aggression on their part would be energetically
chastised by our forces.  After this the boat
came alongside the steamer, and was, with my
assistance, made fast to her. At the same time I
ordered all the people on the boat to board the
chase, which was properly effected after I had
boarded.  As soon as 1 found myself on the
deck, I inquired for the captain. As soon as he
presented himself, he said that.he ship was the
American merchant steamer Virginius, whose
papers I demanded, and they were delivered to
me. I notified him that from that moment the
ship was captured, and he and all the crew and
passengers were prisoners at my orders. At the
same moment I ordered our people to take possession of the helm and ship, commissioning the
first engineer to take charge of the engine, telling all of them that our presence there would be
no obstacle in the way of the corvette's sinking
the ship as soon as any aggression might be




RE-' uRT OF ORTIZ.


243


noted, and that every attempt to disable the machinery, boiler, or ship would be immediately
and energetically punished by the forces under
my orders. In possession of the ship, I learned
from the first engineer that the engine was in
working order, although it suffered from defects
which I shall mention further on. Midshipman
Don Enrique Pardo having opportunely arrived
with re-enforcements, in another boat, I ordered
him to remain on board with half of the crew,
and proceeded to embark the prisoners, in conformity with the orders which you had given
me. Having completed this task with the aid
of the boats that successively arrived, with the
exception of the captain and sixteen persons, the
people on the Virginius were transferred on
board the corvette.  The midshipman of the
navy, Don Enrique Pardo, from the first moment
of his presence on board, accompanied by some
of our sailors, made a scrupulous search of the
ship, finding in the forecastle a considerable
number of people, whom I ordered to retire to
the quarter-deck, to send them to the corvette
under your command.    I must observe, that




244   BAD CONDITION OF THE PRIZE.


even after I was on board goods belonging to
the cargo were thrown into the sea from the
prow.
"After finishing the disembarkation of the
prisoners, and securing the disembarkation of
those who remained, I had time to examine
the state of the ship, which was in a very
lamentable condition.  The furnaces were not
only dirty because of the considerable quantity
of grease and hams with which they had been
fed, but also the machinery and the packing
were in bad condition; for they had suffered
much during the chase.
" The vessel was making a considerable quantity of water at a badly calked point which is
toward the prow, and below the water-line generally, on account of the bad condition of the
bottom; for she has labored much during the
chase. It not being possible to reach the forward section of the ship, for want of means of
communication, the rest of her and the machinery were attended to. Her aspect was truly
repugnant. She was not only full of grease
and broken boxes, that served as packing to




WASTE OF CARGO.


245


the rest of the cargo, but also in a notably
abandoned condition.  Tie dead angle of the
port-hole was very much damaged, because from
this place the cargo of arms and ammunition
was thrown into the water, to do which they
had mounted a block and pulley, that as yet
remain in the same place. The cabin was in
disorder, trunks open, clothes thrown about,
portmanteaus entirely destroyed, nnd in all parts
of the ship unmistakable signs that everything
of any value had been thrown into the water.
Not only were there open arm-boxes there,
but even cartridges of rifle and revolver, boxes
of leather, belts, machetes, and insurgent cockades. Under the coal there are barrels, but it
has not been possible for me to divert the
people's attention to examine them, because I
could not neglect guard duty, which has been
strictly attended to without intermission. Saddles, insurgent buttons, and a portion of papers
and effects that were scattered about in all directions, have been gathered up by my orders.
After finishing the work of transferring the
people, the officer, Don Enrique Pardo. returned




216


CHARGE OF PIRAC'Y


to the corvette, and I confided to him the papers
which the captain had delivered to me, so that
he should place them in your hands, and by
him I informed you verbally of all that had
happened; the state in which the ship was
found; the measures that had been executed,
as also of having taken down the American
flag, which, as a pirate, the ship should not be
permitted to use, and raising instantly our standard. After finishing the capture, transferringr
the people, and dictating the measures which
at each moment I thought urgent, and finding,
upon proof, that the engines were in working
condition, the second officer of the corvette
came on board to take commantd. I made formal delivery of it to him, reporting the services of the individuals who. had accompanied
i e.....
" I profit by this occasion to congratulate you
for the very signal service which you, with the
ship under your command, have lent to the
country, due to your intelligence, energy, and
enthusiasm. I am also requested by the individuals who are at my command to comnpli



KING'S A CCOUN T.


247


ment you for the well-directed orders which
you gave me.
"God guard you many years.
"ANGEL ORTIz MONASTERIO."
Henry King, an engineer on board the Virgillius, and one of the prisoners who were liberated, gave the following interesting account of
the chase and capture, as viewed from the
American point of view:Henry King, engineer, a native of Chester,
England, states that he arrived in Kingston,
Jamaica, in August last. When the Virginius.
arrived there, he was looking for a situation, and
hearing that the ship was going on a coasting
trip, and was in want of an engineer, he applied
for the position. Iis application was favorably
received by Captain Fry and the chief engineer,.and in company of the latter he proceeded to
the office of the American consul, and signed
the ship's papers.  The next day the vessel
sailed. He did not know her exact destination,
and supposed that she was on a coasting voyage, and would put into a number of ports. He




248


KING'S A CCOUNT.


had no idea that she was in the service of the
Cubans, and never saw ammunition or arms on
board. After the ship had been two days out,
she began to leak slightly in the forward hold,
and she was run into Jeremie for repairs. After
these were made, the ship proceeded to Port-auPrince, and took in provisions. On the way
part of the machinery had broken down, and
had to be repaired before the vessel could proceed. The day after leaving Port-au-Prince
the Tornado hove in sight on the starboard
bow. She was under full sail, but did not seem.to have her fires lighted. Some two hours after
she first came in sight, she began to steam, and
it was then evident that she desired to overtake the Virginius. Smoke and flame issued
from her red-hot funnel, and she gained rapidly
on the pursued vessel. The chief engineer then
came into the engine-room, where King was on
duty, and told him the situation of affairs. He
ordered the stokers to fire up. It was then
found that the furnaces were very low, and, in
order to make steam, hams, bacon, and lumps
of fat meat were thrown into the fire; but still




FAITH IN ENGLAND.


249


the Tornado gained rapidly. The Virginius, at
her best speed, only went about eight knots
an hour. At this time the sun had set, and it
was beginning to be dark. A little after nightfall the first shot was fired from the Tornado.
This went wide of its mark, however, and did
no damage. Those in the engine-room became
very much alarmed.   They were quieted by
one of the crew named Thompson, who came
to the room and said, "They are near to us,
boys, but never fear. I can see the lights of
Jamaica ahead. We are in English water. I
am an English subject, and they won't dare
lay hands on us."  Thompson's boast was a
vain one.  He was afterward shot.  He had
scarcely finished speaking when a shot from
the Tornado  struck the smoke-stack of the
pursued vessel. Orders were given to stop the
engines, and soon after the Spaniards came on
board.  Their chief engineer came at once to
the engine-room of the Virginius, and examined
her machinery. He spoke English fluently, and
stated that although in the Spanish service, he
was an American citizen. After the engine and




250


TREATMENT OF PRISONERS.


boiler had been examined, all the passengers and
crew were called aft on the quarter-deck, and
all clothes and valuables taken from them. A
gold watch and seven pounds in English money
were stolen from King.  After the passengers
had been stripped of everything of value in
their possession, they were taken on board the
Tornado. A part of the crew were left on the
Virginius. Next morning he and eleven others
were taken out of the hold, where they had
been bound, and conveyed on shore. All the
other prisoners were found on the pier. After
examnination at the prison, Mr. King alone was
taken on board the Spanish man-of-war Bazan.
The ship was lying in the harbor about forty
yards from shore, and from her decks he afterward plainly saw the execution of Captain Fry
and the rest of those killed with him. Some
of the prisoners who were not killed by bullets
were run through the body by the swords and
knives of the brutal soldiers. Three days after
the execution, Mr. King was taken to prison,
and remained with the other prisoners until
released and placed on board the Juniata.




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TRIAL AS PIRA TES.


253


As tie Tornado steamed into the harbor with
her prize, loud shouts were heard from   the
Spaniards on shore, and so fierce were the
demonstrations of the volunteers, that, for the
first time, Captain Fry became seriously alarmed
as to the result. Turning to Rizo, he said that
he feared no pity would be shown to them, adding, "Should you escape, go to my friends and
family in New Orleans.  Be to my wife as a
son, in telling her of my last moments. If I
die, it will be for the Cuban cause."
Though doubting the possibility of escape,
Rizo promised to do so, which promise he faithfully kept.
A  court-martial was held on board the Tornado on the second of November, all the crew
being tried as pirates.  All findings and sentances of the court were sent to the captain
general in a sealed package.
After the mock trial, all but Ryan, Del Sol,
Varona, and Cespedes, were placed in the city
jail. At six A. M., November fourth, these four
"insurgent leaders" were shot in the presence
of the volunteers and a crowd of citizens.




254


BURRIEL'S REPORT.


Burriel, the commander of the Spanish troops
at Santiago, communicated the information to
Captain-General Jouvellar in the following dispatch: —
"SANTIAGO DE CUBA, November 4, 1873.
To HIS EXCELLENCY THE CAPTAIN-GENERAL.
AT six o'clock this morning were shot in this
city, for being traitors to their country, and for being insurgent chiefs, the following persons, styling
themselves ' patriot generals:' Bernabe Varona,
alias Bembeta, general of division; Pedro Cespedes, commanding general of Cienfuegos; General Jesus del Sol, and Brigadier-General Washington Ryan. The executions took place in the
presence of the entire corps of volunteers, the
force of regular infantry, and the sailors from
the fleet. An immense concourse of people also
witnessed the act.
"The best of order prevailed. The prisoners
met their death with composure.


Mr. Coffin, the second mate of the Morning




0




GEORGE WASHINGTON RYAN.          JESUS DEL SOL.


I   '  \                    7I'l  I'  /  
BERNARE VARONA.             PEDRO CESPEDES.




MR. COFFIN'S ACCOUNiT.


Star, which was lying in port when the Virginius was brought in, and who witnessed the
execution, gave the following graphic description of the memorable scene. Mr. Coffin is an
intelligent young American, and his narrative
was corroborated in every detail by other officers
of his ship. He says, —
"The Virginius was convoyed in by the Tornado and another Spanish man-of-war on the
evening of the first ultimo. It is not true that
the inhabitants of Santiago were wild with joy;
on the contrary, they were excessively quiet,
and no demonstration whatever was made. The
American flag, which had been borne at the mast,
head of the captured vessel, lay conspicuously
upon her quarter-deck, to be trampled upon by
her captor's crew, and was not removed until the
next evening. On Sunday afternoon the prisoners were landed by the Tornado's boats. All,
with the exception of Ryan, Varona, Del Sol,
and Cespedes, had their elbows pinioned behind,
and their hands handcuffed in front.... After
they had all been drawn up upon the wharf, they
were marched in the center of a strong guard to




258


CALMNESS OF THE VICTIALS.


the prison. At a quarter to seven on Tuesday
morning, Ryan, Varona, Del Sol, and Cespedes
were conducted to the slaughter-house-a walk
of about ten minutes. Ryan wore a blue shirt
over his white one, with a silver star on his
breast, and trudged gayly along, smoking a
cigar the entire route, not throwing it away
until the moment came for the firing.... Tlhe
American consul having attempted a protest,
General Burriel placed a double row of sentinels
around the consulate, thus keeping our representative a virtual prisoner until after the
butcheries."
Captain McArthur, of the Brilliant, also witnessed the executions, and gave the following
account:"On the morning of the fifth, they were
removed to the place of execution, about a
mile from  the jail.  The victims were surrounded by a strong escort of Spanish soldiers.
Varona and Ryan, calm and collected, marched
amidst the yells and vociferations of the infuriated Spanish crowd. The party arrived at the
place of execution, and Cespedes and Del Sol




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EXECUTION OF RYAN, VARONA, DEL SOL AND CESPEDES.




SPANISH BRUTALITY.


261


were forced to kneel, in which position they
were shot in the back.    The soldiers next
directed Ryan and Varona to kneel in the
same way; but they refused, and were seized
and thrown down. The two victims begged to
be allowed to die standing, and, having offered
further resistance, they were murdered as they
stood.  Ryan was not instantly killed, but a
Spanish officer stepped forward and thrust his
sword  through Ryan's heart.   Varona died
easily.  Then down came upon the corpses,
still warm, the bloodthirsty mob, who severed
the heads from the bodies, placed them on pikes,
and marched with them through the city.
"Fifteen officers of the Spanish army, who
had been made prisoners on the battle-field by
Varona, and released by him, were present when
he landed; and they went to the governor of
the city, and begged his life should be spared,
since he had given them   theirs.  This was
refused.
"After the execution, foreign vessels were
prevented from leaving in order to stop the
circulation of the news.  The Spaniards took
16




262


MR. SHERMAN'S LETTER.


possession of the telegraphs, and would not
allow any one to communicate through them,
not even the foreign consuls. The American
vice-consul, on hearing that Ryan was to be
shot, waited on the governor, and demanded his
restoration as an American citizen; but the governor refused to listen, on the ground that the
consul was not well informed in regard to the
matter.  Tie Spaniards informed the consuls
that they were acting on their own responsibility, and did not even intend to communicate
with Madrid."
Mr. George W. Sherman -an American citizen, who was imprisoned by the Spanish authorities for taking sketches of the fearful scenewrote thus to the New York Herald:"I have been residing for some time back in
Santiago de Cuba, and saw these wholesale executions, or rather butcheries. I will give you
the following details concerning the first four
men killed.... The slaughter-house is about
sixteen hundred feet square, which gives a lineal
frontage to each side of about four hundred feet.
The men in question were placed in front of




ABUSE OF THE DEAD.


263


this place, which is an adobe building of about
thirteen or fourteen feet in height (in which are
imbedded thousands of bullets), with an.overhanging roof; while on the ground a gutter has
been constructed to receive the rain which may
trickle from off the roof."... (The details which
here follow are the same as given by the preceding narrators. He then continues.) "The soldiers who had been detailed to do this work by
General Burriel were wretched marksmen. After
this a number of cavalrymen came on the spot;
and rode their horses over the bleeding corpses
till they were in an almost unrecognizable state.
The four heads were cut off, and placed on poles,
and carried around by the people in triumph.
The bodies, or rather what remained of them,
were then placed in a cart, and taken out to a
marshy spot, about a mile from the place of
execution, and dumped out like a load of dirt
in an open ditch.... I endeavored to make
some sketches of this harrowing scene, and for
this I was arrested, and thrown into jail, and was
not released until I had been kept three and
a half days in that noisome pen."




264


SA INTA ROSA 'S CHARACTER.


General Bernabe Varona was young, handsome, brave, courtly, and gracious. Jesus del
Sol left a wife and two children utterly unprovided for.
Santa Rosa, the fifth victim, was with Lopez
in 1851, and was a companion and intimate
friend of General Crittenden, of Kentucky, who,
with fifty other young Americans, was shot in
the yard of the Castle of Atares.  When the
present revolution broke out, Santa Rosa, with
twelve others, went through the island raising
the battle-cry. He was captured by the Spaniards, taken to Havana for trial, and incarcerated
in Moro Castle, but was afterward released by
order of Captain-General Dulce. He was again
captured in 1870, but gained his liberty through
the intervention of the State Department at
Washington. Santa Rosa was about sixty-three
years old, very brave, and very eccentric: of
violent temper, but good-hearted, and very
devout.  He never went into battle without
praying that God would have mercy upon the
souls of the Spaniards who might be slain.
The whole American press united in accordant




THE INFORMER.


265


condemnation of these brutal murders, as alike
a violation of the laws of nations, of the honor
of the American flag, and of every dictate of
civilized humanity.
Considerable surprise was felt that the Virginius should have been so easily overtaken by the
Tornado; and it was even thought that there
must have been treachery on board. The statement was made in a letter to a Cuban merchant
of New York, and confirmed by Captain Price of
the bark Azelo, who was in Santiago at the time,
that after the Virginius had been captured by
the Tornado, the second engineer went to the
commanding officer, and offered to disclose to
him everything about the Virginius, and her
plan of operation, if he would solemnly promise
to spare his life. After consultation with his
officers, the commandant gave the promise. The
Spaniards, it is said, rely upon the testimony of
this engineer to justify their action in treating
passengers and crew of the Virginius as pirates.
To prevent his treachery being known to his
comrades, this engineer was again led with the
prisoners, and was taken ashore with them; and




266


TEE INFORMER SHOT.


when thirty-seven were detailed for execution at
the prison, a mistake zwas made, and the wretched
engineer was selected and handcuffed with three
others, and condemned.  One of the quartermasters was taken to one side, whose life was
saved under the supposition that he was the
pardoned informer. The engineer was shot despite his protestations, through which alone his
comrades learned of his treachery.
General Quesada, however, considered that
her capture was largely due to her foul condition. Iron steamships should be docked, and
have their bottoms cleaned every six months.
The Virginius had not been dry-docked for fourteen months, and her bottom consequently must
have been covered with shells, weeds, and barnacles, which would greatly retard her speed,
and perhaps account for the capture.




CHAPTER XVI.
DEATH OF CAPTAIN FRY. -QUESTION OF THE LEGALITY OF
THE CAPTURE OF THE VIRGINIUS.- MOCKERY OF TRIAL.A DEED OF FEROCIOUS ATROCITY.- THE BRITISH CONSUL'S PROTEST INEFFECTUAL. - THE AMERICAN CONSUL
ABSENT. - A COMBINATION OF PERFIDY AND SACRILEGE ON
THE PART OF THE CUBAN BUTCHERS. -FRY'S OFFICIAL
PROTEST.- MARCHING TO EXECUTION. - UNWAVERING
TREAD.- HOW THE VICTIMS MET THEIR DEATH, AS DESCRIBED BY AN EYE-WITNESS. - A HORRIBLE SCENE.
IT is claimed, that on the reception of the
news of the capture of the Virginius in Spain,
General Sickles, United States minister at Madrid, had an interview with Castelar, then President of the Spanish Republic, resulting in peremptory orders being sent to the authorities in
Cuba, to stay all proceedings with reference to
the vessel and crew, thus giving momentary
hope  that the passengers, captain, and crew
would be spared.
How transient and delusive was this hope, is
267




268


ANV UNSURPASSED ATROCITY.


too well known. Either the orders did not reach
Santiago in time, or they were disregarded by
the officers in command. The latter is more
probably the case, for Santiago being but four
hundred miles from  Havana, there was ample
time for the orders to have been received before
the seventh.
The question of the legality of the capture, as
involved in those of the nationality of the vessel,
and the waters in which she was captured, was
now complicated by the murder of the captain,
the crew, and the passengers.
The Cuban patriots might be admitted to be
under Spanish jurisdiction, but not so the freeborn American citizens, who were led to the
slaughter after a mockery of trial, in defiance of
all laws, human or divine, and in contempt of the
sacred stipulations of solemn treaties —a deed
unsurpassed in atrocity, even in the bloody annals of Spanish-American warfare.
They were shot, despite the protests of all
competent foreign authorities. The British consul made an ineffectual protest against the executions, sixteen of the prisoners being reported




DISCOURTESY TO CONSULS.


269


to be British subjects. When his efforts were
found to be in vain, the British commandant
took the matter in hand, and telegraphed the
governor of Santiago de Cuba in these words:
" In the interest of the friendly relations existing
between our respective governments, I beg you
to delay the execution of the alleged English
subjects, captured on the Virginius, until the
captain of the British frigate Niobe can communicate with you. The Niobe will sail to-day for
Santiago de Cuba."   To this request, Burriel,
cornmander of the Spanish troops, replied by
telegraph, "I do not possess the authority to accede to the petition you send. The law must be
fulfilled." 
The American consul, Alfred N. Young, whose
presence might perhaps have prevented the massacre, was absent from  his post; neither was
there an American ship of war in the harbor of
this bloody city, which has been the scene of so
many of the brutal outrages which blacken the
Spanish name.
The acting vice-consul, Mr. Schmitt, lid all
that was in his power, but was treated with the




270


4AN INFAMOUS TRIAL.


utmost disrespect, being even refused the use of
the telegraphic lines to report to the authorities
at Washington.
They were tried by a court-martial, held only
twenty-four hours before the execution of the
sentence; no counsel for defense was allowed, the
American consul not even being informed of the
trial; no interrogation of the prisoners was permitted, the trial being entirely secret. During
its progress the prisoners were kept on board
the Tornado; at its close they were taken to
jail, the sentence being read to them and executed the same day. In the words of a correspondent of the New York Herald, " These Virginius prisoners were compelled to testify at the
point of the sword, with the threat rather strongly implied, that if what they said did not suit,
the unhappy deponents would receive summary
treatment and happy dispatch. What with the
threats of the soldiery, and the promises of immunity held out by the priests in the event of
the prisoners becoming converted, the poor witnesses were in a bewildering position. As might
have been expected, however, no faith was kept




TREA TY VIOLA TED.


271


with them. As soon as they had testified under
the pressure of threats, and become converted
under the false promise of pardon, they were
marched to the dead wall, and rendered incapable of contradicting their testimony, or becoming
relapsed heretics. This is a combination of perfidy and sacrilege which one does not often meet
with."
After the condemnation the American viceconsul was allowed to see Captain Fry in jail,
about two hours before the execution.
Notwithstanding treaty stipulations, that "in
all cases of seizure, detention, or arrest," the parties accused "shall be allowed to employ such
advocates as they may judge proper, who shall
have free access to be present at the proceedings
in such cases, and at the taking of all evidence
and examinations which shall be exhibited at
such trial," these Virginius prisoners were treated as outlaws, on whom mercy, or even justice,
would be thrown away, and their execution evidently hastened, that the sentence might be irrevocable.
Laws, treaties, even the common claims of hu



272


THE CLOSING SCENE.


nianity, were completely ignored. Even the ignorant, innocent, irresponsible crew were sacrificed to this inhumanity. Men who were picked
up at random; often signing shipping articles
while under the influence of liquor, and in complete ignorance of what they are agreeing to;
who, once at sea, are under such strict discipline
that an inquiry as to the object of the voyage,
or even the course of the vessel, would subject
them to the charge of insubordination, and consequent punishment, even loss of personal liberty; - such men are, by a drum-head courtmartial, sentenced to a speedy and ignominious
death.
We now reach the closing scene of this fearful
tragedy.
The curtain rises for the last time, and we behold the mangled remains of the murdered Fry
-the hero, the patriot, the martyr.
Captain Fry and his companions were landed
on the sixth, at about nine o'clock in the morn



CAPTAINZ FRY'S PROTEST.


273


ing, from the steamer in which they had been
confined, tried, and condemned.to death, and
taken, first to the captain of the port, and then
to jail.
About midday of the seventh, the fiscal, or
prosecutor in the case, Captain J. M. Autran, of
the gunboat Cubano Espanol, handed to the
American vice-consul, Mr. Schmitt, a permission
fiom the captain of the port and commandant of
marine, Don Rarnon Brandaris, to call at the jail,
and see Captain Fry, who desired to see the consul. The latter immediately proceeded to the
jail, where, after the usual formalities, he was
admitted to see Captain Fry, who had been wishing for that privilege (or that right, rather) ever
since he had been first brought to the port, but
without avail, having only been granted this
boon now within a few hours of his death. He
stated to the consul that he desired to make his
declaration and protest; that, having been captured with his steamer upon the high seas, he
therefore protested against all and every part of
the proceedings. This protest was concluded at
about two P. M., the consul immediately transmit



274


CAPTAIN FRY'S PROTEST.


ting a copy to General Burriel. It was in substance as follows:That he was the master of the American
steamer Virginius, which had all her papers in
complete order, especially the Register of the
steamer, the crew list and articles, passenger list,
clearance from Kingston, as also dispatch from
the custom-house, etc. Sailed on the twentythird of October, 1873, with all his crew and
about one hundred and eight passengers; after
a few hours at sea, sprung a leak, and put into
Port Haytien for repairs. Sailed from the port
of Cuimit, of that island, on the thirtieth day of
October, and while between the Islands of Cuba
and Jamaica, about twenty miles or more from
Cuba, was chased by a steamer, and overtaken
and captured about eighteen miles north of Morante Point, east end of the Island of Jamaica,
about ten o'clock at night, the Spanish vessel
previously firing several shots over the Virginius, and compelling them  to surrender.  The
steamer was then taken charge of by a boarding
officer, who stated that he did so on his own responsibility, knowing her to be an American ves







-` -— mJ
— 7


EXECUTION OF CAPTAIN FRY AND HIS COMRADES.




THE CONSULS APPROVE.


277


sel, and under the protection of the flag of the
United States of America. The master, Joseph
Fry, with the crew and passengers, was placed
under guard, and all brought intd the port of
Santiago de Cuba on the first day of November.
On the evening of the same day, after having
delivered over all the papers belonging to the
Virginius, he was refused permission to apply to
his consul for aid and protection, and. this was
only granted him after being condemned to
death, with the major part of his crew, under no
known public law or pretext; and as Captain
Fry was hurried to make his preparations for
death, he could make no further statement, but
declares that the foregoing is his true declaration, which he signed in jail, at two o'clock, on
the seventh of November, 1873, two hours previous to his execution.
This protest was approved by several of the
foreign consuls, with whom Mr. Schmitt advised;
but his Excellency Governor Burriel was highly
incensed at the consul's action, and informed
him he had demanded the revocation of his exequatur.




278


DETAILS OF DEATH.


At four o'clock P. M., precisely, the condemned
officers and crew of the Virginius were marched
out of the jail, which is not far from the consul's
office, and fired past, four by four.
Most of them in passing saluted the bare flagstaff of the consulate by inclining their heads.
The last to go by were Captain Fry, Mr. Harris,
and Mr. Alfaro, who, besides saluting, waved a
mournful, good by to the consul and groups of
gentlemen standing on the piazza of the consul's
residence.  All the unfortunates marched unwaveringly to the fatal spot. The manner in
which they met their death is thus related by
one who stood behind the curtain, and who beheld the fatal deed:"The victims were ranged facing the wall, and
at a sufficient distance from it to give them room
to fall forward. Captain Fry having asked for a
glass of water, one was handed him by Charles
Bell, the steward of the Morning Star. Fry then
walked from the end of the line to the center,
and calmly awaited his fate. He was the only
man who dropped dead at the first volley, notwithstanding that the firing party were but ten




0




a~~~~~~~~~~~~~~- -----
iu~  ~    ~.,-T "-Ie


SPANISH ATROCITIES.




SPANSISH BUTCHE RY.


281


feet away. Then ensued a horrible scene. The
Spanish butchers advanced to where the wounded men lay writhing and moaning in agony, and,
placing the muzzles of their guns in- some instances into the mouths of their victims, pulled
the triggers, shattering their heads into fragments. Others of the dying men grasped the
weapons thrust at them with a despairing clutch,
and shot after shot was poured into their bodies
before death quieted them."
The curtain falls. In silence and in tears, we
turn away from the mournful scene.
Words were vain.


-I I -=


17




CHAPTER XVII.
FIFTY-THREE VICTIMS MURDERED, AND NINETY-THREE REMAINING. — SIR LAMBTON LORRAINE PROTESTS. -THE
CUBAN BUTCHERS DESIST.-SIR LAMBTON'S RECEPTION
IN NEW YORK.- DECLINES A PUBLIC OVATION.- SILVER
BRICK.- SIR LAMBTON REWARDED BY THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT. - BURRIEL PROMOTED TO THE RANK OF MARSHAL OF SPAIN. — FLAG OF OLD ENGLAND.
FIFTY-THREE of these innocent victims were
thus foully murdered, and ninety-three more
were under sentence of immediate execution.
The bloody work was about to recommence,
when a messenger arrived on the ground with
orders to stay the execution.
The British man-of-war Niobe had arrived
in the harbor, her commander, Sir Lambton Lorraine, having left Jamaica in such haste that
several of his crew, who were on shore, were
left behind
He hardly stopped to cast anchor at Santiago,
282




I
I






SIR LAMBTON LORRAINE.




COMl~ VANDER LORRAINE.


285


before he hastened ashore, and protested against
the killing of any more of the Virginius' crew.
To General Burriel's unsatisfactory response
Commander Lorraine returned answer to the
effect that in the absence of an American manof-war, he would protect not only the interests
of his own nation, but those of the United
States also.
According to newspaper report, he threatened
to bombard the city; but this was one of the
popular exaggerations to which recitals of heroic
deeds are always liable. As it was generally
believed that for outrages committed in the
town of Oinoa, Spanish Honduras, he had actually bombarded that city but a few months previous, such a threat in the present case had no
apparent improbability, and had it been made,
would certainly not have been disregarded.
At all events, his prompt, decisive action
arrested the bloody work, and thus this noble
British officer saved the lives, not only of the
alleged British subjects, but also the remainder
of the crew.
On his return to England some months later,




286    THE LORRAINE TESTIfMONIO.AL.


Sir Lambton Lorraine was detained some days
in New York. The city authorities, in acknowledgment of the appreciation by our people
of his noble defense of American citizens, in
his prompt and energetic protest against Spanish barbarity, tendered him a public reception,
and the hospitalities of the city.  With the
modest dignity characteristic of his profession,
he declined any public recognition of his services, denying that he had done anything more
than his simple duty. He accepted "the freedom of the city," visiting the various public
institutions, accompanied by the civil functionaries.
Among other testimonials, the citizens of
Virginia City, Nevada, desiring to testify to
their appreciation of his noble humanity, forwarded to him a brick of solid silver, from the
mines of Nevada. This unique medal is described as a fourteen pound bar of silver ore,
very handsomely proportioned, pure and smooth.
The upper surface was polished until as bright
as a mirror, while the bottom and sides were
left just as the bar was taken from the mould.




A




BRITISH WAR VESSEL NIOBE IN THE HARBOlR OF SANTIAGO DE CUBA.




CONGRESS REFUSES THANIKS.


289


The inscription engraved on the burnished face,
in old English text and old style Roman letters,
read as follows: "Blood is thicker than water.
Santiago de Cuba, November, 1873.    To Sir
Lambton Lorraine. From the Cornstock mines,
Virginia City, Nevada, U. S. A." This inscription
was surrounded by an ornamental chased border, running round the whole face of the brick.
This is presumed to be intended to express
fiqguratively the western eulogistic idiom, " You're
a brick!"
Though Americans, as individuals, were unan
imous in their recognition of the gallantry of
this noble British officer, as a nation this recognition was refused! to their shame be it said.
On the trivial puerile ground that it was not
certain that the cessation of carnage was due
exclusively to his influence - as an American
sea captain, on his arrival in the port, had also
entered a protest, —therefore "the House resolution rendering the thanks of Congress to Sir
Lambton Lorraine, of the British  navy, was
reported upon adversely, and the resolution laid
upon the table"




290 LORRAINE AND BURRIEL PROMOTED.


Ent6ring the British navy as midshipman, in
1852, Sir Lambton Lorraine was placed in command of the Niobe, one of the vessels of the
British  West India squadron, in 1871.   His
personal appearance is described as pleasing,
and his manner very courteous.
That his action was in accord with British
sympathy and sentiment, is shown in the fact
that his government has promptly rewarded
the gallant deed by his promotion to the rank
of post captain in the royal navy.
That the action of Burriel was satisfactory
to the Spanish government, is evidenced by the
fact that for these eminent services he has since
been promoted to the rank of Marshal of Spain,
while all the naval officers concerned in the
capture of the Virginius have been promoted
and rewarded; Castillo, the captain of the
Tornado, being raised to the rank of colonel
of marines, while white naval crosses and red
naval crosses are showered upon the officers
of lower grades, even the quartermasters, sailmakers, and sailors receiving silver crosses of
naval merit.




POETICAL MEMORIAL.


291


The following verses are copied from the
Washington Capital:THE FLAG OF OLD ENGLAND.
IN Santiago's prison walls,
Virginius' crew, from every clime,
As beasts in pens, await their doom,
Condemned to death without a crime.
Full half a hundred comrades shot,
And all their comrades' fate to share,
No morrow's sun for them shall rise,
No hand to aid, no arm to spare.
Swift o'er the sea a vessel comes;
With eager eyes and bated breath,
The prisoners watch her sure approach.
" Whose banner waves? "  'Tis life or death.
A cry, "( We're saved! 'Tis England's flag I"
Swift runs the blood -joy lights the eye:
"Now let the Spanish cowards dare
To raise an arm, or say we die I"
The ship is moored, a boat is launched;
Brave Britons to the rescue come;
A Saxon walks the Spanish deckTornado's bloody work is done.




292          POETICAL MEMORIAL.
'Tis done - each captive heart beats light;
In joy they weep, and bless the sea -
The ships- the winds — the waves- that sent
Old England's sons to set them free.
O flag disgraced I 0 country scorned!
And none to help save England's might.
Brave flag I brave heart! brave country, hail I
Thy flag alone protects the right.
A. T STONE.




CHAPTER XVIII.
PUBLIC OPINION. - INDIGNATION MEETINGS. - BALTIMORE
SPEAKS.- ST. LOUIS RESOLUTIONS.- PRESIDENT GRANT
CALLED ON TO ISSUE A PROCLAMATION, ETC. - MEETINGS
AT NEW YORK, BROOKLYN, AND ELSEWHERE. - PROCEEDINGS AT NEW ORLEANS.- HOW THE CUBAN PATRIOTS
REGARDED THE CAPTURE OF THE VIRGINIUS.- OPINIONS
OF THE LEADING PRESSES OF NEW YORK, ETC.- " JUSTITIA'S " COMMUNICATION TO THE NEW YORK HERALD.EXTRACT FROM AN ENGLISH PAPER.
ON the reception of the intelligence of the
murder of the captain, crew, and passengers of
the Virginius, from one end of the land to the
other there went up a universal cry of indignation and outraged humanity.
"Indignation meetings" were held in almost
every city, town, and village of the United
States. Public opinion was unanimous in its
verdict.
In Baltimore, the universal sentiment was
indicated by a procession parading the prin293




294


MEETING AT ST. LOUIS.


cipal streets, carrying a Cubai flag draped in
mourning, side by side with a United States flag
reversed; and an enthusiastic meeting in Monument Square, where resolutions in favor of
according "belligerent rights" to Cuba were
passed.
In St. Louis, a large number of prominent
merchants and other influential citizens, "believing that American honor required, and common
humanity urged, prompt and vigorous action on
the part of the government," called a public
meeting to express the general feeling on the
matter. It was urged that a proclamation be
issued by the president, suspending the neutrality laws for sixty or ninety days, "thus giving
the people an opportunity to inflict summary
vengeance upon the bloodthirsty Spaniards, and
wrest the Island of Cuba from their grasp." A
meeting of old soldiers, who had fought through
the civil war, -some wearing the blue, and
some the gray,-was held for the purpose of
taking the preliminary steps toward raising men.
The war-feeling among the old soldiers was
raised to the highest pitch.




MEETING AT NEW YORK.


295


In Augusta and Columbus, Ga., large and
enthusiastic meetings were held to express indignation at the Spanish atrocities. Resolutions
of a bitter character were adopted, and the most
intense enthusiasm was manifested.
In Brooklyn, a mass meeting, "irrespective of
party," was held, and resolutions were passed,
urging the president to take immediate action
toward avenging the outrage, and vindicating
the honor of the country.
In New York city, among other demonstrations, four thousand Germans met at Germania
Hall to express sympathy for Cuba, and to advocate a vigorous policy toward Spain. The following resolutions were adopted, intended to
be laid before Congress at the opening of the
session -
"Whereas, the people of Cuba are not only in
the same, but in a much worse condition than
the people of the United States were at the time
of the declaration of their independence, the
Spanish government allowing, under the barbarous rule of the so-called Spanish volunteers,
the perpetration of the most terrible cruelties




296      NEW YORK RESOLUTIONS.
and outrageous deeds of violence toward the
inhabitants of the Isle of Cuba, in defiance of
humanity and civilization; and
"Whereas, these barbarians, who, it appears,
independent of the Spanish government, trample
alike upon the laws and usages of humanity and
civilization, insult our dfag on the open sea, and incarcerate and murder our citizens; therefore, be it
'" Resolved, That we ask the government of
the United States and Congress, in the name of
humnanity and civilization, and to the end that a
stop may be put to the barbarities in Cuba, and
to prevent their repetition, to accord to the
Cubans now fighting for their independence
the rights of belligerents, and as soon as possible to acknowledge Cuba as a free republic.
"Resolved, That we further ask the government and Congress of the United States to
demand of the Spanish government in Madrid,
as well as of the acting authorities of Cuba, full
satisfaction for the insult to our flag, and the
cruelties committed by Cuban volunteers, and
to enforce these demands with all the means in
their power."




NEW ORLEANS MEETING..                                  \~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


297


In New Orleans, a large meeting of Cuban
patriots was held to express their sorrow and
indignation at the execution of the Virginius
victims. All the representative Cubans were
present, and a large number of state officers;
General Rafael Quesada presided, and General
James Longstreet acted as vice-president.  A
committee was appointed to draft resolutions
suited to the occasion, and General Quesada addressed the assembly in a most touching speech,
that aroused the patriotism and enthusiasm of
every one present. Whilst the enthusiasm excited by General Quesada's speech was still
stirring the assembly, Senor Mendoza arose, and
called upon the people to do sozetlhing. They
had no time for sorrow now, he said, and the
most fitting reply the Cubans could make to
the brutal murder of their patriotic brethren at
St. Jago de Cuba was to answer with another
and more powerful expedition. He called on all
to assist with their lives or their money. The
young ladies were the first to respond to this
earnest appeal, and soon the whole assembly
had given something; the ladies their rings,
0                0                    0 orehic




298


PUBLIC OPINION.


bracelets, and other jewelry. Resolutions were
read in Spanish, French, and English, and unanimously adopted, calling upon the United States
to demand an apology from Spain for the
slaughter of men sailing under the American
flag; to recognize the belligerent rights of the
Cubans, so as to entitle them to be treated as
humanity and civilization demanded; to compel
Spain to wage a civilized war, or, if that government refused these requests, to break our treaty
relations with such a cruel and dishonorable
country.
A few days later, a mass meeting of citizens
was called, irrespective of nationality. The call
was thus commented on editorially -
Our citizens, sinking for the moment their
private griefs, will no doubt assemble in great
force this evening, to give voice to the horror
and just anger which have been aroused in their
breasts by the late atrocities committed by the
Spaniards in Cuba. Every city of importance
in the United States has already held indignation meetings, and sent up their demands, as
with one voice, for just vengeance and retalia



CINCINNA TI RESOL UTIONS.


299


tion for the murder of American citizens. Our
delay is rather owing to that more profound
indignation which keeps the senses asleep and
passive for a moment, and then suddenly bursts
forth with all the eloquence of conscious wrong,
and conscious ability to right that wrong."
These examples but serve to indicate the
general feeling.  The  almost universal cry
was for war, although the Cincinnati Board
of Trade adopted and published the following
resolution -
"Whereas, the barbarous treatment of persons
lately captured off the coast of Cuba by the
Spaniards having caused a wide-spread feeling
of indignation throughout the United States,
calling for some action on the part of the government, and hoping the principles of arbitration
under which our nation settled all difficulties with
England may be safely involved; therefore, —
"Resolved, That we recommend the national
authorities to rely upon peaceable arbitration
for the settlement of the difficulty, and that
while we denounce the atrocities of the local
authorities of Cuba, we sympathize with those




300


EFFECT ON THE CUBANSS.


who are struggling to establish a republican
form of government in Spain."
The capture of the Virginius excited profound
feeling among Cubans. It was the cause of
great grief to those whose constant thought was
the liberation of their native island; and especially was the loss to the insurgents in the field
the cause of regret and disappointment. Yet,
while the Cubans mourned the fate of their
compatriots, and regretted the loss of the valuable cargo, they nevertheless regarded the affair
as favorable to their cause, as serving to awaken
renewed interest among Americans, and to bring
about harmony among the Cubans themselves,
uniting the different factions, and causing them
to become as a single unit in the determination
to continue to the bitter end the struggle for
independence.
Although the press was very positive in its
utterances, great caution was taken to prevent
any precipitate action on the part of the Cubans
and their friends. The most active supporters
of the cause appealed to the leaders to do nothing hastily, but to wait patiently until official




BITTER PUBLIC COMMEN3TS.


301


information was received by the government
concerning the capture of the vessel and the
executions.
General Manuel Quesada and Charles Castillo,
the only authorized agents of the Cuban republic, declined to open a recruiting office, because
it would be a violation of law, and because there
were plenty of men in Cuba, arms and ammunition only being needed.
Wealthy Cubans subscribed liberally, and
twenty-five thousand dollars were raised in a
few days. The New York papers comnented
bitterly on the affair. The Herald said,"We have nothing to do with Cubans, or their
cause, or their rights.  The insult is to our
nation. The murders have been committed on
our citizens, who were taken in foreign waters
under the protection of our flag. The long list
of Spanish outrages in Cuba springs up to intensify our anger and justify the conviction that
Madrid has no longer any power over the Casino
Espanola, and that the punishment due to their
crimes must be visited on their own guilty heads.
We have no desire to provoke a war with Spain;
18




302


BITTER PUBLIC COMMENTS.


we believe there will be no war, for the republicans at Madrid have our sympathy, and will
not be likely to go to war to defend an act
they admit to have been unjust. If liable, a
sufficient force of iron-clads at Santiago must
demand the return of the Virginius, the release
of the survivors, and the surrender of Burriel.
If these demands are not complied with, the
destruction of the blood-stained town should
follow. The atonement will not be too heavy."
The Tribune declared, " Now or never is the
time for prompt action by the government concerning the Cuban matter. These outrages cannot be permitted to continue. Nothing, however, could be more futile or illegal than to
grant belligerent rights to Cubans. This would
do nothing to aid the civil war. The Spanish
government cannot grant sufficient reparation.
We mnust in the future protect our own flag and
citizens in Cuban waters."
The Times, "There is no need for indignation meetings on the subject. The government
will do its duty.  Everything depends upon
how many of the persons were Spanish sub



THE PRESS UNANIM OUS.


303


jects, and whether the Virginius was a bona
fide American vessel, or simply carrying the
American flag as a snare. It is certain that
some of the victims were American citizens.
They were not amenable to Spanish laws, since
they were captured on the high seas in violation
of international law. If Spain has done this,
it is a crime for which no extenuation or apology can atone. There will be nothing left for
the United States to do but to declare war
'against Spain."
The World suggested that if Spain did not
give ample satisfaction when such a demand
was made, letters of marque and reprisal should
at once be granted by Congress.
The following editorial expressions of opinion,
clipped from the leading papers of the day,
are reproduced as illustrations of the general
tone of public sentiment.
The northern press was almost as unanimous
as that of the south and west in demanding
atonement for the murder of these Virginius
prisoners. It was generally contended that the
traffic in which the Virginius was engaged had




304


A CUT-THROAT ACT.


nothing to do with the question between this
country and Spain, if she was an American
vessel. If she had landed a dozen cargoes in
Cuba, that did not render her liable to an attack on the high'seas when bearing the American flag."
"But even," said the New York Herald, "if
the Virginius had been a Cuban insurgent vessel,
sailing with the papers and under the flag of
the Cuban republic, the lives of the Americans
on board were sacred until, after a legal trial,'
conducted in presence of their consul, if they
so desired, they had been found guilty of an
offense punishable with death.
" Their murder without trial, without the privilege of seeing their consul, is the foulest act
committed by the Spanish cut-throats, and the
crime is the more heinous since the cruel butch
ery was perpetrated more in contempt and
hatred of the United States than as a punishment of the helpless victims. The noble-hearted
Fry, and the poor men he so generously, but
vainly, strove to save, while disdaining to beg
his own life, were slaughtered because the




IHE EXECUTION LA WLESS.


305


Spanish outlaws in Cuba detest the American
republic, and burn to heap insults upon our
nation. The blood that was shed at Santiago
will lie at the doors of our government unless
full atonement is demanded of the murderers;
yet the special pleaders for Spain ignore this
important issue, and endeavor to befog the
public mind by learned essays on international
law, the duties of neutrals, and the wicked
character of the Virginius.
"It is becoming more and more evident that
the murderous haste with which General Varona, General Ryan, Pedro Cespedes, and Colonel
Jesus del Sol, were executed by the representativcs of Spanish authority at Santiago de Cuba,
was in utter disregard and violation of such instructions as had been received from  Spain.
The Spanish volunteers in Cuba are bitterly
opposed to the establishment and maintenance
of a republic; either in Spain or Cuba. They
favor the Carlist movement, and are known to
have contributed largely to that cause. It is
clear that, in a heartless spirit of vengeance,
they determined to listen to no pleas for post



306


SPANISH VENGEFULNESS.


ponement or appeals for mercy. They had a
certain number of helpless prisoners in their
power, and the feast of blood was too inviting
for delay.
"It is alleged that these prisoners were executed before the instructions from Madrid,
directing a postponement of all action in the
premises, were received. If this be true, it indicates a vengeful haste, which belongs rather
to the breed of bloodhounds than to that of
men. But the indications all tend to show that
the averment is untrue; for it cannot be doubted that instructions have since been received
in Cuba from the home government, directing
the authorities there to take no further action
against the crew and passengers of the Virginius until further orders from Madrid. We have
now before us, in the execution of Captain Fry,
thirty-six of the steamer's crew, and twelve more
of the passengers, a sample of the respect paid
to the orders of a Spanish republican government by the representatives of Spanish authority in the misgoverned gem of the Antilles. In
that unfortunate island the spirit of the Cid has




SPANISH VENGEFULNESS.


307


no place in the breasts of Spanish rulers, and
neither justice nor generosity are its successors.
" The murder of prisoners in cold blood is an
outrage upon the civilization and Christianity
of the age.  No people claiming to be either
civilized or Christian, save these same degenerate Spaniards in Cuba, would have been guilty
of an atrocity so gross and so indefensible. By
it they have lost all title to respect among true
men, and proved a kinship with the most carnivorous of brutes."
CSPANISH BRUTALITY.-The brutality of the
Spanish rulers in Cuba will not dampen the
ardor of brave men devoted specially to the
cause of human liberty and progress throughout
this continent. The capture of the Virginius
on the high seas, the arrest of her passengers
and 6rew, their forcible conveyance to Cuba, and
sudden slaughter there in cold blood, are the
latest incidents in the savage rule that Spain
accords to the heroic men who would rear the
temple of freedom in the gem of the Antilles;
the men who would freely give up life in civilized warfare to confer the boon of self-govern



308


THE CASE OF LOPEZ.


ment upon a people who have been struggling
for five years to rid themselves of their Spanish
tyrants. Acts of cruelty have frequently been
perpetrated ia support of Spanish authority in
the Island of Cuba, but the hasty consignment
to death of human beings whose only crime was
that of being suspected of a heroism that would
lead them to peril their lives in freedom's holy
cause, has sent a deeper thrill of horror throughout this country than ever before was excited
by the barbarity of Spanish officials. When the
gallant Lopez was compelled to surrender, after
bis heroic attempt to free Cuba from the grasp
of the Spanish tyrants, he did so fully conscious
of the penalty that would swiftly follow. The
noble old soldier asked no quarter for himself.
IHe had landed upon the island with a few
dauntless spirits, determined to free Cuba by
raising among the people the banner of revolt
against Spanish authority. No insurgent government had then been formed and in existence
five years, as now. Lopez went there to aid the
people in establishing a government of their
own, and he knew that if he failed and was




CASES OF LOPEZ AND FRY.


309


taken prisoner, death would be his certain doom.
Therefore, when, after a series of misfortunes,
resulting from bad weather and a consequent
apathy on the part of the people to respond to
his call, he was hunted down by bloodhounlds
in the mountains and forced to surrender, the
only favor he asked of his captors was to shoot
him and save his men. But Spanish ferocity
gave no heed to what the noble old soldier said.
He was taken to Havana and publicly garroted,
as were the brave Crittenden and many others
of his followers. These men had actually landed upon the island, and were in the act of organizing a liberating army. They knew what
would be their fate if they were so unfortunate
as to fall into the hands of their enemies, and
did not murmur when, through the fortunes of
war, they were called to meet death. But the
case of Generals Ryan, Jesus del Sol, Varona
and Cespedes, Captain Fry and the passengers
and crew of the Virginius, is very different.
They were captured on the high seas without
having committed any act that authorized a
Spanish vessel of war to interfere with tlem.




310


1 MASON AND SLIDELL CASE.


They were not pirates, and if their object was
to land in Cuba for the purpose of taking part
with those who are endeavoring to free Cuba
from Spanish rule, it was the duty of Spanish
authority to arrest them at the proper time and
place, and give them a fair trial. It is conceded
that the capture of General Ryan and others
on the Virginius is similar to the capture of
Mason and Slidell. In that case, instead of giving Mason and Slidell a hasty drum-head courtmartial and hanging them for treason, the
United States government ordered them back
to the custody of the power under whose flag
they were sailing at the time of their capture.
This was done in accordance with international
laws and that spirit which should govern civilized nations.
"How   different has been the fate of Ryan,
Varona, and others captured by Spanish subordinate authority! They were carried into Cuba,
tried and executed with a haste that was far
more eager for blood than justice. The subordinates of the Spanish government in Cuba have




AN INDIGNANT PRESS.


311


thus assumed a fearful responsibility, not only
to their own, but to the civilized governments
of the world, and particularly to that and the
people of the United States. The capture of the
Virginius, and the slaughter of her passengers
and crew, is an insult to the American flag, and
a foul blot upon the civilization of the nineteenth century."
The following is an extract from a communication to the New York Herald, over the signature "Justitia": -
"Some such overt disdain and outrage was
doubtless needed to arouse the American people
to a sense of the barbarous tyranny of Spain,
almost at their very doors. The savage Spanish
nature thirsts for the blood of its enemies, and
grudges the chance of life which the captive,
as a prisoner of war, has a right to hope....
Has not this bloody tyranny gone on long
enough?   Must Spain, impotent at home and
abroad, be longer let to show the painful and
hopeless spectacle of a relentless master in the
agonies of dissolution, clutching with frantic
grip at a torn and bleeding, but determined




312


RIGHTEOUS VENGEANCE.


slave, who will never yield, though torn limb
fiom limb?  Does not humanity call for something more than interchange of diplomatic forrnulas on such an exhibition? But now, when
from  under our stars and stripes men are
dragged to death without time being allowed
for them to appeal for their rights under that
flag, now is a time, the time, when neither
nations nor individuals can utter a protest
against the demand for atrocities in Cuba to
cease; for the accordance of belligerent rights
to a long suffering, much tortured people.
"Thus should we show to Spain how we
avenge in righteous indignation, and in simple
downright justice, the shame, the outrage, the
injustice, she has put upon America in dishonoring her flag, in disregarding international law,
in shaming the civilization of the world. Strike
quick, strike hard, and put an end to the bloody
spectacle of which the nineteenth century should
no longer be a witness. The desperate grip of
the haughty Spaniard will not let go till the
last dregs of his strength are gone. That time
is not far off; but why wait till then? Now is




ANNEXA TIONA REQUIRED.


313


the time.  On the fourth of November, the
Spanish power in Cuba sent out to the world
its own knell in the shots which struck out the
life from four brave men, whose crime was that
they sought to wrest their freedom from a tyrannous mother-country, even as we wrested our
own in days not a hundred years gone by."
I will add one more from an English paper:
"If the Spanish government could have prevented the murder of the crew of the VirginiuS,
the barbarity will not be too severely punished
by the loss of Cuba. If the Spanish government could not prevent the atrocious massacre,
it is imperative for Cuba to be affiliated with a
stronger government. It is to be hoped that
there will be no shilly-shallying at Washington.
A star for Cuba ought long ago to have appeared on the flag of the United States. The
misrule of Cuba is an infamy that ought not to
have been tolerated; and certainly since it is
manifest that Spain cannot stop the civil war,
it is the duty of the United States to intervene.
The Santiago massacre ouglht to put an end to;zs } t * * X




314


FORBEARANCE A CRUELTY.


the cruel and impolitic forbearance of the
United States.  There will be the usual talk
about a strong power assisting a weak power,
but America has a crushing reply -' We will
no longer suffer Cuba and the Cubans to be
sacrificed to the weakness of Spain.' The Santiago massacre is not only an outrage to be resented by all men, and an insult to the United
States, but it is also an insult to England. We
fervently trust that our government will heartily support the government of the United States,
and that the combined fleets of England and
America will avenge the foul wrong, and exact
the just reparation."




CHAPTER XIX.
DIPLOMACY. CONFLICTING OPINIONS AS TO THE STATUS OF
CUBA.- METHODS OF ARGUMENT. -- SHOULD SPAIN BE
HELD RESPONSIBLE FOR THE BARBARITIES OF THE CUBAN
VOLUNTEERS?- REVERDY JOHNSON'S OPINION. - CONTRARY OPINION OF OTHER PUBLICISTS. - INSTRUCTIONS OF THE
UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT TO GENERAL SICKLES, MINISTER TO SPAIN. -MR. SECRETARY FISH'S STRANGE PRO
CEEDINGS. -" THE GOSPEL OF PEACE."
THE people with one voice demanded the recognition of the belligerent rights of the struggling
Cubans, and the declaration of war against the
Spanish government.
There were those, however, who argued thus:
Spain is a republic; she has been recognized as
such by our government. Cuba is a province of
that republic; therefore the Cuban insurgents
are waging war against republicanism, and
should not be encouraged or protected by the
United States.
315




316


THE STATUS OF CUBA.


On the other hand, it was said that the republicanism of Spain was but an empty name, —a
false republicanism, devoid of all honor or honesty, with no respect for the laws of civilization
or the rights of humanity, their deputies in Cuba
being absolute despots. The struggling Cubans,
in declaring the independence for which they
were battling so manfully, had established a
bona fide republican government, modeling their
constitution, in all essential points, upon that of
the United States; and that our own example,
in wresting our freedom from an oppressive parent government, in the olden time, was Cuba's
guarantee for the possession of all the rights
and privileges which we are supposed. to enjoy.
Therefore they should be encouraged and recognized by the United States.
Again, it was claimed, on the one hand, that
the barbarities in Cuba were the work of the
Cuban volunteers, unauthorized by the Spanish
home government; and that Spain should not
be held responsible for these violations of international law by her vice-regal deputies.
On the other hand, it was replied that this




RE VERD Y JOHNSON'S OPINION.


317


very inability of Spain to hold the island, save in
a state of chronic revolution, and by means of
atrocious brutalities, and savagery revolting to
humanity, constituted an ample plea for prompt
action on the part of the United States; and
that her inactive policy hitherto had been inert
and ignoble.
Learned essays were written-and perhaps
read - on " International Law," "The Duties of
Neutrals," etc.
The questions raised in regard to the Virginius involved too many intricate questions of law
to bear discussion here.
Reverdy Johnson, in a communication to the
Baltimore American, dated the twenty-third of
November, expresses his matured opinion upon
the case. Considering the legality of the capture,
he says, that from the beginning of our government, we have insisted that an American vessel,
regularly documented, and carrying our flag,
cannot, in time of peace, be visited or searched
on the high seas. It was mainly for the violation of this doctrine that the war of 1812 with
England was declared; and although at the ter19




318


ITHE CAPTURE ILLEGAL.


mination of that war the claim of England was
not formally renounced, it was practically abandoned, and has never since been acted upon.
The immunity of a vessel carrying the necessary
documentary papers and the flag rests upon the
theory that the ocean is open to all alike, and
that the vessel of any nation, while on that element, is, in contemplation of law, a part of its
national territory, and as exempt from invasion
as the soil itself. In support of this proposition,
he refers to the treaty of Washington of 1842,
the message of President Tyler, and the correspondence between Mr. Webster and Lord Aberdeen, and continues,"It may therefore be said, that if the Virginius had our flag, and was regularly documented
as an American vessel, and was on the high seas
when captured, her capture was illegal and contrary to the public law, as understood, it is believed, not only by England and the United
States, but by all other nations, including Spain.
Whether the Virginius was thus possessed of the
flag and documents, or had obtained them fraudulently, or was using them for an illegal purpose,




NEUTRALITY VIOLA TED.


319


are matters for inquiry, which our government
has no doubt already made. It will be no justification of the capture that the object of the enterprise was to render assistance to the Cuban
insurgents. If that was the case, the offense at
the time of the capture was a violation of the
neutrality laws of the United States, and not of
the sovereignty of Spain; and the United States
alone possessed jurisdiction over the subject. We
should abandon our sovereignty, if we permitted
Spain or any other nation to capture vessels of
the United States because they may, at the time
of such capture, have violated our laws. The
capture of this steamer on the high seas, then,
was as gross a disregard of the authority of the
United States as it would have been if the Tornado had seized her in the harbor of New York;
and she was as much under the protection of
our government in the one case as in the other.
"If I am correct in the above view, the next
point is, Had Spain a right to carry the vessel
into a Spanish port?  Clearly she had not. Her
doing so was only a continuation of the original
wrong, and was an equally palpable and inde



320


THE PROPER TRIBUNAL.


fensible outrage upon our sovereignty; but conceding that at the time of the capture the vessel
was not upon the high seas, it is not pretended
that she was in Cuban waters, within a distance
of one league of the shore, and consequently
had not subjected herself to Spanish jurisdiction.
When captured, the only offense she had committed was one against the United States. Suppose that she contemplated landing men and
arms in Cuba in aid of the insurgents, it was but
an unexecuted purpose, as wholly so as when
she left New York. This purpose she might
have abandoned, and if she had, no wrong whatever would have been done to Spain. She, too,
was liable to capture by an American man-ofwar, and to be brought into the United States
for judgment, as a violation of our neutrality
laws; and then, also, no offense would have been
committed against Spain, or wrong done her.
Can it be doubted that the steamer, before the
capture, or even afterward, while being carried
to Cuba, could have claimed the protection of
any United States man-of-war, or that it would
have been the duty of the latter, if present, to




SPAIN RESPONSIBLE.


321


have prevented the capture, or to have recaptured her, and by force, if necessary? That this
would have been done by any of our naval officers may, I think, be considered to be certain.
If it had been done, could Spain have justly complained? Would our government have rebuked
the officer?  On the contrary, would he not
have been accorded praise for protecting an
American ship, and maintaining the honor of the
American flag? The illegality of the capture of
the Virginius by the Tornado, and the responsibility of Spain for the consequences, seem to be
too plain for serious controversy.
"The atrocities committed upon the crew and
passengers of the ill-fated steamer, independent
of the sacred laws of humanity, were without
justification or excuse under the public law of
the world. Not having been legally captured,
they were not prisoners, and were as much exempt from the jurisdiction of Spain as when
they stood upon American soil; and Spain is
consequently as responsible to the United States
for their execution as she would have been if she
had gotten possession of the men by the invasion of our territory."




322


AN OPPOSITE VIEW.


There are two sides to every question; and
other thinkers, reasoning from the same facts,
reached the contrary conclusions, considering
that the Virginius was made liable to capture,
and the results as attended, from the fact of carrying war material. I quote:"But laying aside the question whether the
Virginius was the property of neutral citizens
of the United States, there can be no question as
to the character of her cargo. 'War material'
and soldiers are contraband of war, if anything
is. All the writers on international law agree
on this point, and of course the treaty between
the United States and Spain does not protect
them. We must, then, look outside of the treaty
for a rule applying to them.
"Grotius, Vattel, and Wheaton recognize the
general principle that enemy's goods in a neutral ship are liable to capture and confiscation.
Vattel explicitly declares, that' When effects belonging to an enemy are found on board a neutral vessel, they may be seized, by the laws of
war;' and no publicist, not even the minister
of the French Republic, when complaining of the




SITUATION OF NEUTRALS.


323


United States for violating the treaty of 1786, by
which the doctrine of' free ships, free goods,' was
stipulated, failed to admit it as a general principle. So far as the 'war material' is concerned,
the question must then be regarded as clear and
conclusive.
"On the remaining question, of the right to
capture the Cuban officers while on a neutral vessel, admitting her claims to neutrality bona fide,
there is hardly less doubt. Eminent writers on
international law agree on this point also. 'Of
the same nature,' says Wheaton,c with the carrying of contraband goods, is the transportation of
military persons or dispatches in the service of
the vessel. A neutral vessel' he adds,' which is
used as a transport for the enemy's forces, is subject to confiscation.' Nor will the fact of her
having been impressed by violence into the enemy's service exempt her. 'The master,' says
Wheaton, 'cannot be permitted to aver that he
was an involuntary agent, and if any loss is sustained in such a service, the neutral yielding to
such coercion must seek redress from the gov.
ernment which has imposed such restraint upon




324


AN ULTIMA TUM.


him,' which in this case would be the insurrectionary government of Cuba.
" It seems to us, therefore, accepting the facts
as the dispatches state them, that the gross violation of the neutral privileges by the Virginius
subjected her and her cargo to capture and confiscation."
But whatever were the merits of the questions
raised, it was undeniable that Congress alone
had the power to declare war; and Congress
was not in session.
In the mean time, diplomatic negotiations
were entered into, and a compromise agreed
upon, by which the vexed questions were set at
rest, conclusively, if not satisfactorily.
Instructions were forwarded to General Sickles,
United States minister at Madrid, embodying a
formal ultimatum of reparation and redress. The
demand was couched in a kind, sympathetic tone,
but no alternative was given.  General Sickles
was also instructed to say, that if Castelar did
not comply with the demand in one week from
the time of its proposal, he should ask for his
passports, and leave Madrid with the American




MR. SICKLES URGENT.


325


legation. The points of this demand were as
follows: 1. Restoration of the Virginius; 2. The
surrender of the survivors of the crew; 3. Compensation to the families of those who had been
slain; 4. The punishment of those who had
committed the crime; 5. Indemnity for the future. These were presented by the American
minister, who, taking the American view of the
question, and knowing the popular feeling which
existed in the United States with reference to
the massacre of the crew, pressed them upon
the Spanish government with earnestness and
energy.
After a very unsatisfactory personal interview,
in which the Spanish minister denied the right
of the American government to interfere in a
question of municipal authority, the negotiations
were continued in writing, and in strictly official
form.
Minister Sickles, under pressure of the American government, urged his demands upon Spain.
On the twenty-fifth of November, General Sickles,
acting under the instructions of Secretary Fish,
had discussed with the Spanish government




326


MR. FISH'S CONDUCT. 


the terms of a protocol embodying all the demands made under instructions from Washington.  Everything was ready for signature, but
a delay of one day having occurred, Minister
Sickles, regarding the Spanish government as
having broken faith, sent his secretary of legation to the foreign office to demand his, passports. After everything had been conceded,
this delay occurred. The time allowed by the
American government for a definite answer had
expired. Minister Sickles considered that the
Spanish government had abandoned the position,
and would have left Madrid that evening, when
he was informed by the Spanish government
that a protocol had been signed in Washington
between Mr. Fish and the Spanish minister. In
other words, while General Sickles was negotiating in Madrid, by order of Mr. Fish, for an
ultimatum demanded by Grant, Secretary Fish
was engaged at the same time with Admiral Polo
in Washington upon a basis that relinquished
every important demand of the American government. When General Sickles learned that the
negotiation, which he had brought to a head in




MR. FISH'S CONDUCT.


327


Madrid, had been completed in Washington by
the concession of these important points, he telegraphed to Mr. Fish, and was answered that
everything had been concluded, and he should
learn particulars by mail. Of course, the general
felt that he had been dishonored by his government in the presence of a foreign power, and
therefore he telegraphed, on the sixth of December, a letter tendering his resignation.
It thus appears, that whilst General Sickles
had succeeded in negotiating an arrangement
embracing all the demands originally made by
the American government, and which would certainly have been signed, had a few days' delay
been granted, Mr. Fish was secretly conducting
a negotiation with the Spanish minister on a
basis which places the United States in an extremely embarrassing and humiliating position,
and which has resulted in the triumph of Spain
over our just requirements on at least three
important points-the salute to our flag, compensation to the families of the victims of the
Santiago massacre, and the punishment of the
criminals.




328


THE GOSPEL OF PEACE.


Thus, in vindication of our national honor, as
reparation to our flag, as atonement for the murder of fifty-six innocent men, American honor
was satisfied with the surrender of an unseaworthy vessel, belonging to private parties, and
the restoration to liberty of a number of illegally
captured men, whose lives had been saved only
by English interference.
True it is, that "under international law and
what is known as the comity of nations, there is
no wrong which cannot be atoned or apologized
for, or condoned, by the foreign power authorizing or committing the wrong."
By these paltry concessions on the part of
Spain, American honor was satisfied, insults atoned
for, and peace preserved!
"THE GOSPEL OF PEACE.
"Ay, let it rest; and give us peace.
'Tis but another blot
On freedom's fustian flag, and gold
Will gild the unclean spot.
"Yes, fold the hands, and bear the wrong
As Christians over-meek;




THE GOSPEL OF PEA CE.


329


And wipe away the bloody stain,
And turn the other cheek.
"What boots the loss of freemen's blood
Beside imperiled gold?
Is honor more than merchandise?
And cannot pride be sold?
"Let Cuba groan; let patriots fall;
Americans may die;
Our flag may droop in foul disgrace,
But 'Peace!' be still our cry.
"Ay, give us peace; and give us truth
To nature, to resign
The counterfeit which Freedom wears
Upon her banner fine.
"Remove the Stars, - they light our shame, -
But keep the Stripes of gore,
And craven White, to tell the wrong
A coward nation bore.
"J. J. ROCHE."
Since the foregoing was written, the United
States government (so I am    informed) has made
a demand at Madrid for indemnification to the
families of the slaughtered heroes; but what it
will amount to remains to be seen.




CHAPTER XX.
RESTORATION OF THE VIRGINIUS.- LIBERATION OF THE SURVIVORS. - CONDITION OF THE VIRGINIUS AT THE TIME OF
SURRENDER. — SHE SINKS IN EIGHT FATHOMS OF WATER
OFF CAPE FEAR.- HER SURVIVORS IN PRISON. - SENT OFF
IN THE NIGHT AS A MEASURE OF DIPLOMACY. - CONDITION
OF THE PRISONERS WHEN RELEASED.- COVERED WITH
FILTH, VERMIN, AND RAGS. -TAKEN BY THE JUNIATA TO
NEW YORK. - SENT TO THE HOSPITALS. - MEDITATED
BARBARITIES WHICH THE SURVIVORS ESCAPED. - BITTERNESS OF THE SPANISH PRESS.
IN accordance with the terms of the protocol,
the Virginius was delivered to the agents of the
United States Navy at Bahia Honda, on the sixteenth of December, and such repairs at once
made as were necessary to put her in condition
to return to New York.
Water was found in all her compartments,
which was pumped out, leaks stopped, stores
received, coal taken in, etc.
On the nineteenth, she went to sea in tow of
the Ossipee. After a few days of fair weather,
830




THE VIRGINIUS SINKING.


331


a gale sprung up, which continued for several
days. The Virginius soon signaled that she was
leaking badly. The commander of the Ossipee
determined to shape his course for Charleston,
S. C.; but as they got into smoother water, the
Virginius behaved better, and the water was
kept out of her fire-room. On the morning of
Christmas day, however, the Virginius was leaking again as badly as ever, the storm having
increased in violence. When about ten miles
south of Cape Fear Light, the vessels came to
anchor in the smoother water of Frying-Pan
Shoals, in hopes that the Virginius might ride
out the gale in safety. Before long, however,
the commander of the Virginius signaled that
she was filling rapidly, with fires out, and pumps
stopped, and that the crew were alarmed, and
wished to be taken off. A boat was accordingly
lowered from the Ossipee, and all on board the
Virginius transferred to the former vessel. When
the boat from the Ossipee came under the Virginius' bow, the landsmen were put in first. It
took five trips to transfer all the men from the
sinking vessel. For four days the men m the




332


THIE VIRGINIUS LOST.


fire-room had worked up to their knees in water,
and, at the time they left the ship, were in a
completely exhausted condition. As a heavy
sea was running, the work of removing so many
men was one of great danger and difficulty. No
lives were therefore risked in endeavoring to
save any of their personal effects, or any other
property on board the Virginius. The hawser
of the Virginius was cut, and the buoys attached
to mark her position in case she sank out of
sight. The Ossipee remained at anchor during
the day, and at fifteen minutes past four o'clock
P. M., on the twenty-sixth of December, the Virginius settled down, bow first, in eight fathoms
of water, the cross-trees remaining above water.
The Spanish press commented very bitterly
upon this accident,. attributing it to design, in
order to prevent the investigation into the status
of the Virginius which had been promised by
the terms of the protocol. After the loss of the
Virginius, no further action was possible, as the
laws of the United States provide that a vessel
must be in port before " an action of libel" can
take place. The Voz de Cuba said,



TIE SPANISH PRESS FURIOUS.


8333


" The telegram announces the loss of the Virginius. We did not expect anything else from
the American government.   It has acted with
the Virginius the same as it did with the Florida,
in order not to be compelled to return that
steamer to Brazil.  Such nobility corresponds
with the course of those who are patronizing
Cuban assassins and incendiaries in their heroic
enterprise.
"This will not exempt them from paying the
full value of the Virginius, she being the prize
of the Tornado; nor from giving ample satisfaction, and paying proper damages to Spain, for
the great injury which America has inflicted in
breaking its treaty stipulations so scandalously,
in permitting the enlistment of men against
Cuba after such enlistment was advertised beforehand in the American journals, and in protecting such men, when once out of the country,
with their flag, and vessels of war upon the high
seas, and in foreign ports, thereby making themselves accomplices of assassins and incendiaries.
"If the weakness or fickleness of Castelar (not
of Spain) delivered them the Virginius, the bad
20




334


THE SURVIVORS RELEASED.


faith of the American government buried the
pirate ship in the bottom of the sea.... With
such deeds they will gain everything except
honor, and will transmit to pages of history that
which, instead of being to their glory, will cause
their descendants to blush for having had such
illustrious ancestors."
The "Virginius survivors," from the time of
their rescue from impending death by the interference of Commander Lorraine, were incarcerated in Moro Castle. On the arrival in the
harbor of the Juniata,-a United States manof-war of eight guns, — they were visited by her
commander, Captain Braine, who did everything
in his power to alleviate their sufferings, which
had been very severe. When the order camne
for their final release, they were transferred
from their prison to the Juniata by night, the
greatest secrecy being observed in order to keep
the fact of their release from the knowledge of
the volunteers, they having been excited to open




CONDITION OF THE PRISONERS.


335


riot by the mere rumor that the surrender was
proposed.  The night before it took place, a
large number of these volunteers went in a
body to the governor's palace, and begged permission to capture the Juniata, saying that they
could do it with knives alone. The governor
refused to grant the permission.
The rescued prisoners were in a very weak
and emaciated condition from the harsh treatment they had received during their confinement. Having no clothing but that which they
wore when taken from the Virginius, they were
covered with filth, and vermin, and rags.
On board the Juniata they were treated with
the greatest kindness. Their infected clothing
was thrown into the sea, and fresh, clean garments furnished them.
The Juniata reached New   York on the
twenty-ninth of December.  She was immediately boarded by the district attorney, with
a number of stenographers and an interpreter,
and an official examination took place immediately - no communication with them being
allowed in the mean time.




336


LANDING AT NE W YORK.


Twelve of them were found so prostrated by
disease, the result of ill-treatment, as to require
immediate removal to the hospital, where every
attention was given them which their destitute
condition required.
After the examination, permission was given
to all who desired to do so to go on board the
ship. This permission was quickly taken advantage of by the friends of the Virginius prisoners.
As the navy-yard tug approached the Juniata,
the scene was a peculiar one. On the quarterdeck of the man-of-war, hanging to the rigging,
and in the clouds, scores of dark-faced young
Cubans had stationed themselves, and were
watching with anxious eyes the little tug that
bore to them friends of the cause for which they
had sacrificed so much.
When the order allowing their departure was
received, it was hailed with demonstrations of
delight, and not much time was consumed in
preparation. The men were ordered aft by the
officer of the deck. As their names were called,
each one, as he came forward, received a blanket
and sack-coat, and passed over the ship's side to




EMfOTION AT LANDING.


337


the tug. When all were on board, and the little
vessel began to make for the shore, the whole
party burst at once into a loud, long, ringing
cheer. This was answered by the men on board
the Juniata, and before the echo of the huzzas
had died away, the navy-yard's dock was reached,
and the destitute but rejoicing Cubans placed on
shore. One or two of them were so weak from
sickness and agitation that they could not walk.
They were lifted in the arms of loving friends,
and placed in carriages that were waiting for
them, provided by the Cuban Junta. The meeting between the rescued prisoners and their
friends was very affecting.  Strong men wept
as they clasped in a long embrace those whom
they had never expected to meet again. There
were no distinctions of class or rank. Aristocratic young Cuban leaders kissed the cheeks of
the rough sailors, and English sailors mingled
their tears of gladness with their fellow-sufferers
of Spanish birth.
The accounts given, by these rescued men, of
the capture of the vessel and the scenes that
followed, were full of interest. Engineer Knight,




338


THE CUBAN PRESS.


of the Virginius, said the original sentence of
the crew was, that every man should be hanged
to the yard-arm; but the captain of the Spanish
vessel, not wishing such-a spectacle on board his
vessel, obtained a change of the sentence to
death by shooting for part of the men, seventeen
being condemned to the chain-gang; Knight and
three others for life, and the other thirteen (all
mere boys) to eight and four years of hard
labor. A life sentence.of this kind was regarded
as worse than death. Their statements generally
corroborated previous publications.
The Cuban press was very bitter in its denunciations of the action of the American authorities in thus liberating the returned prisoners
before the final result of the diplomatic negotiations and investigations was known. The Diario de la Marina used the following language:"Punic faith and American justice will appear
closely united in history, enjoying the same
unenviable celebrity. Punic faith was severely
condemned by all ancient peoples: American
justice will merit the name of iniquity among
the moderns.




SPANISH RAGE.            339
"The word infamy rises to our lips as applicable to the conduct of the American government officials. The liberation of these prisoners
makes it appear as though they were innocent.
We can only answer that American justice is
iniquity and perfidy.  This is the judgment
which the signers of the Washington protocol
reserved.  This judgment is a farce committed
against Spain before the eyes of humanity."




CHAPTER XXI.
PRESIDENT GRANT'S SPECIAL MESSAGE, SUMMING UP THE VIRGINIUS AFFAIR, JANUARY, I874. —THE LONDON TIMES'
VIEW OF THE CASE. -THE NEW YORK HERALD'S COMMENTS, CONTRASTING THE COURSE OF THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT AND THAT OF THE UNITED STATES.
THE whole " Virginius affair " was thus summed
up by President Grant in a special message to
Congress in January:"In my annual message of December last, I
gave reason to expect that when the full and
accurate text of the correspondence relating to
the Virginius, which had been telegraphed in
cipher, should be received, the papers concerning
the capture of the vessel, the execution of a
part of its passengers and crew, and the restoration of the ship and the survivors, would be
transmitted to Congress.
" In compliance with the expectations then
held out, I now transmit the papers and correspondence on that subject.
340




PRESIDENT GRANT'S MESSAGE.


341


" On the twenty-sixth day of September, 1870,
the Virginius was registered in the custom-house
at New York, as the property of a citizen of the
United States, he having first made oath, as
required  by law, that he was the true and
only owner of the said vessel, and that there
was no subject or citizen of any foreign prince
or state, directly or indirectly, by way of trust,
confidence, or otherwise, interested therein. Having complied with the requisites of the statute
in that behalf, she cleared, in the usual way, for
the port of Curaqoa, and on or about the fourth
of October, 1870, sailed for that port.
"It is not disputed that she made the voyage
according to her clearance, nor that from that
day to this she has not returned within the territorial jurisdiction of the United States. It is
also understood that she preserved her American
papers, and that when within foreign ports she
made the practice of putting forth a claim to
American nationality, which was recognized by
the authorities at such ports. When, therefore,
she left the port of Kingston in October last,
under the flag of the United States, she would




342   PRESIDENT GRANT'S MESSAGE.


appear to have had, against all powers except
the United States, the right to fly that flag and
claim its protection, as enjoyed by all regularly
documented vessels registered as part of our
commercial marine. No state of war existed,
conferring upon a maritime power the right to
molest and detain upoh the high seas a documented vessel, and it cannot be pretended that
the Virginius had placed herself without the
pale of law by acts of piracy against the human
race. If her papers were irregular or fraudulent,
the offense was one against the laws of the
United States, justiciable only in their tribunals.
"When, therefore, it became known that the
Virginius had been captured on the high seas by
a Spanish man-of-war; that the American flag
had been hauled down by the captors; that the
vessel had been carried to a Spanish port, and
that Spanish tribunals were taking jurisdiction
over the persons of those found on her, and
exercising that jurisdiction upon American citizens,- not only in violation of international
law, but in contravention of the provisions of
the treaty of 1795,-I directed a demand to be




TERMS OF SETTLEMENT.  4


343


made upon Spain for the restoration of the
vessel, and for the return of the survivors to
the protection of the United States, for a salute
to the flag, and for the punishment of the offending parties.
"The principles upon which these demands
rested could not be seriously questioned, but it
was suggested by the Spanish government that
there were grave doubts whether the Virginius
was entitled to the character given her by her
papers, and that therefore it might be proper for
the United States, after the surrender of the
vessel and the survivors, to dispense with the
salute to the flag, should such facts be established
to their satisfaction. This seemed to be reasonable and just. I therefore assented to it, on the
assurance that Spain would then declare that no
insult to the flag of the United States had been
intended. I also authorized an agreement to
be made that, should it be shown to the satisfaction of this government that the Virginius was
improperly bearing the flag, proceedings should
be instituted in our courts for the punishment
of the offense committed against the United




344


TERMS OF SETTLEMENT.


States. On her part, Spain undertook to proceed against those who had offended the sovereignty of the United States, or who had violated
their treaty rights. The surrender of the vessel
and the survivors to the jurisdiction of the
tribunals of the United States was an admission
of the principles upon which our demand had
been founded. I therefore had no hesitation in
agreeing to the arrangements finally made between the two governments-an arrangement
which was moderate and just, and calculated to
cement the good relations which have so long
existed between Spain and the United States.
Under this agreement, the Virginius, with the
American flag flying, was delivered to the navy
of the United States at Bahia Honda, in the
Island of Cuba, on the sixteenth ult. She was
in an unseaworthy condition. On the passage,
to New York, she encountered one of the most
tempestuous of our winter storms. At the risk
of their lives, the officers and crew placed in
charge of her attempted to keep her afloat.
Their efforts were unavailing, and she sunk off
Cape Fear.




THE ENGLISH VIE W.


345


"The prisoners who survived the massacres
were surrendered at Santiago de Cuba on the
eighteenth ult., and reached the port of New
York in safety. The evidence submitted on the
part of Spain, to establish the fact that the Virginius at the time of her capture was improperly
bearing the flag of the United States, is transmitted herewith, together with the opinion of
the attorney-general therein, and a copy of the
note of the Spanish minister, expressing, on
behalf of his government, a disclaimer of any
intent of indignity to tle flag of the United
States.
"U. S. GRANT."
That the English government was not so easily
satisfied is seen from the following significant
article, which appeared in the London Times in
the month of June following:"THE VIRGINIUS CASE.
"HOW ENGLAND DEFENDS HER NATIONAL HONOR.
"THE correspondence just presented to Parliament, respecting the capture of the Virginius,




346


THE ENGLISH VIEW.


and the treatment of her crew and passengers,
does not add materially to the facts which have
been already unofficially published, but it removes all doubt which may have existed as to
the nature and reality of the outrage committed
upon British subjects by the Spanish authorities
in Cuba. The first information on the subject
reached us, it will be remembered, early in last
November, from Madrid. The details of the case
were not given very fully. We heard only that
the Virginius, a vessel under American colors,
had been captured by a Spanish cruiser on the
high seas, not far from the coast of Jamaica;
that she had been taken into the port of Santiago, and that some of those who had been
found on board her, and an American citizen
among the rest, had been summarily put to
death. News soon followed of further executions, but we had no distinct statement as to the
nationality of the sufferers. By the tenth of
November, apologies from Madrid had already
been received at Washington, and our earliest
comments on the occurrence were based entirely
upon the supposition that the affair was one




LORD GRANVILLE'S PROMPTATESS.  347


between Spain and the United States. It was
not until somewhat later that we learned how
intimately we were ourselves concerned in the
matter. On the seventeenth of November the
report first came that sixteen of the victims had
been British subjects, and we heard afterward
that other British subjects who had been found
on board were still detained in Cuba as prisoners.
"Our government had been, it appears, equally uninformed about the facts. Lord Granville's
attention was first called to the case by the telegraphic intelligence which continued to appear
in the press. He had, as yet, no knowledge that
there were any British subjects among the prisoners, but, on the possibility that it might be so,
he put himself in communication with our acting
consul-general at Havana, desiring him, in such
an event, to watch the case on their behalf, and
to use his utmost endeavors to secure them a fair
trial. He received a telegram in reply, on the
morning of the fifteenth of November, informing
him very briefly of the facts which have since become notorious. He then learned that the chase
of the Virginius had begun, as well as that her




348


EFFICIENT ACTION.


capture had been effected, on the high seas;
that, in spite of the utmost efforts of the governor of Jamaica, and in spite of a protest made
through the British vice-consul at Santiago, sixteen British subjects, forming part of the crew
of the Virginius, had been shot on the seventh
instant, and that there were still seven British
subjects remaining among the prisoners. On
receipt of this startling message, Lord Granville
telegraphed straightway to our minister at Madrid, instructing him to reserve for the present
the question of the executions which had already
occurred, but to state without delay that the
Spanish government and all the persons concerned would be held responsible for any further
executions of British subjects. At this notice
Sehor Castelar immediately sent off a message
to the captain general of Cuba, directing the
suspension of all further executions of British
subjects or others. The British authorities in
the neighborhood had, meanwhile, not been idle.
A British vessel of war had been dispatched to
Santiago as soon as the intelligence of the capture was received. She arrived on the eighth of




CUBAN yUSTIFICA T.ONS.


349


November - unfortunately, too late to prevent
all the mischief that had been feared, but in
time to lend powerful aid to the representations
of our consular staff as to the treatment of
the remaining prisoners. The executions were
stopped, the rest of the prisoners were ultimately
released, and the Virginius herself was surrendered to the United States, the further question
of satisfaction to both the injured nations remaining, however, as yet unsettled.
"It remains to inquire what justification can
be put forward by the Cuban authorities for the
outrages of which they have been thus guilty,
and under what pretense of justice their acts of
barbarity were committed. The question finds
its answer partly in the previous history of the
captured vessel, and partly in the almost undoubted purpose for which she had just put to
sea. The Virginius was not unknown to the
Spanish authorities in Cuba. She bore, indeed,
the American flag, and had been registered as an
American vessel, but it was no secret that she
was, in fact, the property of one or more of the
chief leaders of the Cuban insurrection, and that
21




o50


THE ENGLISH VIEW.


she had been employed more than once already
to land men and arms and ammunition in Cuba
in aid of the insurgents. She had put in at
Kingston, Jamaica, on the ninth of July, preceding her capture, and even while in harbor had
been closely watched by a Spanish man-of-war.
She remained at Kingston for some time, clearing
on the twenty-third of October, ostensibly for
Port Limon, in Costa Rica, but with more than a
suspicion attaching to her that her intention was
to proceed once more to the coast of Cuba, and
there continue her efforts on behalf of the
'republicans.'  Of this, however, there was no
positive proof. She carried with her no arms or
other warlike material -not, indeed, by her own
choice, but because she had been deprived of
them after a most rigorous search by the customs authorities at Kingston. The British subjects whom she had on board were partly
members of her crew, and partly passengers
who appear to have sailed with the bona fide
notion that they were going to Port Limon, and
to have paid for their passages accordingly.
There is some doubt about her movements after




THE ENGLISH VIETW.


351


she left Kingston. She certainly put in at Portau-Prince, in Hayti, whether, as has been asserted, for necessary repairs, or, more probably,
to take in a fresh cargo of arms. On the thirtyfirst of October she was descried by the Spanish
screw corvette Tornado about eighteen miles
from the Cuban coast, and, beyond doubt, far
out of her course for Port Limon. She was
immediately pursued and captured, after a ten
hours' chase, about twenty-three miles from the
coast of Jamaica, and was taken into Santiago
as a lawful prize of war. On her arrival at Santiago, the master, crew, and passengers were
declared by the Spaniards to be 'pirates.' A
court-martial was held on them, and fifty-seven
were at once sentenced to death. On the fourth
of November, this sentence was executed upon
four of them, one of whom, General Ryan,
though without doubt an insurrectionary leader,
was equally without doubt an American citizen.
The remaining fifty-three were shot three days
afterward, and among them the sixteen British
subjects, all members of the crew, and this
in spite of the urgent remonstrances of our




352


THE ENGLISH VIE W.


consular authorities on the spot, and, as we have
said, just one day before the arrival of the
British man-of-war Niobe.  We have endeavored to state the facts as favorably as possible
to the Spanish authorities, but it is clear that
there is nothing in them which could justify
either the original seizure of the Virginius on
the high seas, or the subsequent treatment of
her crew. Spain had a perfect right to defend
her own territory, and to repel by force and
punish any actual attempt to make a descent
upon her shores. In the present case, however,
no such attempt had actually been made, and
that it was likely to be made was a matter of
mere inference. Nor is it to the purpose to say
that the registration of the Virginius had been
obtained by fraud, and that she had no true
right to the American colors, under which she
was sailing. She was on the American register
as a matter of fact, and as against any other
nation she was, beyond all question, American.
This, however, is not the point with which Englishmen are most concerned.    Whether the
original capture could be defended or not,




THE ENGLISH VIEW.


353


nothing can be urged to justify the summary
executions which form the principal part of our
indictment against Spain. They could not have
been hurried on from the apprehension that there
would be any danger in delay; for when the
men had been made prisoners they could clearly
do no further harm. To put them to death was,
therefore, an act of mere revenge, and that of a
kind unworthy of any nation claiming to be
civilized. The list which has been furnished of
the victims shows sufficiently that the treatment
they received was absolutely without excuse.
They consisted, we find, of seamen, coal-trimmers, firemen, and one or two petty officers,
whose mere detention, even if it could be justified, would have seemed an almost needless precaution, and whose unjustifiable execution was
simply a judicial murder. In the words of Lord
Granville, ' there was no charge either known to
the law of nations or to any municipal law under
which persons in the situation of the British crew
of the Virginius could have been justifiably condemned to death. They were persons not owing
allegiance to Spain; the acts done by them were




354


THE ENGLISH VIEW.


done out of the jurisdiction of Spain; they were
essentially non-combatants in their employment,
and they could by no possible construction be
liable to the penalty of death.' It is our wish,
as it is in general our interest, to uphold as far
as possible the authority of a foreign naval court,
even when its decisions are most adverse to ourselves; but there are limits beyond which we
cannot go, and those limits, in the case before
us, have been very far exceeded. The demand
for reparation, both on our part and on that of
the United States, has been exceedingly moderate. We have asked for national recognition
of the wrong done to Great Britain, and for
compensation to the relatives of the victims.
We could hardly have asked for less, nor does
it seem likely that there will be any difficulty on
the part of Spain in granting it. There has
been some delay in the matter, owing to the
change of government in Spain during the progress of the negotiations, while the urgent difficulties with which the new Spanish government
has since had to contend have been felt as a
reason on our part for not pressing our demands.


0




AMERICAN ACTION.


355


The matter, however, has been reopened by our
present foreign minister, and, if it has not been
made already, the settlement will doubtless not
be much longer postponed."
Commenting upon this clear and logical article, the New York Herald thus contrasts the
action of the English government with that of
America: -
"HAS THE PRESIDENT DEFENDED OUR NATIONAL
HONOR?
"THE case of the Virginius, which made such
a commotion in its time, bringing the country
to the verge of war with Spain, has died away.
The settlement has been made and forgotten.
There were some ardent rhetorical congratulations in the administration newspapers as to the
promptitude with which the president had vindicated our national honor. Our American minister was recalled, virtually in disgrace, because
he had in some way impeded a settlement, and
a new minister was sent in the person of one of
the foremost men in the republic, who would




356


ENGLAND AND AMERICA.


place the relations of the two countries upon a
firm foundation. If we remember the actual
ternis of the Spanish concessions, they included
a surrender of the Virginius, which now lies in
decaying, corroding peace off the stormy reaches
of Hatteras; the return of all the American citizens that had not been shot, -all having been
shot whose death was in any way desired by
Spain,- and a salute to the American flag,
which was dispensed with. We should add also,
that to attain these results we spent several
millions on our navy, which in itself was a godsend to a secretary hungry for appropriations.
"We are enabled to compare the results of
this diplomacy with that of Lord Granville or
the English government —a summary of which
will be found in an article elsewhere printed
from the London Times. This article is written
in the kindliest spirit toward Spain, and it shows
that the English government was actuated by a
similar spirit. We learn that as soon as the
English government heard that seventeen British subjects had been executed at Santiago, Lord
Granville at once telegraphed to M. Castelar




CONTRASTED CONDUCT.


357


that the Spanish government and all the persons concerned would be held responsible for any
further executions of British subjects.' 'At this
notice, says the Times,' M. Castelar immediately
sent off a message to the captain-general of
Cuba, directing the suspension of all further executions of British subjects or others.' If this
statement is accurate, - and it seems to be based
upon official information, - then it seems that
we owe the safety of the American citizens who
were not executed to the energy of the British
minister, and the firm promptitude shown by
Sir Lambton Lorraine.   Having secured the
release of its subjects, the British government
proceeded still further. She took the ground
that the American register of the Virginius
made her an American ship; that she had been
captured on the high seas in the commission of
no actual wrong; that there was no positive
proof that she was assisting the insurgents;
that to put the prisoners to death was 'an act
of mere revenge, and that of a kind unworthy
of any nation claiming to be civilized;' that this
'unjustifiable execution was simply a judicial
murder.'




358


ENVGLAND AND AMERICA.


"In the words of Lord Granville, there was
no charge either known to the law of nations,
or to any municipal law, under which persons in
the situation of the British crew of the Virginius
could have been justifiably condemned to death.
They were persons not owing allegiance to Spain;
the acts done by them were done out of the
jurisdiction of Spain; they were essentially noncombatants in their employment, and they could
by no possible construction be liable to the penalty of death.' As a consequence, therefore,
England has demanded not only all that America did, but more. She insists that Spain shall
make a national recognition of the wrong done
to her flag, and compensate the relatives of the
victims.
"The question at once arises, What actually
has been done? We know that the Virginius
has been restored, that the prisoners have been
released, and that Spain promised to salute our
flag, but was released from the promise; and we
know the millions given to the navy department
in those days of hurly-burly and threats of war.
The wrong done to the American flag was in



CONTRASTED CONDUCT.


359


finitely greater than that done to the flag of
England; for ours was directly insulted.  Has
any one heard that Spain has made any' national
recognition' of that wrong? Have we ever said
to Spain that ' compensation must be made to the
relatives of the victims'? Is Spain to understand that she can take American citizens on the
high seas and shoot them, without hindrance,
and yet if she happens to shoot Englishmen
under less aggravating circumstances, she must
make a national reparation, and compensate the
relatives of the victims? As the Virginius case
now stands, this is precisely what has been done.
Our government made a tremendous noise, spent
millions in repairing the navy, and really received no substantial redress from Spain. England did not spend a dollar, except perhaps for
cable dispatches to Havana, and yet by her
diplomacy she compelled M. Castelar to put an
end to executions; by her navy she practically
saved American lives, and she now is about to
receive further and just compensation.
" This is not a pleasant contrast, and we wish
the facts did not justify it."




CHAPTER XXII.
RETROSPECTIVE VIEW OF CUBAN HISTORY.- CUBA'S MINERAL
WEALTH AND AGRICULTURAL RESOURCES.- HER MARITIME POSITION. - LONGFELLOW'S DESCRIPTION OF THE
ISLAND.- GOVERNMENT OF CUBA PRIOR TO AND SINCE
1837. - TAXATION WITHOUT REPRESENTATION.- HUNGRY
OFFICIALS. - SKETCH OF LOPEZ. - HIS TWO EXPEDITIONS.- COLONEL W. S. CRITTENDEN.- THE LATTER
EXPEDITION. - INCIDENTS. - COLONEL CRITTENDEN AND
FIFTY FOLLOWERS CAPTURED AND SHOT.-CRITTENDEN'S
UNSHRINKING BRAVERY.-REMAINS OF THE MURDERED
VICTIMS DESECRATED. - LOPEZ VANQUISHED AND GARROTED. - GENERAL CONCHA, THE " BUTCHER OF ATARES."
- OTHER EXPEDITIONS. - THE IMMORTAL CESPEDES.
SKETCH OF CUBAN HISTORY.
TEE following chapter is a somewhat laborious collaboration from a variety of sources, -English, French, and
Spanish documents, —which I hope will be found sufficiently interesting and valuable to be worthy the time and
labor bestowed upon its preparation. Among the documents used as authorities, I will only mention
I.  NOTES ABOUT CUBA; issued by Francisco V. Aguilera and Ramon Cespedes, Commissioners of the
Republic of Cuba. New York: January, 1872.
360




CUBAN HISTORY.


361


II. THE BooK OF BLOOD; compiled from the Diario de
la Marina, the organ of the Spanish Naval Service; and the Voz de Cuba, the organ of the
Spanish Volunteers, from October, 1868, to November, 1873.
III. Cuban Article in EDINBURGH REVIEW, October, 1873.
IV. LA QUESTION CUBAINE.  L. Louis-Lande, in Revue
des Deux Mondes.
V. LA REPUBLICA DE CUBA. Por Antonio Zambrana.
New York: June, 1873.
VI. Los CONFINADOS A FERNANDO  Po.  Por Francisco
Javier Balmaseda.
A retrospective glance at Cuban history, a
brief sketch of the events which preceded and
led to the disastrous expedition in which Captain Fry met his death, may not inappropriately
close this record of his life.
From the discovery of Cuba, until it was circumnavigated by Ocampo in 1508, this island
was supposed to be a continent, so vast is its
extent.
With a superficial area nearly equal to that
of England, and with unsurpassed natural advantages, Cuba yet had no name in the history
of the world until Cortez, perceiving its peculiar




362


CUBAN WEALTH.


advantages of position as a military point d'appzi,
made it the base of operations in his attack
upon Mexico. The Prince de Joinville also
concentrated his fleet at Havana, preparatory
to his attack upon Vera Cruz. These are the
first historical events in which Cuba bore a part.
Cuba is one of the favored spots of earth.
Her mineral wealth is considerable, her agricultural resources are inexhaustible, her maritime
advantages are unsurpassed. From her position
she commands the commerce of the Gulf of
Mexico with nearly six thousand miles of shoreline, the only entrance to this vast field of commerce being through a narrow channel, running
along the coast of Cuba, within a few miles of
her best harbors.   The great importance of
Cuba therefore arises largely from her commanding position at the entrance to the Mexican Gulf.
Her natural advantages are unsurpassed. The
lofty mountains afford every variety of temperature; the copious dews of night refresh and
vivify the vegetation scorched by the noonday
sun; the soft, cool breezes of morn and evening




CUBAN WEALTH.


363


compensate for the intense heat of midday.
Longfellow describes it as "that garden of the
west, gorgeous with perpetual flowers and brilliant with the plumage of innumerable birds,
beneath whose glowing sky the teeming earth
yields easy and abundant harvest to the toil
of man, and whose capacious harbors invite the
commerce of the world."
Cuba indeed surpasses any given portion of
the earth in what she yields as the return of
labor.
"Once free from her heartless and tyrannical
parent government, what will not this queen
of the Antilles be, when her mountains and
her valleys, her beautiful and commodious harbors, are in the possession of a free and untrammeled population, who will develop her vast
natural wealth, and make it contribute to the
happiness of the producer, instead of pandering
to the pride and squanderings of an unsympathizing aristocracy?"
All these rare gifts which Nature has so lavishly bestowed upon Cuba have been comparatively valueless to her, cramped, as she has been




364


GERM OF REPUBLICANISM.


for three centuries, by every possible restriction.
"How long shall these things be?"
One hundred years ago, the Continental Patriots * of our own land arose in their might and
majesty, and in their devotion to truth and justice threw off the yoke of a tyranny less odious
by far than that under which Cuba groans.
A responsive chord was touched in the hearts
of patriots the world over. The establishment
and wonderful growth of the republic of North
America; the social and political theories proclaimed so eloquently, and defended with so
much vigor and enthusiasm, in France; the extraordinary prevalence of liberal ideas, even in
Spain; all this aroused, in the breasts of those
subjected to oppression and tyranny, that sentiment of liberty, that consciousness of their
rights and their strength, which, though sometimes dormant, never dies out of the breast
of man.
"The germ of republicanism was planted, which
* See speech of Hon. I. T. Walls, of Florida, on
"Cuban Recognition," January, 187'4.




EXCLUSION FROM CORTES.


365


makes the tenure of kingcraft and imperialism
of doubtful duration."  The memorable revolution in France; the establishment of the Haytian republic; the revolt of the Spanish possessions in South and Central America; the Greek
rebellion  against Turkish tyranny; all these
efforts to achieve independence were, in a measure, the offspring of July, 1776.
The fires of liberty were kindled throughout
the world, and sparks from the vast conflagration fell even upon the soil of Cuba.
Previous to the year 1837,* the government
of Cuba shared the vicissitudes of that of the
mother country, enjoying with her the benefit
of liberal revolutions, and also returning with
her to despotism. The Cuban Creoles found
in this their only consolation. But in 1837, an
article was added to the constitution by which
the Cuban deputies were excluded from   the
Cortes. Since then, no matter what men or
what ideas triumph on the Peninsula, Cuba
remains unchanged; governed by special laws,
* See Revue des Deux Mondes, "La Cause Cubaine."
22




366


SPANISH OFFICIALS.


if, indeed, the arbitrary system of despotism
crushing Cuba deserves the name of law. The
reforms for which Spain clamors are for Spain
alone, not for her colonies.
With a heartless and oppressive parent government, Cuba is but a vassal, serving to enrich
needy proconsuls.  Her people have no voice
in public affairs, their only national privilege being that of taxation without representation. Every
office is held by a Spaniard. The Captain General is a military autocrat, with but one duty
to the home government- that of turning into
the public treasury all the streams of her
wealth. This beautiful island, always the scene
of romantic interest, has simply been regarded
as the source of inexhaustible riches; for in
spite of the ruinous commercial system of the
mother country, her wealth has constantly increased. To this rich and fruitful land the officials of impoverished Spain come like hungry
leeches to fatten on her fresh young blood." *
Without political existence; excluded from


* F. F. Randolph, in Inland Monthly, December, 1873.




CONSTANT UPRISINGS.


367


all civil or military employment; burdened with
an enormous taxation; ruled by insolent parasites; wounded in their rights, in their interests, in their pride; is it strange that the
Cubans should finally become desperate, and
attempt to shake off the yoke that crushes
them?
The history of the last half century is that
of a series of uprisings and insurrections, ending, hitherto, only in disaster and death. They
are all due to "unjust laws, unjustly administered by the brutal and tyrannical officials sent
out from Spain."
Among the more important of these insurrectionary  movements* may be mentioned the
conspiracy of the Soles in 1823; that of the
Black Eagle, in 1829; the negro     revolt, in
1835; the insurrection of 1844; and the expedition under Lopez.
General Narcisso Lopez was a native of Venezuela, who had attained the rank of major* See Edinburgh Review, October, 1873, for exhaustive
accounts of these uprisings.




368


GENERAL LOPEZ.


general in the Spanish army. Having married
a wealthy Cuban lady, he settled in Cuba; but
being detected in an insurrectionary plot, he
sought refuge in flight, and made himself a new
home in the United States, where he proposed
to carry out the plans of insurrection.
His first expedition, in 1850, having failed, a
second was fitted out on a more extensive scale.
The steamer Pampero, having been purchased
by Cuban sympathizers, sailed from New Orleans
with several hundred men, many of them restless, determined spirits, just returned from the
battle-fields of Mexico, and eager for warlike
enterprise. The artillery was commanded by
Colonel W. S. Crittenden, a gallant young Kentuckian, of but twenty-eight years of age, who
had graduated at West Point, and served with
distinction in the Mexican war.
It was intended to land the expedition on the
eastern part of the island, where the wealthiest
of the Cuban patriots resided, where the revolutionary feeling was always very strong, and
where several local insurrections had already
broken out.




LOPEZ DECEIVED.


369


The Spanish consul in New Orleans, knowing
the destination of the Pampero, and the object
of the expedition (for everything had been done
with but little pretense of secrecy), dispatched a
messenger to Havana, warning the captain general of the sailing of the "filibustering party."
Steps were therefore promptly taken by the
Spanish authorities to avert the threatened
danger.
Landing for coal at Key West, Lopez was met
by a pretended Cuban patriot, bearing letters
purporting to come from leading Cubans in the
western portion of the island, asking for aid. As
a rising had been anticipated in this direction,
Lopez was readily deceived, and instead of carrying out the original plans of the expedition, proceeded to the western portion of the island, to
render the required assistance.
Landing at Bahia H-onda, Colonel Crittenden
was left to bring up the stores, while Lopez at
once pushed forward into the interior.
Crittenden, after waiting for a few days, not
receiving the reinforcements he had been led to
look for, and hearing nothing from Lopez, be



370


CRITTENDEN'S BRA VERY.


came alarmed, and determined to leave the
island. 'He embarked his men, to the number
of fifty, in small boats, and they put to sea.
They were at once discovered and captured by
Admiral Bustillo. Being unarmed, they could
of course make no resistance, and were soon
compelled to yield themselves prisoners, and
were carried to Havana, where, during their few
hours of captivity, they were treated with great
inhumanity. The United States consul not only
would not interfere in their behalf, but also,
through selfish fears for his own safety, refused
to visit them in prison, to receive their last
messages.
After a few hours' imprisonment, Crittenden
and his fifty followers were taken under the
walls of Fort Atares, and shot by sixes, receiving
the missile of death with the sublime heroism
of men who willingly sacrificed their lives in the
cause of liberty. Crittenden, when ordered to
kneel, replied, "I kneel only to my Maker."  He
also refused to receive the fatal shot in the back,
according to Spanish custom, but, facing his murderers, bared his chest, and awaited the death



LOPEZ GARROTED.


371


blow  unshrinkingly.  Their mangled remains
were desecrated with the barbarity known only
to Spanish inhumanity, equaled only by the recent atrocities at Santiago de Cuba.
Lopez, in the mean time, marched on into the
interior, receiving some reinforcements of unarmed men, but without being greeted by the
popular uprising he had been led to expect.
After two battles his forces were entirely dispersed, and he himself captured, conveyed to
Havana, and condemned to death-a sentence
which was carried into execution the following
morning. Lopez was not allowed to die the
death of a soldier. That brutal instrument of
torture, the garrote, with its fatal iron collar, was
called into requisition for him. Forty-nine of
his followers were butchered, and one hundred
and six sent to Spain, where they were condemned to hard labor with the ball and chain.
After seven months of this degrading servitude,
however, they were released, and returned to
their homes.
The executions took place by order of General Concha, twice "vice-consul of the Antilles,"




372


0 THER FAILURES.


and present viceroy of Cuba. They won for
him the unenviable title of "Butcher of Atares."
This unfbrtunate expedition was followed by
several others, equally unsuccessful, led by General Goicouria, Colonel Jack Allen, of Nicaragua
fame, and others; but as they all terminated disastrously, these attempts to revolutionize Cuba
"from without" were gradually abandoned.
But the struggle continued in secret, in the
hearts of the people, though hidden under the
apparent order and silence inspired by the
strength and vigilance of Spanish rule.  The
raising of a scaffold now and then proclaimed
that some proud patriot had preferred death to
ignominy.* The names of Lamon Pint6, Joaquin Aguero, and others, made illustrious by
their martyrdom, kept alive a smothered indignation and a vehement desire for redemption
and glory in the hearts of the Cubans.
Don Jose de la Luz, by his evangelical teachinLs inculcating in his pupils the love of truth,
* See La Rcpublica de Cuba, por Antonio Zambrana.




DEP UTA TION TO MADRID.


373


and a willingness to sacrifice themselves in the
cause of justice, was accused of inciting in them
hatred of the Spaniard!
The "Reform" party embraced in its ranks
some of the most elevated and brilliant names
of Cuba. Jose Antonio Saco, distinguished for
his talent in debate, and his professional knowledge and skill; Nicolas Azcarate, a vehement
and eloquent orator; and numerous others,
equally distinguished, united in demanding various reforms, civil, political, financial, etc. — reforms often promised, but always deferred.
Finally, in November, 1865, a royal ordinance
created a committee charged with the investigation of these questions -a committee to be composed of twenty commissioners chosen by the
government, and twenty chosen by the Cubans.*
Acting in good faith, the Cuban deputies went
to Madrid to attend the meeting of the committee.  The first declaration that met them
was, that all subjects were allowed to be discussed - with closed doors, however - except


* See Revue des Deux Mondes, "La Cause Cubaine."




DELUSIVE PRETENSES.


those touching national, religious, and monarchical unity!
Nevertheless, the Cubans proposed their cher-.ished measures-the abolition of the customhouse duties, substituting a direct tax of six
per cent. upon the revenues; a local government, embracing representation in the Cortes;
the complete abolition of the slave trade, and
the gradual emancipation of actual slaves.
What was the result?   Some slight modifications of the existing tariff, and an additional
tax of ten per cent., thus doubling the Cuban
contribution to Spanish revenue. And this was
published to the world as granting the demands
of the Cuban commissioners!
In vain they protested indignantly at such a
misrepresentation of their propositions.  They
returned home, and from that moment the insurrection was inevitable. The Reformers passed
over to the ranks of the Separalioni'sls, and El
Siglo, the organ of the moderate party, at once
lost two thirds of its subscribers.
The history of the events which followed is
full of the most vivid interest, and abounds with




REVOLUTION OF i868.


375


eloquent proofs of devotion to the cause of liberty. We see a people, without arms, and almost without resources, undertaking and maintaining a struggle for years against a powerful
nation. The record is one of tribulations, of
fortitude in adversity, of heroism in despair.
In September, 1868, Isabella fled to France,
and the republic was declared in Spain; but
freedom in Spain did not mean freedom for her
colonies. The same imperial autocrat, Captain
General Lersundi, remained in Cuba, proclaiming the permanency for them of the old regime.
The programme of Liberty was written at Cadiz;
and the cry of the French revolution was heard
in Cuba, "Liberty, equality, fraternity, justice,
or death!"*
Secret committees were formed to prepare for
the struggle; emissaries were sent to the different districts; money collected; arms purchased.
Everywhere the greatest enthusiasm manifested
itself.  No efforts were needed to enlist insur* See La Republica de Cuba, por Antonio Zambrana.




376


A NA7TIVE MOVEMENT.


gents; on the contrary, the difficulty was to restrain their impetuous zeal till the proper moment should arrive for openly raising the standard of revolt.
The movement of 1868 differs from everything that had preceded it in that, instead of
being planned and managed by outsiders, soldiers
of fortune,-brave men, it is true, who risked
their lives, their fortunes, their all, in these expeditions, but who were not backed and sustained by the native Cubans themselves, - it
was inaugurated, and is being carried on, by the
wealthiest and most influential men in the
island. "It is the revolt of an oppressed people
against an unjust and tyrannical government,
brought about by long years of outrage and
misrule."
As early as August, 1867, Francisco Vicente
Aguilera, Manuel Anastasio Aguilera, and Francisco Maceo Osorio had met at the residence of
the latter, to discuss the plans of the revolution.
In August, 1868, Luis Figueredo had gathered
together three hundred men within eight leagues
of Holguin, eager for an attack upon the place.




PREPA RA TIONS.


377


Rualcaba was ready in the neighborhood of Las
Tunas. Angel Maestre    and Juan Ruz, with
two hundred recruits, were hidden in the woods
of La Esperanza, near Manzanillo. From every
side the Comite Directivo at Bayano, the principal
center of the conspiracy, received messages of
encouragement and promises of support.
In September, 1868, a meeting of the leaders
of the insurrection was held to prepare a pronznciamento. The principal deputies were Francisco V. Aguilera, one of the wealthiest and
most distinguished planters of the eastern department; Francisco Maceo, a distinguished advocate, noted for his learning and attainments;
Pedro Figueredo, an aged patriot, who maintained his hatred of tyranny and the tyrant
even unto death; Carlos Manuel de Cespedes,
representative from Manzanillo; Belisario Alvarez, from Holguin; Vicente Garcia, from Las
Tunas; Donato Marmol, from Jiguani; and Manuel Fernandez, from Santiago de Cuba. Camagiiey also sent Carlos Mola and Salvador Cisneros, Marquis of Santa Lucia.
The debate was long and ardent. The dele



378


D7ELA Y URGED.


gates from Camagiiey insisted that at least six
months were necessary to make such preparations as would insure success from the beginning.  Holguin preferred to wait one year;
Bayarno also favored delay. Cespedes, Marmol,
and Santisteban favored an immediate declaration of war.  Cespedes especially urged the
advisability of proceeding without loss of time.
He expressed himself with energy and eloquence, declaring the people ready for the contest; testifying the most complete confidence
in success.
So diverse were the opinions and so earnestly were they sustained, that no decision was
reached, beyond the mutual agreement to sustain whatever movement might be precipitated by unforeseen events.
This convention was succeeded by others
similar in character and results. At a meeting held at Manzanillo on the third of October,
Aguilera urged upon their consideration many
arguments against precipitation, which were
afterward verified. He declared that reverses
in the beginning of the movement would be




IMMEDIA TE ACTION.


379


lamentable in exact proportion to the patriotism
and enthusiasm of the people; that, by waiting,
they could within a short time collect from two
to three hundred thousand dollars, if all would
do as he had done - sell their property at low
prices to swell the common fund. He volunteered to go with others to the United States,
where, provided with that sum, they could procure arms, ammunition, provisions, etc., so indispensable to the successful carrying out of
the revolution.
His opinions prevailed at the time, but in a
few  days, through the precipitate action of
Cespedes, all was changed, and the fourteenth
agreed upon for the public proclamation of the
insurrection.
To Aguilera this change was as unlooked for
as prejudicial to his truly patriotic plans. Finding it inevitable, however, he labored without
repose to second Manzanillo. IHe sent cominissioners out on every side to recruit men and
means, and thenceforth endeavoring to forget his
own predictions, he took an active part in a campaign which was, to say the least, inopportune.




380


THE SPANISHC COURIER.


But Cespedes could not wait even for the
fourteenth. Great imprudences had been committed, not strange, it is true, among an inexperienced people, whose indignation reached
almost the point of delirium.  They could
scarcely meet each other without crying libertad, and insults were continually offered to the
agents of the government whenever opportunity
occurred. It was a common saying that " gold
being exhausted, they would now pay in iron"
(the sword).
On the ninth of October, a Spanish courier
was captured by the conspirators, having an
order for the arrest of the leading insurgents.
The courier having made his escape the same
day, Cespedes concluded that there was no time
to lose, and on the tenth of October, 1868, he
raised on his plantation that standard which
was the symbol of his hopes, of his aspirations,
of his desires.
He had at his command only about two hundred men, poorly armed, including many of
his own slaves and some few influential men;
but all were animated by the same patriotic




THE OUTBREA K.


381


fervor, and they made solemn and earnest
pledges to each other that their cduntry should
be redeemed; that to accomplish this they
would destroy their own hearths, abandon their
families, lead wandering lives; death itself
should not deter them.
Thus they prepared themselves for war, and
on the next day was written in blood the first
page in the history of Cuba as one of the
nations of the earth.
Arms were now to be obtained at as little
risk as possible.  No attempt was made on
Yara, which was held by a column of Spanish troops; but on the thirteenth of October,
Vicente Garcia and Rubalcaba attacked Las
Tunas; Pedro and Luis Figueredo, Canto Embarcadero; Donato Marmol, Jiguani; Francisco
Maceo, Guisa; Esteban Estrada, Datil; and
others, Santa Rita. All these places, except
Las Tunas, were taken.
Carlos M. Cespedes himself marched upon
Bayamo, accompanied by Luis Marcano, who
here and elsewhere rendered distinguished services to the republic, and who afterward met
23




382


VICTORY AT BAYAMO.


with a mysterious death while in the discharge
of important duty.
The Spaniards had constructed barricades to
defend the approach to the Plaza, whither the
governor, Udaeta, and other chiefs retreated,
defended by the cavalry and part of their infantry; while a company of Creoles and some
Spanish troops defended the Plaza. On the approach of the Cubans, the Creoles went over
to them in a body, and the Spanish troops were
soon overcome. The barricades were then attacked, and on the twenty-second a flag of truce
was sent out and a treaty negotiated, which, by
the magnanimity of the conquerors, terminated
in an honorable capitulation.
No words can describe the rejoicings of the
Cubans occasioned by this victory, nor the
astonishment and consternation of the Spaniards. Colonel Campillo was sent out with eight
hundred men to "put down the rebels." Generals Aguilera and Modesto Diaz advanced to
meet him, when, after some vacillation Campillo
returned precipitately to Manzanillo, leaving behind many stragglers. Colonel Quiros, a brave




THE EASTERN SUCCESSES.


383


and experienced Spanish commander, was next
sent to retake Bayamo. Meeting the Cubans
under Generals Donato Marmol and Maximo
Gornez, at Baire, about ten leagues from Bayamo, a fierce encounter ensued. The Cubans
were armed mostly with machetes, pitchforks,
and other farming utensils; the Spaniards with
swords and bayonets; but Quiros retreated to
Santiago de Cuba, leaving, scattered in his track,
arms and ammunition, which were very valuable
to the Cuban victors, and also leaving behind
him in the mountains his train of artillery.
Such is a brief outline of the first chapter in
the history of the insurrection of 1868.
The Cuban band soon increased to an army
of three thousand men, and the whole eastern
department (Oriento) rose in rebellion.
The pernicious influence of Napoleon Arango
caused delay in the central department, and
disturbed and crippled the revolutionary movement for a time. Armed with the prestige attached to others of his name, he sought to acquire a reputation for intrepidity and wisdom,
while he was only an ambitious intriguer, seek



384   LAS MINAS AND LAS TEGUAS.


ing to retain the popularity he accidentally
enjoyed. He convened a Junta which was attended by a few sincere patriots, whom he persuaded to join him in a treaty with Valmaseda,
accepting a few concessions from Spain in exchange for a return to vassalage.  He was
violently opposed by Ignacio Agramonte, whose
counsels prevailed, and war was decided upon,
the army of this division being placed under
command of C. Auguste Arango, a brave and
enlightened patriot, who was afterward basely
murdered by the Spaniards as he was going into
Puerto Principe under a flag of truce.
In the battle of Las Minas, on the twentyfifth of November, the Spaniards under Valmaseda were so badly beaten by the Cubans
under Bernabe de Varona and Angel Castillo,
that they left their dead on the field, the survivors hastening to San Miguel, where they fortified themselves with breastworks and trenches.
In the battle of Las Teguas, the Spaniards,
under a renegade Cuban, Francisco Acosta,
assisted by the chosen battalion, a force of convicts, etc., promised themselves signal triumph,




VALMASEDA REPULSED.


385


but they were completely routed by Manuel
Boza and Bernabe de Varona.     These battles opened the eyes of the Spaniards to the
character and importance of the revolutionary
movement, and caused them to suspend all attacks until the arrival of reinforcements of men
and arms from the Peninsula.
Valmaseda, having increased his force to four
thousand men, marched toward Bayarno. Donato Marmol lay in ambuscade for him; but his
too impetuous men could not restrain a cry of,
Cz6ba libre! which betrayed the ambush, and a
sanguinary conflict ensued. The frenzied Cubans, armed for the greater part only with
knives, broke through the Spanish ranks, killing
and wounding many. The Spaniards retreated
in great disorder, one Pelisser, a deserter from
the Cuban ranks, pointing out to them where
they could embark their troops and cross the
river without being exposed to the fire of the
pursuers.
Tile inhabitants of Bayarno, having no artillery to oppose the assault of Valmaseda, resolved
to abandon their city, and, that it might afford




386


A RMS SECURED.


no shelter to the hated invader, to deliver it up
to the flames, casting into the blazing pile all
their wealth, not even the poorest inhabitant
manifesting any desire to reclaim anything from
the flames. Having thus, in their patriotic fervor, deprived themselves of all the comforts of
life, the women, the children, and the old men
went forth to live in the woods. The Spaniards
on their arrival found nothing but a smoking
heap of ruins.
On the twenty-sixth of December, General
Manuel de Quesada arrived in Guanaja in charge
of a cargo of arms and ammunition, which he
had collected with great dispatch. In the Island
of New Providence Martin del Castillo, a generous and persevering patriot, had contributed
largely the means for this purchase. Six thousand dollars were transmitted from  Havana
through Jose Valiente.  Sixty young enthusiasts, all men of wealth and position, accompanied Quesada on this expedition. By this means
four thousand stand of arms and the corresponding ammunition were safely lauded on the coast
of Cuba, where it was met by a sufficient force




ACTION ON SLA VER IY.


387


to receive and transport it to a point where it
could be distributed to the best advantage.
At the time of the declaration of war by the
Central Department, when Auguste Arango had
been placed in command of the troops, a republican form of government had been decided
upon.  Salvador Cisneros, Ignacio Agramnonte,
and Eduardo Agramonte were elected a "governmental committee." In February two others
were added to their number, one of whom, Francisco Sanchez Betancourt, had already rendered
distinguished services.  The first act of this
"Central Representative Assembly" was the
declaration of the immediate and total abolition
of slavery. In the Eastern Department gradual
emancipation had been promised by Carlos Manuel de Cespedes. Manuel de Jesus Valdes had,
indeed, openly advocated, with the impetuous
eloquence for which he was distinguished, absolute emancipation, convincing many, and acquiring general approbation; but Cespodes had
promised certain rich proprietors to favor the
'institution" for a while, on which condition
alone they agreed to assist the cause of the revo



388


NATIONAL CONVENTION.


lution. Thus the patriots of the Oriente and
those del Centro constituted two distinct parties.
Pedro Figueredo was commissioned to confer
with the most influential lnen of Havana; others
were sent out in different directions, securing
sympathizers and resources for the insurrectional
movement.
The distinguished patrician, Jose Valiente, was
designated by the government of the Oriente to
represent Cuba in the United States, with the
hope that that nation would, without delay, accord belligerent rights to a people struggling to
acquire the liberty already enjoyed in America.
In February, 1869, "Las Villas" rose in rebellion against Spanish authority, Villa Clara alone
raising seven thousand men, who achieved notable victories under the Polish general, Carlos
Roloff: They enrolled themselves without reservation under the banner of Carlos Cespedes.
In April, 1869, a national convention was held
in the little town of Guaymaro.  There were
present representatives of the Eastern Department, those from  the Central Department, the
Junta of Villa Clra, and delegates from the dif



THE NEW NA TION.


389


ferent insurrectionary cities, Santo Spiritu, iolguin, Jiguani, etc.
They agreed to establish a general government, a "federative republic," consisting of four
"states," - the East, Camagiiey (or Central), Las
Villas, and the West, - their decisions to be ratified by the cities they represented, and provisional only, obligatory until the end of the war
for independence. A constitution was adopted,
in all essential points similar to that of the
United States; the army was organized, and a
flag adopted; judicial courts instituted; even a
diplomatic corps, with representatives named for
the United States, France, and England. There
was doubtless some exaggeration in all this; but
it was necessary to discipline the insurrection,
and confirm its existence in the eyes of other
nations.
Chili, Bolivia, and Peru promptly recognized
the new republic. The Chamber of Representatives of Mexico, by a vote of one hundred to
twelve, authorized that government to take the
same resolution.
Recognition from the United States was espe



390


PRESIDENT CESPEDES.


cially to be desired. Morales Lemos, a distinguished Cuban patriot, was sent to Washington
to negotiate this matter, but he encountered
grave difficulties, too complicated to be detailed
here; but, as is too well known, that recognition
has not yet been granted. Mr. J. A. Echeverria,
J. M. Mestre, Ranon Cespedes, and Echeverria
again,hlave succeeded each other at Washington,
but their efforts have hitherto proved fruitless.
Carlos Manuel de Cespedes was unanimously
elected President of the Republic of Cuba Libre.
His life-long devotion to the cause of freedom
gave guarantee of the fidelity with which he
would discharge the sacred trust. His vast estates were confiscated by the Spanish authorities, he himself having liberated his slaves, incorporating into the Cuban army. all those who
wished to fight to maintain the liberty he had
bestowed upon them.
An exile from a princely home, a reward offered for his capture sufficient to have been the
ransom of a king in the olden time, in adversity
as in prosperity, Cespedes ever remained faithful
to the cause lie had espoused.




CESPEDES REMO VED.


391


In October, 1873, he was impeached by the
Chamber of Representatives, for what was considered usurpation of power. His brother-in-law,
Quesada, having been declared guilty of a military offense by a military court, President Cespedes, by an arbitrary decree, interposed his
authority, and nullified the action of the court.
For this he was impeached, and removed from
office, Salvador Cisneros, Marquis Santa Lucia,
succeeding him in the presidency.
Cespedes accepted the judgment passed upon
him with good grace, acknowledging its justice.
Although he could have obtained both wealth
and honors by placing himself under Spanish
authority, he still remained loyal to the Cuban
cause, and resumed active military service.
His remarkable career was cut short in a most
inglorious manner, in February, 1874. A negro,
captured by the Spaniards, purchased his own
miserable life at the cost of that of Cespedes, betraying the noble patriot into the hands of the
Spaniards.
Wandering, houseless and homeless, suffering
fatigue, hunger and thirst, his little encampment




392


DEATH OF CESPEDES.


was surrounded by his enemies. He ran out
from his hut, and was pursued by the soldiers;
turning, he fired three shots from his revolver
ere he fell, shot through the breast. In the hut
he had just left was found his diary, the last
entry being that he had not been able to procure any cocoanuts that day for food, owing to
the proximity of the enemy.
'What Washington is for America, and Tell
for Switzerland, that will Carlos Manuel de Cespedes be for Cuba. In grandeur and simplicity
of character, he compares not unfavorably with
the noblest figures of history; and although he
did not live to see the completeness of his work,
he laid securely the corner stone of Cuban independence. Though more fortunate hands may
rear the structure of liberty, his life has not been
in vain; and he fell as befitted a soldier."
Since the foregoing was written, Colonel Cespedes, the eldest son of Carlos Manuel, has furnished some very interesting details concerning
the death of his illustrious father. The president had been staying, for some two months
after his deposition, at a place called San




DETAILS BY HIS SONr


393


Lorenzo, in the Sierra Maestra, about eight
leagues from Cambute, District of Santiago de
Cuba, on the south side of the island. The
deposed chief magistrate was waiting for his
passport, which he expected soon to receive
from the new government that had replaced
him, he having made up his mind to leave the
island for a season.
The ex-president was in the habit of visiting
a family who lived in a ranch, or hut, about one
hundred yards from that occupied by himself
and son, the narrator. He had become accustomed to teaching the letters of the alphabet to
some children belonging to the family whom he
visited, and was thus occupied, with one of the
boys on his knee, when the place was surrounded
by about three hundred Spaniards, in three different detachments, and firing commenced at
once about the ranch where the president was.
Colonel Cespedes rushed to the assistance of his
father, but the hut where he was being now entirely surrounded by the enemy, it became impossible for him to get there. The Spaniards
opened a heavy fire, and a considerable number




394


HIS SON DRIVEN OFF.


of the soldiers pursued the colonel.  He was
obliged to abandon the place, fighting his way
as best he could. The colonel then made for
Brazos Escandido, a place about three leagues
off, where he expected to get some reinforcements with which to return, and attempt the
rescue of his father. It must be remembered
that Cespedes was without escort or troops of
any kind, and unguarded, except by his son and
their servants. Colonel Cespedes was unable to
return to the scene of action until five o'clock
on the morning of the next day, the twentyseventh of February, at which time the Spaniards were leaving the place. The distracted
son had been able to get together but some
half-dozen soldiers with which to do battle for
his father's life.
In the mean time, the Spaniards had burned
the ranches, and razed their frail timbers to the
ground. It was only then that Colonel Cespedes learned his bereavement, for he still thought
that his father might have escaped by some
other avenue through the woods.   But here,
while reconnoitering, one of the colonel's men




PROBABLY KILLED HIMESELF.


395


found the president's clothing near to the burned
hut where he fell. The watch and other valuable articles of the deceased patriot, as well as
the portraits of his bereaved wife and children,
were gone, and in possession of the Spaniards.
The wound, which must have proved fatal to the
heroic Cespedes, was in his left breast, and from
a pistol ball. Colonel Cespedes thinks that when
the president found escape to be impossible, he
used his own revolver with fatal effect against
himself, rather than fall into the hands of the
Spaniards.
With the formation of the government, the
command of the patriot army was given to Manuel Quesada, who, it will be remembered, had
commanded the expedition from Nassau, which
landed the first supply of arms and ammunition
received by the insurgents.
Several battles were fought under his command. On one occasion, it is said that, with a
force of only eight hundred men, he was attacked by two thousand Spanish regulars, the
latter being defeated, and retreating in great
disorder. He is reported on another occasion to




396


THE QUESADAS.


have attacked a force of six hundred regulars
with such success that his own entire reserve
force of five hundred unarmed men armed themselves with Spanish rifles on the field of victory!
These are, however, newispaper reports, and may
perhaps be exaggerations. Quesada has, however, undoubtedly been very successful in procuring funds for the aid of Cuba, and in obtaining
the recognition of belligerent rights for the
" lone-star flag." *
A younger brother, Rafael Quesada, has been
especially successful in organizing expedilions, having landed large quantities of ordnance stores,
provisions, etc., for the use of the insurgent army.
The following appeal of Rafael Quesada for aid
from Americans for his countrymen, who are
striving to throw off the yoke of tyrannical
Spain, is worthy of preservation. Its sentiments
are noble, while its language is temperate and
well considered.
"Americans! emulating your example, and as* The flag of Cuba is a very beautiful one, composed
of three blue and two white stripes, with a red triangle
next the staff, bearing a solitary star in the center.




APPEAL TO AMERICANS.


397


piring to your station, Cuba has struggled to free
herself from political and social bondage.
"She knows that the price of liberty is blood,
and a spirit determined never to wear again
chains once broken.
"She comes to you no mendicant. She claims
to have achieved her victories by the unaided
valor of her sons and endurance of her people,
without the military demonstration of any foreign nation in her favor.
"Americans, do you not recognize in this an
indomitable spirit, kindred to your own? Do
not the battles with the hireling soldiery of a
foreign tyrant, fought without adequate arms,
and with inferior numbers, remind you of the
Delaware, of Brandywine, of the Cowpens, and
of Guilford? See you not in the patience of
Cespedes the fortitude of Washington, and do
you not recognize in the perseverance of Manuel
Quesada a partisan as indefatigable as Marion?
' We will not recite the story of our wrongs,
of our appeals, or of the cruel and contemptuous
treatment with which they have been received.
24




398


FIVE YEARS' WAR.


We refer to your own Declaration of Independence for the catalogue of our oppressions.
Added to them might be found punishments
of a character of which even the tyranny of
England was unconscious. From these causes
a people signalized as the 'ever loyal' have
been scourged and slain into uncompromising
resistance.
"For more than five years has this spirit of
resistance existed. In many different efforts to
throw off the insupportable bondage has our
determination been evinced. There can be no
compromise - there will be no compromise -
with a power so perfidious and incapable of
trust. Happier are we in the Switzerland of the
Antilles, free in our inaccessible fastnesses, fighting day by day in the defense of our frontiers,
than when toiling for supercilious tyrants who
only condescend to increase the exactions, and
through others to compel the toil of her unhappy
slaves by punishment which we refused longer to
inflict.
"The present war of independence commenced
five years since. We were weak and unarmed;




CUBAN SUCCESS.


399


we have wrested weapons from the captured foe.
We have received aid from a world sympathizing
in the struggle of two races for liberation from a
double bondage. After having defeated the regular troops of Spain in many pitched battles and
innumerable skirmishes, the Republicans have
compelled the monarchists to suspend their campaigns.  They have defended themselves by a
line of stockade forts stretching across the island.
They thus hope to keep out invasion. This cessation of active hostilities, with their Voluntary
resignation of territorial limits, installs the republicans in possession of much the largest part of
the island.  They have regular representative
government with an executive head. They have
maintained successfully their independence for a
term, not sufficient to satisfy Spain, who claimed
sovereignty over Holland for three quarters of a
century, Mexico for twenty-five years, from the
period when those countries had respectively
established their separation, and who, within a
few years past, claimed that she had only suspended hostilities against Chili and Peru for the
forty years that had intervened since her soldiers




400


THE AID DESIRED.


had lost their last foothold in those states. Yet
the Republicans have maintained their independence long enough to satisfy all impartial powers
that they are ready and competent to enroll
themselves in the growing list of free republics.
Free as your air, and as fit as Holland or Switzerland to defend ourselves and make defensive
alliances or political union with other powers of
congenial principles and approved position, we
now ask at your hands the substantial aid which
none better than yourselves know to be indispensable to maintain the double charge of freedom  to two races.  The aid we solicit may
consist of an active influence with your government to recognize the just and demonstrated
ability to defend ourselves from invasion, and to
maintain all the responsibilities of a nationality;
in strengthening by immigration of your strong
and resolute men the cordon of hearts that now
surrounds our hostile frontier; in contributing
especially such assistance of arms and other
material of war, provisions, and foreign credits,
as may better demonstrate to Spain the futility
of further annoyance. All of such aid will be




GENERAL JORDAN.


401


repaid from the liberated resources of our fertile
country, and in the satisfaction which freemen
cannot but feel in having aided to break the
shackles of two races, driven the dragon of despotism from its struggling victim, and added the
Pearl of the Antilles to the brilliant tiara of
republican freedom which already encircles the
seas of Cortes.
"RAFAEL QUESADA."
GENERAL THOMAS JORDAN, formerly of the Confederate army, was the successor of General
Quesada.
This gallant officer took service in the cause
of Cuban independence early in 1869, and in
Maly of that year went to Cuba with an expedition which landed safely at Ramon under command of Francis J. Cisneros- a young civil
engineer who has done his country great service.
General Jordan added greatly to the efficiency
of the Cuban army, by giving his whole attention
to its complete organization and thorough drill.
At Las Minas, in January, 1870, one of the most
important battles of the war, he, with one thou



402


GENERAL A GRAMONTE.


sand Cubans, defeated a force of twenty-five
hundred Spaniards, killing and wounding one
thousand of them; while his own loss, owing to
his excellent strategical position, was very small.
On the removal of General Manuel Quesada,
General Jordan was placed at the head of the
Cuban forces-a position which he soon resigned, however, and was sent by the government to the United States to promote the organization of expeditions for relief.
He was succeeded by GENERAL IGNACIO AGRAMONTE, who had already distinguished himself at
Las Minas, and who stands foremost on the list
of those who have died in support of the cause
of Cuban independence.
Born in Puerto Principe in 1843, he was endowed by nature with rare moral, physical, and
intellectual gifts. As a member of the first
Cuban Congress, this young patriot, by his impassioned eloquence and powers of logic, swayed
the minds of many of the older senators; while,
as a soldier, his daring bravery and patriotic
ardor kept him always in the front ranks. He
at one time commanded a corps of native Cuban




A GRAMONTE'S DEA TH.


403


flying cavalry, who rode like centaurs, and in a
brief space of time had decimated nine detachments of Spanish cavalry.  On the resignation
of General Jordan, he was promoted to the rank
of major general, and held supreme command
of the central department.
The soldier's ambition to meet a glorious death
upon the battle-field was never more thoroughly
gratified than with General Agramonte. After
gaining a splendid victory at La Molina, on the
seventh of May, 1873, he was attacked on the
eleventh at Jimaguaya by a powerful Spanish
column. Forcing the enemy to retreat, he was
shot dead, at the head of a corps of cavalry,
leading the charge.  Unfortunately, the Spaniards got possession of his body, and carried it
to the place of his birth, where, yielding to their
natural ferocity, they mutilated and burned it
with great rejoicings. That sort of cremation
will not help Spain.
MAXIMO GOMEZ, the successor of Agramonte,
has also done good work. On one occasion, he,
with a small force, marched boldly into the garrisoned town of Santa Cruz, meeting with no




404


COLONEL AGUERO.


opposition from the Spanish troops, the garrison
hiding on the approach of the Cubans. They
captured all the arms, ammunition, provisions,
clothing, etc., in the place - as valuable a prize
as the successful landing of an expedition, and
at the cost of nothing but cool daring. At another time, he entered in a similar manner the
town of Neuvitas, the Spanish governor and the
garrison of ninety men shutting themselves inside the fort- even the gunboats lying in the
harbor not landing their men until after the
departure of the Cubans.
Another Cuban officer of note is COLONEL
MELCHIOR AGUERO, who, besides taking part in
several hard-fought land battles, has made two
successful trips by sea. One of these (in the Hornet) was unfortunate in losing the arms after
being safely landed. Another was made in the
Edgar Stuart,-a vessel owned by some Cubans
in New York, - which, after being badly battered in this service, was run into the harbor of
Baltimore, where, after resting quietly for several months, she was overhauled and put in
thorough order, ready for another trip. The




A WAR TO THE DEA TH.


405


Virginius affair having occurred in the mean
time, the Edgar Stuart was closely watched by
both Spanish and United States authorities.
Finally, after being allowed to make a trial trip,
under command of Colonel Aguero, with several
government officers and a number of invited
guests on board, she was seized by the United
States marshal, by order, it was supposed, of the
authorities at Washington.
Depending largely for arms and ordnance
stores on what they can capture from the enemy
the battles are usually a l'odtrance; and such are
the courage and determination of the Cubans,
that they are able to combat successfully, apparently overwhelming numbers of splendidly
armed Spanish veterans.
There is no exchange of prisoners in this
strange war, the Spaniards refusing this tacit
admission of belligerent rights to the Cubans,
declaring persistently that there is no war, only
an insurrection, which must be put down. They
accordingly shoot every man found armed,
whether in battle or not. At the battle of
Holguin, one of the most important of the war,




406


CUBAN MAGNANIMITY.


of the entire Spanish command of five hundred
men, two hundred were killed or wounded, the
remaining three hundred surrendering unconditionally. General Garcia, the Cuban commander, having- ordered all the wounded prisoners to be cared for, had all the others drawn
up in line. Laying down their arms at his command, they stood awaiting the word "Fire." The
Cuban general rode up in front of them, and
said, "There are two roads open to you: jozn ils
or leave us!"  Astonished at this magnanimity,
they shouted with one voice, " Viva C1ba libre!"
and joined the patriot ranks.
The Spanish government pretends to despise
the Cuban revolution, denouncing the patriots
as "robbers-mostly negroes and Chinamenwandering in the woods and flying at sight of a
Spanish bayonet."  Their official documents,
however, show that it is no child's play. The
Diario de la Mlarina of December second, 1871,
after giving a statement of arms imported into
Cuba from New York alone at that date, calculates the cost at one million four hundred and
fifty thousand dollars; while the samle paper of




COST TO SPAIIN.


407


November fourteenth, 1871, published an authentic statement of the expenses caused by the war
from November fourteenth, 1868, to the end of
October, 1871; the sum   total amounting to
seventy million three hundred and thirty-nine
thousand six hundred and fifty-eight dollars and
forty cents, or nearly twenty-four millions a
year! And all this for the persecution of a
few vagabonds roaming about in the woods!*
The Spanish army is composed almost entirely
of regulars, imported from the Peninsula.  For
nearly six years, reinforcements of blood and
treasure have been flowing in a continuous
stream; according to the Diario de la Jlarina,
the organ of the Spanish government in Cuba,
more than eighty thousand soldiers have arrived
in Cuba, from Spain, since the inauguration of
the revolt in 1868. More than two thirds of
these troops have disappeared; some killed in
battle, but probably the larger number, having
died from climatic diseases, the result of exposure and neglect.
* See Notes about Cuba, issued by F. V. Aguilera
and Ramon Cespedes. New York: 1872.




408


THE VOLUNTEERS.


Native white Cubans and negroes are also
enlisted to some extent, but 'they sympathize
too generally with the cause of freedom for
much dependence to be placed upon them.
The so-called volunleers constitute an important
element in the conflict.  Originally a body of
militia-composed exclusively of Spanish emigrants, between whom and the native Cubans
there has always existed a bitter enmity —organized by General Lersundi, Captain-General of
Cuba, at the time of the inception of the revolt,
to aid in putting down the rebellion, these " western Mamelukes" have usurped the powers of the
Captain-General, and made their name infamous
by their brutal ferocity.  Estimated at sixty
thousand well-armed men, in the safe seclusion
of their luxurious homes, or lounging in the
caf6s, they wage a fierce war of words, urging
the extermination or annihilation of the rebels,
but contribute neither men nor money to accomplish this end. They profess to be highly loyal
to Spain, and very bitter against her enemies;
and though they never raise a hand to help the
one, or put down the other, yet they practically




THEIR INSOLENCE.


409


control the policy pursued toward the patriots,
by driving from the island every captain-general
whom they can neither intimidate nor bribe,
arrogantly defying all interference.
General Lersundi having been recalled to
Spain, his successor, General Dulce, found his
power but an empty name, such was the authority already attained by these janizaries. They
threatened to kill sundry Spanish military officers of high rank,* such as Generals Moret,
Buceta, Pelaez, and others, because they were
not considered severe enough in their treatment
of the Cubans; and these officers were obliged
to escape from the island in foreign vessels.
They obliged Captain-General De Rodas, the
successor of Dulce, who was sent out from Spain
purposely to suppress them, to don their uniform and to mount guard in the balcony of his
palace. They stopped his carriage in the streets,
and made him put on a Catalonian cap; and at
last, tired of making him the instrument of
their every whim, they suggested to him that it


* See Notes about Cuba.




410


COUNT VALMASEDA.


was time for him to leave-a suggestion with
which he at once complied; driven out to make
room  for their favorite, Count Valmaseda,
whose unparalleled barbarities have won for
him a disgracefully notorious place among the
exterminators of mankind. The volunteers expressing a wish that this monster should replace
De Rodas as captain-general of the island, he
was at once appointed by the obsequious authorities at Madrid. Under his administration the
war was prosecuted with unexampled barbarity,
the history of his reign being but a record of
massacres and executions.
A civilian, Jose Valdez, being tried by courtmartial for having uttered seditious words, was
condemned to six years' hard labor in the chaingang. The president and members of the military court were in their turn sentenced to two
months' imprisonment for too great leniency in
their sentence upon Valdez!
An intercepted letter from a captain of volunteers contained these words: C More than
three hundred spies and conspirators are shot
monthly in this jurisdiction. Myself alone with




VALMASEDA'S BARBARITIES.


411


my hand have already disposed of nine, and I
will never be weary of killing."
And another read as follows: "Not a single
Cuban will remain on this island, because we
shoot all those we find on the fields, on the
farms, and in every hovel."
Another letter, from the latter writer to his
father, had this sentence: "We do not leave a
creature alive where we pass, be it man or animal. If we find cows, we kill them; if horses,
ditto; if hogs, ditto; men, women, or children,
ditto; as to the houses, we burn them; so
every one receives his due -the men in balls,
the animals in bayonet thrusts. The island will
remain a desert."
The following extracts from one of Valmaseda's proclamations will illustrate his method of
warfare - the civilized warfare of the nineteenth
century: -
"Every man, from the age of fifteen upward,
found beyond his farm, will be shot, unless a
justification for his absence can be found.
"Every hut that is found uninhabited will
be burned by the troops.




412


HIS PROCLAMA TION.


"Every hamlet where a white cloth in the
shape of a flag is not hoisted, in token that the
inhabitants desire peace, will be reduced to
ashes."
This proclamation was to take effect from
the fourteenth of April, 1869.
Of this proclamation the Diario de la Marina
said in its leading article of May ninth, 1869,
"These measures adopted by General Count de
Valmaseda are undoubtedly measures of war,
but they are not of such a nature as to revolt
the feelings of humanity. Let the proclamation issued by General Count de Valmaseda be
studied without passion, let the antecedents be
recorded, and it will be seen that said proclamation does not even reach what is required by
the necessities of war in the most civilized
nations." *
Mr. Fish, in a letter to Mr. Lopez Roberts, of
May tenth, used this language: " In the interest
of Christian civilization and common humanity,
I hope that this document is a forgery. If it


* See Book of Blood.




THE TROCHA.


413


be indeed genuine, the president instructs me
in the most forcible manner TO PROTEST AGAINST SUCH
MODE OF WARFARE."
The most important work -in design, if not
in execution - undertaken by the Spaniards in
the prosecution of the war, has been the construction of the Trocha — a line of forts, stockades, and earthworks extending across the island,
designed to form an impassable barrier, which
should prevent the Cuban forces from passing
from the eastern and the central departments
into the western department.
The Cubans have recently captured several
of the military maps of the Trocha, prepared
by a Cuban, a native of Santiago de Cuba, employed in the Spanish topographical engineer
corps. The map shows the position of all the
forts, pitfalls, outlying picket stations, etc., and
is found of great use to the Cubans.
Although much money and labor has been
expended upon this undertaking, it has proved
of little practical value, the Cuban troops passing back and forward as they choose, ignoring
the Trocha completely, as an insignificant piece
25




414


THE CUBAN SUPPLIES.


of military engineering. It has been, not inaptly, compared to the fabled wall which Romulus is said to have built around Rome, over
which Remus leaped in derision.
With the exception of what is captured on
the field of battle, or in raids upon the garrisoned towns, the Cuban patriots depend for
arms, ammunition, and stores of every kind,
upon the successful landing of expeditions, fit.
ted out by those of their leaders who are acting as agents in the United States, the South
American States, and elsewhere. The more important of these expeditions have been mentioned incidentally already in this sketch. The
exploits of the Virginius, under Quesada, were
recounted as necessary to the understanding of
Captain Fry's position when captured. More
recently, in June, 1874, a very important landing is reported to have been made by General
Aguilera, on the north coast, of some four
thousand Remington and Peabody arms, six
pieces of mountain artillery, and a large quantity of ammunition. The material was safely
landed, and communication established with the




THE CUBAN ARMY.


415


forces of Maximo Gomez. This is said to be the
most important expedition gotten up since the
first year of the war.
Since the " Virginius affair," the war has been
prosecuted, on the part of the Cubans, with a
more determined spirit of resolution than ever
before, and with the same undaunted bravery
which has characterized them since the inception
of the struggle.
Nearly all of the heroes who inaugurated the
rebellion, only six years ago, have passed away;
but the younger men who have taken their
places in the arena are in no wise inferior in
bravery, skill, or resolution.
The army is divided into five army corps,
commanded by the president, as commander-inchief, with four major generals, six brigadier generals, and twenty colonels. There is, besides the
regularly organized army, an immense unarmed
reserve force, every Cuban over the age of fifteen years considering himself a member of the
army.
The government powder-works, recently established, are a complete success, and with the




416       70 VELLA R 'S EXPERIMENT.
inevitable speedy capture of one or more seaport
towns, where they can receive imported arms,
will render the Cubans more efficient than ever.
In the civil department, "everything works
as smoothly as in an old-established government.
Laws are made and executed; elections are held;
courts hold their regular sessions; and taxes,
which are as light as possible, are collected."
On the part of the Spanish government there
exists the same relentless determination to "suppress the revolt" at all costs. After the "Virginius affair" Captain-General Jovellar insisted
upon being invested with "extraordinary powers." This being granted, he declared the island
in a state of siege, and under martial law. Not
satisfied with the loud-spoken protestations of
patriotism on the part of the volunteers, he determined to put it to the test, and accordingly
issued a proclamation drafting into active service
one volunteer in every ten, subject to the same
laws and regulations as the regular troops; two
thirds of those drafted to remain in garrison, the
rest to go into the field with the regular army.
An attempt to carry out this order met with




CONCHA 'S CHARACTER.


417


determined opposition from the volunteers. A
mob surrounded the palace of the captain-general, and, to the number of seven thousanc, took
possession of the city, cutting off all passage
through the Plaza de Armas, in front of the
palace, for several hours, and compelling Jovellar
himself to take refuge on board a man-of-war lying in the harbor. He was compelled, before
they would disband, to concentrate within the
city all the troops from the surrounding country.
Finding it impossible to carry out his plans,
Jovellar tendered his resignation, as more than
one of his predecessors had gladly done.
He was succeeded, in the spring of 1874, by
Gutierrez de la Concha, who had previously
twice held that position, both periods of his administration being epochs of blood marked by
the execution, imprisonment, or banishment of
the most distinguished sons of Cuba.
Concha is described as " a born tyrant, devoid
of intellect or military skill, distinguished only
for his savage ferocity," his political and military
history being the record of an unmitigated series
of ignominious acts.




418


CONCHA 'S POLICY.


On his arrival in the island, Captain-General
Concha declared his intention of "taking the offensive in the most resolute manner." He issued
a proclamation to the effect that, as Providence
had crowned with success his former efforts to
secure peace, he was confident that the same
success would be accorded again. He declared
that he would be deterred by no obstacleswould pursue a policy "of severity against the
enemies of Spain, of protection toward its friends,
and of justice and legality toward all," repeating,
in conclusion, hie conviction that peace would
speedily be restored under the flag of Spain.
That his policy of severity is being put into
execution is evidenced by the following statements made by an American gentleman recently
returned from Cienfuegos. He reports that "the
inhabitants are in great terror, owing to the relentless manner in which conscription is carried
on.  Persons of all ages and conditions are
forced into the army, and those too feeble to
shoulder a musket are placed in the chain-gang.
He frequently saw old men and boys not over
thirteen years of age chained to negroes, and




SPANIARDS FLEEING.


419


working in the street, A Spanish officer was
standing over them, whip in hand, ready to
apply the lash unmercifully upon the least
dereliction of duty.  Even the Spanish residents of the city had become disgusted with
the inhumanity of their own race, and were disposing of their goods and property as fast as
possible, to escape from the island.  He knew
of a vessel that left Cienfuegos the week previous to his departure carrying away twenty
refugees.
"All persons suspected of sympathizing with
the patriots were drafted into the army, without
law, and of course without redress. The whole
country for several leagues was one vast waste,
many of the sugar plantations having been
burned by the insurgents.   There were two
thousand volunteers and regulars in the city.
The commandant was afraid to venture outside
the stockade, to fight a handful of Cubans, and
put an end to the work of destruction."
With a fierce civil war raging in Spain, exhausting the resources of the mother country,
and thus cutting off that continued stream of




420


CONCHA 'S PROSPECTS.


reinforcements, both of money and of men, hitherto flowing from the Peninsula to the island;
with troops paid in paper currency but little
better than waste paper (gold for export duties
selling at two hundred and ninety in June, and
all exchange offices closed); with the negroes
rising in all directions, and burning the sugar
plantations, thus cutting off that prolific source
of Spanish revenue; with the volunteers disaffected, and going over to the patriot ranks in
large numbers; with the Cubans themselves
more determined and better armed than ever,
leaving the inaccessible mountains of the East
to assume the offensive on the plains of the
Central Department and the sea-coast; —Captain-General Concha seems likely to find his
task of "subduing the rebellion" exceedingly
difficult, if not impossible.  "Peace" may, indeed, "be secured," but it may not be "under
the flag of Spain."
I insert, in conclusion, an appeal for the recognition of belligerent rights. It is a letter from
Senor Don Miguel de Aldama, President of the
Cuban Junta in New York, addressed to the




ALDAMA'S APPEAL.


421


editor of the New York Herald, and dated in
that city on the twenty-third of July last.
"Late news from Cuba confirms the reports
previously received of new and signal successes
by the patriot troops over their Spanish oppressors. In view of this information, I feel
constrained to make a personal appeal to you
in behalf of the long-suffering friends of freedom
on that island. For now nearly six years my
countrymen of Cuba have conducted this fearful
struggle with Spain alone and unfriended from
without. Their natural ally in the contest was
the United States. They expected from it succor and sympathy, and, with anxious hearts,
have pleaded for equal rights with Spain. How
these appeals have been answered is a gloomy
history.
"The administration hAs not, up to this time,
been able to see its way clear to accord belligerent rights to our revolutionists. Of course, it
has put no limit on the privileges of Spain. The
effect of this discrimination has been at times
well nigh disastrous to our cause. It has put




422


A LONG STRUGGLE.


the United States in the attitude of playing policeman and detective for Spain. It has enabled
her to draw all her supplies for Cuban subjugation from free America, which has served her as
her quartermaster, commissary, and ordnance departments. Absolutely a large portion of the
navy with which our coast is blockaded was furnished from American ship-yards. I advert to
these hardships and sufferings of my countrymen
merely to remark, that in spite of them, Cuba
Libre still lives, and is to-day stronger than at
any previous period since the revolution began.
"For nearly as long a time already as your
own revolutionary patriots struggled against the
pretensions of George III. and Lord North have
our Cuban brothers fought against the galling
yoke and hideous despotism of old Spain. All
the questions at issue in your own war with
Great Britain are involved in the struggle with
Cuba to-day, coupled with the prospect of escape
from the most terrible tyrannies that ever oppressed any people.
"The late successes of the patriots having
struck terror to their hearts, the Spaniards are




EQUAL RIGHTS ASKED.


423


now making a supreme effort to crush the revolution. From this time forward we shall expect
to receive reports of bloody battles. It is in this
hour we solicit your powerful pen in aid of our
sacred cause. After all, your government is one
in which public opinion, strongly asserted, must
and will prevail. It is the great merit of your
beautiful system that no administration can withstand an overwhelming expression of popular
desire. Public opinion finds its voice outward
in a bold, able, and independent press such as
yours.
"The present occasion is propitious. The various conventions that meet to nominate candidates this summer could give utterance to the
popular sympathy for Cuba, and in this way the
press and the people could act and react on each
other, forming, after a while, a steady current
of opinion to which the administration will consider itself compelled to yield.
"We ask equal rights with Spain in free
America. Surely a revolution that has been six
years in existence, that has cost Spain over one
hundred thousand lives and one hundred and




424


ALDAMA 'S CHARACTER.


forty millions of dollars in the attempt to suppress it, and which is now stronger than at any
moment since it began, has earned a title to belligerency at least. And has not such a struggle
against such a despotism established a claim on
the friends of liberty.and humanity everywhere?
"Hoping it may be your pleasure to sustain
the patriots of Cuba in their great contest for
independence,
" I have the honor to be, respectfully,
" Your obedient servant,
"MIGUEL DE ALDAMA."
Senor de Aldama, the present general agent
of the Cuban republic, was one of the most
wealthy citizens of Havana, and one of the first
to take sides with the patriots. His palatial
residence being sacked by the volunteers rendered necessary the removal of his family to
New York, and he was placed at the head of
the Cuban Junta. Notwithstanding his property had been confiscated, he bought the
steamer Hornet, and, fitting her up as a manof-war, at a cost of more than one hundred and




HIS LIBERALITY.


425


fifty thousand dollars, presented her to the Cuban republic. She went to sea in good order;
but Captain Higgins having put into Charleston
harbor, she was seized by the United States
officials. As President of the Cuban Junta, and,
later, as general agent of the republic, Senor Aldama has sent out several expeditions of men
and arms to Cuba. All have been landed safely,
but some have been captured afterward. Senor
Aldama has been one of the most liberal and energetic of all the Cuban refugees, having spent
more than two hundred thousand dollars out of
his own pocket in sustaining the revolution
which is to give Cuba her independence.




CHAPTER XXIII.
LAST WORDS OF CAPTAIN FRY. -HIS LETTERS HEROIC POEMS. -LETTER TO HIS DAUGHTER AGNES, NOVEMBER 4,
1873, HERE PUBLISHED FOR THE FIRST TIME. - LETTERS
TO DR. V. O. KING, MRS. DICKSON, HIS AUNT, AND TO HIS
BROTHER WALTON. - LAST LETTER TO HIS BELOVED
WIFE. - LETTER TO PRESIDENT GRANT. - NO NOTICE
TAKEN OF IT.- CAPTAIN FRY'S LAST APPEAL FOR HIS
MEN, IN A LETTER TO GENERAL BURRIEL. - COMMENTS
OF THE PRESS UPON THE LAST WORDS OF THE SAILOR,
GENTLEMAN, AND HERO, FRY.
FoR tender, pathetic eloquence, for exquisite
purity of thought and diction, for moral heroism
and spiritual grandeur, nothing in the annals of
prose or poetry surpasses the "last letters" of
Captain Joseph Fry. They have been published
and republished throughout the length and
breadth of our land. They are worthy to be
emblazoned in letters of gold.
In the eloquent words of the editor of the
Mobile Register, "Is there a boy who reads the
426




A HEROIC POEM.


427


language in which these dying letters are written in whose soul is not kindled a spark that
made it a nobler soul? Is there a man who
would not wish to be able to die like him?
Fry's letters are an heroic poem, and in their
moral influence in elevating our humanity deserve to stand by the works of genius, in song
and story, that tell of, and teach our youth to
emulate, unselfish courage and the highest type
of manly fortitude.... They are all alike, because they all come from the depths of the same
great heart. In none of them is there the faintest sign of faltering in his great purpose to devote his last moments to an effort to save his
fellow-victims, and in tender solace of the dear
ones and friends he was about to leave. More
simple eloquence was never poured out upon
paper. Their every line reveals the tenderness
of a woman, and the courage and truth of a
man."
In addition to those "last letters" with which
the world is already familiar, there is another,
which has never before been read outside of the
family circle —one which will bring tears to




428


A.FATHER'S FAREWELL.


many eyes. It is the last farewell of a fond
father to his children, so soon to be deprived of
a father's love and protection. Addressed to his
little daughter Agnes, couched in the simple language suited to impress the mind and heart of a
child, it gives to each his dying counsel. To his
boys, "Tell Feedie his father loves him, and
hopes he will be manly, trthful, and gentle in all
his ways." "Tell Charlie to do his best at whatever he tries at all, and he will succeed."  "Love
each other, and, if you wish to honor my memory, practice telling the truth, at any sacrifice, and
God will bless you." " If you love your father,
be kind, and good, and true." What simple
purity, what noble integrity, speak forth in
every line! The truth, even at any sacrifice, is
the burden of it all.
" LA TORNADO,
" November 4, 1873.
"MY DEAR DAUGHTER AGNES: You asked me,
when I wrote again, to write to you.
" This will be the last letter you probably will
ever receive from your father, and I want to tell








PHtIOORAFHED BY WASHBURN, NEW ORLEANS.
CHILDREN OF CAPTAIN FRY.




DYING ADVICE.


431


you how much I have ever loved you.... If I
have been stern or apparently unkind to you, I
want you to remember I loved your soul, and
wanted to be strict in matters of right, so you
might learn to serve God, and be holy like Him.
"I hope my children will forgive all harshness
on my part. I love you all dearly, and, if God
will let me, will come with dear little Lize, and
watch over dear mamma and you all
"Love each other, and, if you wish to honor
my memory, practice telling the trulh, at any sacrifice, and God will bless you. Remember that
for me.
"I need not ask you to pray for me; I know
you will. Remember how sad your poor, dear
mother will be, and try to comfort her, for my
sake. I love her with all my heart, and shall
die loving and blessing her, and, if God lets me,
will be very near her and you always. May
God comfort and bless you, and teach you to
shun every sin! Let us all try to get to
Heaven.
"Tell Feedie * his father loves him, and hopes
* Feedie, a pet name for Felix.
26




432


RELIGIOUS HOPES.


he will be manly, truthful, and gentle in all his
ways.
"Tell Charlie to do his best at whatever he
tries at all, and he will succeed.
"As for Dell, God will bless her, for she is a
dear, good girl, and her father's spirit will be
near her in prayer.
"The reverend father has given me a scapular,
which he will send to your mother after I am
dead, and keep a medal I am to wear for him."
"The father is chaplain of this ship, and is
going to say a Mass for me, and give me communion in the morning; and if I am shot, I hope
to take it again on the field, and die in the act.
That would comfort your mother, I know.
"I do not know how you will all get along
now, but God is over all, and he will not suffer
you to be tried beyond your strength.
"Good by, my sweet daughter. I am sorry
my first letter to you should be so sad; but if
you love your father, be kind, and good, and
true.
"Your father,
"JOSEPH FRY."




LETTER TO DR. KING.


433


Of the letters which have been given to the
world, the first one was written to his friend Dr.
V. O. King, of New Orleans. Though written
before his trial by court-martial, it is evident that
he considered his doom as sealed, and had bravely
resigned himself to his sad fate.  True to his
philosophy, he found consolation, even in this
trying hour, in the fact that he should be spared
the lingering sufferings of a bed of sickness, and
die in the full possession of his faculties. Faithful to his country to the last, he thought of
Louisiana, and prayed that God might send her
peace and plenty soon. May his prayer be heard
and answered!
"ON BOARD SPANISH MAN-OF-WAR LA TORNADO,
"SANTIAGO DE CUBA, November 4, 1873.
"DR. V. O. KING, New Orleans, La., U. S.
"DEAR DOCTOR: I have been captured by the
Tornado, subjected to a rigid examination and
cross-examination, and to-night have been officially informed that to-morrow morning I and
thirty others will be tried by a court-martial.
They did not add 'and shot,' but, as I look upon




434


LETTER TO DR. KING.


it as a polite way of making that announcement.
I have but a few hours left in which to say to you,
Mrs. King, M. and T., the judge, and Mrs. Gayarre, Adios! as they say it here. For your warmn
friendship and many acts of kindness to me
and mine, receive my last and warmest thanks.
"They shot yesterday four splendid fellows,
and in less than forty-eight hours I will be with
them, and am not sorry that it is so for my own
sake.... My little Lize hovers over me now.
Say good by for me to the fellows of the Academy.* I shall be spared a bed of sickness, and
die in the full possession of my faculties, and in
good health.  God bless you and yours, dear
doctor, and may he send peace and plenty to your
poor State soon, is amongst my last prayers.
"Yours affectionately,
"JOSEPH FRY."
To his aunt, Mrs. Dickson, of Jersey City, who,
raised with him, and near the same age, was like
an elder sister, he wrote the following letter, also
published for the first time.
* The New Orleans Academy of Sciences, of which
Dr. King was vice-president, and Fry a fellow.




LETTERS TO AUNT AND BROTHER. 435


"LA TORNADO, SANTIAGO DE CUBA,
"November 4, 1873.
"DEAR LIZZIE: As I expect to be tried to-morrow morning, and shot at sunrise the next morning, I cannot quit this world without telling you
how I have ever loved you, and leaving at least
this slip as a remembrance of me. Bless you
and yours.... When you get this I will have
been dead for some time, and none of you need
shed a tear for me. Pray for my widow and
orphans, and get your friends to help them help
themselves.
"Love and kisses to all.
"Yours,
" JOE."
He also wrote to his brother Walton on the
same day:" LA TORNADO, SANTIAGO DE CUBA,
"November 4, 1873.
"DEAR WALTON: Day after to-morrow will be
Sis's birthday. It will be rendered doubly memorable in after days, for I expect on that day,
probably within thirty-six hours, to be shot



436


LETTER TO HIS BROTHER.


as were four splendid fellows yesterday morning.
The news has been most carefully kept from me,
but I got it, nevertheless. Having good reason
to suppose I would share their fate, and wanting
some little time for preparation, I made a request
to know my fate, and was officially informed that
I would be tried to-morrow morning by courtmartial with thirty others.  Of course I know
what that means, as I have already been tried!
Well, I am satisfied, and shall sleep well upon it.
I feel sorry for the few who shall weep for me
— glad they are so few. Poor, dear Dita did
not have the Madonna face for nothing. I shall
take communion, and be shot in the act, if they
will grant my request; and if so, God will have
answered my prayer, and allowed me to die at
that moment. It is a curious circumstance that
there is no priest here who can speak English,
and who can absolve me, as many are suspended
by the pope, I believe. But the padre says I
can confess to God, make the act of contrition,
and be absolved. The officers of the Tornado
are very kind to me. I am a prisoner in their
ward-room.




LEHTTLER TO HIS BROTHER.


437


"Kiss your wife and children for me. Good
luck to you, old fellow. Love to J. Tell B. the
memory of his angelic goodness to me helps me
to trust in God.
"Tell Sis not to mourn for me, for I would
rather die trying to do something than sink like
a dog into the grave, and rather like the idea of
rest which I hope for. I hope God will not
abandon me, and that friends may pity my poor
widow and my fatherless children.
"I wish I could get General Varona's last
letter to me to send you.
"I-ow this news is to be broken to poor Agnes I don't know. May God help her -for he
only can.
"I wish my friends to be patient and kind to
my poor children. Kiss little Willie for me, and
my little Lina and Annie. Kiss Aggy and Dell.
May God bless my poor boys, and raise up
fiiends for them, who will show them how to live
and howz to die. Tell T. good by, and may God
prosper him and all his good works. Tell him




438


THE LAST LETTER.


to kiss M. and his children for me. I don't know
what they'll do with my body. It was never
worth much in life. I do not want a cent spent
upon it in death —it is useless. Love to my
friends.
"God bless you, my dear brother. I hope to
be with those who have gone before, right soon,
and am  not conscious of a pang for myself.
I feel sorry for those I know will mourn me
sincerely.
"Your brother,
"JOSEPH FRY."
The evening before his death he sat down to
write a last farewell to his wife. In that last
supreme moment, there was no thought of self,
no fear of death, no longing for life; his only
regret was the bitter anguish he knew his loved
ones must suffer. Every line is replete with the
tenderest love, and bears the impress of almost
angelic purity and trust in God.
The Baltimorean, in giving this letter to its
readers, prefaced it with the following words:"It is a matter of no common occurrence for




SCENE OF THE LAST LETTER.


4.39


a man in full flush of health to be called to take
an eternal farewell of all that his heart holds
dearest. When this demand is made, and the
circumstances are such that the world's attention
is directed to it, that world is apt to listen respectfully to the words, and watch the conduct
of the man, and feel for the moment the emptiness of life compared with the beauty of an heroic
death. Such a spectacle as this was presented
on the evening of the sixth of November. The
scene was the Bay of Cuba, over which the moon
peacefully shone. The locality was the Spanish
man-of-war La Tornado. The man was Captain
Fry, and the transaction was a letter, which Captain Joseph Fry was writing to his wife. There
are very few personages in this little tragedy -
a man about to die, and his wife hundreds of
miles away, unconscious of his fate. The scene
is one of those paradoxes which Providence
brings about, contrasting the beauty and peacefulness of nature with the distortion and agony
of man. The letter has since been published,
and very touching it is. It will be republished
wherever the English language is understood,




440


'VNA TURAL ELOQUENACE.


for it strikes one of the tenderest chords in the
harp of home affection. It is full of that poetry
which sometimes comes to the most commonplace man or woman in the sudden prospect of
death. It is the purest breathing of conjugal
and parental affection at a moment when all the
dross subsides from  earthly passion, and the
heart is left clean and pure upon the brink of
the grave.
"At that sad hour, with all that is grand and
sweet in life fading away, and the amazement of
the tomb confronting him, Captain Fry compressed his thoughts with a simple eloquence
that is not always attained by a practiced writer,
even under the inspiration of a sympathetic
theme. He avers that the anguish of his wife
is his sole regret in dying, mentions with a very
pardonable pride the proofs of respect and attachment he has received, even from the President of the court-martial, expresses the satisfaction of a gentleman in having been recognized
as one, commends himself to the children whom
he is forever leaving, adjures his wife to turn
for consolation to Him alone who permits this








I


PHOTOOR APHED BY WASHBURN, NEW ORLEANS




FARE WELL TO HIS WIFE.


443


fearful agony, bids her not dread death, for that
when it comes it will come as an angel of rest,
and announces, with the dignity of a man whose
face is damp with the breeze from the unknown
world, that he dies in the religion of his childhood. Wherever the story of the Virginius
outrage shall go, the story of this letter will
go too. It is a letter that many an eye will
weep to read, and that any man at such an
extremity might envy the power of being able
to write."
"ON BOARD THE SPANISH MAN-OF-WAR LA TORNADO,
" SANTIAGO DE CUBA, November 6, 1873.
"DEAR, DEAR DITA: When I left you I had no
idea that we should never meet again in this
world; but it seems strange to me that I should
to-night, and on Annie's birthday, be calmly
seated, on a beautiful moonlight night, in a most
beautiful bay in Cuba, to take my last leave of
you, my own dear, sweet wife! and with the
thought of your bitter anguish my only regret
at leaving.
"I have been tried to-day, and the President




444


KINDNESS OF THE JUDGES.


of the court-martial asked the favor of embracing
me at parting, and clasped me to his heart. I
have shaken hands with each of my judges; and
the secretary of the court and interpreter have
promised me, as a special favor, to attend my
execution, which will, I am told, be in a very few
hours after my sentence is pronounced. I am
told my death will be painless: in short, I have
had a very cheerful and pleasant chat about my
funeral, to which I shall go in a few hours from
now. How soon I cannot yet say. It is curious
to see how I make friends. Poor Bambetta pronounced me a gentleman, and he was the brightest and bravest creature I ever saw.
"The priest who gave me communion on board
this morning put a double scapular about my
neck, and a medal, which he intends to wear
himself. A young Spanish officer brought me
a bright, new silk badge, with the Blessed Virgin
stamped upon it, to wear to my execution for
him, and a handsome cross in some fair lady's
handiwork. These are to be kept as relics of
me. He embraced me affectionately in my room
with tears in his eyes....




FAREWELL MESSAGES.


445


"Dear sweetheart, you will be able to bear it
for my sake, for I will be with you if God permits it. Although I know my hours are short
and few, I am not sad. I feel I shall always be
with you right soon, dear Dita, and you will not
be afraid of me...
"Pray for me, and I will pray with you..
There is to be a fearful sacrifice of life from the
Virginius, and, as I think, a needless one, as the
poor people are unconscious of crime, and even
of their fate up to now. I hope God will forgive
me if I am to blame for it.
"If you write to President Grant, he will
probably order my pay, due when I resigned,
paid to you after my death.... People will be
kinder to you now, dear Dita; at least I hope so.
Do not dread death when it comes to you; it
will be as God's angel of rest — remember
this...
"I hope my children will forget their father's
harshness, and remember his love and anxiety
for them.  May they practice regularly their
religion, and pray for him always...
"Tell --   that the last act of my life will be




446


A HEROIC NA TURE.


a public profession of my faith and hope in Him
of whom we need not be ashamed -and it is
not honest to withhold that public acknowledgment from any false modesty or timidity. May
God bless and save us all.
"Sweet, dear, dear Dita, we will soon meet
again. Till then, adieu, for the last time.
Your devoted husband,
" JOSEPH FRY."
The following from the Memphis Appeal is
worthy of preservation: —
"The farewell letter of poor Captain Fry to
his wife is the most touchingly beautiful tribute
to his own true, gentle, and manly heart that
eulogy could pronounce, or love for his noble
nature dictate. What a grand, what an heroic,
nature is that which, on the night before his
execution, could contemplate his funeral of the
morrow, not only with calmness, but with a
sweet and holy, almost playful, resignation, as
if the gate of death were the entrance to home,
and to the companionship of his beloved wife




THE CUBAN LANDSCAPE.


447


and little ones! The tropic moon and the golden
stars looked down upon the waters of one of the
loveliest bays in the world.   The land-breeze
blew fresh, and came laden with the fragrance
of Cuban flowers, and the subdued notes of faroff mandolins played by the fairy fingers of
lovely Creole women, the night that this brave
man sat down upon the deck of the Spanish
man-of-war La Tornado to write a last farewell
to his ' own, dear, sweet wife.' It was a night to
make one in love with life; for the air of the
Caribbean Sea is wooing and sensuous, and it
seems very sweet to live when one is in the
land
'Where the citron and olive are fairest of fruit,
And the voice of the nightingale never is mute;
Where the tints of the earth and the lines of the sky,
In color though varied, in beauty may vie;
Where the maidens are soft as the roses they twine,
And all save the spirit of man is divine '
"6 But it was not the influences of the tropical
clime, the moonlight on the phosphoric waves, or
the scented winds from the shores, that might
have appealed to and aroused the love of life in




448


LE TTER TO THE PRESIDENT.


the breast of the condemned American sailor.
The crowding memories of his own home and
family, his kindred, and his friends in his far-off
native land - these, indeed, must have whispered
to his courageous heart how sweet was life, how
bitter was the fate of the morrow.... And yet
not one regret for self escapes him, not a murmur passes his lips, not one unkind word of his
judges, no call upon his country to avenge his
cruel murder."
Resolved to leave nothing undone which
might possibly benefit his family, Captain Fry
also addressed the following letter to President
Grant:
"U. S. GRANT, President of the United States of America.
"MR. PRESIDENT: My resignation as lieutenant
in the United States navy, dated the twentysixth of January, 1861, was accepted by the
navy department, but no application for the pay
due me has ever been replied to. Unable to find
employment in my native land, I was forced to
accept the first offer, one that leads to my death.
The money due me, I am inclined to believe, will




LETTER TO THE PRESIDEVNT.


449


be paid to my family when it is known I am
dead. Will you see to it?  I ask it of you as
a brother officer.  If the questions of the war
had been left to the old officers of the army and
navy, there would have been no war. Cherish
both arms of the service, for they are most free
from the taint that corrupts the land. My field
of usefulness to the country has been abridged
by proscription. The carpet-bag policy is ruinous to the land. Let Louisiana govern herself.
Her prosperity is that of the whole country.
Tt, is treason to do otherwise.
"Respectfully,
"JOSEPH FRY,
" Confederale States Nayy.
"P. S. The Spanish officers are very kind to
me, but the United States are weak when a vessel can be captured on the high seas, with perfectly regular papers, and her captain, crew, and
passengers shot without appeal to the protection
of the United States.               J. F."
Of this letter no notice was taken, other than
27




450


PROTEST TO BURRIEL.


the formal reply, "The matter will be placed in
the proper hands."
He has bidden adieu to friends and brother, to
wife and children; but he has still another duty
to perform; "as a sailor and a commander, his
last efforts are for his crew." To General Burriel he addressed these eloquent and generous
words, submitted to the authorities in Santiago,
not in his own behalf (for he met death without
a murmur), but in behalf of some of those on
board the vessel with him, whose circumstances
should have commended them to merciful consideration.
Tile reader will perhaps miss from this eloquent appeal the elegance and purity of the
faultless English for which the letters of Captain
Fry are so remarkable; but it must be borne in
mind that his original composition was never
given to the world. This protest was first published in the Cuban papers, necessarily translated
into the Spanish language, and thence re-translated into English for us. The sentiments, if not
the exact words, are wholly his, and will touch
the hearts of all who are worthy to bear the




APPEAL FOR THE CREW.


451


name of men. That his brutal captors were not
moved to pity by it, only shows that they were
not men - that they had no hearts.
"CAPTAIN FRY S LAST APPEAL.
WITH permission of the Consul, I wish to say
a few words in favor of the crew of the Virginius,
and the mitigation of their punishment.  The
pilot had just escaped from a shipwreck, and
needed an advance of salary to buy clothes and
have them made. Nothing was said to him in
regard to the blockade running, but, on the contrary, as I had the authorization of the owners,
I had prepared the papers of the vessel, I notified every one that we were to be occupied in
trade with the islands, with passengers for Puerto
Simones, in Costa Rica, or in taking cattle to
Cuba, as I believed that the vessel might do so.
"From the time when arms arrived on board,
I thought there would be occasion for a portion
of the men to see the consul.  The consul in
Puerto Principe sent for me, but I did not receive
his message until I was on board, having been
compelled to leave port by order of the author



452


IGNORANCE AN EXCUSE.


ities. There was a guard on board to prevent
desertion by the passengers. I know that some
of them protested, but Varona let them know
that he would answer propositions of this class
with the pistol.
"Running the blockade is considered a risky
business among sailors, for which good pay is
received. It is notorious that a great number
of vessels were employed in it during the American war, and, although captures were numerous,
not a single life was lost; the greater part of the
prisoners were set at liberty after a short imprisonment. I never heard a word before the night
of my sentence of Cuban law and the proclamation relative to an attempt to introduce arms
into Cuba. If, with superior opportunities, I was
ignorant that the case could be decided by another law than the international, how complete
may have been the ignorance of these poor
people! I was continually in the company of
people who ought to have known it, and not one
alluded to the fact. In a word, I believe that it
is not known, and that the world will be painfully
surprised at learning the sacrifice of these lives.




SPECIAL CASES.


453


"The Consul knows well that I am not pleading for my own life. I have not prayed to God
for it, not even to the Blessed Mother. I have
neither home nor country -a victim of war and
persecution, the avenues to the securing of property being closed to me to such a point that I
have not been able to provide bread for my wife
and seven children, who know what it is to suffer
for the necessaries of life. My life is one of suffering, and I look upon what has happened to
me as a benefit of God, and it is not for me,
therefore, to ask favors of any one.
"The engineer Knight, I know, came contrary
to his will. I-e was bitterly opposed to it, as I
learn from  the person who obtained him to
come.
"Spaniards, the world is not so full of people
who prefer honor to life. Save him, poor 'Rosa!'
Poor gentleman, with heart as tender and as conmpassionate as that of a woman, of irreproachable
honor, his business was that of charity. Ite was
devoted to others, and though he was aboard the
vessel for the benefit of their health, I believe
he will not use this advantage for himself.




454


RELIGIOUS ARGUMENT.


"The man Bribon was my servant, hired by
the day, when we were in port, and not inscribed
on the roll. He wanted to be set on shore at
Jamaica. He was disembarked at Pairnitor, and
lost the opportunity. He is almost an idiot.
They call him Cubanello, and he is a Venezuelan. He was a favorite on board, and ought not
to suffer.  Another fellow was taken on board
to keep him from dying of sickness and hunger,
was sent to the hospital from the boat, and permitted to come on board through charity.
"The greater portion of the crew were entrapped by their lodging-house keepers, who
gained possession of them, and watched the
opportunity to put them  on board, on receiv
ing advances on their wages.
Spaniards, I believe I am the only one who
dies in the entire Christian faith of our holy
religion. Consider the souls of these poor people; give them an opportunity to ask mercy of
God. I know that you must fulfill your duty,
but my blood ought to be sufficient, because
innocent and defenceless people will suffer with
my fall.




USELESS SE VERITY


455


"May these considerations have influence with
the authorities to whom I beg to appeal. These
poor people had no knowledge of what you think
their crime. Pardon me if I say that I don't believe their deaths would have on the fate of Cuba
the good effect the law foresees - our civilization
is so opposed to such proceeding. I don't say
this in tone of complaint, but we are accustomed
to at least identify victims when we are going to
sacrifice.
"According to my view, there should have
been some intervention. Our government, by
its influence, should have been pronounced, and
perhaps in that way their lives might have
been saved without compromising the dignity
of Spain.
"Senores, farewell. I know that the members
of the council who condemn me accomplished a
painful duty. Let them remember us in their
prayers to God, and ask their wives and children
to do the same for us.
"Respectfully,
"JOSEPr FRY.
"Written on board the Tornado, Nov. 7, 1873."




456


COMMIENTS OF THE PRESS.


From the comments of the press, I will select
only the following: --
"There is no bravado about this paper, yet
never was epistle penned with more calmness, or
less trepidation, under the very shadow of the
wings of the Angel of Death. Self is forgotten,
but the present is not. Not even the necessity
of preparing for immediate death, nor the grandeur of those mysteries of eternity, so rapidly
drawing near, can withdraw the attention of
the Christian hero from his duties of the hour.
There are those whose lives he may save by an
appeal. That appeal, written calmly, temperately, elaborately, is before us. We know how
it failed, but we can see how it ought to have
succeeded. It was insufficient to save, but ample
to nerve every hand to avenge, though such was
not its object. If Captain Fry had not already
proved himself a model of coolness and chivalric
* I regret that I cannot, in every instance, give due
credit to the editors whose eloquent language I thus reproduce; but in this, as in many other instances, the
clippings only have been forwarded to me, cut in such
a manner as to afford no clew to the paper whence taken.




PECUNIAR Y MISFOR TU NES.


457


bravery, this letter would, in itself, be enough to
convince the world that these traits were eminently his. Yet they fade into secondary importance compared with the magnanimity, the
unselfish devotion, of his care for others, and
forgetfulness of himself. The saddening reference which he makes to his pecuniary misfortunes, and the privations of his family, does but
add a touch of exquisite sentiment to a picture
which, we know, will go down to posterity as
one of the noblest that tragedy has given to
history."
The following was published in the New York
Herald as a " communication " over the signature
"Army:" -
The letter from Captain Fry to General Burriel, written in behalf of the crew, states the
whole thing plainly, and without extenuation.
I would call the attention of my countrymen to
tie sublime spectacle of this sailor, gentlemanz, and
hero, whose final utterances of sorrow-stricken
but unconquered spirit will claim the heartfeit
sympathy and admiration of all men not utterly
selfish and cowardly. Taking a perhaps legally




458  SAILOR, GENTLEMAN, AND HERO.


wrong but hazardous service to support a wif.
and seven children; captured, — whether justly
or not, I care not, -but most outrageously
tried, convicted, and barbarously executed; as a
sailor and commander, his last efforts are for his
crew; as a gentleman, he bows them farewell on
his way to his death; as a hero, he dies! He
bitterly says he lias no country, because he belonged to the list of soldiers and sailors by profession who have never been permitted to resume
their allegiance to their government.  I claim
him for my countryman. I claim his example
and glorious death as a legacy to both professions, to both of which he belonged; and I
claim for all of us the privilege of avenging his
murder."




CHAPTER XXIV.
CAPTAIN FRY'S RELIGIOUS CHARACTER.- HIS MOTHER A
ROMAN CATHOLIC. -HIS BOYHOOD MOSTLY SPENT IN THE
PURITAN HOME OF HIS GRANDFATHER. -A CATHOLIC
EDITOR'S ENCOMIA. - A PROTESTANT WRITER'S PRAISE.GENERAL QUESADA'S APPEAL TO THE ARCHBISHOP OF NEW
ORLEANS. -A SOLEMN REQUIEM MASS CELEBRATED.
FROM a sketch furnished to the New York
Journal of Commerce, by a near relative, we
learn that " the combination of influences under
which Captain Fry's religious life was developed
was somewhat peculiar.
"His mother, a devoted Catholic, dying while
he was yet a child, this early bereavement invested with especial sacredness those precepts
of church loyalty which, planted deep, by her
fidelity, among his first impressions, controlled
the allegiance of his latest years.
"The house of his grandfather, where the
459




460


FRY'S RELIGIOUS COURA GE.


greater part of his boyhood was passed, was a
home of Puritan faith and virtue; and during
his residence there he was brought under the
influence of another phase of Protestantism in
the preaching of the celebrated evangelist,
Knapp....
"He has often been heard to tell how, when
traveling once by sea, he spent much of his time
in the forecastle, reading to the sailors, from the
Apocalypse, and dwelling with delight on its
closing visions of pure and peaceful glory. To
ascend to that heavenly city was, we may be
sure, no prospect of terror for him."
A Catholic editor, writing of his last moments,
speaks of him thus:"Nor is the golden halo of religious triumph
wanting to that picture. The war-worn soldier
forgets not to speak of 'our holy religion, and to
plead with Christian zeal for others, that time
3hall be given them to prepare their souls for
eternity. He approaches death with the tranquil mien of a 'soldier of the Cross,' not with the
ribald bravery of a petroleur. Towering in the
stalwart manhood of a form that never felt the




PRAISE BY A PROTESTANT.


461


weakness of fear, he hesitates not to speak out,
as a child might do, of the 'BLESSED MOTHER.'
Before the power-wielding minions of an infidel
government, who hated his church;... before
that Protestant public at home which must ponder well the words he should utter; before the
world that must sit in judgment in his case; before men, and devils, and angels,-the bold,
strong man, looking with unquailing glance into
the very eye of death, speaks gently, humbly,
of the BLESSED MOTHER. Unless ye become like
unto little ciildren, ye shall not enter into the kingclom
of heaven."
A Protestant editor, inspired by the same
theme, wrote thus ---
"Here is a grand and noble nature, and a
man whose death this whole nation can speak
of with pride, since it illustrates the heroism of
that Christian civilization of which our country
is evangel to all the nations of the earth. To
strengthen the growing ties of church fellowship,
and that commendable tendency to unification
of faith among the various churches, let us not
forget that Captain Fry was a Roman Catholic.




462


A SINCERE CHRISTIAN.


Whatever may be our views of the dogmas of
that church, if its teachings have contributed to
produce the noble heroism of Fry, let us freely
accord it the credit. The light of its animating
faith issues from the same divine source whence
comes our own. And touching this point of religious belief, Captain Fry reveals the origin of
the power that sustained him in the most trying
hour that can come to man; and that was, FAITH
IN GOD.... It was a similar spirit of Christian
faith that, three hundred and thirty-eight years
ago, sustained another martyr in his last moments. Sir Thomas More, the illustrious author
of the Utopia, the successor of Cardinal Wolsey,
who was, for conscience' sake, condemned to
death by the order of Henry VIII.; he also was
a devout Catholic. But let us not ask whether
they were Catholics or Protestants; they were
Christians!"
That Captain Joseph Fry was a sincere Christian, earnestly endeavoring to live out, in his
own life, the teachings of the great Master, has
been amply shown in these pages. That he was
a Catholic Christian, complying practically with




FR Y'S SPIRITUALITY.


463


the requirements of the Catholic church, his
"last letters" freely testified.
The following testimonial to the beautiful
spirituality of his faith has been furnished me
with the authorization of his confessor, Rev. Father Hubert:
"In the practice of his religion, Captain Fry
did not wait for the near approach of life's last
hour.  He was a practical Catholic during a
number of years preceding his death, even sometimes under circumstances of poverty and misfortune that would have driven many a person
into a stolid, despairing revolt against the decrees of Providence. Rev. Father Hubert, S. J.,
speaks of his faith in very high terms. The
reverend father was his confessor during a numnber of the last years of his life, and bears testinony to the child-like confidence and unreserve
with which he submitted his own judgment and
will to the decisions of spiritual authority. His
devotions were marked with an unusual fervor
and all the earnestness of a sincere, honest character.
"The beautiful, affectionate enthusiasm of his




464   PRESENCE OF THE DEPARTED.


nature led him to much interior communing
with the spiritual world. He loved to think of
the departed as still watching over us, and interesting themselves in our welfare. He knew that
his church teaches the 'communion of saints,'
and the presence of 'guardian angels.'  This
was not a mere theory with him, but had grown
to be a pervading sense. He. realized it habitually."
How fully he realized this presence of the departed, and how confidently he anticipated sharing their watch over his loved ones, is seen in
his last letters. To Dr. King he wrote, ^My
little Lize * hovers over me now." To his
daughter, "I love you all dearly, and, if God
will let me, will come with dear little Lize, and
watch over dear mamma and you all.... I love
her with all my heart, and shall die loving and
blessing her, and, if God lets me, will be very
near her and you always.... As for Dell,..
her father's spirit will be ever near her in
prayer."
* A little daughter who had preceded him by about a
year.




LETTER TO ARCHBISHOP PERCHE. 465


To his wife -at that last, supreme moment,
when surely he expressed his truest thought,
his firmest belief - he offers the consoling
thought, that to them death would prove no
separation, but rather a speedy reunion, for he
would be with her " right soon, dear Dita;" that
she would know it, and would recognize him, for
he says, "and you will not be afraid of me."
Captain Fry having died in the full faith of
the Catholic church, General Rafael Quesada addressed the following eloquent, pious, and patriotic letter to Archbishop Percle, of the Diocese
of New Orleans:"To his Grace, the Most Reverend N. J. PERCHE, Archbishop of New Orleans.
"MOST REVEREND Sm: The indignation of humanity has been concentrated upon the atrocious authors of the recent Cuban massacre, and
temporal sympathy has been extended to protect the living, and avenge the dead.
"There is, however, a higher and more holy
duty due to the memories and spiritual happi28




466


A REQUIEM ASKED.


ness of those who thus perished. It is to assure
them the sacred office of the church of which so
many among them were communicants. It is to
implore the pardon of a just God for the sins
committed by them while in the flesh —to ask
that the happiness of heaven may afford glorious
exchange for the sorrows of earth, and that God
will turn the barbarous hearts of those who murdered their fellow-beings to a contemplation of
their wickedness, and to repentance of their horrible crimes.
"It is to you, most reverend and excellent
shepherd and spiritual father of the holy Catholic church in Louisiana, that the undersigned appeals for counsel, consolation, and aid.
"The friends and relatives of the patriots
murdered by some of the Cuban authorities respectfully ask that your grace will authorize, and
if compatible, conduct the sacred and solemn requiem office, at the cathedral, for the repose of
their dead, to which they are entitled, not only
as Catholics, but by every consideration of Christianity and humanity.




A REQUIEM ASKED.


467


"We are exiles. Our native homes are held
by those who denounce our acts while living,
and our names when dead. Those who ordered
those acts of assassination cannot be expected to
grant the consolation of religious rites to the
victims of their injustice. Even the honors of
religion would be a reproach to the inhumanity
which occasioned them.
" Hopeless, then, of an honorable sepulture or
Christian offices for the martyrs of freedom who
have perished in Cuba, the undersigned, for himself, and in behalf of sorrowing friends and relatives, solicits of your grace, our spiritual father
in the faith, in a foreign land, this Christian
service, which they cannot dare to expect in
their own.
"With profound respect and veneration for
your grace, the undersigned has the honor to
subscribe himself your son in Christ, and most
humble and obedient servant,
"RAFAEL QUESADA."


In response to this appeal, a solemn requiem




468          OTHER SER VICES.
mass was celebrated in the cathedral in New
Orleans, on the third of December.
Special services were also held in the Church
of Santiago, New York city, and elsewhere, in
memory of the Cuban martyrs, who, dying in
the Catholic faith, were in their last moments
denied the solemn offices of their church.




CHAPTER XXV.
TRIBUTES TO THE MEMORY OF CAPTAIN FRY. - LETTER FROM
MR. DE CORDOVA OF JAMAICA. - OTHER LETTERS. - " A
NAME LUSTROUS IN ITS SUBLIME HEROISM."- "A CUBAN
PICTURE," A POEM. -" 0 REST YE IN PEACE." — REPRODUCTIONS FROM THE PRESS: THE MOBILE REGISTER,
THE NEW YORK TRIBUNE, THE NEW ORLEANS HERALD,
TIMES, ETC. - "VIRGINIUS," A POEM. - AMICUS'S "VERSES
TO THE MANES OF CAPTAIN FRY."
MANY tenderly beautiful letters of condolence
and  sympathy   were received   by  Mrs. Fry.
They came alike from far and near, from strangers and from friends. I venture to make public the following extracts, hoping that, as with
one exception I give no names, no offense will
be taken. I only desire to show to the world
the hold he had upon all hearts.
" KINGSTON, JAMAICA, January 16, 1874.
"MRS. JOSEPH FRY, New Orleans.
"DEAR MADAM: The unfortunate and unjustifiable end of your late, much lamented husband has received the sympathy of the whole
469




470


LETTERS OF CONVDOLEATCE.


of the civilized world. The illegal and unconstitutional manner in which he was executed
by the bloodthirsty Spaniards has drawn on
the heads of his assassins the execrations of
all nations. Be assured, madam, that this small
island has not been isolated from the world in
its expressions and feelings; and I therefore convey to you the sentiments of the people of
Jamaica when I tender you condolence on the
bereavement which you have suffered in the
death of one whose last acts and words gave
evidence of his unselfishness and his devotion
to the cause of freedom and liberty.
"Some young gentlemen in this city gave
a theatrical representation, and the proceeds
thereof were placed in the hands of Senor Mariano Acosta and myself for distribution. I beg.
therefore, to wait on you with a colonial bank
bill of exchange for ~-, being the proportion awarded to you, and which is tendered,
and, we trust, will be received by you in recognition of the worth of your late husband, and
as a mark of the expression of sentiment to
the widow of one whose life was intended to




LETTERS OF CONDOLENCE.


471


be devoted to the work of emancipation, but
on whose head the tyrannizing hand of despotism inflicted the death-blow.
"I have the honor to be, madam,
"Your obedient servant,
"ALT. DE CORDOVA."
" --- -—, November 20, 1873.
"MY DEAR COUSIN: The intelligence of the
terrible blow which has fallen upon yourself and
family reached us in the midst of affliction
scarcely less severe than that under which you
are bowed. My mother and her family were
mourning the loss of a dear husband and father
when the news of cousin Joe's death was announced. It is needless for me to say that he
was loved by us all, and that his death rendered
even darker, if possible, the dark cloud of sorrow which shadowed our house. For my mother
and father he always cherished the warmest affection, and the knowledge of this fact, together
with an adequate appreciation of the noble, manly qualities of head and heart which characterized him from boyhood to the grave, endeared




472


FRY'S CHILDLIKE FAITH.


him to our whole family far more than the ties
of relationship alone could ever have done.
"I would scarcely attempt to offer you any
subject for reflection with the hope of affording
you lasting consolation; time alone can bring
solace, and even that sometimes fails; but in
the midst of your grief it will not be without
some comfort to remember that he never did
a dishonorable act; that he scorned all things
mean and little; and that, toward the latter
part of his life, at least, he was an earnest and
sincere believer in the truths of the Catholic
Church, and persevered in endeavoring to follow
the path she pointed out to him. While in
New Orleans, he and I frequently conversed
on the subject of a future life, and I was always
struck with the simple, child-like faith in the
promises of the church which his conversations
ever revealed.
"My mother and the rest of her family all
join me in the sincerest sympathy with yourself and your children, and earnestly pray that
the Father of the fatherless may protect you all.
<C_,




HIS LUSTROUS HEROISAM.


473


"NEW YORK, January 15, 1874.
"If my grief for the loss of one who was a
valued friend, from childhood till ripened manhood had attained its zenith, was so intense,
surely it were reasonable that language should
be unavailing to soothe or render less acute the
sorrows that have befallen the wife and clildren of my cherished friend Fry.
"Our love was reciprocal.   When the ambitions of our earlier years were frustrated,
new projects were formed, that in after years
ease and happiness for our little home circles
might be the reward. Upon the lhazard of a
die he cast his lot, and in the bitter end, as
throughout life, the characteristics of the man
and the gentleman    predominated; leaving a
name lustrous in its sublime heroism, and as
imperishable as his Christian virtues.
" HAGERSTOWN, MD., December 23, 1873.
MRS. CAPTAIN JOSEPH FRY.
" DEAR MADAM:     Admiration for the heroic
character of your lamented husband, as partic



474


A CUBAN PICTURE.


ularly evidenced by his farewell letter to yourself, and a strong feeling of sympathy for you
in your great affliction, have given birth to the
following lines, which, as an expression of such
admiration  and   sympathy, I have taken the
liberty of herewith inclosing, with the hope
that an appreciative country will not cease to
remember' the name of Joseph Fry so long as
bravery and magnanimity continue to be regarded as virtues.
"Most respectfully,
Yv,,
A CUBAN PICTURE.
ON Santiago's placid bay
The town of Santiago lay;
And in her walls a deed was done -
The foulest e'er the sun shone on.
O Cuba I rarest, brightest gem
That decks Atlantic's diadem!
O star of constellation bright
That beams upon our ravished sight!
When yet the earth was fresh and young,
And stars their matins scarce had sung,
And still the heavenly echo rung,




A CUBAN PICTURE.                475
With lavish hand then Nature flung
A shower from her richest store -
Which on her breast and brow she woreOf gems that ransomed kings of yore,
Which fell beside the western shore
Of green Atlantic's swelling flood,
And there began to grow and bud,
Till soon was seen a group of isles
Which wear their mother Nature's smiles;
Cherished and blest beyond the rest
Of those who claim the mother's breast!
As parents still love most the face
Where their own features they may trace.
Of this fair islet galaxy,
Which studs the fairy summer sea,
Most grand of all, my theme is seenLo I Cuba - great Antilles' queen.
Here zephyrs whisper through the palms,
With odorous breath of spice and balms;
The orange, rich in golden hue,
Hangs ripe and tempting to the view;
The bulbul, from his fragrant nest
Upon the green Acacia's crest,
With quivering wing and swelling throat,
Pours forth his rippling, pearly note;
And as he calls his absent mate
From 'mid the stately feathery date,
He weaves, with silvery voice and strong,
For her a wreath of gems of song.
Its massive, elephantine leaves




476           A CUBAN PICTURE.
The staid banana here upheaves;
And far above the garden wall -
Adobe-built, and stout and tall -
Its verdant banners wave on high,
In rhythmic bend to zephyr's sigh;
While, firom the distance-softened height,
With vines and cocoa-plumes bedight,
The mellow tinklings faintly sound,
As though in light and fiagrance drowned.
The train, with bells and trappings gay,
Toils up the steep and devious way;
While, sauntering idly in the rear,
Lags slow the swarthy muleteer.
The warm, voluptuous, tropic day,
Which knows no fall, nor year's decay,
With sense-intoxicating power
Bids all enjoy the golden hour,
Unchecked by thoughts of future woe,
Of blighting blast, or field of snow;
For here the suimmer knows no death,
The gentle spring no dying breath;
No early grave ingulfs the bloom,
Nor hides their sweetness in the tomb.
Like fair twin souls, from sin set free,
And radiant in eternity,
The favored children of the year
All live and reign immortal here.
Here find they what vain mortals seek,
And that of which the poets speak —
A heaven on earth; 'tis here it lies,
For them a mundane Paradise.




A CUBAN PICTURE.


477


Amid the scene depicted here,
And mirrored in the waters clear
Of Santiago's placid bay,
The town of Santiago lay.
A prisoner from his. grated cell
Looked out upon the briny swell,
And in his breast an echo found
For ocean's heaving, sobbing sound.
And as he watched the dying day,
And caught the sun's expiring ray, -
He sat and gazed with yearning eye
Upon the soft cerulean sky.
He saw Night draw her curtain dark
O'er sleeping sea and anchored bark.
The eyes of heaven —the gleaming starsIn pity watched him through the bars.
He looked out on the glorious night
And thought on Iim- supremely bright -
The Architect of skill divine
Who did the starry dome design,
Which roofs this balmy southern night,
Replete with incense and delightMost grand that he has since his birth
Beheld, and 'tis his last on earth I
But in this solemn, dying hour,
Hie fears not death nor human power;
He looks his fate full in the face,
Supported by his Saviour's grace.
Yet still his brave heart fondly turns
To where his hearthstone fire still burns,




478           A CUBAN PICTURE.
And where are gathered those for whom
He'd laugh at danger, scorn the tomb.
He thinks of her -his bosom's wifeAnd of his children, more than life;
Regrets, for this alone, his end,
That it with pain their hearts should rend;
And now, with heart still fond and true
He writes his sad, his last adieu.
The night is o'er, the morning breaks,
But not a heart among them quakes.
A martyr band, and he their chief,
They stand unmoved by fear or grief.
At sharp command the column starts,
And on they move, those patriot hearts,
With steady step, unblenching eye;
Thus nobly move they on to die.
And as they pass the Consulate
Which marks Columbia's flag and state
Though powerless to save him now,
He greets it with a loyal bow.
And now they reach a massive wall
Where lies imbedded many a ball;
For other victims on this spot
Have died beneath the murderous shot.
At the wall's base, a ditch there lies,
Where drops the doomed one as he dies;
And here the hapless victims halt,
And kneel beside the waiting vault;
The guard steps back -a breathless pause -
A deadly aim each soldier draws.




A CUBAN PICTURE.


479


The signal comes -a flash - a roar -
And Freedom's sons lie red with gore!
As Rachel, lone and childless left,
And of her own by death bereft,
Wept sore, and comfort still refused,
Columbia! mourn thy flag abused,
Thy children bound by foreign chain,
And by the ruthless alien slain.
0, where those sacred ashes lie,
Weep o'er the grave of noble Fry I
No more from out his grated cell,
He gazes at the briny swell;
His children, wife, and native shore
Shall see his loving face no more.
His voice is now forever hushed,
Quenched by the stream of life which gushed
From out his body, wounded sore,
But painless now, forevermore.
Shall butchers scenes like these act still?
Insult our flag, our brethren kill?
From widows, mothers, stricken homes,
From rural plains, from city domes,
From friendless orphans' severed ties,
From graves where buried honor lies,
From north to south, from east to west,
One answer comes- one sole behest 1
That answer will be verified
When Freedom's banner, hailed with pride,
Shall o'er the beauteous island queen




480          0, REST YE IN PEACE.
Where now red murder's flag is seen
And o'er bold Fry's forsaken grave,
Forever in sad triumph wave.
IN MEMORY OF TTIE CUBAN MARTYRS.
0, rest ye in peace."
0, REST ye in peace by the ocean wave,
Where the orange tree blooms above your grave;
And the whispering tamarind sighs so low,
That dirge-like it sounds, a wail of deep woe I
0, rest ye in peace. The beautiful earth
To all beautiful forms gives constant birth;
And o'er you rich flowerets shall flourish in light,
Though unwatered, above your dwelling of night.
Soft skies on high, with clear amethyst hue,
Stilly at even shall scatter pearl dew;
And the star-beams, gilding ocean's billow,
Shall robe in luster your lowly pillow.
0, rest ye in peace where the Western Isles
Rejoice in the light of the day king's smiles,
Where the mellow moon shall watch o'er your rest,
And soft breezes blow in the Isles of the West
M. S. WmITIAKER.




TRIBUTES OF THE PRESS.


481


From the many eloquent tributes to the memory of Fry already published, I reproduce the
following as worthy of preservation:From the Mobile Register:"No man has figured in the history of a century who, in death, proved himself more worthy
to live than Captain Joseph Fry. And yet his
death was an epic that the world could not well
have spared.... How sublimely his faith and
trust in God shine out above the good deeds
which engaged his latest thoughts and efforts!
As we dwell upon the manner of his noble
death, we almost feel that envy, rather than pity,
is his due. Even the bereaved ones, the jewels
of his heart, in the family circle must find some
consolation in contemplation of their relationship to a husband and father who, in the full
tide of vigorous life, stood erect and robbed
death of its sting."
From the New York Tribune:In the "Thanksgiving article" of this paper
occurs the following beautiful reference to his
character and death:
"One other picture we should like to place
29




482


THE NEW YORK TRIBUNE.


before every man or boy who hopes to be ennobled by manhood - that of the captain of the
Virginius, on the day when he was shot at Santiago. It does not import whether we, the spectators, wish Cuba bond or free, —whether this
man Fry was Spaniard or American, Catholic or
Protestant, right or wrong in his errand, —the
facts remain that he believed it iight; that, sustained by this belief, and by his faith in his
religion, he was, when captured, tried and shot,
able to meet death in a fashion that proved the
man the stronger of the two.. We protest
that we know no more heroic figure in history
than this noble captain of the Virginius, in his
poverty and commonplace work, brought face to
face with eternity.,We would give to our children no loftier thought to refresh them on
Thanksgiving day than that with which. he
passed out of sight, with his hand held out to
help his brothers, and welcoming death with
proud humility as 'a benefit of God.'
From the New Orleans Herald: -
"As simple as a child, as gentle as a woman,
he was as gallant and fearless as Bayard, and




THE NEW ORLEANS TIMES.


483


pure as Sir Galahad. In those last supreme
moments, when his thoughts might well have
been absorbed in the contemplation of the terrible death he was about to meet, how entirely
he sank all ideas of self; and thought only of
those dear ones whom he was never to see more!
His only regret was the bitter anguish he knew
his wife must suffer.  The soil of Cuba never
drank the life-blood of a truer nobleman."
From the New Orleans Times:"We knew him long and well. He was one
of the kindest yet bravest of men.  Possessed
of fine mental powers and large scientific attainments, he was still little fitted for the hard task
of pushing his way successfully through the
world. He made practical discoveries which are
yet likely to prove valuable; but his was not the
genius through which they could be carried into
successful execution. He was so unselfish as to
be improvident.  This feature continued up to
his dying hour. While pleading for the lives of
others, not a word was uttered on his own behalf. Throughout all his later acts, he vindicated
a heroism which will yet prove a proud heritage




484


VIRGINIUS.


to his descendants, and be honored by the American people till the last syllable of recorded time
is uttered. When Captain Fry fell, a brave and
gentle spirit was released from  its prison-house
of flesh to enter upon the glories of the better
life with his 'little Lize.'"
VIRGINIUS.
BY; TIM LINKINWATER."
MEN, have your pulses quickened as you read with bated
breath
How the young, the brave, the dauntless, died an ignominious death?
How the blood we claimed as kindred moistened Cuba's
sun-touched land?
How, through tyrannic hatred, fell that unoffending band?
How, without a show of justice, or a pause, they hurried on
The freeborn sons of freemen o'er that bloody Rubicon?
How, even now, the minions who mocked their last sad
groan
Laugh at us in our anger, and deride us as we moan?
This is no fearful legend of days when men bowed
down
Before a sceptered autocrat, and trembled at his frown;




VIRGINIUS.                 485
Nor of dim middle ages, when strife and war held sway,
And wrote those deeds on history's page we should
shudder at to-day;
No tale of old time, telling of the fierce Viking's horde,
Who captured enemies at sea, and put them to the
sword;
Nor yet of outlawed pirates, who erst rode on the
seas,
And flung out black " No-quarter " from their mast-head
to the breeze.
This deed was wrought but yesterday, though its dark
horrors seem
As wild as are the fancies of excited fever dream.
The waters that flow past our homes, in ripples touch the
spot
Where the laws that bind mankind to man and nations
were forgot.
The men who fell were not at war with those who shed
their blood;
The Stars and Stripes protection claimed, -for they beneath it stood, -
And should have given safety; yet to-day, with tearful
eye,
We mourn the men who perished with the gifted, generous Fry.
The wail of woe fiom orphans; the weeping widowed
band;
Tears from bereaved mothers throughout our wide-spread
land;




486                VIRGINIUS.
Fathers bowed down in sorrow for sons whose midday
prime
They hoped to lean on as a staff, when came their life's
decline;
Bright eyes bedimmed with weeping; soft, white hands
clasped in prayer;
Ten thousand home-ties broken; the hopeless, wild
despair -
All, all are woful pictures, and intensify the shame
We feel has fallen like a cloud upon our nation's name.
A nation's honor tarnished I Shall we count the fearful
cost
Of a country's flag insulted, a people's honor lost,
And bear within our bosoms the stinging, burning
thought,
Our unhonored place 'mong powers was by base submission bought?
Forbid it, justest heaven 1 Forbid it, souls whose fire
Burns with impatience to avenge; who vow in righteous
ire,
That till the name "Virginius " recalls a humbled foe,
Till for each drop of brother's blood a caitiff's life-stream
flow,
We'll bear the badge of battle, this motto keep in sight -
Our flag protects all citizens who shelter 'neath its
might.
New Orleans Times, Nov. 21, 1873.




MEMOfRIAL POEM.                487
[From the Morning Star and Catholic Messenger.]
TO THE MEMORY OF CAPTAIN           FRY,
COMMANDER OF THE ILL-FATED VIRGINIUS.
HE has perished far from the genial land
Which gave his spirit birth -
His blood makes moist a foreign strandHis shroud is hostile earth.
And no more, alas! may our longing eyes
Upon his form e'er dwell -
That form stretched prone, 'neath friendless skiesIs bound in Death's cold spell 1
And a heart is stilled in which ne'er did rest
Dishonor, fear, nor shameWhilst naught remains to friends distressed
But reverence for the name I
By no loving hands were his dying eyes
Closed to their last long sleep -
No loving ears might catch the sighs
That memory loves to keep.
And it matters not that his guiltless soul
Knew not dark Fortune's ways -
The pure, alas 1 reach not that goal
In these corrupted days I
But we know, thank God I as we drop the tear
To his untimely end -




488             MEMORIAL POEM.
His blameless life, as death drew near,
Gave him, in God, a friend I
Let us send above to the Master's throne
An earnest, heartfelt prayerThat saving mercy may be shown
To him we held so dear I
AMICUS.
New Orleans, Nov. 13, 1873.




CHAPTER XXVI.
HELP FOR THE WIDOW AND ORPHANS.- CAPTAIN FRY'S
SACRED LEGACY TO HIS COUNTRYMEN. - GENERAL QUESADA'S WARM-HEARTED APPEAL. - THE APPEALS OF THE
PRESS SINGULARLY DISREGARDED. - RESPONSE OF ST.
LOUIS. - VARIOUS ABORTIVE EFFORTS TO RAISE MONEY
FOR THE SUFFERING FAMILY OF CAPTAIN FRY. - "A
WOOD AND COAL YARD " BUSINESS PROVIDED. - A FINAL.APPEAL IN THE ELOQUENT LANGUAGE OF THE MOBILE
REGISTER.
HAVING   struggled  in  vain, throughout his
whole lifetime, with  poverty, misfortune, and
disappointment; having risked his life, and lost
it, in the fruitless effort to win bread for his
family, Captain Fry, with his dying breath, gave
his wife and children, a sacred legacy, to his
countrymen.
Let it not be said, for the honor of humanity,
that they proved themselves unworthy of the
sublime trust.
During his lifetime, they had suffered silently
489




490


CAP TAIN FRY'S FAMILY


and uncomplainingly. When they were forced
into unwilling publicity by their sudden bereavement, their unfortunate circumstances became known; and their claims upon their cointrymen were promptly urged by others, in spite
of all their protestations, and pleadings to be
allowed to suffer in silence and alone.
General Rafael Quesada, as representative of
the Cubans, in whose cause Captain Fry had
lost his life, pleaded their cause in the following
warm-hearted and patriotic appeal to the different newspaper editors in New Orleans.  This
appeal speaks for itself too touchingly to require
comment.
" NEW ORLEANS, November 15, 1873.
"To the Editor of the New Orleans —.
SIR: Captain Fry, a brave man of the South,
possessed of great civil virtues, and one of the
most accomplished and thorough seamen of this
country, has lost his life in the horrible butchery
which, for the dishonor of humanity, the Spaniards of Cuba have lately perpetrated.
"Captain Fry has left in New Orleans a family




APPEAL FOR AID.


491


which deserves the protection of all those who
feel their hearts beating with the impulse of
generous sentiments.
"Under these circumstances, I have determined to open a popular subscription to assist
immediately the family of the noble Captain
Fry. With the conviction that neither natives
of this state nor Cubans will fail to contribute,
I have the honor to invite you to give circulation to this through the medium of your columns,
requesting you to be pleased to receive the donations, that they may be early offered to the
suffering family of the brave Captain Fry.
"In the future, when the cause of Cuba, for
which with so much honor Captain Fry has died,
shall have obtained a definite, final triumph, it
will be a patriotic debt which the republic will
pay, offering his family a second country, where
the name of Fry shall be venerated for all time
to come.
"I remain, very respectfully,
"Your obedient servant,
" GENERAL R. QUESADA."




492


FACTS AS TO T2HEIR NEED.


This appeal was published in all the New Orleans papers, with such sympathetic comments as
this from the different editors:"THE MURDERED COMMANDER OF THE VIRGINIUS.
-In relation to the subscription lists recently
placed before the public for the purpose of raising a fund for the dead hero's widow and children, we have some remarks to make. But first
we must dispel the idea that has obtained among
somne who can know nothing of Captain Fry's
impulsive and generous nature, to the effect that
he had received a large sum of money, some
thousands of dollars, to take command of the
Virginius. Such a transaction never took place,
and all statements tending to any such assertion
are unqualifiedly erroneous, and. can only proceed from ignorance. Captain Fry, having all
his life been a naval officer, was unfitted by his
training and education for commercial pursuits.
It is small wonder, then, that though industrious,
energetic, and frugal, he could not succeed. To
win bread for the loved ones at home, he went
to New York on the twenty-sixth of July, to try




SYMPATHETIC COMMENTS.


493


and obtain employment in his profession. The
command of the Virginius was offered him at a
moderate salary. He accepted, and the world
knows the rest.
"A subscription list is at this office, and we
feel that no urging is needed to make our generous public subscribe freely."
And this:"THE LATE CAPTAIN FRY. —General Quesada
has addressed a warm-hearted and patriotic letter to the --  office, which will be found in another column, proposing to open a subscription
list in aid of the bereaved family of this martyr
to the bloodthirsty Spaniards. The sentiments
contained in his letter are worthy of the General
and of his object. Although esome of his own
relatives were among those who perished, his
first thought is for the volunteer to the Cuban
cause.  No doubt our generous citizens will
speedily respond to a call which appeals, not
only to their sympathy for the family of the
martyr, but to the indignation they feel against
his murderers."




494


SYIMPA THETIC COMMENTS.


And this:"CAPTAIN FRY.-A subscription list for the
benefit of the impoverished and suffering widow
and orphans of the late massacred Captain Joseph Fry has been opened at the -    office,
and all who desire to show their appreciation of
this late officer's courage and nobility of character, and all who respect the freedom in defense
of which Fry sacrificed his life, will give the best
evidence thereof by a liberal subscription. We
are assured that Captain Fry received but little
compensation for taking command of the Virginius, and did so to save his wife and children
from starvation."
'Communications" without number were addressed to the pRpers, and many of them published.
"A great deal of public generosity has recently
developed itself in this community in behalf of
the struggling Cubans. Would it not be well
if those Cubans and Cuban sympathizers who
are contributing so nobly would bear in mind
that the destitute family of one of the bravest




INADEQUATE RETURNS.


495


and best of those lately sacrificed to the cause -
Captain Joseph Fry - are in this city, and sadly
in need of pecuniary assistance. Let the afflicted wife and children of that noble and brave
man, who are in the deep sadness of bereavement and suffering, not be forgotten now, nor
wait long for substantial generosity. Let it not
be said, that while we contribute thousands of
dollars to the cause of the struggling patriots,
the family of the martyr suffer for want of the
common necessaries of life."
Strange to say, these appeals failed to produce
the expected result, and the returns were totally
inadequate to relieve even the absolute want of
the bereaved family. Again came the call,"The family of the late Captain Fry are living
in our city in almost a state of destitution. Will
not our people, who are ever ready and willing
to respond to the calls of charity, and whose
sympathies are always for the brave and deserving, do something for this now doubly afflicted family? Cannot some of our benevolent
dramatic associations give a performance for
their benefit?"




496


KINDNESS OF THE ACTORS.


The response to this call was thus heralded:"VARIETIES THEATER -IN MEMORIAM OF CAPTAIN
JOSEPH FRY. —To-night has been set apart as
the occasion for, the dramatic performance at
this house, offered by the members of the Orleans Dramatic Association, for the benefit of the
family of the martyred Captain Joseph Fry; and
it seems almost unnecessary to bespeak for the
event a hearty and earnest encouragement at
the hands of a public by whom the lamented
Fry was known and esteemed, and whose especial privilege, we doubt not, it will be to extend
at this time a tribute of generosity on behalf of
those whose protection and support have been
lost them  by' his lamentable death.  To the
members of the club, whose thoughtful and
kindly action herein is beyond praise, is also
due a recognition by the disciples of true Christian charity; and that the result will be at once
cheering to the widow and orphans, and a sterling evidence of the quick response with which
our people meet an appeal like this, must be beyond peradventure."




ANOTHER EFFORT.


497


Owing to the "hard times" perhaps, and perhaps, also, to the prevalence of a severe rain
storm  (though this need not have interfered
with the purchase of tickets), this performance
was not the success, pecuniarily, that it should
have been.   Early in December a similar attempt was made in Mobile, but with a like unfortunate result.
As a Christmas gift, Mr. D. M. Hollingsworth,
a gentleman of high standing in commercial and
social circles in New Orleans, made the following
proposition -
"EDITOR -: Learning that the distressed
widow and children of the lamented Captain Joseph Fry require substantial aid, I propose, in
furtherance of their benefit, to put up immediately, for raffle, or lottery, as the managers
may deem best, one of my finest and best made,
light, fancy trotting buggies. I will have the
tickets printed, numbered, and stamped, and furnish them to the several newspapers, banks, insurance companies, hotels, and saloons, if they
will respond to my efforts by disposing of them
30




498


A SUCCESS.


by the twenty-third of December, so that the
drawing can take place on the day following,
twenty-fourth, and the proceeds be paid over to
the sorrowing and afflicted family on Christmas
day. I propose to make the tickets one dollar
each, in order that all who may desire to contribute to so laudable and deserving a purpose
can do so with the assurance that, while they aid
those of his bereaved family on earth, they give
substantial tokens of their regard and respect for
the memory of one of Louisiana's noblest and
bravest sons, whose last wish was to be sacrificed
to save others.
"Yours, respectfully,
"D. M. HOLLINGSWORTH."
All the printing of tickets, circulars, etc., necessary to make this a success, was done gratuitously
by Mr. A. W. Hyatt; and the terms of the proposition coming within the reach of the many who
desired to contribute their little mite without exposing their inability to do more, it met with a
hearty response, and was the most successful
"benefit" of the many undertaken, the expenses




EFFORTS AT BALTIMORE.


499


of the majority of them being so heavy as to consume all the receipts, leaving no net proceeds.
Appeals were made to the different cities
of the North and West, through the press. The
Baltimore Gazette said," The following telegram reaches us from New
Orleans. It is from a merchant of forty years'
standing.  Those who knew the late Captain
Fry speak of him as one of the bravest and most
gallant officers that ever trod the deck of an
American ship. The brutal and barbarous circumstances under which he met his death have
roused popular indignation to the highest pitch.
The appeal we now print, on behalf of his widow
and orphan children, discloses in a few simple
words the sorrow and the need of those who
were nearest and dearest to him.
"'NEW ORLEANS, November 19, 1873.
"'The family of the late Captain Joseph Fry,
commanding the steamer Virginius, are in very
destitute circumstances. Will you kindly submit the case of a widow and seven orphans, left
without a protector, to your charitable citizens?'"




500


EFFORTS AT ST. LOUIS.


The following appeared in the New York
Herald:"The late Captain Joseph Fry, conmmander of
the steamer Virginius, leaves a widow and seven
children in extremely necessitous circumstances.
Will you lay the case before your Cotton Exchange and benevolent citizens for action? We
think your columns the best medium of making
known the wants of the unfortunate family, and
it would be an act of charity if you would make
a public appeal for their relief."
St. Louis responded nobly to this appeal. The
Globe, in its issue of Thanksgiving morning,
published the following:Captain Fry, of the Virginius, was a Confederate officer in the late war. The manner of his
death explains, to a great extent, why the struggle between the two sections was so hard and
long continued. If the North had had Cubans
instead of Americans to fight, Mr. Seward's ninety-day prediction would have been fulfilled.
Will the American people allow the family of
this brave man to die for want and starvation
when a trifle from a few of them will afford the




THE ST. LOUlS GLOBE.


501


needed relief? The Globe will head the subscription list with a sum at least equal to the
largest individual subscription, and will forward
the entire amount to the widow of the gallant
sailor. There could not be a better day than
this for making a donation in such a noble
cause."
And also this, addressed to Governor Kellogg,
of New Orleans:"GLOBE OFFICE,
"ST. Louis, November 27, 1873.
"MY DEAR SIR: I understand that Captain Fry,
of the Virginius, was a citizen of your State.
" The Globe has started a subscription for the
benefit of his afflicted family, and I think it will
reach a considerable sum. Mr. William McKee,
the senior proprietor of the paper, will act as the
custodian of the fund, and will pay it to the
widow of Captain Fry through you. Will you
please ascertain her residence, and use your efforts to increase the donation to the largest possible sum? It is not intended to raise a testimonial to Fry as commander of the Virginius,




502


WESTERN GENEROSITY.


but as a brave man who knew how to die, and
who, in the manner of his death, shed undying
luster on the American character.
"Very truly yours,
"J. B. MCCULLOUGH.
"His Excellency GOVERNOR KELLOGG."
The generous, large-hearted people of the
West, unprejudiced by the connection of Captain Fry with "the other side" during the late
war, responded promptly and freely to this noble
appeal, and as early as the eighth of December,
the following was sent through Gov. Kellogg:" GLOBE OFFICE,
"ST. Louis, December 8, 1873.
"MY DEAR MADAM: The inclosed draft of five
hundred dollars, payable to your order, herewith
transmitted through Governor Kellogg, is part
of a fund contributed by the citizens of St.
Louis, without respect to politics, creed, or nationality, in aid of the family of your heroic husband. It is but a feeble response to the appeal
which his dying words convey to all who have




THIE WID OW'S THANKS.


503


hearts to feel for those who were so cruelly bereft. But I trust that St. Louis will not be the
only city to honor a brave man's death by remernbering those to whom it leaves the inheritance of a keen distress.
"I hope to be able to send you an additional
sum in a few days.
"'I have the honor to be, dear madam,
"Very respectfully,
"WILLIAM McKEE."
The Globe published the following interesting
correspondence, conveying Mrs. Fry's thanks to
St. Louis:"STATE OF LOUISIANA, EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENT,
"NEW ORLEANS, December 11, 1873.
"WM. McKEE, ESQ., St. Louis Globe.
"SIn: By direction of Governor Kellogg, I
yesterday waited upon Mrs. Fry, at 'her residence, and handed to her your letter of the
eighth of December, 1873, and the draft for five
hundred dollars, therein inclosed.
"Mrs. Fry, in the name of herself and her




604


MRS. FRY'S HOME.


fatherless children, begged me to convey to you,
and through you to the generous citizens of St.
Louis, her heartfelt thanks, and to say that her
gratitude for your kindness is increased by the
appreciative terms in which you speak of her
late beloved husband.
"I have the honor to be, sir,
"Very respectfully,
"Your obedient servant,
"H. C. CLARKE,
"Private Secretary."
Of Mrs. Fry's home in New Orleans, the Globe
said,"NEW ORLEANS, December 10, 1873.
"A correspondent of the St. Louis Globe waited upon Mrs. Fry, at her residence in New Orleans, a few days since, for the purpose of consulting her wishes and views regarding   the
Globe subscription. The widow of the Cuban
martyr lives in half of an unpretentious, singlestory frame cottage, standing back in a little
garden, opposite one of the public markets, in a
thickly populated part of the city. The room




THE ORPHA NS.


505


into which the correspondent was shown was
plainly but neatly furnished, and the matted
floor was spotlessly clean. Over the chimneypiece were a very excellent portrait of poor Fry,
executed by Lilienthal, of New Orleans, also a
fine poftrait of the Catholic Archbishop Perche.
Mrs. Fry received with marked emotion the
intelligence of what the citizens of St. Louis
were doing, and in reply said, that had she only
herself to think of, she would ask nothing but
to be left alone with her grief; but for her
children's sake she would gratefully accept
the relief proposed, and in doing this she felt
that she was only acting as her poor husband
would have wished her to do.    Captain Fry
leaves seven children, the oldest an accomplished
and beautiful girl just verging upon womanhood,
who proposes to take a position as teacher in the
public schools, so as to relieve, in some degree,
the burden resting upon her bereaved mother.
Mrs. Fry herself is a lady of culture and refinement, and is in delicate health. Much warm
sympathy has been manifested toward them by
the people of New Orleans."




506


DELAYS IN COLLECTING.


On the seventeenth of December, it was announced that the amount paid in had reached
the sum of eight hundred and fifty-seven dollars
*and twenty cents. The Globe, in starting the
fund, had promised to duplicate the largest individual subscription. Captain Dan. Bell (a wellknown " river-man ") having given one hundred
dollars, the duplicate one hundred dollars from
the Globe left but forty-two dollars and eighty
cents necessary to complete the one thousand
dollars, for which the Globe had asked.
Here the matter rested, however, until the
latter part of February, when public interest
was once more awakened by the following letter,
which appeared in the St. Louis Democrat over the
signature of Mrs. Charlotte Smith, one of the editors and publishers of the Inland Monthly:"ST. Louis, February 28, 1874.
"To the Editor of the Democrat.
"On a late visit to New Orleans, I called upon
the widow of Captain Fry, who was murdered in
Cuba by the Spaniards. The household of that
unfortunate man is very sad. Everything in and




DELA YS IN COLLECTING.


507.


about the home of the widow and orphans is
modest and unassuming.   A touch of sadness
pervades everything. Mrs. Fry is a most interesting lady, while the daughter is beautiful and
highly accomplished. The death of the husband
and father has left the family in very straitened
circumstances indeed.  But let us not draw
aside the veil of the deep sorrow of that stricken
family. Contributions have not been as liberal
as the papers intimated, and while conversing
with Mrs. Fry and her daughter, I, with some
pride, mentioned that St. Louis had remembered
them; that the Globe alone had collected and
sent to them  the sum of one thiousand dollars.
Imagine my surprise when she told me that
they had received but five hundred dollars.
" I knew that nearly one thousand dollars had
been collected at the Globe office.  I never
dreamed that this money had miscarried.   I
could scarcely believe it; but I was forced to
believe it when Mrs. Fry's daughter told me this
in her own simple, truthful manner.
*..      ~      ~


"A stricken wife and seven helpless children




5(08


A LADY'S SUGGESTIONS.


would be immeasurably gladdened if their hard
lot could be ameliorated. This could be done by
a little well-directed effort.... Cannot the great
heart of St. Louis, and that of New Orleans,
respond in more liberal terms, and rear a home
for the widow and orphans of the hero and
patriot? I saw this family, and I think the
generous of all classes, if they could see what I
saw, would be glad to lift up their hands and
lessen the grief and poverty of this stricken and
desolate family. If the people whom he served
so well in the last war are able to do nothing,
let the citizens of the West tase pity. There is
no nobler, more sacred duty. Let the last dying
appeal of the martyr for his helpless fanily ring
in the ears of our own people.
" CHARLOTTE SMITH."
This elicited the following liberal offer: -
"ST Louis, March 4, 1874.
To the Editor of the Democrat.
"MRS. CHARLOTTE SMITH'S letter, contained in
your issue of this date, touching the deplorable
condition of the late Captain Fry's family, ap



THE BOOKKEEPER'S OFFER.


509


peals to every man of generous impulses, and
deserves more than mere passing consideration.
It deserves a substantial response.
"Fry was a brave man, a type of superior
manhood, and deserved a better fate. Passing
over -
I come to the main object of this communication,
which is to propose to contribute one hundred
dollars to purchase a home for Mrs. Fry and her
children, provided one hundred gentleman, including myself, will contribute a similar amount.
This would secure a comfortable home, and
greatly relieve a very worthy and stricken
family.
" MAIN STREET BOOKKEEPER."
Mrs. Smith published a second letter in response, from which I extract as follows:"... There are always, in every community,
persons who will cry, ' On to Cuba, on to victory,'
but there they stop. It was so in the late war,
on both sides. As a corollary to this, it is a sad
fact that the maimed heroes, and children of the




510


THE ORPHANS' TROUBLES.


same, have little favor shown them when the
rewards (such as official place and office) are
meted out.
"So, too, in the case of the Fry family. A
position as teacher in the public schools of New
Orleans was offered to the oldest daughter of the
martyr, but when she accepted there were 'no
vacancies.' Mrs. Fry has been quite ill for some
time, not being able to go out, as the public well
know.   Her health has been greatly impaired
by the tragic end of her husband. The only
support of the family is a crippled son of eighteen, who is employed in the Morning Star office
-Father Ryan's paper.    He receives but a
meager salary.  Miss Fry is very expert in
making wax flowers, but has met with little
success in the sale of them, for the reason that
natural flowers are so abundant in New Orleans.
"The card of a 'Main Street Bookkeeper'
appears in your paper of yesterday.  He proposes to be one of a hundred to contribute one
hundred dollars to purchase a home for the
widow and orphans of Captain Fry. God bless




AN EARNEST CALL.


511


the 'Main Street bookkeeper,' and the invocation
will he echoed in the sad home of the widow
and fatherless. Think of this proposition, you
who are blessed with wealth —you who send
annually millions of dollars' worth of goods to
the South. If a bookkeeper will contribute so
generously, what will the rich merchant and
manufacturer do?  It is a noble thought that
St. Louis will have made a stricken home happy
and forever grateful. Will St. Louis and Chicago
respond?  The two great cities of the West
joined in a glorious work of charity; even the
thought cheers us. The consummation of the
bookkeeper's proposition will be one of the
sweetest and brightest events in the history of
these grand cities of the West. New Orleans is
almost bankrupt, and can do nothing. I said
New Orleans was poor. The whole State is on
the verge of bankruptcy.
Therefore, I say, New Orleans can do but little
in the way of charity.
" CHARLOTTE SMITI."




512  7HIE GLOBE'S EFFORT SUCCEEDS.


The result of this agitation of the matter was,
that a second draft for five hundred dollars was
sent to Mrs. Fry on the eleventh of March, with
the following letter: —
"GLOBE OFFICE,
"ST. Louis, March 11, 1874.
"To his Excellency GOVERNOR KELLOGG.
"INCLOSED please find draft for five hundred
and five dollars and twenty cents, being the
remainder of the fund collected at the Globe
office for the benefit of Mrs. Captain Fry, making, with the sum of five hundred dollars already
sent you and receipted for, one thousand and
five dollars and twenty cents. It ought to have
been sent sooner, but I was unwilling to abandon
the hope of making it larger, and I had seen in
the newspapers a statement that Mrs. Fry was
temporarily absent from New Orleans.
"If you will have the goodness to forward this
sum as you forwarded the last, you will greatly
oblige
"Very respectfully yours,
"WILLIAM MCKEE."




ONE LITTLE GIRL'S HELP.


513


The amount transmitted was promptly placed
in the hands of Mrs. Fry, thus making over one
thousand dollars generously contributed by St.
Louis alone. Had other large cities responded
as freely, the family of Captain Fry would have
been placed beyond the reach of want, and the
present appeal to the sympathies of the world
would have been unnecessary.
Perhaps the most touching of the many tributes was the following from a little girl in
Augusta, Ga. Written in French, it was translated thus:
"In yesterday's paper I saw the last letter of
poor Captain Fry! I have wept for the sake of
his children. Inclosed you will find one golden
dollar. It is a very small sum, but I hope you
will not refuse it, as it comes from a little girl.
It is a souvenir of my own papa, and it is given
by an orphan to the orphans of Captain Fry.
Toward the end of the month of January, the
following card appeared in the different papers
31




514     ATTEMPTS FOR MORE AID.


of New Orleans, failing, however, to elicit any
very substantial response:" TESTIMONIALS TO THE FAMILY OF CAPTAIN FRY.In many parts of the country there have been
spontaneous offers to contribute to the creation
of a fund for the relief of Captain Fry's family.
From time to time we have observed in our
exchanges notices of certain amounts that had
been collected to this end, and in some cases
returns have been made, greatly to the relief of
the bereaved family. Many places have not yet,
however, been communicated with, and it has
been supposed that a difficulty is in some instances experienced in knowing how to make
remittances.
" For the convenience of sympathizers abroad,
therefore, the Hon. L. A. Wiltz, mayor of this
city, has consented to act as a medium for the
transmission of these funds. Parties abroad desiring to remit collections will do well to address
him."


May all who now read this appeal, perhaps for




THE WOOD AND COAL YARD.


515


the first time, remember that it is not too late
to respond, and that the address given is a permanent one. Though the name of the mayor
may be changed, the mayor's office is always
open, and remittances will be gladly forwarded.
Remember the addressHON. L. A. WILTZ,
Mayor of New Orleans, La.
After defraying the current expenses of living, the remainder of the little fund resulting
from these various charities has, by the advice
of wise friends, been invested in a "wood and
coal yard," the precarious income from which
(with the addition of the meager salary of a
crippled boy) constitutes the sole resource of
this heart-broken, invalid widow, for the maintenance and education of a family of seven
children; of whom the eldest son is a cripple
from infancy, the eldest daughter a frail, delicate, young girl, the five others having to be
clothed and educated, the youngest being but
little more than a babe.
"And now,"- in the eloquent words of the




516   FRIENDS, NOT ALMS, NEEDED.


editor of the Mobile Register, —" and now, will
his countrymen answer his dying prayer?'May God bless my poor boys, and raise up
friends for them who will show them how to
live and how to die.' A part of the prayer is
already answered; for surely the father has
taught the sons 'how to die.' But how are
they to live? —these helpless minors and orphans of a man who has honored his race, and
adorned humanity? Surely the strain of blood
like Fry's is worth cherishing in the land; and
who should do it but his countrymen and countrywomen? That this is being done, every one
takes for granted, because every one feels that,
as a matter of course, it should be, and is being
done; but this is a great though natural mistake.
The contributions that have flowed in to the
succor of the widow and seven children of this
heroic man are strangely small, and, as we learn,
are hardly sufficient for a year's support and
education. Alms is not what the great and
pathetic appeal of this case requires. It is to
answer his prayer to God to 'raise up friends'
to take care of and place beyond want the little




THE WORLD INDEBTED.         517
brood, whose near bereavement of father and
protector wrung anguish from his big heart.
We hope the world will pay back to the orphans the worth of the moral 'pearl of great
price' the sire has left to it."




I




APPENDIX.




A




CHAPTER I.
rHE NAVY OF TWENTY YEARS AGO. - SEVERAL EVILS OF
THE SYSTEM.- CAPTAIN FRY'S SUGGESTIONS OF AMELIORATION. - FLAGRANT ABUSES. - EXTRACTS FROM CAPTAIN
FRY'S JOURNAL: A THOROUGH AND ABLE DISCUSSION OF
THE NEEDED REFORMATION. - THE NAVY (THEN, 1854)
"THE SPECTACLE OF AN INSTITUTION GONE TO DECAY."THE SAILOR'S COMFORTLESS LIFE AND LABORS GRAPHICALLY PICTURED.-MERIT NO ASSURANCE OF POSITION
IN THE NAVY.- " POSITION HAS THE EAR OF POWER." -
"POWER, LIKE THE CUTTLE-FISH, CAN BLACKEN ALL WHO
THREATEN IT." - CAPTAIN FRY'S DEFINITION OF EVIL.WHAT FOLLOWED THE ABOLITION OF THE CAT-O'-NINE
TAIL DISCIPLINE IN THE NAVY, ETC.-THE SHAME OF A
REPUBLICAN GOVERNMENT, ETC.
CAPTAIN FRY'S humane disposition, his earnest
desire to benefit his fellow-creatures, early led
him to reflect seriously and earnestly upon the
evils existing in the naval system, which his
long experience enabled him fully to appreciate, and to theorize upon the possible remedies
which might be applied for the correction of
521




522


E VILS IN THE NAVY.


these great evils. The following thoughts upon
the subject bear date May, 1854. I give them
in their crude form as I find them jotted down
in one of his journals, evidently intended as
the germ for more mature reflection and elaboration.
"I am trying to plan a way for improving
the navy, and have many serious thoughts upon
the subject.  The demoralization in the navy
is fearful; the institution is scarcely anything
but a hot-bed in which vice is fostered, to the
extinction of everything like morality, or the
chivalry which once characterized it. It could
be re-organized upon a footing which would
render it an honor to the country in every
respect.
"I desire earnestly to devote myself to doing
good, and efforts for a complete reformation of
the navy are suggested by my present mode of
life as the fulfillment of part of my whole duty.
"We must expose evils in order that they
may be eradicated. To do this thoroughly in
the present case, we must consider the navy as
it is, and see how it compares with the navy




SECRECY ON ABUSES.


523


as it should be, and as it could easily be made
by correcting its most flagrant abuses, and establishing it upon a proper basis. In effecting
such a reformation, very little is to be hoped
for from the navy itself, scarcely anything from
Congress. It is by the action of the people alone
that any good can be effected. Their interests
are concerned, and they are, after all, to be the
judges in the matter; and unless they become
interested in it, nothing can ever be accomplished. In point of fact, the lamentable condition of the service, is in a great degree, to be
ascribed to the precautions taken to prevent
its corruptions from  being known, under the
mistaken notion that an eruption could injure a
diseased body.
"It is difficult to know  where to begin the
treatment of so foul a case, but as nature, on
some good principle doubtless, is at work attempting a cure, in order to assist these efforts,
it is necessary to thoroughly understand the
condition of the patient, that we may promote
the unrestrained exercise of such influences as
may be brought to bear upon it.




524


THE SPIRIT OF THE AGE.


"There is a disposition toward improvement
pervading every condition of society, evidenced
either in actual advances gradually made, or by
efforts to advance upon the part of diseased and
tottering organizations. A spirit of inquiry, of
research, has been aroused, seeking for the good
and useful, and casting off the old and cumbersome, as though a preparation were being made
for the adequate performance of some great
work, the execution of some design, both new
and striking; like the arousing of some longslumbering genius, tossing restlessly, endeavoring to understand its relations to surrounding
objects, preparatory to the accomplishment of
its appropriate task.
" This fact is apparent to all but the willfully
blind, and its existence stands marked by most
unequivocal symptoms.
"Those who know the force of pride nurtured
in ignorance and prejudice, and grown into a
fixed habit, need but cast their eyes toward
China, (where thousands of years have been devoted to the fostering of these evil principles,
cultivated in the most congenial soil, till they




NAVAL ABSUES.


525


become deep-rooted and wide-spread)to be struck
with astonishment at the changes so rapidly
and so certainly operating there. Japan illustrates the same fact. The growth of California,
the condition of many portions of Europe, the
modern improvements and advances in every
department of art and science, - all point to the
same thing, all indicate the dawn of a new era,
and the downfall of everything depending upon
mere antiquity for its vitality and authority.
"The necessity for a change in the navy,
involving improvement commensurate with the
degree of progress perceptible in every other
direction, is beginning to make itself strongly
felt. Ancient abuses, for which no remedy could
be devised whilst they originated in a morbid
condition, now cry out loudly for correction.
The principle of change and improvement is in
direct antagonism with ancient, and therefore venerable usages-usages springing up like mushrooms from a dung-heap, allowed to cumber the
ground without any effort for the substitution
of healthier vegetation, or the production of
nobler esculents.




526


DISCIPLINE AND AMERICANS.


" In a country like our own, where the principle of self-government is so strongly inculcated
and carefully cherished, it is impossible that it
should not enter largely into the character,
disposition, and affection of any community
composed of individuals purely American; and
it would be difficult to organize an association
for any inducement that could be offered, upon
a principle requiring implicit obedience to commands, while at the same time the individual
should be cut off from the right of judging
freely of the necessity that binds him to obedience, and the right of appeal from the arbitrary
exercise of authority. This is the grand privilege which distinguishes free institutions; and
though a military organization could never tolerate the unrestricted exercise of such a right,
it is necessary that none other than wholesome
restraints be imposed, lest out of a desire to
avoid one extreme, an equally great evil should
arise.
"Where prompt and implicit obedience is essential, it must be cheerfully given; but this can
be the case only where a community of inter



LA W AND DISCIPL7NE.


527


ests or of principles exists. Where such requisites are essential, the necessary conditions
should exist to promote their mutual and healthy exercise.
"It would of course be absurd to attempt an
organization of a military character, upon the
basis of a right to judge of the propriety of an
order ere it be obeyed; but it would be equally
absurd to bind any individual to strict compliance with the caprices of a superior, to the
subversion of any vital principle. Hence, in
the army or navy, it is essential that a legal
constitution should sanction whatever principle
might be called into exercise, in the fulfillment
of any obligation on either hand. The obligation itself should be mutually recognized in
order to the harmonious discharge of duty;
and it should have its foundation upon moral
principles, clearly established.
"The nearer perfect the organization, the
freer the action; the purer the principle, the
more just the government.
'It is immensely important that this should
be the case in the navy. The commander-in



528


NA VA.L DISORGANIZATION.


chief should be able to point to the law that
binds him in common with the crew, and it
should no longer be said, 'There is no law for
post-captains.'
"It should be a great object to guard against
evils and abuses of every kind. In order to do
this, they should be defined and specific, and
their avenues be well guarded. Complete organization is as essential to discipline as discipline is necessary to success. They go hand in
hand. Authority should be placed beyond the
reach of caprice, and should be restricted to the
exercise of good.
" As the navy exists now, it presents the spectacle of an institution gone to- decay. Every
element of disorganization is in active exercise,
and ruin and disorder are visible on every side.
This is a sad condition, and it may be instructive and useful to ascertain how it is that an
institution so necessary and valuable should
have met with so sad a fate.
"Particular periods are marked by particular
events, and great occasions by great principles
and actions, as well as by great actors; and




SAILORS' HARDSHIPS.


529


thus, throughout nature, correlative objects and
influences exist.
"But it would be difficult to account upon
any principle for the existing predilection for
the navy, or that anything save the strictest
necessity could lead to a second sea-voyage,
after the bitter experience of one long cruise,
the exchange of the nightly shelter of even the
humblest roof for the involuntary star-gazing
which divides his nights at best. Picture the
peltings of the pitiless storm, as the ship rolls
from side to side, bathing his feet in icy water;
the struggle for life as he clings to the ropes,
taking in the canvas as it flaps in the gale, the
lightning-flashes revealing the upheaving, foaming sea, into which he is apparently   about
to plunge, as he clings to the lofty yards;
the rough, heavy work about the decks; his
only consolation his tobacco or the cud of reflection. Hard work, exposure, a cheerless, comfortless, friendless life, harden his heart; coarse
associations corrupt his morals and harden his
conscience; drunkenness makes sad inroads upon
his constitution, and soon poor Jack is seen no
more!
32




530


WHY BOYS GO TO SEA.


"True, there is much that attaches to the fame
of a Nelson or a Perry calculated to excite
wonder and emulation in young and ardent
minds. Heroic achievements, noble deeds, always inspire admiration, and the interest is in
no wise lessened when the ocean is the theater.
"The boy of impulsive temperament is, by injudicious restraints, made to feel that the natural
exuberance of childhood is antagonistic to the
sterner instincts of mature age; hence result
depression of spirits and a desire for freedom.
As the boy contemplates the boundlessness of
the sea, compared with the restraints of home
and school-room, he longs for change, for the variety to be found in foreign lands, in scenery,
climate, productions, customs, space, air, motion,
the excitement of danger, the love of wonder.
All, fed, perhaps, by some buccaneer story, serve
to inflame his passions, render the restraints of
home more irksome, and increase the sense of
confinement, until finally off he goes, a victim to
the injudiciously administered restraints of home.
"On the other hand, many a weakly indulgent parent, after spoiling a boy, sends him to sea




THE RUIN OF BOYS.


531


with the idea that the stern discipline of a ship
will effect that which he found out of his power.
"In either case the ruin of the boy almost inevitably follows, from association with the ignorant, the vicious, and the depraved. The restraints of ship-board are never such as tend to
improve the mind, the heart, or the character;
they are instituted solely to facilitate the discharge of duties, and prevent disorder. They
have no moral effect.
"The assumption is very general that high
merit leads to high position; but in the navy,
individuals who are standing monuments of all
the vices may, and do, attain to the highest pinnacle of naval eminence, and all resource is cut
off by the stringent regulations preventing the
publication of abuses. Position has the ear of
power, and the advantage of the application of
certain maxims and principles which appear to
be violated in any attempt to correct abuses or
punish offenders when the powerful are assailed.
It is curious to see how exclusive power is in its
appropriation of virtue, and how, like the cuttlefish, it can blacken all who threaten it.




532


MORAL PEST-HOUSES.


"I would lend all my influence to deter parents from sending or allowing their boys to go
to sea until the navy and merchant marine are
improved, as they may be.
"As an agency for the accomplishment of
good, the navy and mercantile marine might be
made invaluable, were they purified and rendered fit for the work. As they exist, they are
moral pest-houses for the reception of all to
whom idleness, dissipation, vice, and crime deny
a footing upon shore, and the employment of
whom is but paying a premium to immorality
and wickedness.
"Most, if not all, of the evil in the world is
owing to the misapplication or perversion of
some principle of good; and a change for the
better must be effected by the destruction of
whatever encourages this wrong, or by the forcible operation of the good principle toward its
legitimate tendency.
"One great cause of the immorality in the
navy is the low rate of wages, offering no inducement to the better class of laborers. If the life
of the sailor be compared with that of the lands



fHE DRUNKARD AT SEA.


533


man, it will be found to be quite as laborious,
while also deprived of comforts and enjoyments, and exposed to hardships unknown on
shore. If the toil of the sailor were estimated
in comparison with that of the day-laborer on
shore, and his employers actuated by a spirit of
justice, and a fair price paid for the sailor's services, a competition would be excited between
the present class of sea-going men and a far
better class of population, who would be willing
to undergo the added privations for the added
pay.
"The incurable drunkard, who on shore is a
vagrant or a criminal, to avert the consequences
of his evil life, ships in the navy, or perhaps
seeks refuge from temptation on board ship.
He sails upon a three years' cruise. After this
life of close confinement, he experiences, on landing at long intervals, a degree of exhilaration
which can only be compared to that of the invalid at the approach of spring, who, having
been confined through the long winter months,
drinks in, with the fresh, warm atmosphere, the
keen enjoyment of returning health and strength.




534


EFFECTS OF GROG.


It is said that none but the drunkard knows the
fierceness of the drunkard's thirst. There is a
yearning after the bowl which is so powerful as
to weaken all the moral susceptibilities of the
soul; and for the gratification of which the poor
habiztu will brave shame and ignominy, and subject himself to sufferings which would be sufficient to immortalize him, were they endured for
virtue's sake.
"The appetite of the drunkard is kept alive
by the small potion allowed him twice a day on
board ship; otherwise he might, perhaps, be
cured by a long cruise. As it is, he lands in
company with others who are all prepared for
unrestrained indulgence in low, guilty, groveling
pleasures. They return on board, their passions
inflamed, their nerves excited; they are sick, irritable, and turbulent; the quiet and order of
the ship is disturbed by oaths, indecency, quarreling, and insubordination, and the 'brig' is
speedily filled with gagged and manacled, inflamed and furious demons.
"The picture is a painful one. I make no
effort to excite that false philanthropy, which




FEW RELIGIOUS SAILORS.


535


does harm rather than good by attacking and
overthrowing systems in which evils are found,
instead of pointing out methods of correcting
those abuses - in exciting a fanatical enthusiasm against individuals rather than against evils.
Cruel as the picture seems, many a kind-hearted,
benevolent officer has found himself obliged to
resort to expedients against which all his sensibilities revolt. If we take away the power of
subduing those whom brute force alone can subdue, we subvert order, and place power in hands
not bound by restraining influences.
"The causes which send men to sea are various, and all are not evil; but government fosters an institution which is a prolific source of
evil, much of it the result of injustice, carelessness, and ignorance upon the part of the people.
In a dozen years' service on different vessels,
ranging from the one-hundred-and-twenty-gunship down to the schooner, I cannot remember
six instances of religious sailors; and I believe
that more than ninety per cent. may be set
down as profane and indecent in language and
behavior. The great majority of our seamen




536


7JACK'S CONDUCT ON SHORE.


are foreigners, very few of whom can even read.
Few of these men have any ties on shore, for the
naval service is so intolerable that no man who
has not lost all self-respect, or who is not driven
to such an extremity, will enter it, unless oblivious of all the discouragements which his cooler
moments suggest.
"Wherever ' Jack' goes, so bad is he, proverbiallv, that all the vices follow in his train.
Drunkenness, disease, and death are his portion.
The virtues ascribed to him, as a sailor, are generally fabulous.  His generosity is rarely displayed on board ship, and the carelessness with
which he lavishes it, at the end of a cruise, upon
worthless and evil objects, shows merely the reaction which then takes place, and the total absence of any regulating principle. Subject to
the rigid control of ship government, a feeling
of restraint hangs over him. On shore, that
being removed, his only care is to keep out of
the watch-house. To those who know and feel
the value of early culture of the moral qualities,
and who know how easily temptation besets
those from whom all restraints are removed, and




ABOLITION OF FLOGGING.


537


how rapidly demoralization takes place from evil
contact, it is useless to explain further.  To
those who know nothing of vice, it would be
shocking in the extreme to expose it. There is
no hope for Jack except to offer inducements
to better men to fill his place.
"The 'cats' were useful in controling the vicious. The effect of their abolition was to destroy the restraints wlhich were really needed,
making it impossible for the better disposed to
remain in the navy; they therefore left it in the
possession of the worst characters. The disorganization which has ensued only proves the
character of the service. It is-a shame that a
republican government, in the nineteenth century, should upheld an institution which depends
for its efficacy upon such degrading instruments.
"The 'cats' or flogging, never degraded any
individual. The individual who required them
was already degraded in the commission of the
offense which necessitated the punishment. Little is to be hoped for from those who could only
be controlled by the lash.
"The character of the merchant service is




538


POOR JACK/


even worse, for the voyages are shorter, the
temptations more frequent, the restraints less,
the treatment worse.
"Poor Jack! you see the service in which you
have gained your bread for many a day going
to wreck, and there is nothing but the bare
plank upon which you stand in which you have
any interest; and that but for the hope that it
may float you safely ashore.
"Will no one stretch out a hand to save or to
help?"
Such were the views of Fry on the abuses in
the naval service, as it appeared to him when a
young man occupying the grade of passed midshipman. Perhaps, as he rose in his profession,
and looked at the subject from a different point
of view, his ideas may have undergone a corresponding modification; but as I found them recorded at that period of his career, I have given
them, simply to exhibit the workings of his
mind.




CHAPTER II.
DREAMS OF MISSIONARY LIFE IN JAPAN. - CAPTAIN FRY'S
LETTER TO HIS WIFE IN REGARD THERETO, JANUARY,
I855.-HE SELECTS THE ISLANDS OF LOO CHOO, IN HIS
FANCY, AS A PROSPECTIVE RESIDENCE.-LOO CHOO INTERESTINGLY DESCRIBED. - THE SITE OF "A PERFECT
GARDEN FOR MAN." - DIFFICULTIES AND SACRIFICES
WEIGHED, ETC.
BEFORE laying aside the Journals of Captain
Fry forever, I must transcribe one more chapter,
which exhibits in a striking light one of the
prominent traits of his character; namely, his
self-sacrificing love of humanity. Ile was unselfish to the last degree, thinking always of
others before himself, and -even when apparently consulting his own interests-interweaving in all his projects some ultimate good to
others, in which he was to be instrumental.
The result of his intercourse with the Japanese, in his cruise of 1851 to 1854, and conse539




540


A MISSIONARY IDEA.


quent knowledge of their necessities and capacities, was the following scheme, into which his
wife entered with almost his own enthusiasm,
but which they were deterred from attempting
to carry into execution by the obstacles placed
in their way by others to whom he looked for
co-operation. The extract bears date January,
1855, and is addressed to his wife.
"I have for some time past been resolving in
my mind a scheme which, with the influence I
could bring to bear upon the executive, miglht
(I think) be adopted by government. It is my
appointment as agent for the government, or
Resident Consul,- out here. By study of the
language, customs, habits, etc., of the people, I
could qualify myself for the effort to induce
them to open their ports freely to our commerce, and to communicate with all the rest of
the world.
"I wish to pursue certain studies, in order to
the improvement of my mind, and I am anxious
that you should share them with me. I believe
that God made man male and female that he
might have a 'helpmeet' in every respect, in




MARRIED MISSIONARIES BEST.


541


the action of every function of mind, soul, and
body; and that he has made them to differ only
where the difference should tend to develop
principles of good, by the exercise of opposite
influences; and that this happiness shall be the
result of a harmonious operation of these seemingly opposite characteristics.
"If we take true religion and its teachings for
a guide and interpreter, we refer all good, all
happiness, to God as a giver, thus glorifying him
as we develop the wisdom and goodness to be
brought to light through means which he has
appointed.
"It is through the relation of man and wife,
through the marriage state alone, that man is
complete in his humanity; because God has so
constituted him that it is through sympathy and
reaction alone that he can exercise powers which
yield their highest reward when employed in
the service of God.
"When I think of your menage, and how easily
all your wants could be provided for by cominng
out here, I fancy you would like to join me in
this scheme. We should enjoy each other's so



542    HOW TO CHOOSE OCCUPATION.


ciety, though we should be obliged to give up
that of the rest'of the world, and, in fact, most
of the advantages of civilization. But we could
study hard, and in a few years reap the advantages of such a course. There is scarcely an
avocation in life for which we could not fit ourselves, and it would afford us highly-useful occupation for years. With the love of God, and of
our fellow-beings, filling our hearts, and engaging
our minds and lives, we should find no room for
the petty sorrows and cares which now distract
our lives.
I am going to try and get the commodore
interested in the matter, and urge him to recommend it to the secretary of the navy.
"I want to adopt the mode of life, or form of
business, by which I shall accomplish the most
good while upon earth. I must consider my
health, temperament, and disposition, as well as
my inclinations and qualifications. I wish to
engage in a business by which both my health
and condition of mind will be benefited. My
physical necessities demand a shore-life. I desire to be with my family in order to afford them




A LIFE IN LOO CHOO.


543


the comfort, protection, and love of which they
stand in need. My occupation must be such as
to keep me with them. So far, duty and inclination appear to accord. I also earnestly desire to
do something for the benefit of my fellow-men;
and in selecting a site for a point d'appii, it
would be natural for me to look for one where
my talents would be most productive-where
my influence would be greatest. This (with one
of my poor qualifications) would evidently be
where the community was worse off than myself; where the light of religion is most needed;
where efforts toward the development of resources of every description would meet with
the largest success, and the most abundant
return be yielded.
"In the Islands of Loo Choo, - far away from
the scenes of our infancy, -the prospect of such
a future opens to me. There is everything in
the character of the people, as well as in the
nature of the institutions under which they
exist, to excite interest in their behalf.  A
despotic government forbids all intercourse upon
any subject with foreigners, thus shutting out




0


544     LOO CHOO AS A RESIDENCE.
completely the light of our improved civilization,
and keeping them in heathen ignorance.
"While looking around upon their beautiful
islands, I have thought of many things that
could easily be done to improve their condition.
Perhaps we could be instrumental in preparing
the way for much future good by a residence
amongst them. A missionary society would not
employ me, for I do not possess the qualifications
for such a profession, but I might nevertheless
do much good in my own way - as consular
agent and storekeeper.
" Loo Choo lies directly in the route of vessels
trading between the two hemispheres, and just
upon the borders of the immense whale fisheries
of the Pacific and Indian Oceans, at about equal
distance from Canton and Shanghai.
"The ports are excellent, the climate salubrious, the soil very productive, and —lying as it
does within three degrees of the tropics - capable of supplying every tropical production.
"And yet, with this soil and climate, favorable
to the production of nearly all fruits and vegetables, I observed but a single cocoanut tree, and




ADVANTAGES OF LOO CHOO.


545


know it to be without grapes, figs, oranges,
peaches, pears, or even the banana. It is almost
destitute of fruits, and extremely poor in vegetables, though such as there are thrive well.
The island is brilliant with verdure, and needs
only the introduction of seeds and fruits to become a perfect garden for man.
"The staple productions are wheat, rice, sweet
potatoes, and peas. They know'nothing of Indian corn, which grows in China as finely as in
the United States, though by whom introduced,
or when, I do not know.
"They have beautiful, strong, though diminutive, horses. They do not use milk, butter, or
cheese. The temperature is mild and equable;
in winter never needing a fire, and in summer
rarely lacking a cool breeze. The mildness of
the climate, as well as the hilly character of the
country, would favor convalescence from the
inevitable result of protracted sea voyages and
bad food - the scurvy. Tile safe harbors of Loo
Choo are almost wholly unused, for they have
little or no commerce except the yearly departure and return of junks bearing tribute to China
and Japan.
33




546      INTERCOURSE WITH 7APAN.
"'My recent intercourse with Japan has suggested to me this new field of labor. I doubt
not I could obtain the consulship to Loo Choo.
Public opinion, the religious and benevolent,
as well as commercial people,-all would favor
such an establishment. Our government, through
Commodore Perry, has just purchased some land,
and a depot of coal will be opened there. We
could soon learn the Japanese language, and, as
the trade with Japan began to develop, it would
afford us facilities for business.* The Japanese
would engage our services as agents, as would
also our own countrymen. From    such small
beginnings we might work our way up to fortune, and, by constantly multiplying our resources, possess ourselves of influence and power,
and thus promote religion, education, and many
blessings that are now unknown in this far-off
land.
"Prints of every description, illustrative of
our country (especially maps and globes), excite
* He included in his calculations other members of
his family, - father, brother, etc., - who, he thought,
would join in the enterprise.




PROPOSED IMPRO VEMENTS.


547


their interest. Music has a powerful effect upon
them; in this respect they differ widely from
the Chinese. Models of buildings and vessels,
steam-engines and other machinery, agricultural
implements, brick-making, -all these and many
other things could readily be introduced.  (I
merely note these items as they occur to me,
as hints for future thought.)
"One of our first projects would be the opening of a school for the native children. A corps
of translators would be formed, who would receive as well as confer benefits.
"It is true that in thus going to Loo Choo,
even under the most favorable circumstances,
we would suffer many privations: the pleasures
of cultivated, refined society, the sights which
please, and the events and incidents which interest at home, —all this would have to give place
to a very different set of objects and emotions,
with nothing but the consciousness of doing our
duty to sustain us.
"But a life of this sort, with a holy purpose
to accomplish, an earnest interest in our work,
in dependence upon God; would insure to us all




548


AVNTICIPATIONS OF HEA VEN.


we need in this world, and a strong, brilght hope
for the next, into which we step when God calls
us to render an account of our stewardship here
below.
"Should we conclude to adopt such a course
as I propose, and the advantages to others and
to ourselves accrue which I have depicted, we
would find much to reconcile us to the inevitable
sacrifices it would necessitate. Our lives would
brighten in the consciousness of acquitting ourselves of our obligations to humanity, and in
realizing the measure of success (spiritual and
temporal) which awaits those who lead pure and
useful lives. We should be looking forward to
another and a happier world when our course in
this shall have been run, with an eternity of
enjoyment in the sunshine of God's love."




CHAPTER -III.
PREFATORY. - THE JAPAN EXPEDITION. - THE SECRECY
ATTENDING IT. - NO NOTES OF IT IN CAPTAIN FRY'S
PRIVATE JOURNAL. - THE REASON WHY. - SKETCH OF
PERRY'S EXPEDITION. - JAPAN'S SECLUSION FROM THE
REST OF THE WORLD. - PORTUGUESE, ENGLISH, AND
DUTCH EFFORTS TO EXPLORE AND ESTABLISH RELATIONS
WITH JAPAN. - THE UNITED STATES THE FIRST NATION,
IN MODERN TIMES, TO EFFECT A TREATY WITH JAPAN.
- HISTORY OF CERTAIN ATTEMPTS TO SECURE INTERCOURSE WITH JAPAN. - EXPEDITION UNDER COMMODORE
BIDDLE, I846. —THE EXPEDITION OF THE PREBLE, 1849,
UNDER COMMANDER GLYNN. —PERRY'S EXPEDITION.
As a naval officer attached to one of the
vessels of Commodore     Perry's celebrated expedition, it was not the place of a young midshipman to record in the pages of a private
journal, kept for his wife, anything, regarding
the movements or business of the fleet, that
might be regarded as official; especially as the
commodore's instructions required of him to
549




550


OFFICIAL SILENCE.


prohibit those under his command from making
any communications touching the movements
of the squadron, or of the vessels composing it.
Even private letters to friends were to avoid
these topics, and all journals and letters kept
by members of the expedition were to be considered as belonging to the government. It was
therefore very natural that Fry, in a journal designed only for the eyes of his wife, should avoid
touching upon any topics which might render it
liable to be claimed by the navy department.
The total omission of everything of this kind
from the journal was a great puzzle to me, until
I found this explanation in the official report
published by order of Congress.
The following sketch of the objects and execution of this great expedition, in which Fry
bore an active, though humble part, may not
be inappropriate in connection with this record
of his life, and may prove of interest to those
of my readers who have not waded through the
three huge volumes which constitute the official
report from which I have gathered this sketch.
To my younger readers it may be new; to




THE JAPANESE MYSTERY.


651


older ones it may prove pleasant as a reminiscence of the newspaper topic of twenty years
ago.
There can be no doubt that Japan was unknown to the Greeks and Romans, and that it
was first brought to the knowledge of the
European world by the celebrated traveler
Marco Polo, about the year 1295.
Japan consists of a great number of islands,
said to be three thousand eight hundred and
fifty, lying off the eastern coast of Asia, containing probably about one hundred and sixty
thousand square miles.
For centuries it was the policy of the Empire
of Japan to envelope herself in a mantle of
profound mystery. This naturally excited the
curiosity of all the rest of the world.
The political inquirer desired to learn the
details of that form of government under which
a nation, systematically prohibiting all intercourse with outsiders, yet attained to a remarkable state of civilization, refinement, and intelligence, exaggerated by the stolen glimpses
which alone were possible. The naturalist de



552


AMERICA SOL VES IT.


sired to know  more of the physical characteristics of this almost terra incognita. The man of
commerce asked to be told of its products and
its needs. The ethnologist hoped to supply a
gap in the story of man's early wanderings
over the globe. The divine and the philosopher,
the navigator and the naturalist, the man of
business and the man of letters, all joined in a
desire for the exploration of a field at once so
extensive and so inviting. Scarce a maritime
nation in the civilized world but had made the
effort. The Portuguese succeeded partially, but
were afterward expelled. The English voluntarily abandoned the field. The Dutch alone
acquired the right of traffic, purchased at the
price of national humiliation and personal imprisonment.
It was reserved for our own-the youngest
of the nations of the earth-to break down at
last the barriers with which this singular people had surrounded themselves, and to be the
first in modern times to establish a treaty of
friendship and trade, introducing Japan into
the circle of commercial nations.




THE SHIPWRECKED 7A PAiNESE.


553


In 1831 a Japanese junk was blown off the
coast, and after drifting about for some time in
the Pacific, went ashore on the western coast of
America.  Kindness was shown to the shipwrecked Japanese, and an American merchant
vessel was fitted out to return them to their
homes. To manifest her purely pacific purposes, all her guns and armament were taken
out. The Japanese, on hearing this, not only
treated the vessel with contempt, but fired at
her with shotted guns. Weighing anchor, in
another harbor a battery opened upon her,
when she returned to Macao, where the poor
men were left, not having been allowed to land
upon their native shore, so strict were the laws
concerning non-intercourse.
In 1846 an expedition, under Comnodore
Biddle, was sent to Japan, but accomplished
nothing. No one was allowed even to land,
and the answer of the emperor was very short:
"No trade can be allowed with any foreign
nation, except Holland."
In 1849 information was received of the detention and imprisonment of sixteen American




554


GL YNN'S EXPEDITION.


seamen, who had been shipwrecked on one of
the Japanese islands. They had been imprisoned for nearly seventeen months, and treated
with great cruelty and inhumanity. The United
States ship Preble, under Commander Glynn,
was dispatched to demand their release. When
she entered the harbor of Nagasaki, the Japanese boats endeavored to oppose her ingress, but
she kept steadily on, although batteries of heavy
artillery were unmasked and trained upon the
decks of the Preble.
When Commander Glynn first demanded the
release of the prisoners, the demand was treated
with a well-affected haughty indifference. Finding that this would not answer, the Japanese
officials then resorted to evasive diplomacy.
Tired of this, the commander of the Preble,
with the rough bluntness of a soldier and a
sailor, peremptorily told them, in most unnistakable language, that they must immediately
be given up, or means would be found to compel them to do so, as the government to which
they belonged had both the power and the will
to protect its citizens. (Things were very dif



ASIA TIC COAL NEEDED.


555


ferently managed twenty years ago, it seems, judging from  the management of the Virginius
affair! The Japanese hereupon changed their
tone, and promised that the Americans should
be sent on board in two days' time —which
promise was fulfilled to the letter.  Nothing
more than this, however, was either attempted
or accomplished.
After the treaty which closed the war of the
United States with Mexico, by which we gained
the territory of California, our extended Pacific
sea-coast rendered  direct trade with Asia a
natural consequence. The agency of steam was
of course involved, and for this coal was indispensable: whence was it to be obtained?  The.
resources of Japan were comparatively unknown, but it appeared probable that the requisite supply of fuel lay within her territories.
Tile minds of naval officers were drawn strongly
to a consideration of the subject of commercial
intercourse with Japan. There could be but
one opinion as to the desirableness of such intercourse; but study and calm reflection, aided
by long experience, could alone suggest the




656


PERR YS EXPEDITION.


means by which the wished-for end might best
be attained.
Among the many whose minds were turned
in this direction, Commodore Perry gave the
subject thorough attention. He sought for the
causes of the failures of other nations, and perceived the advantages possessed by the United
States. Presenting his matured views to the
government, his propositions were favorably received, and in 1852 an expedition was decided
upon. A squadron was to be dispatched, under
his command, on the peaceful mission of endeavoring to open a friendly commercial intercourse with the Japanese.
Of the vessels selected to form his squadron,
the Susquehanna, the Saratoga, and the Plymouth were, as we have seen from the journal
of Midshipman Fry, already in the East Indian
Ocean.
The most liberal equipment was authorized,
and the commander of the expedition was invested with extraordinary powers, diplomatic
as well as naval, and much was necessarily confided to his prudence and discretion. The great




EAGERNESS TO 701N.


objects of the expedition were to procure friendly admission to Japan for purposes of trade, and
to establish, at proper points, permanent depots
of coal for our steamers crossing the Pacific.
Applications came from  all quarters of the
civilized world for permission to take part in the
service. Literary and scientific men, Europeans
as well as Americans, students and travelers by
profession, all eagerly sought to accompany the
expedition. All such requests were refused.
The duties confided to the commander were of
a peculiar nature, and required the most prudent and delicate management on his part. It
was indispensable that the most exact order
and discipline should be maintained, while civilians could not be expected to submit patiently
to the restraints of naval discipline. The expedition was not scientific, but diplomatic. If
successful, the way would be opened for scientific explorations.
On the twenty-fourth of November, 1852,
Commodore Perry set sail from   Norfolk, Virginia, casting anchor in the Bay of Yeddo, the
commercial capital of Japan, on the ninth of
July, following.




558


THE VO YAGE.


On the twenty-second of December, the commodore issued a general order prohibiting all
information as to the movements of the squadron, either through the public prints or in private letters; requiring that all private notes or
journals relating to the objects of the expedition
should be considered as belonging to the government until otherwise ordered, and requesting
all the officers to employ such time as was convenient in contributing to the general mass of
information.
Taking in coal and water at Madeira on the
twelfth of December, and also at St. HIelena on
the tenth of January, they came to anchor at
Cape Town on the twenty-fourth of January,
1853. They landed at Mauritius on the nineteenth of February, and at Ceylon on the tenth
of March; where they obtained abundant supplies of fruit and vegetables. On the twentyfifth of March they came to anchor in the port
of Singapore. At Hong Kong they overtook
the Plymouth, the Saratoga, and the store-ship
Supply (to which Fry was afterward transferred).




CONDITION OF CHINA


559


The Susquehanna, which had been designated
by the government as the flag-ship of the expedition, had sailed a fortnight previous for
Shanghai, having on board the Hon. Humphrey
Marshall, United States commissioner to China;
Dr. Parker, the secretary of legation, and Mr.
Forbes, the United States consul; all of whom
it was necessary for the commodore to see before sailing for Japan. Accordingly the Plymouth (having Fry on board) was dispatched to
the same port with orders for the Susquehanna to await the arrival of the Mississippi
with the commodore on board.
The Susquehanna, the Plymouth, and the Supply, all grounded in approaching Shanghai, and
the Mississippi narrowly escaped the same bad
luck.
The political condition of China being at that
time very unsettled, and a revolution going on,
it was considered unwise to withdraw the naval
force entirely; accordingly the Plymouth was
left as a protector of Americans and their
property, with orders to follow the squadron as
soon as it could be done consistently with the




660


ENGLAND IN THE EAST.


safety of American interests at Shanghai. The
Saratoga was left at Macao to await the arrival
of Dr. Williams, the interpreter. Rendezvous
was given at Napha, the principal port of the
Loo Choo Islands.
The first object to be attained was the securing of "ports of refuge" for whaling vessels
and other ships; upon the main land if possible,
otherwise at some of the islands south of Japan,
having good harbor and facilities for obtaining
water and supplies.
England was already in possession of the most
important points in the East India and China
Seas. With Singapore commanding the southwestern, and Hong Kong the north-eastern entrance, and the Island of Labuan, off Borneo,
at an intermediate point, she had control of the
enormous trade of these seas.
Japan was, however, untouched, and in the
direct route of a commerce of great importance.
The Loo Choo Islands were considered, from
their size and situation, well adapted to this
purpose.
On the twenty-sixth of May, the squadron




ARRIVAL AT NAPHA.


561


anchored quietly in the harbor of Napha, the
principal port of the Great Loo Choo Island,
and the first point where the expedition touched
Japanese territory, just six months from the
date of leaving home.
The ships had not been at anchor two hours
before - notwithstanding a severe rain- a boat
came off, with two Japanese officials. On reaching the deck, they made many profound salutations, and presented a folded red card of Japanese paper, about a yard long. The principal
personage wore a loose salmon-colored robe, of
very fine grass-cloth, while the dress of the other
was of similar fashion, but blue. On their heads
were oblong caps of bright yellow. They had
blue sashes tied around their waists, and white
sandals upon their feet. Their beards were long
and black, though thin. They were seemingly
thirty-five or forty years of age.
Who they were, or the purpose of their visit,
could riot be ascertained, as the interpreter was
not on board.
The next day other boats came off, bearing
presents — which, however, were refused. The
34




562


LOO CHOO EXPLORED.


Loo Choo dignitaries, a venerable old man acting
as regent for the prince, who was represented as
a lad of some eleven years of age, and some six
or eight other officers, next visited the commodore. They preserved an imperturbable gravity, though it was plain that they felt intense
curiosity, not unmingled with considerable alarm.
Permission was accorded to the Americans to
go on shore, and exploring parties were immediately organized. One was sent to explore the
interior of the island, especially to ascertain if
it could furnish coal.
They applied for a guide, but none being furnished, they started out, feeling secure that they
would not be allowed to proceed far without
escort; and, in fact, before they had fairly left
the main street, they were joined by a chief and
two subordinate officers, and followed by a curious crowd. Wherever they turned, scouts were
seen running in advance, driving the inhabitants
out of sight, so that silence and desertion, like
that which follows pestilence, greeted them
everywhere. In the villages the shops were
closed and the stalls deserted in such haste that




CONDUCT OF THE PEOPLE.


563


the contents were often left exposed, showing
that the owners were not very far away, though
absolutely invisible.
They soon found that they were closely
watched. The officers remained with them,
though the escort was frequently changed;
they could neither tire them  down nor run
away from them. They found it impossible to
hold any communication with the natives, but
were, through their guides, supplied with fowls,
eggs, vegetables, and all compensation rigidly
refused.
This party, being limited in time to six days,
returned without finding coal.
Many were the devices to prevent Commodore Perry from  returning the visit of the
officials at the palace; but he persevered in this
design, and obtained a formal reception. The
queen dowager and the boy prince were still
mysteriously invisible, the regent doing the
honors.
The Susquehanna and the Saratoga now left
for a trip to the Bonin Islands, leaving the
Mississippi and the Supply at Napha, to culti



564


SAIL FOR YEDDO.


vate friendly relations with the islanders. On
their return they found the Plymouth at anchor
with the two other vessels. They found that
the old regent, who had so hospitably entertained them, had been deposed, owing, it was alleged, to his admission of the commodore and
suite to the royal residence; and that he would
probably be banished. Their regrets at having
been thus innocently the cause of the old man's
degradation were lessened by doubts as to this
being the real cause; that it was a voluntary
resignation on his part is probable, from the fact
that the new regent went even further in his
courtesies and attentions than the former had
done.
On the second of July, the commodore, with
the Susquehanna, the Mississippi, the Saratoga,
and the Plymouth, departed from Loo Choo for
Japan proper, coming to anchor on the eighth,
at the city of Uraga, in the Bay of Yeddo.
The vice-governor soon after came on board
the Susquehanna, all other lower officials having
been refused admission. He was informed that
the commodore had brought a letter from the




PERRY'S RESOLUTE DEALINGS.


565


president of the United States, which he could
only deliver on a proper interview with the
highest official of the Japan government. Being
informed that Nagasaki was the only place where
foreign business could be negotiated, and that it
would be necessary for the squadron to go there,
Commodore Perry declared very positively that
he should not go to Nagasaki, the policy of the
commodore being to assume a resolute attitude
toward the Japanese government; to demand as
a right, not solicit as a favor, those acts of courtesy which are due from one nation to another;
and to disregard all acts and threats of the authorities which in the least conflicted with his
own sense of what was due to the dignity of the
American flag. He was well aware, that the
more exclusive he should make himself, and the
more unyielding he might be in adhering to his
declared intentions, the more respect this people
of forms and ceremonies would be disposed to
award him. He therefore resolved to confer personally with no one but a functionary of the
highest rank, teaching them, by stately and dignified reserve, to respect the country he came




566


THEIR SUCCESS.


from, and to suspend for a time their accustomed
arrogance and incivility toward strangers.
The Japanese understood him, and learned
the lesson at once. The squadron was thus left
free from all annoyance and interference on the
part of the authorities. All this was in striking
contrast to the humiliations submitted to by the
Dutch and other nationalities.
The governor, the highest authority in the
city, came on board the next day, but was received by the commander of the vessel, Commodore Perry still refusing to treat with any one
but a counselor of the empire.
The governor, objecting to the survey of the
harbor by the ships' boats, received for reply
that they were only obeying American laws,
which were as binding upon Americans as Japanese customs were upon the Japanese.
Thus far the commodore had carried every
point. An imperial counselor, the highest functionary in the empire, came from Yeddo to
Uraga, to receive the president's letter, and convey it to the emperor. He bore an order with
the emperor's seal, wrapped in velvet, and inclosed in a sandal-wood box.




THE CONFERENCE BUILDING.


* 567


A building was erected by the Japanese, in
which to hold the interview, and make the formal delivery of the president's letter.  The
blows of the hammers and the noisy voices of
the laborers were heard throughout the night,
and the morning light displayed the almost
magical result of their brief labors. Ornamental screens of cloth were stretched between posts
of wood, presenting the appearance of elaborate
paneling, upon which were emblazoned the imperial arms and the device of scarlet flowers
with large, heart-shaped leaves.  Flags  and
streamers of various designs, in gay colors,
floated from  the angles of the screens.  Nine
tall standards stood in the center of an immense
number of banners of divers brilliant colors,
which were arrayed on either side, until the
whole formed a crescent of variously tinted flags,
which fluttered gayly in the rays of the morning
sun. From the tall standards were suspended
broad pennons of bright scarlet, which swept the
ground with their flowing length. On the beach,
in front of this display, were ranged regiments
of soldiers, who stood in fixed order, evidently




568    THE COMMODORE'S RETINUE.


arrayed to give an appearance of martial force,
that the Americans might be duly impressed
with the military power of the Japanese. Hundreds of Japanese boats were arranged in parallel lines along the margin of the shore, with
a red flag flying at the stern of each.
The day was bright, with a clear sunlight
which seemed to give fresh vitality alike to the
verdant hill-sides, and the gay banners, and the
gaudy soldiery. The Japanese officials were in
gorgeous costumes of very rich silk brocade of
gay colors, turned up with yellow velvet, the
whole dress embroidered with gold lace in various figures. The elaborate toilets produced
very much the effect of unusually brilliant
knaves of hearts!
Commodore Perry was attended by as large a
retinue as could possibly be spared from the
ships,-some three hundred men, all told,the officers in full dress official uniform, the
sailors and marines in their naval and military
uniforms of white and blue. The two bands
from the steamers enlivened the occasion with
music. The thirteen guns of the Susquehanna




THE PRESIDENT'S LETTER.


569


announced the embarkation of the commodore.
The United States flag and the broad pennant
were borne by two athletic seamen, who had
been selected for their stalwart proportions.
Two boys, elaborately dressed for the occasion, preceded the commodore, bearing in an
envelope of scarlet cloth the boxes containing
the documents. These were beautifully written
on vellum of folio size, not folded, but bound in
blue silk velvet. Each seal, attached by cords
of interwoven gold and silk, with pendant gold
tassels, was encased in a circular box, six inches
in diameter, and three in depth, of pure gold.
Each of the documents, together with its seal,
was placed in a box of rosewood, about a foot
long, with lock, hinges, and mountings of gold.
On either side of the commodore marched a tall,
well-formed negro, armed to the teeth, acting as
his personal guard. All this, of course, was designed for effect.
The interview was conducted with the most
statuesque formality, in perfect silence.  The
documents, in English, Dutch, and Chinese translations, were displayed to the Japanese officials,




570


7JAPANESE ABOARD SHIP.


and placed in the receptacle prepared for them,
and a roll of papers, the imperial receipt, given
in return - all done in absolute silence, because
of its being in opposition to Japanese law for
foreign business to be transacted elsewhere than
in Nagasaki.
Considering the exclusive policy of Japan,
there was ground for proud self-satisfaction on
the part of every American participating in the
events of the day. Japan was at last roused to
a sense of her relationship to the rest of the
world; she had broken her code of selfish exclusiveness to obey the universal law of hospitality.
The whole squadron now proceeded up the
bay, to select an anchorage for the vessels on
their return in the spring, to the evident displeasure of the Japanese. Finding their expostulations in vain, however, they yielded with
very good grace, and cheerfully shared in the
hospitalities of the cabin, so delighted with the
cheer that they even carried off, in their capacious sleeves, bread, and ham, and other substantial mementoes.  They examined the ma



POINTS GAINrED.


571


chinery of the steamers with great curiosity and
intelligent comprehension, rapidly gaining an
insight into the nature of steam, and the method
of its application to the machinery.
During this short stay of eight days, a number
of very important points had been gained, in
striking contrast to -the degrading conditions of
the concessions heretofore made to the Dutch.
An unprecedented concession was obtained in
the interchange of presents, this being prohibited
in the most stringent and absolute manner by
the laws of this strange government.
While awaiting the arrival from the United
States of the vessel conveying from the American government the presents which were to seal
the treaty, the squadron, after a thorough survey
of both coasts of the harbor, to within eight
miles of Yeddo, left the anchorage on the seventh of July.
The Saratoga was dispatched to Shanghai for
the protection of American. interests there, the
revolution in China still continuing, and both
life and property being considered unsafe.
The Plymouth was sent to Loo Choo, where




572


STA TIONS OF THE SHIPS.


an interview was held with the regent. Several
very important demands were made, all of which,
after the usual attempts at evasion and quibbling, were eventually granted, exactly as presented.
These demands included the establishment of
a coal depot, free trade in the market, the discontinuance of espionage, and free communication with the inhabitants.
The Plymouth was left at Loo Choo with instructions to maintain a conciliatory butfirm attitude, receiving nothing without returning fair
compensation, cultivating the friendship and securing the confidence of the natives.
The Vandalia and the Powhatan now joined
the squadron.  The revolution rendering the
Americans in the various Chinese seaport towns
fearful for their safety, the Supply was sent to
Canton, and the Mississippi to Whampoa, relieved later, first by the Susquehanna, and then
by the Powhatan. 
During the winter sudden and inexplicable
movements on the part of the French cornto



LOO CHOO AGAIN.


573


dore and the Russian admiral, leading Commodore Perry to believe that they contemplated
interfering in Japanese affairs, he resolved to
hasten his return to Yeddo; and the Lexington
having arrived from the United States with a
portion of the expected presents, he sailed again
for Japan on the fourteenth of January, the
squadron being now increased to fifteen vessels.
Arrived at Loo Choo, the people were found
to be evidently more and more disposed to
friendly intercourse.  The men in the streets
were quite familiar, while even the women no
longer fled from the market-places, but remained
quietly in charge of their stalls. They evidently
rejoiced in the prospect of a political position
which might, in a degree, render them independent of Japanese despotism.
Exploring parties were again dispatched into
the interior of the island, and the important
discovery was made of coal in abundance, and
readily obtainable by mining. The natives were
apparently unaware of its existence, or unacquainted with its uses.
The squadron now proceeded to the " Ameri



574


DEBATE ON ANCHORA GE.


can anchorage" previously selected, in Yeddo
Bay, about twelve miles beyond Uraga.
They were informed that two high Japanese
officials were prepared to treat with them at
Uraga. Commodore Perry refusing to go there,
Kama-kura was proposed. This being twenty
miles below Uraga, and a very shoal and rocky
bay, the commodore signified that he would
either meet the commissioners on the shore
opposite the present anchorage, or he would
move his vessels higher up the bay, even to
Yeddo itself if necessary.
To this it was emphatically replied, "You carnnot be received at Yeddo."  The Japanese insisted strenuously upon Uraga, as being the
place appointed by the emperor, and where
buildings had been erected, and preparations
made for the conference.
The commodore as persistently refused, in view
of the insecurity of the harbor, and because of
the custom of civilized nations to transact such
business at the seat of government.
The Japanese admitted that the commodore
was right in desiring to adhere to American and




FURTHER CONFERENCE.


57.5


European usages, but that they were equally
bound to compliance with the orders of their
emperor, regardless of the customs of foreign
countries.
For ten days they used every inducement to
prevail upon the commodore to return to Uraga,
when, finding it impossible to shake his resolution, they suddenly abandoned their pretended
ultimatum.
The place now proposed by them being within
sight of Yeddo, with a safe and commodious anchorage, was accepted by Commodore Perry.
The Japanese were soon at work erecting
buildings, and making arrangements for the customary gaudy display; and on the eighth of
March the conference took place.
They dispensed with the military display of
the previous occasion, but the treaty-house was
adorned with the same gay paraphernalia as
before. The commodore also adhered to the
same parade, pomp, and ceremony.
The five Japanese commissioners were augustlooking personages, and their grave but courteous manners, and flowing robes of rich silk,
set them off to great advantage.




576


N1EGOTIA TIONS.


The commissioners stated - as their reply to
the letter from the president of the United
States to the emperor of Japan- that to continue their adherence to their ancient laws was
evidently to misunderstand the spirit of the age;
but that-in view of the fact that the former
emperor had died since the reception of the
president's, letter-the confusion and occupation consequent upon the accession to the
throne of the new emperor had prevented
the full consideration due to such important
matters, and that they were therefore unprepared to reply explicitly; that they would, however, prepare for American use the harbor they
might select,- which preparation would require
about five years, - and that whatever provisions
might be required should be supplied.
Commodore Perry replied that the seven
months which had elapsed had afforded ample
time for the consideration of the just and reasonable demands of the president; and that it
was necessary, in order to prevent all future
misunderstandings, that the treaty be concluded
immediately.  He adverted to the advantages




MANDARIN AND) RAIL CAR.


577


gained by the Chinese in their free intercourse
with the United States, and presented for their
consideration the draught of a treaty, identical
in all essential features with that subsisting between the United States and China.
The presents were now landed, presented, and
accepted.  The more important among them
were a telegraphic apparatus, with a mile of
wire, and a railroad, with locomotive, tender,
passenger-car, and circular railroad. The latter
was perfect in its mechanism, and the car a most
tasteful specimen of workmanship, but so small
that it could hardly carry a child of six years
of age. The Japanese were determined to ride,
and as they could not reduce themselves to the
capacity of the inside of the car, they betook
themselves to the roof! Imagine a dignified
mandarin whirling round the circular road at
the rate of twenty miles an hour, with his loose
robes flying in the wind, clinging with desperate
hold to the edge of the roof, grinning with intense interest, his huddled-up body shaking convulsively with laughing timidity as the car spins
rapidly round the circle, the movement of the
35




578


A TRICKY CHAPLAIN.


car apparently depending more upon the enormous exertions of the uneasy rider than upon
the power of the little puffing locomotive, which
was so easily performing its work.
Agricultural instruments, seeds, clocks, stoves,
boxes of perfumery, baskets of champagne, cordials, etc., were among the presents, either for
the emperor or for distribution.
The Japanese showed a peculiar passion for
buttons, asking again and again for one, and stowing it away as if it were of great value.
Great offense was given by the chaplain of
one of the ships, who penetrated several of the
dwellings and temples, and, by his pertinacious
perseverance, succeeded in obtaining some Japanese coin, this latter being a great offense
against the laws of the empire. Being allowed,
in one of the shops, to examine the coin, he
placed them in the balance against some of his
own American coins, as if to try them, and then,
suddenly transferring the Japanese coins -gold,
silver, and copper indiscriminately mixed- to
his own pocket, walked off, leaving the American
coin in the balance, not having been content, as




PARLEYS BY THE 7APANESE.


579


the authorities reported, with gentle persuasions
and mild exhortations, but having used " threatening dangers" in which his drawn sword had
figured conspicuously. There was a gentle and
graceful suggestion. of an apology for the conduct of the American chaplain, which showed in
beautiful accordance with the precepts of the
faith of the intruder, though in unpleasant contrast with his practice.
On the sixteenth of March a reply was received, in which the commissioners repeated the
assurance of the impossibility of the emperor's
giving his attention at that time to extraneous
negotiations. "Among those points which you
now propose for adoption, the two items of extending succor and protection to the distressed
and wrecked vessels on our coasts, and of furnishing coal to passing ships, and supplying provisions and other necessaries to those who may
be in need of them, are founded in reason, and
ought to be granted without hesitation. But as
to opening a trade, such as is now carried on
with China by your country, we certainly cannot yet bring it about. The feelings and man



580


IMPORTANT CONCESSIONS.


ners of our people are very unlike those of
other nations; and it will be exceedingly difficult, even if you wish it, to immediately change
the old regulations for those of other countries,"
etc., etc.
Seven propositions were made-all of them
looking to the Dutch port of Nagasaki as the
only one which could be opened for a trial treaty
of five years, the ports asked for in Loo Choo
and Matsmai being represented as belonging to
independent princes.
To this the commodore replied that he would
in that case negotiate directly with those princes
himself.
Finding him resolute on all points, the port
of Simoda, near Uraga, Napha in Loo Choo, and
Hakodadi, near Matsmai, were substituted for
Nagasaki.
These important concessions betokened a favorable prospect. For the entertainment of the
strangers, they offered a display of twenty-five
professional Japanese wrestlers; huge monsters
of fat and muscle, whose animal natures had
been so carefully developed, that, instead of




A TREATY SIGNED.


581


human beings, they seemed more like fierce
bulls, whose very look and movements they had
acquired.  As they eyed   each  other, they
stamped the ground heavily, pawing, as it were,
with impatience; stooping their huge bodies,
they grasped handfuls of dirt, and flung it with
an angry toss over their backs, even bellowing
loudly as they rushed forward, with heads lowered, for the conflict.
In return the sailors improvised an exhibition
of " negro minstrelsy."  The gravity of the most
saturnine was not proof against this grotesque
entertainment, and they exhibited unbounded
delight at the farcical antics and humorous performances of the troupe.
The harbor of Simoda having been found
in every respect suitable, the treaty was
finally signed on the thirty-first of March.
It was drawn up in English, Dutch, and Japanese.
In order to fully appreciate what was thus accomplished, it must be borne in mind that we
were treating with a nation which had hitherto
maintained a voluntary absolute isolation, cor



582


A PORT OF REFUGE.


muunicating with the outside world only through
one port, and through foreign agents who were
held strict prisoners.
By the new treaty with the United States, a
consul was to reside at the port, and Americans
were to have perfect freedom for the distance
they could go and return in a day, or about
seven miles; to enter shops and temples without
restrictions; to purchase what they chose from
the shops; public houses or inns to be built as
resting-places for them in their walks; and they
were at liberty to accept invitations to partake
of the hospitality of the natives.
The treaty having been signed and exchanged,
it was sent, together with the necessary communications, to our government at Washington, for
ratification, under the especial charge of a bearer
of dispatches, who sailed on the fourth of April,
in the Saratoga.
The squadron now departed from the Bay of
Yeddo, and proceeded to Simoda. The harbor
was thoroughly surveyed, and found to possess
all the requirements of a " port of refuge," both
from its contiguity to the sea, being on the




HAKODADLI


583


Island of Nippon, near the mouth of the lower
Gulf of Yeddo, and from its safe and easy approach.  The surrounding country   was also
explored.
Some little trouble was experienced at Simoda
with the officials, who apparently found it difficult to understand that the rules by which they
had been governed in their intercourse with the
*Dutch did not hold good with Americans, pleading ignorance of the terms and interpretation of
the treaty. The difficulties were finally all removed, and there was no further interruption of
the friendly intercourse between the people of
Simoda and the Americans.
The ninth of May having been appointed for
meeting the Japanese officials at Hakodadi, the
other port of refuge, the squadron proceeded
thither, leaving the Supply at Simoda.
Htkodadi was found to possess one of the
finest harbors in the world for accessibility
and safety. The Japanese officials from Yeddo had not yet arrived, and the people were
greatly alarmed at the arrival of the American ships, having received no intimation of




684


A JAPANESE GIBRALTAR.


the intended visit of the squadron, nor even
heard of the treaty and the opening of the
ports.
They were apparently disposed to be friendly,
but fearful of making any concessions before receiving special commands from the emperor,
fearing serious consequences for themselves.
The Americans were, however, allowed to stroll
around unmolested, and a bazaar was opened,
where various articles could be obtained at fair
prices.
Hakodadi, in its position and general aspect,
was found to present a striking resemblance to
Gibraltar, offering similar natural advantages for
making it impregnable. The harbor was found
to abound in excellent fish, while on shore game
was abundant.
Having surveyed the harbor and explored the
country, and finding the Hakodadi officials unauthorized to ratify the treaty, and no commissioners arriving fron Yeddo, Commodore Perry returned to Simoda, where the squadron anchored
preparatory to a final departure.
A harbor-master and three pilots were ap



APPROVAL OF TREATY.


585


pointed, and furnished with a spy-glass and two
American ensigns.
All arrangements having been concluded, on
the twenty-eighth of June the whole squadron
got under weigh. They came to anchor on the
first of July, in the harbor of Napha, Loo Choo,
where a treaty, based upon that with Japan, was
made with but little delay, opening the port of
Napha for commerce, and giving Americans the
same freedom there that had been obtained for
Simoda and Hakodadi.
A parting entertainment was given to the
authorities, which passed off very pleasantly.
On the seventeenth of March, 1854, Napha was
left to the quiet in which it reposed when
the American squadron first anchored in its
waters.
The copy of the treaty which had been sent
to the United States, in April, was received with
great satisfaction, and obtained the immediate
and unanimous approval of the Senate.
The approved copy of the treaty, signed by
the president and secretary of state, was returned to Japan, and, after much delay, and the




586


TREATY RA TIFIED.


interposition of the inevitable quibblings and
evasions, exchanged for the Japanese copy,
signed by the emperor and the supreme council, and with the imperial seal attached. The
formal exchange of ratifications took place on
the twenty-first of February, 1855.
With the lapse of time the Japanese wcre
found to have become much more disposed to
be friendly and sociable.  There was no attempt to watch or follow the officers; they
roamed wherever they pleased, and were welcomed everywhere. A bazaar was opened, filled
with the finest articles of Japanese manufacture,
which the Americans were importuned to buy.
The ship was daily visited by some officer
of rank, the governor even intimating that
it would be very agreeable to him personally that a consul from the United States
should be appointed to reside at Simoda.
On the twenty-fifth of June the Japanese
ratification was delivered to the secretary of
state at Washington.
While Captain Adams was at Simoda, the
Russian admiral concluded a treaty with Japan




RUSSIAN AND ENGLISH TREATIES., 587
on precisely the same terms as that of the
United States, except that they accepted the
Dutch port of Nagasaki instead of Napha.
The English government soon after concluded
a similar treaty on the same basis.




CHAPTER IV.


CONCLUSION. -ACKNOWLEDGMENTS TO VARIOUS PERSONS. -
THE PRESS, ETC. —NOTICES OF THE PRESS.
IN conclusion I desire, in the name of Mrs.
Joseph Fry, to tender my grateful acknowledgments and sincere thanks to all who have
aided me in this "labor of love."
Especially would I name Mrs. Sarah E. Dorsey, the distinguished Southern litterateur and
artist, for kindly words of counsel and encouragement; Dr. De Zayas, for valuable documents; the gentlemen of the New Orleans
press, for their critical examination of my
manuscripts, and subsequent flattering notices
of my work; the Morning Star office, for gratuitous publication of a large number of circu588




THE AUTHOR'S THANKS.           589
lars, subscription list, etc.; Washburn Bros., Photographic Artists, for the portraits which adorn
the book; and all those who have labored to
procure subscribers to defray the expenses of
publication.
MRS. JEANIE MORT WALKER.
NAPOLEON AVENUE, NEW ORLEANS,
November, 1874.




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