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Europe and America and the Indies: Crittenden

There were insurrections in Cuba in 1823, 1829, 1835 and 1844, regarded with increasing interest and sympathy by the American people; and in 1850 occurred the famous Lopez and Crittenden expedition. Narcisso Lopez was a native of Venezuela, who reached the rank of major-general in the Spanish army, married a wealthy Cuban lady, was detected as interested in an insurrectionary movement, and escaped to the United States, where he was devoted to plans for the liberation of Cuba, and, in 1850, sailed from New Orleans in the steamer Pampero with three hundred men. The second in command was a W. S. Crittenden, a graduate of West Point and Mexican War hero, though but twenty-eight years old.

There was hardly a pretense of disguise in our Southern States, of the object of the expedition, and the details of it were recklessly given, so that the Spanish authorities were warned, and as they knew Lopez meant to land in the eastern part of the island, letters were sent purporting to be from Cuban patriots, persuading him to land in the western province, where a rising would be prepared to support him.

Lopez fell into the trap. He stopped at Key West to take coal, and landed, as the Spaniards had planned, at Bahia Honda, and marched into the interior, where the insurrection was to take place, and Crittenden remained at the seaside as a base of operations.

Hearing nothing from Lopez, and knowing, therefore, his movement was a failure, Crittenden made a desperate attempt to escape in open boats, but was discovered and captured by the Spanish Admiral, Brestillo. The United States consul was appealed to for assistance, but declined to interfere; and did not even, it is said, visit the unfortunate men, because he was alarmed for his personal safety, and there was no doubt at all of the nature of the expedition.

The proceedings were prompt. Crittenden and fifty men were shot in groups of six under the walls of Fort Atares, Crittenden refusing to kneel with his back to the firing party, according to the Spanish fancy, but faced them erect, saying he kneeled only to God! The reports are, that the bodies of the victims were treated with frightful indignities.

Lopez found some sympathizers, but there was no demonstration in his favor, as he had expected, and after two skirmishes, he surrendered, and was executed with the garrote at Havana, not being permitted the death of a soldier. Forty-nine of his men were shot and one hundred and six of them held in servitude, loaded with chains, seven months in Spain. This bloody business caused intense feeling in the United States, and the death of the gallant Crittenden was bitterly lamented and resented. Captain Joseph Fry, of the ill-fated Virginius, is widely known as "The Cuban Martyr." He was a native of Florida, born at Tampa Bay, June 14, 1826, and was a confederate officer of high courage and capacity.

He was at Port au Prince, Oct. 7, 1873, with the Virginius, and took on board war material, 500 Remington rifles, 600, sabres, 400 revolvers, and many other articles of unmistakable war material. There is no more serious question of the character of the expedition than of the nature of the cargo, though some of the men seemed of an irresponsible sort. While the Virginius was on the way to Cuba, the Spanish gunboat Tornado appeared, and Captain Fry attempted to return to Jamaica, and urged his ship to the utmost, burning fat, and firing up to such an extent that the pursuers in the night located the ship by the flame from her chimneys. The Virginius and Tornado were built by the same British firm for blockade-runners. The Tornado proved the better boat on this occasion, and gradually came within range. Various causes were assigned for the failure of the Virginius to show speed, and there was a story of treachery, but as she had not been docked for fourteen months, and needed scraping at least once in six months, there was no need of treason in the engine room to account for her capture.

There was a dreadful panic on the doomed vessel The war material was lifted out of the hold by a crane and flung overboard, though there was enough left in the fragments of cases to show what the "merchandise" that was thrown into the sea had been. Many of the party opened their trunks, and threw away everything they regarded as suspicious, and the whole vessel was in wild disorder. The first shot from the Tornado fell wide, but the second struck the smoke-stack of the fugitive, and she was stopped, and surrendered, the captain protesting that his papers were regular, that the Virginius was "an American ship, carrying American colors and papers, with an American captain and an American crew," and that the passengers were going to Costa Rica. He, therefore, protested in the name of the American government against detention. The Spanish captain said the Virginius was "a pirate ship." and ordered the American colors pulled down and the Spanish colors run up--and it is said the lowered flag was trampled upon.

The Tornado, with her prize, made for Santiago de Cuba, arriving there Nov. 1st, and the fierce demonstrations of the volunteers alarmed Captain Fry, who does not seem until then to have realized his situation, and he is reported by his friends there to have said: "If I die, it will be for the Cuban cause." The court martial of those recognized as Cuban insurgents was a matter of form, and the decision that the prisoners must be shot to death was soon reached.

The Spanish official report of the execution of the patriotic generals who were the leading passengers of the Virginius is the following: TO HIS EXCELLENCY, THE CAPTAIN-GENERAL:

At 6 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 Bambeta, General of Division; Pedro Cespedes, Commanding General of Cienfuegos; General Jesus Del Sol, and Brigadier 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. "BURRIEL."

There were a few friendly spectators at the execution, which took place in what was appropriately known as the "slaughter-house." Ryan wore a blue shirt with a silver star. The victims were shot in the back, and the bodies beheaded, the heads displayed on spikes, while the trunks were trampled by horses. A correspondent of the New York Herald, named George W. Sherman, was imprisoned four days for attempting to sketch the scene. The American consul attempted to protest, but was restrained in his house by a guard. One account, by an American present, says the people were not in a mood of noisy approbation, but were "excessively quiet."

Then came the court martial in the case of the captain and crew. The American consul saw Captain Fry--who was without delay convicted by the alleged court and ordered shot--make his protest, as a preparation for death; and the captain signed it two hours before he marched to the "slaughter-house." It was November 7, 1873. At 4 o'clock in the afternoon the condemned officers and crew of the Virginius were marched by fours to the shooting place, passing and saluting the American consulate, where the flagstaff was bare. Captain Fry was of the last group in the procession and shot first, being the only man, though the soldiers stood only ten feet away, who fell dead at the opening volley. The majority of the condemned, as the firing proceed, were wounded, and killed as they writhed on the ground, the favored method of dispatch being firing rifles in the mouths of those who were disabled. The number killed was fifty-three, and ninty-three more were under sentence. Among the executed was the second engineer, who made a declaration to the Spaniards that he had meddled with the engine and caused the capture. He was marched with the rest prevent his comrades from knowing that he had been favored, and shot by mistake, making frantic protests. He probably had not told the Spaniards the truth, and got the just award for his treachery. At this time General Grant was President of the United States; General Sickles Minister to Spain; the famous orator Castelar, President of Spain, and he, it is believed, ordered the execution not to take place; but, if so, the order did not reach Santiago in time.