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tostitutiarralist fc public.
JAMES GARDNER, JR.,) ”
and > Editor*.
JAMES M. SMYTHE, )
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[ From the New York Herald , Sept. 13.]
FIVE DAYS LATER FROM CUBA.
ARRIVAL or LIA)T. VAN VKCUTXN IN THE WlN
fflrißl.D SCOTT.
Highly Inlr reel inf Narrative of the Cuba Ex/iedi
lion, by Lieut. Van Vechte n, Ipc.
The steamship Winfield Scott, Capt. Coulliard,
arrived at this port yesterday atternoon. She
.left New Orleans at nine o’clock, A. M., on the
6th instant, and stopped off Key West on the
Bth. She was six days and five hours in mak
ing the passage.
The Winfield Scott took on board, off Key
West, Mr. PhilipS. Van Vechten, who was a
Lieutenant in the Cuban expedition, under Gen.
Lopez. Mr. Van Vechten was released lrom
prison, and pardoned through the intercession of
Captain Platt, of the United States sloop Alba
ny. He was one of those who went from New
Orleans, in the steamer Pampero. There are
one hundred and sixty in prison at Havana, who
will he sent to Spain. The United States sloop
Albany brought Mr. Van Vechten over to Key
West. We have received a complete history of
the expedition from Mr. Van V., which we pub
lish.
We are indebted to the kindness of a gentle
man of this city, for the following letter from on
board of the Albany:—
U. S. Ship Aluany, I
Key West, Fla., Sept. 8,1881. )
The Winfield Srott passes here to-day, and by
her I send you intelligence of the release of Col.
Hayncß and Capt. Kelly, who were captured in
the late Cuban expedition. They were released
by the Captain General, Concha, upon their
promise to proceed to New York, ami tell the
truth in regard to the landing of Lopez, their
capture, and treatment. It was the Captain
General’s intention that they should have gone
on in the Empire City, on September Ist, but
by some accident, ti.ey did not get on board.
They were to hnve sailed on Saturday, in the
ship Norma, for New York, nnd I presume did so.
Mr. Van Vechten, of Albany, was also released,
at the rei|uest of Captain Plait, and he was as
sured by the Captain General, that the lives of
the other prisoners were safe. They are in num
ber 1(10; all that survive of the 430 that landed
on the 11th, under Lopez. Com. Parker, in the
(lag ship Saranac, went into Havana on the
niiirninjii of flu* Afch We sail for there to-mor
row al) dayligiit. **##.
Annexed is the narrative ofLicut. Van Vech
ten ; it is highly interesting:—
Tho Statement of Lient. Van Vochten.
On Board Steam Ship Winfield Scott, )
September 11, 1851. J
James G. Bennett, Es<| :
Dear Sir: —Having been connected with the
late unfortunate expedition against Cuba, under
the command of General Naroiso Lopez, ami al
lowed to return in safety to my home and triends,
I feel it to be a duty which 1 owe to the friends
of my unfortunate comrades, and the public at
lurge, to publish, through the columns of your
valuable and widely circulating paper, a true ac
count o( the proceedings of that exjiedition, cor
recting, as far as possible, the false reports which,
for the last month, have been in circulation
throughout the United States, and endeavoring
to do just ice to all.
I became connected with the expedition at
New Orleans, receiving, on the 30th day of July
last, an appointment as First Lieutenant of Com
pany B, of Colonel W. L. Crittenden’* regiment,
(Ist Artillery,) commanded by Captain James
Sanders. The expedition, as you are already
aware, left New Orleans at daybreak, on the
inofniug of Sunday, the 3d of August, in the
steamer Pampero. We were towed to the mouth
of the river, our engine being out of order. Wc
remained in the river until Wednesday, the 6th,
and left through the North-cast Puss, at five
o’clock, P. M. of that day, for Key West. The
intention at the time was to go to Key West, and
there take on board a pilot for the river St.
Johns—ut which place we were to embark a
light battery of artillery, with caissons, ammu
nition ami harness complete, together with a
number of cavalry saddles—and from thence
were to run to the South side of Cuba, and land
as near as possible to Puerto Principe.
We reached K6y West, and anchored some
distance from the city, at about three P. M. of
Saturday, the 10th instant. While at Key West
a quantity of brandy and champagne was receiv
ed on board, which was imbibpd tolerably freely
by Lopez and his staff. About dusk of that day,
no pilot appearing, Lopez called a council, com
posed entirely of the Cubans and Hungarians
attached to his staff, (no Americans being call
ed,) who decided to give up going to the St.
John's river, and run immediately lor the coast
of Cuba, which was done at 10, P. M. The
next morning, owing to the variation of the con
pass from muskets being stacked near it, we
found ourselves in plain sight of the Moro Castle,
and about twelve miles distant. The vessel
was immediately headed to the northward and
westward, and run out of sight of land. About
a 3 P. M. of that day, Lopez took the captain and
. mate out of a Spanish schooner to act .is pilots,
jgiving them to understand that they would be
fiiot if they showed any disposition to escape or
deceive. At IP.M. we again stood in for land,
arid soon after dusk sent in a boat to reconnoitre,
which was hailed by a sentry on the walls of
the tort, situated near Bahia Honda, the ship not
being more than a mile from it. As soon as the
boat reported, lights were extinguished and a
press of steam put on, the ship running to the
westward along the land. About 10 o’clock,
while running ander charge of a pilot, under a
pres* of steam, the ship suddenly struck, and be
fore the engines could De stopped had run more
than her length upon a coral reef. After examin
ing her situation, it was found that she was ly
ing in about eight feet of water, while her draft
was over nine feet: and that it was necessary
that the force should be immediately landed,
which was done; and about two o’clock on the
morning of the 12th of August the last of us
disembarked upon the shore of what we had
been taught to consider would soon be the free
Island of Cuba. The first boats which landed
were fired opon by a party of twenty men, who
fled on their fire being returned from the boat
which contained Capt. Gouti, (a Cuban com
manding an American company.) Lieutenant
Laningham, and about thirty privates of his
company. OneofGouti’s men was wounded in
the arm, and returned in the ship, and the cap
of the Lieutenat was cut into halves on his head.
At daylight Lopez sent a jjronuncimento to
Los Pozas, a small village ten miles distant, in :
which he informed the inhabitants that he was ,
about to march to that place, and would give no
quarter to any whom he found there who did not
join him. There being no means of transport
ing baggage at Cabanss. where we landed, Lo
pez ordered Colonel Crittenden to remain there
and protect our stores, consisting of 100,000
musket cartridges, three thousand muskets and
seven hundred pounds of powder, in bags, togeth
er with the personal baggage of all the officers,
saying that fie would march on to Los Pazas,
with the regiment of Infantry, commanded by
Colonel Downman. and send from thence trans
portation, and t hat he would remain there until
joined by Crittenden. Accordingly Lopez
marched at 8 o’clock, with three hundred and
twenty-three men,leaving Crittenden at Cabanos
with one hundred and thirty men. At 11 o'clock
that night Crittenden received two carts, and
started immediately after to join Lopez at Los
Pazas.
The carts being heavily loaded, and the roads
bad, our progress was of necessity slow, not ad
vancing more than a mile an hour. About two
hours after daylight, on the morning of the 13th,
we reached a house containing a store and grog
shop, about four miles from Los Pozas, The ad
vance guard and main body only had reached
the house, (the rear guard with the carts being
still some quarter of a mile behind,) and were
engaged in eating breakfast, their arms being laid
aside, when they were surprised by the report of
muskety, and the whistling of bullets, which
proceeded from the advance guard of a body of
the enemy, five hundred strong. We immediate
ly seized our guns and killed nine of the enemy,
and made one prisoner, none of our party having
been injured. Not seeing any more of the ene
my, the Colonel concluded it was but a forag
ing party that had attacked us, and our rear guard
having come up with the carts, ordered us to re
sume our breakfast, which wedid. About ten
minutes after, we were again attacked by the
whole force of the enemy, they having advan
tage of the position, being posted on the brow of
a hill overlooking our position, with a belt of
chapparal, some three hundred yards wide inter
vening, over which we could not fire. Critten
den immediately gave the order to charge, lead
ing himself, and lorced the enemy to retreat to a
large bixly or chapparal, some seventy-five or
eighty yards in the rear of their first position,
from which they opened a heavy fire upon our
force as soon as it appeared in sight on the brow
of the hill. Finding he could not maintain that
position, Crittenden gave an order to retreat to
the house, which was done, while the enemy re
sumed his position on the hill, and again opened
his fire; upon which Crittednen ordered a second
charge, at the same time saying that he wished a
small party to attain a position at the right flank
of the enemy, to charge from that side at the
same moment he charged from the front; second
Lieutenant W. H. Crafts, (also of company ft)
and myself volunteered, and succeeded in attain
ing the position with twenty men. After re
maining in it for atiout half an hour, and hear
ing nothing of Crittenden, we returned to the
house, where wc found Captain Kelly, of Cotn
nany A, with ten men, guarding the carts, hut
could hear or see nothing of Crittenden. The
enemy soon after advancing towards the house,
we were complied to retreat, leaving our bag
gage and stores; and that night or rather the next
morning, we succeeded in forming a junction
with liopez at Los Pazas, half an hour before iiis
march from that place. At the same hour that
Crittenden was attacked at the hacienda, a body
of the enemy, eight hundred strong, under Gen
eral Enna, attacked Lopez at Los Posas. After
a hard fight over two hours the enemy retreat
ed, leaving the Americans masters of the field,
and over two hundred of their number (among
whom were several of their highest officers)
dead and wounded—the American loss being, in
killed, wounded, and missing, only about thirty
men, among whom Colonel Downman and Lieut.
Labuzan were killed, and General Paragay and
Captains Brigham and Goull were mortally
wounded. After the action,the Spanish wound
ed were brought in, and ns well taken care of as
circumstances would admit. Lopez rode entire
ly unarmed over the field, through the hottest of
the fire, occasionally applying a red raw hide,
with a great deal of vigor, to the shoulders of
such men as he thought could be hurried into
firing a little faster. On the morning of the 14 th,
at 2 o’clock, Lopez marched from Los Pozas into
the mountains, leaving there seventeen wounded
Spaniards and thirteen of our side, all of whom
were bayoneted by the Spaniards, and their bo
dies piled in a heap, cross-ways, at the foot of a i
hill.
Two days after, (on the 10th.) Lopez was
again attacked by three hundred lancers ami six
hundred infantry, while encamped at a hacienda
which formerly belonged to himself, but was :
confiscated some three years since. Here the
action lasted from 11 to 2 o’clock, on one of the
hottest days I ever experienced. The enemy
were again compelled to retract, with a loss of
three hundred and twenty men, and at the same
moment that the retreat of the Spaniards in one
direction was reported to Lopez, he issued an
order to his own force to retreat in the opposite,
and actually, that day, made a forced march of
eighteen miles in five hours, over a muuntain
road. On the 19th, being still on the mountains,
we were overtaken by a severe rain storm,
which destroyed the greater portion of our am
munition, and rendered our guns entirely usoloss.
We encamped, on the evening of that day, at a
rancho at the foot of the mountain, about two
leagues,from Bahia Honda. We remained un
disturbed that night, and were attacked, just at
breakfast time on the morning of tho 29th, being
taken by surpri e, the sentry on the outpost hav
ing left his post to wash himself in a creek,
where he was killed. Owing to the unservicea
ble condition of their arms, the force under Lo
pez was completely routed, flying to the moun
tains in all directions—Lopez himself barely es
caping on horseback, with the loss of his saddle,
pistols, ami spyglass—of every thing, in fact, hut
what he wore. That night he encamped on the
top of one of the highest mountains on the island
of Cuba, exposed to all the violence of a terrific
norther, without neither shelter, lire, or food.
It is impossible for me to describe the suffer
ings of that night. Heaven forbid that I ever
pass such another. The rain fell in torrents,
while ever and anon a terrific crash would an
nounce that some massive tree had fallen either
before the force oi the wind, or the still mightier
lightning. That night equalled an ordinary life
time. On the evening of the 21st, having been
48 hours without eating, we killed a horse, which
was divided among one hundred and twenty
five men, who were all that now remained with
Lopez. We wandered through mountains, unable
to extricate ourselves, subsisting on such leaves
and roots as we could find, until mid-day of Sun
day, the 24th, when we succeeded in reaching a
road running from Bahia Honda to Sau Cristo
bal, along which we advanced until nearly night,
when two Spanish lancers were discovered ad
vancing, but fled on seeing us. A halt was im
mediately ordered, and an examination made of
the state of our forees, which showed a total of
one hundred and twenty-five men, eighty mus
kets, about twenty of which were serviceable,
and about forty dry cartridges. Under this state
of affairs, it was deemed advisable to retreut,
which was ordered, and a pursuit commenced by
the enemy, wholay in ambush some few hundred
yards in advance, with a force of nine hundred
men. On the approach of the enemy, the whole
force of Lopez separated into small bodies, and
dispersed through the mountains, throwing away
their guns and every thing which could encum
ber them in their flight—seven men only remain
ing with the General. A large number were
overtaken and immediately killed. I myself,
was one of a party of eight who had previously
determined on leaving Lopez, and attempting to
escape from the island.
We remained in the mountains until the morn
ing of Tuesday, the twenty-sixth, when, having
had but one meal in six days, and feeling that
we could bear it no longer, we determined to go
into the plains, considering that it would be bet
ter to be killed outright than die a lingering
death from starvation, which we certainly would
do in the mountains.
We accordingly advanced to a house where
we were treated with a great deal of kindness,
and received a most excellent breakfast. An ar
rangement was made to procure a guide to the
south shore, with provisions, &c., and we were
about to leave and conceal ourselves until night,
when, in the twinkling of an eye, we were sur
rounded by two hundred armed countrymen, who
immediately bound us securely, and inverted our
pockets; considering the contents lawful plunder.
That day we reached San Cristobal. Until we
reached San Cristobal, we were under the im
pression that we were to be immediately shot,
our only consolation being that we were to die
with full stomachs.
On our arrival there, we were informed that
a proclamation had been issued ten hours before
our arrest, sparing the lives of all fillebustcrot who
were made prisoners, or give themselves up,
within four days, except the traitor Lopez, after
which, an order, dated, I think, the 24th of April,
1800, (by which all foreigners found in the island
were ordered to be put to death,) was to continue
in full force. On the 28th, there being then
forty-seven prisoners we, left San Cristobal for
Havana; and on Friday night reached Guayamas,
the terminus of a rail road from Havana. There
an order was received from the Captain General
to proceed to Mariel, and embark, he being fear
ful that the prisoners would be torn to pieces by
the rabble at Havana. We reached Mariel on
the evening of the 30th, and were embarked upon
the steamer Almendares, to proceed to Havana,
when an express arrived, bringing informatioaof
the capture of Lopez, and the steamer was de
layed to await his arrival, which took place at
two o’clock, P. M., on Sunday, the 31st., when
we immediately left for Havana. Lopez was
entirely at liberty, and smoked his cigaretto with
as much unconcern as he ever did in his life.
Outside of the harbor of Mariel, Lopez was trans
ferred to the steam frigate I’izarro, which con
veyed him to Havana, and which he did not
leave until he lelt next morning for the place of
execution.
The remainder of us were confined that night,
in the City Prison, in the rear of the fort called
the Ponta. The prisoners passed through a re
gular process, their hair being first cut close to
their heads. They then passed into the hands of
another barber, who deprived them of their whis
kers; then, another provided them with a prison
uniform, and the exercises were terminated by a
big negro, who securely fastened them in pairs
by a chain, similar in size and weight to a long
chain, firmly secured to the ancle.
At the time of my release from prison, which
was at 10 o'clock on the night of the 4th inst.,
there were 160 of our force prisoners. They
were all chained, and confined in one large room
hardly large enough, however, for all to lie down
at once. They were treated very kindly, and
allowed all the privileges that could bo expected.
As a matter of courso, where so many men are
confined in a limited spare, and not allowed to
leave it under any circumstances, it naturally
follows that it must he very unpleasant. Their
sentence is ten years’ hard labor in Spain, pro
bably in the construction of a canal. They all
appeared to be ill good spirits at the time I left,
being under the impression that they would soon
be released after their arrival in Spain.
Lopez was brought from the Pizarro, and pub
licly garrotted in the square adjoining the prison,
at seven o’clock on the morning of Monday, the
Ist of Sept. With him ended not only this ex
pedition, but I sincerely trust all expeditions to
Cuba.
Up to the time 1 left, the Spaniards could ac
count for two hundred and seventy-one Ameri
cans—including Crittenden’s command—whom
they had killed, that is, in action; wounded men
who were left on the field, and sick and fatigued
men who gave out on the march, and were left
behind and men whom they hunted down in
the mountains with dogs. Those, with the one
hundred and sixty taken prisoners, make a total
of four hundred and thirty one men accounted
for—leaving a balance ol tvVcuty-two men whose
fate is yet unknown—the total forco landed be
ing lour hundred and fifty-three men. Os these
twenty-two, probably the greater portion are yet
alive anil in the mountains; and as the troops
. have all been recalled to Havana, it is probable
some of them may yet succeed in getting home.
1 Out of the whole number made prisoners, but
| two others besides myself have been pardoned
Those are Col. Haynes and Capt. Kelly, whom
the Captain General pardoned, and sent home,
unsolicited. They were to leave Havana for
this port in the pucket ship Norma, on Friday.
My own release was granted as a special favos
to Capt. Chase. T. Platt, of the United State
ship Albany, oil board of which I was conveyed
|by an aid of the Captain General, at 11 o’clock
| on Wednesday night, the shipjproeeeding to sea
| immediately. His Excellency sent a govern
ment tow boat and pilot to take her out.
Lopez was caught with bloodhounds, in the
mountains, on the morning of Friday, the 29th
inst. The dogs being some distance in advance
of the men, bit him badly in the left leg. There
were seventeen countrymen in the party who
captured him, each of whom was publicly pre
sented with *I,OOO ami a cross of honor, jroroe*
diatcly after his execution.
Let us now review the causes and results of
this expedition. At the time I received my ap
pointment from Mr. Sigur, one of the editors of
tho New Orleans Delta, I was told by him that
a rovolt was regularly organized among the
creoles throughout the Island of Cuba; that they
hi. 4 elected General Lopez as their leader, and
their obeject was to free Cuba from the tyranny
of Spain, and either form a republic of their own,
or annex the island to the U. States. He told
me that Lopez was about to leave New Orleans
for Cuba, with about five hundred Americans;
and that his landing was the signal for a general
rising, and that within ten days after landing he
would be at the head of an army of ten thousand
men; that there were also two whole regiments
of Spanish troojis to oome over to him with their
equipments. The same story was told to all.
Was it so? As I have already stated, our first
salutation was a volley of musketry, instead of,
as the Delta asserts, a large body of friends, with
horses, stores, kc., for our use. Instead finding
the creoles our friends we foupd, them our most
bitter enemies, far more so than the troops—
keeping tho troop constantly informed of our
movements, and hanging on our skirts; putting
to death, without mercy, all those who straggled
on the march. Os the troops, I cannot but speak
in praise, without a single exception. They
treated the prisoners with the utmost kindness,
giving them wine, segars, bread, tobacco, a, n J
aguadenie, freely, and from their own small
means. I imagine no one will say that we had
any right to expect such treatment. Our con
duct forced and demanded their respect, but cer
tainly we had no claim either on their sympathy
or generosity,
Much has been said relative to the execution
ol Crittenden and his men. Among all the pri
soners now in Havana much as they admired
Crittenden, there is butjone opinion, and that is,
that that execution was justifiable—was merited.
That they were deceived all know; but that was
no business of the Spanish authorities. Surely
the provocation received was sufficient to justify
not only the execution of those merf, but of every
man connected with the expedition. Why
look at this affair in its proper light! When
even in history, in the annals of the world, do
you find a similar occurrence ? Here four hun
dred and fifty men, without having received the
least provocation, leave there homes, and invade
the shores of a perfectly peaceful island, expres
sing a determination to take that island from its
lawful owners by force. Self preservation is
one of the first laws of nature; and if the law will
uphold and protect that American citizen who
without hesitation, shoots down the midnight
robber iu defence of his property, certainly that
law will uphold the officers of the crown of Spain
in exterminating a band of men who attempt to
wrest its brightest jewel from that crown. I
consider that every man connected with that
expedition deserved death. At the time I was
made prisoner, I fully expected it, and, although
the reflection was anything but pleasant, my own j
conscience told me that it was just. Crittenden 1
with his force not only committed a crime in 1
landing on the island, but actually committed an
act of open piracy in taking those vessels in
which he was caught, the punishment for which
is, by the laws of all nations, death.
Much has been said relative to the mutilation
of the bodies. Certainly I was not present at
the time, and cannot speak positively, but I can
not learn from a reliable source that such was the
case. • I have conversed with the officers of the
Unfted States ship Albany on the subject. They
are men of high standing in society, and they
assure me that such was not the case—that they
were shot in accordance with military usages on
such occasions, and all that occurred that could
be condemned was the way in which they were
dragged to and thrown into cart* by the negroes
ordered to bury them.
It has been reported that Crittenden wrote
home that he had been abandoned by Lopez,
without arms or ammunition. Ido not believe
that Crittenden w r rote any thing of the kind.
Attached to his command—in hourly contact
with him—l knew him, and do not hesitate in
saying that a braver, nobler, more honorable man
than William L. Crittenden, never lived. In
stead of having no ammunition, he had all, and
was particularly selected to guard it—that being
the most difficult and yet most honorable service.
Lopez did not desert him, but in leaving him,
in dividing his command, committed one of those
errors which eventually cost him his life; but had
Crittenden, on the morning of the 13th, gone on
and joined Lopez at Los Pozas, instead of retreat
ing to the sea, all would have been well—then
he would have lost only the stores; as it was he
lost all. Why he did so is inexplicable, and must
ever remain involved in mystery. Had Lopez
carried out his original intention of landing near
Puerto Principe, the result might perhaps liave
been different—he might there, perhaps have
found friends, and raised a force sufficient to sus
tain itself until reinforcements were sent out
from the States. In landing where he did, Lo
pez without doubt acted as he thought for the
best; but there, as in many other instances, he
erred. Os his personal courage there is no doubt;
but when we speak of military knowledge; of
judgment, of his ability to lead an expedition, I
say he had neither. Lopez was probably as
much or more deceived than any man in the ex
pedition. His ambition led him to be the tool
and victim of heartless speculators. Avarice,
not philanthophy, was the main spring of this
expedition.
1 now distinctly, ojienly' assert, that all those
letters purporting to be from Cuba, which were
published during the month of July last, and
copied throughout the Union, were base forge
ries, for the express purpose of deceiving the ci
tizens of the United States, and advancing the
sale of Cuban bonds. Knowing the ambition of
Lojxjz and that strong disposition to extend the
glorious boon of -freedom which fills the breast
of every American citizen, these speculators in
human blood took advantage of their knowledge
to furtheir their own ends. They well knew
how little effort was required to start and keep
alive',this excitement. They thought, or at least
, they hoped, that more men would go out to join
this little band, and that eventually the island
would bn tree. Cuban bonds were worth, or
were selling at from 10 to 20 cents on a dollar
, when this expedition left. Naturally they would
increase in value, as the prospect of liberating
Cuba became more certain; and if this expedi
i tion succeeded, as they pretended to think it
would, Cuba, when liberated from what they
denominated the tyranny of Spain, would have
been burdened with a debt of from fifty to one
I hundred millions of dollars, at least fifty per cent
of which would have-been in the pockets of
1 these would be philauthropsists, who, active as
they wished to be thought in the bold cause of
liberty, took the best of good care to peril neith
i er life nor their own precious liberty in its be
half. At the expiration of the war, and after
l Cuba should have become free, then it was to
> be annexed to the United States, and as a matter
ofjeourse the payment ol these Cuban bonds was
i to be assumed by that government. What do
; they care for the mothers, wives, and sisters of
the gallant men who formed this ill-fated expe
dition, who have been rendered utterly wretch
ed and miserable forever ? They do not feel the
chains, the anguish, borne by those one hundred
and sixty noble fellows, doomed to spend the
best ten years of their lives in a Spanish prison.
No. they feel the blood money in their pockets,
and laugh over the result of their speculation.—
They are the men to be punished. It is on them
the shades of our murdered countrymen call for
vengeance. Heavy, indeed, must be their pun
ishment, when, at the last day, an offended and
just Judge shall demand of them retribution for
their deeds.
This is, I believe, a correct account of the
cause, proceedings, and result of the unfortunate
expedition. 1 have endeavored to give an impar
tial account, and if any man, either North or
South, considers himself aggrieved by any remark
contained herein, I will endeavor to afford him
such satisfaction as the nature of the ease may
demand. There have also been, I understand
some reflections made on the conduct of our
Consul at Havana, Mr. Owen, and also on the
officers of the Albany, at the time of that execu
tion. At that time Air. Owen not only was un
able to do any thing to assist them, hut, as I am
informed and believe, was actually in danger
himself, from the rabble of Havana, a guard of
Spanish soldiers having been placed over his
property and person, by order of the Captain
General. As lor the Albany, she was power
less, on that occasion. Her officers and crew, to
a man, sympathised with and deeply regretted
the melancholy fate of their unfortunate country
men ; but they could do no more. My word for
it, if ever an opportunity should occur, the offi
cers and crew of that ship will not only uphold
the honor of the American flag, but add new
laurels to its wreath,
Anil now, in conclusion, let me, through the
medium of your columns, return my sincere
thanks to his Honor the Mayor, to Col. O’Hara,
Captain Carv. and other citizens of Key West,
for the many kindnesses and attentions shown
to me, assuring them that I shall over remem
her them with gratitude.
I annex for the benefit of their friends, a list
of the officers who left New-Orleans, in Crit
tenden’s regiment.
I remain, very respectfully,
Your obedient servant,
PHILIP S. VAN VECHTEN,
Late Ist Lieut. Cuba Expedition.
Officers of Crittenden’s Command.— Col.
W. L- Crittenden, Com. Gen. Cook, Q. M.
Gen. - Vesey, Reg. R. AI. Felix Houston, Jr.,
Reg. Adjt. Stanniford, Reg. Com - Bell,
Capt. J.|A. Kelly,Co. A.: Ist. Lt. T. C. James, do.;
Sd Lt- John Brice, do.; 2d Lt Stevens, Co.
A.; Capt. Jas. Sanders, Co. B.; Ist Lt. P. S. Van
Vechten, 2d Lt. B. E. Hunter, Co. B.; 2d Lt.
Wm. A. Crafts, do.; Capt. Victor Kerr, Co. C.;
Ist Lt. James Brant, do.; 2d Lt. Robinson,
do,, Serjt. Alajor Vean.
Os the above. Captain Kelly, Lieut. Crafts,
and myself now only survive.
Yours. &c., p. S. V. V.
[Telegraphed to the Charleston Courier.]
Columbia, Sept. 17—7 P. M.
There was a fair demand for Cotton to-day, at
full prices. The outside figures of yesterday
were freely paid, and one hundred and seventeen
bales were disposed of at from 7 to § 35-100 c.
Fatal Accident. —Yesterday morning while
some ot the laborers at the Passenger Depot of
the South Carolina Rail Road, in this city, were
shifting a car, a white hand named Massey, by
some accident got jammed between the car and
the wall of the Depot, and was injured so serious
ly, that he died within a few hours afterwards -
Charleston Courier , 18(A inst.
T ADY STUART IVORTLEY.—Another sup
<£\ Jy E ' Stu " t , Wortley's Travels in
the tmtod States, received, by
sep 16 THOS. RICHARDS Jt SON.
AUGUSTA, GA.
— ■
FRIDAY MORNING, SEPT. 19.
TEE LAR3EST CIRCULATION IN THE STATE.
For Governor.
Charles j. McDonald.
Diztrict For Congress.
1. JOS. W. JACKSON, of Chatham.
2. HENRY L. BENNING, of Muscogee.
3. DAVID J. BAILEY, of Butts.
4. JOHN D. STELL, of Fayette.
5. WILLIAM H. STILES, of Cass.
6. THOMAS F. JONES, of Newton.
7. DAVID W. LEWIS, of Hancock.
8. ROBERT McMILLAN, of Elbert.
Election Tickets.
We are prepared to print election Tickets for
any county in the Slate, with neatness aud des
patch. Price 30 cents per 100—$4 per 1000.
The cash must accompany the order.
The Alberti Case—Gov. McDonald’s Letters.
We have printed an extra No. of copies con
taining the Celebrated Alberti case, Gov. Mc-
Donald’s address to the Nashville Convention,
his letter of acceptance; letter to the Lumpkin
committee; letter to the Charleston meeting, as
also his letter in answer to Mr. Cobb’s reported
speech at Rome. Circulate the documents—price
$1 per hundred.
Mr. Oobb and the Committees.—'The Chronicle It
Sentinel.
The Chronicle (f Sentinel, of Wednesday, con
tains some comments upon our article in refer
ence to Air. Cobb and the appointment of Free
Soilers upon important Congressional Commit
tees, which appeared in the Constitutionalist fg
Republic, of the 10th instant.
We did not charge Mr. Cobb with collusion
with the Abolitionists, nor did we insinuate such
a charge against him, as the Chronicle says we
did. We shall not stop to show this by our lan
guage, used in that article; We say now, what
we said before—-Mr. Cobb appointed Free Soil
ers and Abolitionists on the Committees. Why
did he do it? We said that Mr. Cobb gave the
Aliolitionists and Free Soilers a majority of the
Judiciary Committee. Parties in Congress were
■ divided into Whigs, Democrats, Abolitionists
and Free Soilers. These were the party names
under which the members were ranged. Tech
nically speaking, our statement was not cor
rect, but practically it was. The Judiciary
Committee consisted of Jive Northern men and
four Southern. The five Northern men were
Preston King of New York, Thadeus Stevens
and James Thompson of Pennsylvania, Miller of
Ohio, and George Ashmun of Massachusetts.
King and Stevens were notorious Abolition
ists. No one will dispute that Miller, of Ohio,
was a bitter anti-slavery man. We saw it re
peatedly stated that Mr. Thompson was a free
soil Democrat. He voted, on two or three occa
sions, in favor of the Wilmot Proviso. Wilmot
■ Proviso men are pretty good Free Soilers!
George Ashman was afree soil Whig. We
can prove that by Mr. Webster. He said, in a
speech at Marshfield, Alassachusetts, in 1848:
“ 1 know not ten men of any party who are
more zealous and firm and inflexible, m their
opposition against slavery in any formP
.He was alluding to the Representatives of
Alassachusetts. of whom Mr. Ashmun was one.
But we will let Mr. Webster define a Free
Soiler for himself. In that same speech, he said:
“If, my friends, the term ‘Free Soil ’ party,
or ‘Free Soil’ men, is meant to designate one
who haS been fixed, unalterably, to-day, yesterday,
and for some time past, in opposition to slavery ex
tension. then 1 may claim to be, and may hold my
self as good a Free Soil manas anx member
of that Buffalo Convention.”
There it is. Now we say that all of these
five Northern men, whom Mr. Cobb appointed
on the Judiciary Committee, come within Mr.
Webster’s description of a Free Soiler. What
more is wanted of us ? We say they were all
Free Soilers. What is a Free Sailor ? A man
who is opposed to the extension of slavery to
the territories, and who will oppose it with all
his influence and his votes. These men belong
to that category of politicians.
But the Chromic (g Sentinel says the Constitu
tionalist, in January, 1830, said the Free Soilers
were allowed one member on three of the Com
mittees, and that it was neither unjust nor dan
gerous to the South to put them there. The ar
ticle about Air. Cobb, under the caption “ Can
the spell of delusion be broken,” was not written
by the former editor of the Constitutionalist. We
remember well that the newspapers, generally,
about the time the Constitutionalist put forth the
above statement, that one Free Soiler was ap
pointed upon each of three important Commit
tees, said the same thing. Technically speaking,
they were probably right in saying so, for at that
time there were but a few, probably not more
than eight or ten members of Congress, who
were designated as members of the Free Soil
party. There were many persons in the South
who thought then, that the putting of one Free
Soiler upon a Committee was not unjust or dan
gerous to the South. That Editor did not doubt,
at the time, the purity of Mr. Cobb’s motives;
nor does he believe now that Air. Cobb intended
to do injustice or injury to the South, by those
appointments; nor does the writer of this arti
cle think that he did.
But both of us now believe, from subsequent
developments, that he acted unwisely, and that
his course is liable to the suspicion that he used
the appointing power with a view to his own
selfish promotion. His object was not to injure
the South, but to give himself a Northern popu
larity ; and he has certainly obtained it.
The people of the North want Air. Cobb elect
ed Governor of Georgia, and one of their anti
slavery papers has said his election would be to
them a ‘‘grateful triumph.” They have no use
for Governor McDonald. They would rejoice
to see him defeated, and for a reason too obvious j
to be mistaken.
What the Chronicle Sg Sentinel, the Savannah
Republican, and the Macon Journal Messenger
thought of Mr. Cobb’s appointments upon those
Committees, we hare recently shown, very
much to their discomfiture. They cringe and ;
twist and wriggle under the exposure, to the j
amusement of the public. They will continue
to look odd and feel abashed at the lovely consis
tency which stares them in the face.
The Travelling President.— The Balti
more American of Tuesday last, says.—“ The
President of the United States, accompanied by
the Secretary of the Interior and the Secre
tary of War, reached this city yesterday morn
ing, by the early train from Washington, and
after breakfast proceeded in the nine o'clock
train for Philadelphia. His journey is in fulfil
ment of his promised visit to Boston, proceeding
first, however, to Newport, Rhode Island, to join
Mrs. Fillmore, who went thither a month or
two ago for the benefit of sea-bathing, and where
she has been detained for two or three weeks by
an accident. The President will reach Boston
probably on Wednesday
Statement of Lieut. Van Vochten.
We publish in full the Statement of this offi
cer of the events connected with the Lopez expe
dition, of which he was an officer. He was par
doned by the tyrant Concha, and we think the
whole tenor of his Statement indicates that he is
disposed to tum-King's evidence as the price of his
liberation. He has evidently taken the Spanish
side. He denounces the expedition and many
of those concerned in it, in terms calumniating
and false. He makes the impression upon us,
that in all probability he was morally the least
worthy of that gallant and ill fated band to re
ceive pardon and favor.
We shall publish other statements in reference
to this matter which will present the case in a
very .different light.
Gov. Quitman’s Withdrawal.
We publish Gov. Quitman's letter, withdraw
ing from the canvass, in our paper of this morn
ing. We are compelled to defer publishing, till
our next, the comments it has suggested.
We look upon this step as unwise, and unjust
to the cause of State Rights, and therefore re
gret it.
We have seen no papers from Mississippi,
commenting upon it, and are not apprised what
view of it is taken by his political friends in that
State. s
We have (says the Savannah Republican) to
record the death (in England) of A. L. Moly
neux, Esq., who, tor many years, filled the post
of British Consul, for the State of Georgia.
The steamer Prometheus left New York on
Friday with a large number of passengers who
are bound for the Pacific by the Nicaragua route.
The steamer Ohio lfcft New York on Saturday
for Chagres, with 616 passengers.
The U. S. sloop of war Cyane was put in com
mission at the Gosport Navy yard yesterday.
It is stated that in a single day in the begin
ning of last week Adams It Co.’s Express de
livered nearly a million of dollars’ wortli of gold
dust at the mint.
The Industrial Fair, now open at Providence,
R. 1., has received for admission about $3,500.
The New York Historical Society has procur
ed, at its own expense, from Henry Stevens, Esq.
now in England, an abstract of the contents of
historical documents in the Colonal Office in
London, which it is proposed to publish in a
volume.
Our Book Table.
Messrs. Thomas Richards & Son have placed
upon our table “ A History of Alabama, and In
cidentally of Georgia and Mississippi, from the
earliest period. By Albert James Rickett. It
is in two octavo volumes, neatly bound and hand
somely printed.
We have only glanced at a few pages of the
work, and cannot therefore decide upon its mer
its. It is written in a pleasing, sprightly and
entertaining manner, and we doubt not contains
much valuable information.
Plenty of Corn in Indiana. —The New
Castle (Indiana) Courier says, the growing corn
crop promises to be the most abundant there has
been for years; and we find on inquiry that
there is an evident scarcity of hogs to feed it to.
Three dollars and fifty cents per hundred, gross,
is freely offered for hogs fit for feeding; but far
mers who have hogs, prefer feeding them with
heir corn to selling at this price. Unless there
hould spring up some unforeseen demand, we do
not see what is to be done with the large sur
plus of com that will be left in the country after
fattening the limited number of hogs that are on
hand.
Gen. Quitman’s Withdrawal. —The N. O.
Picayune of the 13th instant, says: “Gen. Qit
man has really withdrawn from the canvass for
Governor of the State of Mississippi. The fol
lowing is his Sddress, we find it in the Natches
Free Trader:
To the Dctnocratic State Rights Parly of Mississppi.
The result of the recent election for the Con
vention, however brought about, must be regard
ed at least, for the present, as decisive of the po
sition of the State on the great issues involved.
The majority have declared that they are con
tent with the late aggressive measures of Con
gress, and opposed to any remedial action by the
State.
Although this determination of the people is
at variance with my fixed opinion of the true
policy of the State, heretofore expressed and still
conscientiously entertained; yet as a State
Rights man and a Democrat, I bow in respectful
submission to the apparent will of to people.
It is true the State has not yet spoken authori
tatively; even the acts of the convention will
not be binding until they shall have been ratified
by the voice of the people; but the election ol
non-resisters to the Convention, a majority of
the people have declared against the course of
policy on the slavery questions, which I deemed
it my duty to pursue while Gevornor; and a
gainst the principles upon which I was nomina
ted, upon which alone I had consented to run as
a candidate. I might perhaps be elected, not
withstanding this demonstration of public sen
timent in the election for the Convention ; but as
1 have been mainly instrumental in seeking the
expression or the will of the people through a
Convention, I ought, in my political action to
abide by it.
Therefore, upon full consideration of all the
circumstances, respect for the apparent decision
of the people, duty to the noble and patriotic
party who are struggling to maintain the rights
of the South againt Northern aggression, and to
preserve our institutions from the fatal effects of
consolidating all power in the Federal Govern
ment, and a sense of sell-respect, which inclines
me not to seek a public stat’on in which my
opinions upon vital questions are not sustained
by a majority of my constituents, all concur in in
ducing me to the opinion that my duty requires
me to relire Trom the position which I occupy as
the Democratic State Rights candidate for Gov
ernor. With emotions of the deepest gratitude
to the patriotic party by which I was nominated,
for the evidence of tbeir unfaltering confidence,
both in the nomination and in the warm and
hearty reception with which I have been met
every where in the canvass, I tender my resig
nation of the high and honorable post of their
chief standard bearer in the pending canvass,
pledging myself to them and to the country, that
I will, to the last, serve the great cause ol State
rights as faithfully in the ranks as I have en
deavored to do in high position.
J. A. Quitman,
Monmouth, Sept. 6, ISSI.