Mexican navy in action Mexican brig of war Victoria inspected violently the merchant ship Desdemon in 1826

In a news item dated 4 November 1826 was the inspection of the Desdemon by the Mexican brig Victoria as follows described’: “We have a detailed account of a violent aggression committed by the Mexican brig of war Victoria, on the ship Desdemon, captain Lacoste, of New York. –The Desdemon was fired into, detained a long time-trunks and letters were broken up, and the captain and his men imprisoned for the space of eight hours. Captain Lacoste protested against these violent proceedings. “The ransacking of my ship, taking it from me, and imprisoning myself and crew, and was told in reply, that such were commodore Porter’s orders. I then stated that I would lay my remonstrance before the government of the U. States. The captain flew into a violent rage, calling me an insolent American son of a b-h. After having held possession of the ship, and detained her ten and a half hours, I was dismissed with liberty to proceed on my voyage. They urged many very pressing invitations to my crew to ship on board the V. offering 14 dollars per month, 3 months pay in advance, and 40 dollars bounty, to prevail them to desert the ship, and thereby leave me in distress”. [We cannot believe that these things are done by order of com. Porter. He knows well that they will not be permitted-even if willing to hazard the reputation of his new country by acts so closely bordering on piracy, which cannot be supposed”.

Dealing with Porter was the news item of 28 October 1826: Com. Porter is exerting himself to give efficiency to the naval force of Mexico-his recruiting orders have for their device- “God and Liberty’. (1)

The Victoria was in 1830 described as an 18 guns prison ship in the Southern Review. This magazine adds more details dealing with the Mexican navy in this period. “The Mexican navy now nominally consists of the Congresso, formerly the Spanish ship Asia, mounting 64 guns, upwards of fifty years old; the Libertad, built for an Indiaman, 24 guns; the Morallis armed en flute, 20 guns; the Bravo, 18 guns, the Victoria and 23 gunboats armed each with 2 guns. Of the above vessels, only two of the gun-boats are now manned, and in service. The government, we are informed, have lately been making efforts to fit out the Morallis, to be used as a despatch vessel between San Blas and Upper California, but without success. The other vessels are all going rapidly to decay, not having a sufficient number of persons on board to take care of them, and will soon be incapable of repair. The situation of the Mexican marine is the most deplorable than can be imagined”.

The View of South American and Mexico supplies the following information. The Spanish Asia (74 guns) and the brig Constante, commanded by don Jose Martinez, bound for Callao, Peru, surrendered to the Mexican government 1 May 1825 and both ships arrived at Acapulco 11 June. Both ships transferred with crew and guns to Mexico, with guarantees for the crewmembers. According to the author Mexico intended to strengthen her navy and bringing the Asia and Constante to the Atlantic coast.(3)

Sources

Niles’ Weekly Register, vol. XXXI, September 1826-March 1827, Baltimore, p. 136, 160.

The Southern Review, vol V, February&May 1830, Charleston, 1830, p, 203.

View of South-America and Mexico comprising their history, the political condition, geography, agriculture, commerce, &c. of the Republics of Mexico, Guatamala, Colombia, Peru, the United Provinces of South-America and Chile, with a complete history of the revolution, in each of these independent states. New York, 1825, p. 206-207.

Notes

1. This was commodore David Porter, a hero of the war in 1812 against the British, who was court-martialled in 1826 and appointed afterwards with the command of the Mexican navy, source: www.teaxasnavy.com

2. Launched by Romero Landa at la Habana, Cuba 1789, dimensions 181’0”(gundeck)/160’3” (keel) x 49’6” x 23’1”’, draught aft 24’0”, all in Burgos feet, weight 1541 tons, captured by Mexico 10 March 1825 and became the Congreso Mexicano, source: www.3decks.pb.works.com 3-decks Naval sailing Warfare History (1650-1850)

3. See also my note “The Mexican Navy around 1827”, published on this weblog.