Naval strength of the Republic of Buenos Aires (the predecessor of the Argentine navy)

Just like the information found for the navy of Haiti (see on this weblog) digitalized rare books, available through the internet, are giving unexpectedly information which sometimes is no longer accessible or even in existence in archives.

In the Annual Register (1819) was a list published of all the warships regular commissioned and which were to destined to cruise in the Atlantic Ocean. This list wasn't complete according to the article "there possibly may be other cruisers, which have obtained, and still hold commissions from the Bunos-Ayrean Government, but having subsequently procured others from Artigas, to qualify them for capturing Portuguese vessels, they have forfeited the former; nor dare they show themselves in any port within the jurisdiction of Buenos Ayres, and are liable to be captured when fallen in with by the regular armed vessels of that Government. These are the pirates of whose infamous proceedings we have had so many accounts; its is with vessels of this stamp that the lawfully constituted cruisers of Buenos Ayres have been unjustly associated in the public mind, and it is for their crimes that the flag of the new republic has been so long and so cruelly stigmatised. Besides the vessels here enumerated, there are many others cruising in the Pacific and Indian Ocean, some of which are of a large class:

Ships

Vigilencia, Ross, 16 guns, Union, Brown, 14 guns

Brigs Invincible, Jewett, 20 guns, Rio de la Plata, Davy, 16 guns Independencia del Sud, Grinnals, 15 guns, Creolio, Paul, 12 guns, Pueyrredon, Franklin, 13 guns

Schooners Buenos-Ayres, Dietor, 10 guns, Julia del Forrest, Wilson, 8 guns, Corso, Chaytar, 12 guns, Congressio, 10 guns.

In the View of South-America and Mexico, published in 1825, some information is given about the origins of this navy. In the chapter dealing with the Republic of the United Provinces of South America or Rio de la Plata it's mentioned that Juan Martin Pueyrredon in March 1816 was elected as supreme director, followed by a declaration of independence. When San Martin fought a guerrilla war against the Spanish, secretary of finance Don Juan Larrea tried to establish a strong navy consisting of two brigs, three corvettes and one schooner. A British merchant of Buenos Aires named Brown was appointed as commander of these ships and April 1814 this 'fleet' saw her first action, followed by a very successful 2nd one off Monte Video. By the latter fight two Spanish corvettes were captured and two others set on fire and the city was blockaded. Due to his success Brown was appointed as admiral and at the end of 1815 he sailed towards the Pacific to terrify the Spanish merchant shipping. Although in the beginning very successful his flagship was captured by the enemy when it struck the sands near the coast of Guayaguil. Brown himself was taken prisoner but released in exchange of the Spanish governor of Guayaguil.

Since then her navy slide fast down to almost non-existence.

According to The Southern Review (1830) there was one brig of war armed with 18 guns available and "she has, or rather had, (for her whole navy is now dismantled and broken up) a number of small vessels temporarily fitted up from common merchantmen. She never can become a naval power".

The Encyclopaedia Americana (1836) doesn't give a more rose-coloured view, the 'navy' consisted of one 18 guns brig and a few schooners.

In a book published by an Englishmen in 1825 he wrote that the captain of the port Buenos Aires was Don Batista Azopardo, born in Italy and who was the commanding officer of an armed vessel in the latest war. The national brig Aranzazu "so long anchored in the outer roads, has a crew chiefly English; some of them are refractory seamen from the merchant vessels. The marines are black soldiers". And dealing with the navy "Buenos Ayres … may be said not to posses a navy, neither, indeed, is so expensive an establishment necessary".

Sources

The Annual Register or a view of the History, Politics and literature for the year 1818. London, 1819, p. 138-139.

The Southern Review, Vol V, Charleston, 1830, p. 205.

Encyclopaedie Americana. A Popular Dictionary of Arts, Sciences, literature, histoy, politics, and biography, vol. IX. Philadelphia, 1836, p. 186.

View of South-America and Mexico, vol. I. H. Huntington jr., New York, 1825, p. 214.

S. Haigh. Sketches of Buenos Ayres, Chile and Peru. London, 1831.

Five Years Residence in Buenos Ayres, during the years 1820 to 1825. London, 1825, p.