In his book dealing with his visit to Colombia colonel Duane gave the following information dealing with the Colombian navy. According to Deane the geography of Colombia with her ports demanded an own navy. Thanks to commodore Brion this was recognised and in 1816 office of admiral was created. He was responsible for the control, command and administration of the naval force. Sadly, caused by many reasons it wasn’t a success. Finally the Congress suppressed the office. The battle of Carabobo made it clear that a navy was absolute needed. By the same law of 4 October which suppressed the office, things changed. Form the 5 vessels which were available the naval strength increased towards a number of 19, including 6 corvettes, 7 brigs and 6 schooners. One of these ships was the former Spanish corvette Maria Francesca captured by the Republicans. Still, the vessels were mainly commanded and manned by foreigners. Now the navy needed arsenals and magazines for repairing and replacing the ships. Cartagena was suited for creating a dock yard, while using an existing castle as arsenal. For the current year the expenses for the navy were 4.770.845 dollars. Duane wrote this information by using the Report of Naval Affairs which was presented by the Secretary of the so-called War Department and which report give an impression of the situation in beginning 1823.
In a View of South-America (1825) some details are given dealing with the naval affairs since 1822. It mentioned that Puero Cabello on the Atlantic coast still was Spanish, where they brought their remaining forces together. However the city was besieged by the Colombian army commanded by general Paez, Morales had a naval force stronger than the Republicans and was busy with an effective warfare along the coast, destroying everything he didn’t need or could keep, for instance when he captured Maracaibo. The Colombians reacted with creating a strong squadron commanded by commodore Daniels. In the meantime mr. Zea was sent by the Republicans as ambassador to France and from there to Great Britain where in March that year succeeded in obtaining a large loan. The Netherlands and Portugal admitted the vessels of Colombia in their European and American ports, without formally acknowledging the Colombian independence. However this point of view from this author is not quite complete! In the years 1822-1823 the Netherlands were involved in the fitting out of Colombian warships and even in the rebuilding and fitting out as warship of a former Dutch East Indiaman which became the Esperanza y Fortuna in a Dutch naval dock yard! See on this weblog “Gran Colombian warships in Zealand in 1822” and not to forget my note “Dutch East Indiaman became Gran Colombian warship Esperanza y Fortuna in 1822-1823”, published on this weblog. When the year 1824 begun, Puerto Cabello was still Spanish. The Colombian navy however reached a point to able to contest the Spanish with success. Commanded by general Padilla they attacked the Spanish, commanded by commodore Laborde, in Lake Maracaibo 23 July with an enormous success. Of the Spanish around 250 men were killed or wounded and another 1500 made prisoner. Three ships were blown up, 2 drive ashore and destroyed and 12 captured. The Colombian general Bermudez left La Guayra with the Bolivar, but he was to late to take over the command of the army besieging Maracaibo; the Spanish forces already surrendered.
The Southern Review of February 1830 gave quite a lot of interesting details, namely: “The Colombian Navy consists of the following vessels: frigate Colombia, 64 guns and frigate Cudinamarca, 64 guns, both built in the United States and costing each $ 500,00. The Cudinamarca has been sent to the Pacific ocean, to supply the place of a ship of war, which was recently blown up there. All of these vessels, with the exception of the ship now in the Pacific, are neglected, and rapidly going to decay. The principal naval establishments is at Carthagena, where their best arsenal and yards are situated. Here the navy is laid up, and going to ruin. At the date of the last accounts, vegetation had commenced in the seams and planks of their best vessels of war. The coasting trade is of somewhat greater extent than that of Mexico: the latter is confined to three of four brigs, as many schooners, and six or seven vessels of a peculiar rig and construction, called bougos, which never sail but with a fair wind. Mexico has but two small schooners employed in the foreign trade, and the whole Republic can scarcely furnish a sufficient supply of seamen, (if they can be called seamen) to navigate three vessels. The Republic of Colombia, its is believed, can furnish a sufficient number of Indians, mestizoes and negroes to man three or four frigates. Although Colombia has several good ports on the Atlantic coast, it is believed, from her climate, and the difficulty of obtaining workmen and proper materials, she will not be able to build on the Atlantic. She may, however, build vessels on a small scale on the Pacific, at Guayaquil, where the timber is good, and said to be abundant. The Spaniards were in the habit of building at that port to a considerable amount”.
The Encyclopaedia Americana (1836) mentioned that Colombia had one ship-of-the-line in service and a second in ordinary, both 60 guns and 2 corvettes and other vessels in service with another 3 in ordinary.
Sources
Wm. Duane. A visit to Colombia in the years 1822 & 1823, by Laguayra and Caracas, over the Cordillera, to Bogota and thence by the Magdalena to Cartagne, p. 567-568. Philadelphia, 1825, digitized by Google.
Encyclopaedia Americana. A popular dictionary of arts, sciences, literature, history, politics and biography, vol IX, new edition, p. 186.Philadelphia, 1836. Digitized by Google.
View of South-America and Mexico, p. 14-149. New York, 1825. Digitized by Google.
The Southern Review, February&May, 1830, vol. V, p. 264. Charleston, 1830.
In a View of South-America (1825) some details are given dealing with the naval affairs since 1822. It mentioned that Puero Cabello on the Atlantic coast still was Spanish, where they brought their remaining forces together. However the city was besieged by the Colombian army commanded by general Paez, Morales had a naval force stronger than the Republicans and was busy with an effective warfare along the coast, destroying everything he didn’t need or could keep, for instance when he captured Maracaibo. The Colombians reacted with creating a strong squadron commanded by commodore Daniels. In the meantime mr. Zea was sent by the Republicans as ambassador to France and from there to Great Britain where in March that year succeeded in obtaining a large loan. The Netherlands and Portugal admitted the vessels of Colombia in their European and American ports, without formally acknowledging the Colombian independence. However this point of view from this author is not quite complete! In the years 1822-1823 the Netherlands were involved in the fitting out of Colombian warships and even in the rebuilding and fitting out as warship of a former Dutch East Indiaman which became the Esperanza y Fortuna in a Dutch naval dock yard! See on this weblog “Gran Colombian warships in Zealand in 1822” and not to forget my note “Dutch East Indiaman became Gran Colombian warship Esperanza y Fortuna in 1822-1823”, published on this weblog. When the year 1824 begun, Puerto Cabello was still Spanish. The Colombian navy however reached a point to able to contest the Spanish with success. Commanded by general Padilla they attacked the Spanish, commanded by commodore Laborde, in Lake Maracaibo 23 July with an enormous success. Of the Spanish around 250 men were killed or wounded and another 1500 made prisoner. Three ships were blown up, 2 drive ashore and destroyed and 12 captured. The Colombian general Bermudez left La Guayra with the Bolivar, but he was to late to take over the command of the army besieging Maracaibo; the Spanish forces already surrendered.
The Southern Review of February 1830 gave quite a lot of interesting details, namely: “The Colombian Navy consists of the following vessels: frigate Colombia, 64 guns and frigate Cudinamarca, 64 guns, both built in the United States and costing each $ 500,00. The Cudinamarca has been sent to the Pacific ocean, to supply the place of a ship of war, which was recently blown up there. All of these vessels, with the exception of the ship now in the Pacific, are neglected, and rapidly going to decay. The principal naval establishments is at Carthagena, where their best arsenal and yards are situated. Here the navy is laid up, and going to ruin. At the date of the last accounts, vegetation had commenced in the seams and planks of their best vessels of war. The coasting trade is of somewhat greater extent than that of Mexico: the latter is confined to three of four brigs, as many schooners, and six or seven vessels of a peculiar rig and construction, called bougos, which never sail but with a fair wind. Mexico has but two small schooners employed in the foreign trade, and the whole Republic can scarcely furnish a sufficient supply of seamen, (if they can be called seamen) to navigate three vessels. The Republic of Colombia, its is believed, can furnish a sufficient number of Indians, mestizoes and negroes to man three or four frigates. Although Colombia has several good ports on the Atlantic coast, it is believed, from her climate, and the difficulty of obtaining workmen and proper materials, she will not be able to build on the Atlantic. She may, however, build vessels on a small scale on the Pacific, at Guayaquil, where the timber is good, and said to be abundant. The Spaniards were in the habit of building at that port to a considerable amount”.
The Encyclopaedia Americana (1836) mentioned that Colombia had one ship-of-the-line in service and a second in ordinary, both 60 guns and 2 corvettes and other vessels in service with another 3 in ordinary.
Sources
Wm. Duane. A visit to Colombia in the years 1822 & 1823, by Laguayra and Caracas, over the Cordillera, to Bogota and thence by the Magdalena to Cartagne, p. 567-568. Philadelphia, 1825, digitized by Google.
Encyclopaedia Americana. A popular dictionary of arts, sciences, literature, history, politics and biography, vol IX, new edition, p. 186.Philadelphia, 1836. Digitized by Google.
View of South-America and Mexico, p. 14-149. New York, 1825. Digitized by Google.
The Southern Review, February&May, 1830, vol. V, p. 264. Charleston, 1830.
