[Extract.]
Mr. Asboth to Mr.
Seward.
No. 14.]
Legation of the United States,
Buenos Ayres,
November 19, 1866.
Sir: I have the honor to inform you, in
connection wish my report No. 9 of last month, that the United States
war steamer Shamokin, which left this port, under command of Captain
Peirce Crosby, on the 24th of October, bound up the river Plate with the
Hon. Charles A. Washburn on board, returned yesterday-evening, after
having safely landed our minister beyond the Brazilian squadron, on
Paraguayan soil, at Cumpaity.
Captain Crosby handed me this morning a package containing an official
letter addressed to the State Department, which letter I have the honor
herewith to forward, and also a note to myself, from which I beg leave
to enclose an extract (marked B) for your information. This note
explains, that although Viscount Tamandare, the Brazilian admiral in
command of the blocking squadron, had, according to his statements,
received no instructions from his government relative to the passage of
our minister to Paraguay, and had no other official information on the
subject than what was contained in my demand to Señor R. Elizalde, the
Argentine minister for foreign affairs, (see my report No. 9, above
alluded to,) and General Webb’s letters to the Hon. Mr. Washburn and
Admiral Godon, copies of which supported my demand, nevertheless he
(Viscount Tamandare) thought it proper not to oppose force but to let
the Shamokin pass up through the blockading squadron “under protest,”
which protest, however, seems to me only calculated for a precautious
demonstration against eventual attempts of other maritime powers
represented here, as the British, French, and Italian, to pass through
the allied lines up the Paraguay river.
* * * * * * * *
I have the honor to be, very respectfully, your obedient servant,
Hon. William H. Seward,
Secretary of State, Washington, D. C.
B.
Mr. Washburn to Mr. Asboth.
Humaita, November 6, 1866.
My Dear General: At last we are on Paraguay
soil, though, by reason of the obstacles in the river, we did not
come above Cumpaity in the Shamokin. When we got to the Tres Bocas
we were boarded by the commander of a blockading gunboat and told we
could not go up. Captain Crosby said his orders were to go up, and
he was going. The officer said he would communicate with the
admiral, and Captain Crosby sent a letter by Mr. Pendleton to inform
Admiral Tamandare that he had a minister on board, and his orders
were to take him to Asuncion. The admiral told Mr. Pendleton he had
received no instructions in the matter,
[Page 299]
and the Shamokin could not go up. He said,
however, that he would pay us a visit the next day and try to
arrange it so I could go through. The next day at 10.30 he came, and
at first seemed a good deal excited—said he had received no orders
from his government and had no information on the subject, except
what was contained in your letter to Elizalde and General Webb’s
letter to me, of which copies were sent to him in the package that
you gave me just as we were starting. But we told him we were going
through his lines, though he offered to give me a steamer to take
me, my family, and effects through, under a flag of truce, till I
could be transferred to a Paraguay vessel. I told him that would not
do after all the notoriety of the affair; that I would have gladly
accepted any way to get through the lines when I had come backed up
only by my right as a minister, but that now I must go on a national
vessel. Captain Crosby told him his orders were to land me in
Paraguay, and he should do so if he were not stopped by force. The
admiral then gave way and said we might pass, and he should only
protest; so we sent off a messenger, Mr. Pendleton, to take a letter
through to Lopez, requesting him to furnish us a pilot after we had
passed the Brazilian lines; and the admiral gave him a steamer and
sent him to Porto Alegres, whence he passed over and had a
conference with Lopez, who told him that there were so many
obstacles in the river he could not remove them, but would be
prepared to receive us at Cumpaity; so we had to disembark, thus
coming up through the whole squadron without interruption. There we
found a coach ready to bring us to this place, and reached here
about eight o’clock last evening. Our trunks and stores were brought
up in carts and were all here this morning, and were put on board a
steamer that will leave for Asuncion as soon as we are ready.
Sincerely yours,
General Alexander Asboth,
United States Minister Resident,
