Mexican armed vessel of war. General 13ravo, boarded hy twenty armed soldiers, under the command of two officers, who forcibly took the captain, crew, and passengers from the wreck on board the Bravo, when they were chained in the hold of that vessel until their arrival in Matagorda on the 2d of December, 1835. They were then landed in a naked, feeble condition, and placed under a guard of soldiers al the Bravo de Santiago, pillaged of their clothes, after having been on short allowance during their imprisonment on board the General Bravo. In a time of profound ·peace, the Hannah Elizabeth was sailing in the pursuit of a lawful trade, under the protection of the nag of a neutral and friendly power, and she had every reason to calculate on the hospitality of the Mexican Government and people, and more expecially when it was known she was in distress. The violence offered to her, under such circumstances, I am well persuaded, is an act of injustice committed without the knowledge of this Government; and I have too high a respect for its character to suppose, for a single moment, it will sanction an outrage directly in opposition lo the treaty of amity, commerce, and navigation, subsisting between the two republics. I have been informed the crew and passengers have been set at liberty; but I have not been advised of the release of the captain of the Hannah Elizabeth. I then, in compliance with instructions from my Government, demand the immediate release of this individual, ample damages for the illegal detention of himself, crew, and passengers, and an apology for the insult to the flag of the United States, by the firing of the General Bravo upon the Hannah Elizabeth. The undersigned embraces the present occasion to offer to his excellency the acting Minister of Foreign Affairs the assurance of his distinguished consideration. Powhatan Ellis. To His Excellency the Acting Minister of Foreign Affairs [3206] [GREEN ORDER] [Thomas J. Green, Fort Travis, General Order, May 30, 1836, ordering the troops from the United Stales lo be ready lo embark immediately on various transports to join the main Texas army. J
415
Powered by FlippingBook