PAPERS ol<' MIRABEAU BuoNAPARTE LAMAR
19
day of May - got back again 29 June after getting a damn bad whipping - On leaving the Balise, they discovered a 11 sa.il off of Cape Catouch - the Hotspur made sail in pursuit - night came on thick & hazy, lost sight of them - Hotspur sheered off for Moroe Castle, Cuba - to intersept them supposing they were bound thither - On the 3rd day after losing sight of the 11 vessels, reached Moroe Castle, but nothing of them were seen - run Colose in, and the Castle gave the Hotspur a shot - lay in 1½ gun shot of the Castle all night to intercept whatever vessel might attempt to enter. Next morning, the Spanish vessels - Casador and Consalado - 22 guns the latter & 21, the other - These vessels were in port, and on sailing out, they come down upon the Hotspur - they had the windward, and the Hot spur could not escape. Rapp, seeing his predicamt would have avoided the conflic.t; but the other vessels, came down upon him. Rap coun seled with his officers, and the word was fight - Hotspur was a good vessel, but had only 7 guns 120 men; Casadora had 180 - Consalado 220 - the latter came upon the Hotspur, grappled her-the Casadora, came on the lees, gave a raking fire and grappled on the other side. The sea was smoothe. Hotspur had to fight both - she took the deek of the Casadora; but had to relinquish it to meet the Consalado - Close fighting, on both sides, with pistols Culasses [sic] guns & all kind of weapons: The contest was fierce - the deck of all the vessels were strewed with the dead - after 20 minutes, Hotspur cut the grap ples of the Consalado, her masts, riggin &c being cut to pieces she drifted a stern - but still kept up a galling fire on the Hotspur, . broad-sides - while the Hotspur was still engaged with the Casador which was still hanging on with her grapples - Hotspur finally cut her grapples - and finding herself free, hoisted all sail and shot a head of both, much crippled, and many of her men dead - The Casadora, was too much crippled to pursue; but the Consalado, hav ing repaired some of damages, to�k after the Hotspur, and a running fight ensued, for two miles, of the fiercest kind; but the Hotspur escaped 8 oclk at night and returned to Balise, where she arrived 29th June, with most of her crew killed - (only 14 remained unwounded) • The deck of the Consalado was literally covered with the dead-they had to walk on the bodies - The Hotspur, buried her dead; landed her sick and wounded at the Balise all except 4 who were so badly off that they could not be landed; and were taken to Galveston, whence the Hotspur proceeded from the Balise. Campbell was one of these four wounded - The Hospur, was unable to go to sea, and had to lay out side of the Bar at Galveston, (drawing too much water) 51. days. - Rapp stuck to his craft; got carpenters from N. 0. repaired it; went on a new cruise, and his after history is not known - Campbell, after recoving [sic] from his wounds, went to New Or leans; where he met with Aury & Mina. He was introduced to both; liked them; and agreed to sail with them - (Aury & Mina had come to New Orleans during the cruize of the Hot Spur; and hence Camp bell found them there when he first left the Hotspur - They were not at Galveston when the Rapp, retreated there after his fight at the Moro Castle-) Campbell, havig joined Aury & Mina in New-Orleans, they now
Powered by FlippingBook