CHAPTER XLI.

First guns and first prizes of the war.

Capture of the LaFayette—­The Government Orders Her Release—­ Towing Prizes Into Key West—­The Spanish Set a Trap—­The Vicksburg and the Morrill Take the Bait—­The Spanish Gunners Poor Marksmen—­ Another Narrow Escape.

Shortly after the proclamation of the blockade of Cuban ports a capture was made which threatened international complications.  The French mail steamer LaFayette was held up almost under the guns of Morro Castle.

The Annapolis hailed her in the harbor offing and receiving no answer but a show of the French tricolor plumped a six-pounder across her bows and brought her up standing.

Prayers and tears in staterooms.

Of the 161 cabin passengers on the steamer eighty were women and children.  They locked themselves in the staterooms when the warning shot was fired and the Annapolis and Wilmington approached, and gave themselves up to prayers and tears.

Most of the passengers were Spaniards or Cubans, and there were a few Mexicans.  Nearly all were bound for Havana.

The steamer was filled to the hatches with medicines, provisions, wines and cotton goods consigned to merchants in Havana and Vera Cruz, Mexico.  It is estimated that the value of the ship’s cargo was nearly $500,000.  Her net tonnage is 4,000 tons.  She hails from Santander, France, and cleared from Corunna, Spain, April 23, two days after the President issued the blockade proclamation, although Captain Lechapelane declared he was not notified.

As soon as official notice of her capture reached Washington telegrams were sent ordering immediate release.

The explanation for this action on the part of the administration is given in the statement which follows and which was issued from the White House: 

“The LaFayette was released in pursuance of orders which were issued by the Navy Department previous to her seizure, but which had not been received by the commanding officers of the vessels that made the capture.  The facts are that on April 29 the French Embassy made an informal inquiry as to whether the LaFayette, which left Saint Nazaire, France, for Vera Cruz, by way of Havana, before war was declared or information of the blockade was received, would be allowed to land at Havana certain passengers, her mail bags and the dispatch bag of the Consulate-General of France and take some French passengers on board.  An assurance was given that, if this privilege should be granted, the steamer would be forbidden by the French Consul to land goods.