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| Author | Topic: USS LEXINGTON ATTACK |
| Javier |
posted 3/31/04 11:59 PM
This is a short account of the attack carried out by USS Lexington to theMalvinas, based on Argentinean and US sources.When David Jewet took peaceful and uncontested possession of the islands on our behalf, he send the following communication to the sealers then present in the islands:"Uno de los objetivos principales de mi comando es evitar la destruccióndesatinada de las fuentes de recursos, necesarios para los buques que depaso o de recalada forzosa arriban a las islas y hacer de modo que puedanreaprovisionarse con el mínimo de gastos y molestias..."( "One of the main aims of my command is to avoid the non-sense destruction of the necessary resources for those ships in transit or in forced arrival to the islands, in such a way they can take provisions with a minimalexpense and annoyances..." ).A "recalada forzosa" or "forced arrival" is the situation in which a merchant/ sealing/ fishing vessel is compelled to go to port due damages, storms, illness, lack of water or provisions, etc. This policy was enforced by the Argentinean Governors on the island fromthat moment on, and a similar note was handed to all ships arriving to theislands, warning them of the penalties that could be applied to them.Sealers of those days were not very different of nowadays fishermen (I knowwell the stuff). They want just to make money, no matter if they exterminate the species and any control seems to be unreasonable for them and an unjust interference in their businesses.Of course that policy of us bring problems and many of the sealers were from New England, USA, like the “Harriet”, “Breakwater”, and “Superior”, captured in 1831.“Harriet” departed with Governor Vernet, his family and her US Captain (MrGilbert Davidson) bound to Buenos Aires where he was to make his claimagainst the capture, arriving on 20th November 1831.Captain Davidson presented his claim to the US Consul, Mr George W Slacum, while Vernet informed the National Government.Mr Slacum had just replaced Mr John M. Forbes, who had recently died. He was not an adequate person for diplomatic negotiations. The US Historian Mr Julius Goebels ("The struggle for the Falkland Islands; a study in legaland diplomatic history", New Haven, Yale University, 1927) says that he"...had no diplomatic experience and was so un-tactfull as without good judgement".Mr Slacum made a claim to the Argentinean Government on 21st November1831 about the capture of “Harriet” and later presented another note denyingthe right of Governor Vernet to capture any US sealing vessel in the coasts,sea, and archipelagos adjoining the Patagonian mainland.This protest was obviously rejected by the Foreign Minister, Mr Tomás Manuel de Anchorena, as to accept it would have been to renounce to applyour own Laws on our own territories.Captain Silas Duncan of the war frigate USS “Lexington” got in touch with MrSlacum and offer himself "to protect" the interests of the US citizens involvedin that business.On 9th December 1831, Lexington sailed to Malvinas, while Consul Slacum got in touch with Messrs Woodbine Parish and Mark Fox (British representative and British Consul).On 27th December 1831, at midnight, USS “Lexington” entered Bahía de laAnunciación. Next morning she entered the port WITH THE FRENCH FLAG RAISED and she was saluted by the Argentinean flag. Then they proceed to attack, capturing the goleta “Aguila”, and proceeding after that to land (by now with the US flag).After taking everything Captain Davidson considered to be his, there was anorgy of destruction: the doors, the windows, the barracks, the powder, etc,etc, etc. Twenty five inhabitants were captured and later released except sixof them, which were believed to be the most important. They also told thepopulation that Vernet was not to return as he would be hanged and that the settlement would be attack again by the sealers.After this "glorious" achievement, Lexington set sail to Montevideo on 21stJanuary 1832, with six prisoners.Captain Silas Duncan MADE NO ENTRY ABOUT ALL THIS IN HIS LOG BOOK. He probably was afraid of possible consequences and obviously it was not an action to be proud of.In the article "Commander Silas Duncan and the Falkland Islands Affair" byLieutenant Commander of the US Navy Alexander G Monroe published in The Log of Mystic Seaport (fall 1973), the author blames mainly Consul Slacum, whom he describes as "...a man of enormous ambition...a consul at the very least was hopelessly vain, if not outwardly corrupt".The attack to a settlement of a nation with whom the US had friendly relations with no warning, with no reason (Captain Davidson's claim was aprivate one) and with an other country's flag is undoubtedly an act of piracy.Any information you can forward me from the US point of view would be welcome. I would surely change my position about this or any other topic in case new facts arouse.Best Regards,Javier |
| Ernie Spencer |
posted 4/1/04 9:18 AM
Javier,A couple of items I find confusing.If you 'inherited' the islands from Spain why was it necessary for Jewitt to be sent to 'take possession' of the islands in 1820 and claim them for Argentina? This seems to me to express some sort of doubt or at least admission that you did not previously own the islands.The other matter is that if Jewitt really was sent to claim the islands on behalf of Argentina and this was the object of his mission, why did it take him eight monhs to get there from Buenos Aires?Surely a more likely scenario is that he was on a privateering mission for the Buenos Aires Government in the North Atlantic, against Spanish and Portugues vessels which had proved an abject failure, with little success and the loss of many of his crew (out of about 200 only 70 were left alive when he arrived at Port Louis) to poor management through scurvey and indiscipline. He went to the Falklands to allow his remaining crew to recuperate and saw an opportunity, like little Tom Thumb to pull out a plum and at least retrieve something from his voyage.On his return to Buenos Aires rather than being the hero he is now depicted as he was under accusation and finally abandoned Buenos Aires and sold his favours to Brazil.These are serious questions that require expanation.Regards,Ernie |
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Noelia (Moderator) |
posted 4/1/04 8:55 PM
Ernie, we took possesion of the Islands and yet they were stolen by England, can you imagine what would happen if we didnt take possesion of them? Dont try to confuse us by doubting of what it was done, because we are sure we did the right thing... If it was Paraguay or Bolivia the country that had stolen the Islands it would have been easier to take them back, but being the UK, it's a little more difficult...(not impossible though!) :o)--- Noelia http://espanglishfriends.tripod,com http;//www.geocities.com/nxz1978 |
| al |
posted 5/2/04 11:25 AM
Javier, I have an old series of books called The History of our Navy 1775-1898, which covers the actions of the U.S. Navy in excellent (and admittedly pro-U.S.) detail, and find no mention of a ship called Lexington operating in that time period, or of a Captain named Silas Duncan. Do your other sources clarify whether the Lexington was an official U.S. Navy warship, a privateer, or indeed just a locally helpful pirate? Do you happen to know what port she sailed out of, or how many guns it carried? As I'm from New England, it's likely that I can find some more info on the ship buried here locally, if I knew where to start looking. -Al USA |
| Al |
posted 5/2/04 11:58 AM
I need to clarify myearlier post. The Lexington wasindeed an official U.S. Navy warship during that time. (The name Lexington has been used for several ships.) According to the official U.S. Navy website, the Lexington was built in 1825, and spent some time protecting the american fishing fleet off Labrador, then went to Europe for 3 years, then: " Returning to Norfolk in the fall of 1830, she decommissioned at Norfolk Navy Yard 16 November. Recommissioning 31 May 1831. Master Commandant Silas M. Duncan in command, she proceeded to Sao Paulo, Brazil, for duty with the South Atlantic Squadron until late 1836. She then sailed around Cape Horn to protect American commerce on the Pacific coast." Silas Duncan himself was apparently a "war of 1812 hero", who had lost an arm in one of the great lakes battles. He died a few years after his service on the Lexington. I haven't found any details yet of the Bahia de Asuncion incident, but the ships mission was consistent with what Javier has found from other sources. http://www.history.navy.mil/danfs/l/lexington.htm |
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