And State Papers 739 



Nashville I got under way as on the previous day 

 and moved close in to protect the water front. Dur- 

 ing the afternoon several propositions were made to 

 Colonel Torres by the representatives of the new 

 government, and he was finally persuaded by them 

 to embark on the Royal Mail steamer Orinoco with 

 all his troops and return to Cartagena. The Orin- 

 oco left her dock with the troops 474 all told at 

 7.35 P.M. The Dixie arrived and anchored at 7.05 

 P.M., when I went on board and acquainted the com- 

 manding officer with the situation. A portion of 

 the marine battalion was landed and the Nashville's 

 force withdrawn. 



3. On the evening of November 4 Major William 

 M. Black and Lieut. Mark Brooke, Corps of Engi- 

 neers, U. S. Army, came to Colon from Culebra and 

 volunteered their services, which were accepted, and 

 they rendered very efficient help on the following 

 day. 



4. I beg to assure the Department that I had no 

 part whatever in the negotiations that were carried 

 on between Colonel Torres and the representatives 

 of the provisional government; that I landed an 

 armed force only when the lives of American citi- 

 zens were threatened, and withdrew this force as 

 soon as there seemed to be no grounds for further 

 apprehension of injury to American lives or prop- 

 erty ; that I relanded an armed force because of the 

 failure of Colonel Torres to carry out his agreement 

 to withdraw and announced intention of returning, 

 and that my attitude throughout was strictly neutral 

 as between the two parties, my only purpose being 



