Erastus D. Culver to William H. Seward, January 25, 1866

Mr. Culver to Mr. Seward

Sir: I have the honor to advise the department that on the 13th of November last I received a despatch from our vice-consul at Ciudad Bolivar, informing me that on the evening of the 18th October previous an attack had been made upon the steamer Apure, sailing under the flag of the United States, at Apurito, in the upper waters of the Orinoco, by an armed body of insurgents, and that the captain, J. W. Hammer, the second captain, J. Brissot. and P. D. Canfield, first engineer, all of them citizens of the United States, had been killed; that there was very great excitement in the valley of the Orinoco upon the matter, especially among the resident foreigners, as well as on the part of the consular body at Ciudad Bolivar.

I thereupon addressed a note to the minister of foreign affairs, a copy of which (marked A) I herewith enclose to you.

Knowing that the government here as well as the public press had received despatches with full details of the outrage, I was surprised at the entire silence of each. No allusion to it was made, and after a delay of some two weeks, and after intimating privately to the foreign secretary that it was a case where I had a right to expect a more prompt response, I received on the 27th November a reply to my note, a translation of which (marked B) I herewith transmit.

Very soon thereafter, I received from our vice-consul a copy in Spanish of the evidence taken before the judge of the first instance at Ciudad Bolivar; also a condensed statement of the facts, substantiated by that evidence as found by the consular body in that city, of which last, being in English, I forward you a copy (marked C.)

From this evidence, as stated by the consuls, it will be seen that Captain Hammer had with his other passengers taking on board for transportation up the river some fifty troops, under the command of the president of the State of Apure, and when he reached Apurito his steamer was in the night attacked by an armed body of insurgents from the shore, and the captain, his mate, and engineer, were killed.

The conduct of President Garcia and his official was most cowardly in not protecting the steamer, its officers, and passengers, while that of the party on shore was most fiendish. It is not pretended that a state of war existed, or any general or reorganized insurrection, but a sudden attempt of a few restless rebel chiefs (with which the country swarms) to overthrow the State government, and which they accomplished.

I have reason to know that the government received this evidence taken before the judge, and also the statement and protest (C) of the consular body, at the time that copies reached me, and yet up to this date not one word has been communicated to me upon the subject, other than the minister’s note (B) of the 25th November, while the government press in the capital, which is eager to publish all that transpires in Chili, Peru, and Mexico, has maintained a dogged silence as to this outrage.

The cause of all this, as I infer, and indeed I am so informed, is the apprehension that reclamations will be made. In the instructions given to the judge who held the investigation he was distinctly ordered “to bear in mind that the principal object in instituting the inquiry was to protect the nation from all injustice in any reclamations which perchance the representatives of the United States or England might make.” A very singular caution truly to give to a judicial tribunal whose honest and sole object one would suppose should be to elicit the truth, let its results affect whomsoever they might.

Perceiving, as I thought, a disposition to allow the matter to slumber in silence, on the 20th instant I addressed a second note to the minister of foreign affairs, a copy of which (marked D) I enclose herewith.

Nothing further has been heard from the government, and from my knowledge of the way and manner in which these outrages are treated, I am prepared to expect that nothing further will be done, nor shall I ever hear anything further from the authorities touching it, except by dint of hard pressing. The whole matter will be left to slumber in silence, while others of our citizens will be invited to come with their capital and skill to help develop the resources of the country, and ultimately to share the fate of Captain Hammer.

In my opinion this is a clear case of wanton murder, and the villanous chiefs who conducted the attack ought to suffer the extreme penalties of the law; instead of which they are now at the head of the recognized government of the State of Apure.

Each of the three citizens killed on the occasion referred to has left a family that was dependent on him for support.

I ask the instructions of my government touching the matter.

I have the honor to be, with sentiments of highest respect, your obedient servant,