Rio de Janeiro Affair
Encyclopedia
The Rio de Janeiro Affair refers to a series of incidents during the Brazilian Naval Revolt in January 1894. Following three attacks on American
merchant ships in the harbour of Rio de Janeiro
, a bloodless naval engagement
occurred between a United States Navy
warship and an ironclad of Rear Admiral
Saldanha da Gama's rebel fleet. Ultimately the Americans completed their objective, and the Brazilians offered to surrender their ships.
SS Julia Rollins was fired on with rifles from a fort on Cobras Island, while heading to Gamboa. Brazilian fire was heavy though nobody was harmed; the American crewmen were forced to take cover and maneuver their ship out of the fort's range, where they laid anchor. The Brazilians then opened fire again, but this time with the guns of the ironclad cruiser
s Trajano and Guanabara. Julia Rollins moved once more until finding a safe anchorage, then a boat with a few sailors was the lowered and sent to inform Admiral
Andrew E. K. Benham, who was in command of three cruisers at Rio de Janeiro with orders to protect American interests and observe the rebel blockade. On January 26, another incident occurred when the bark Agate was fired at with rifles and naval guns from Cobras Island and the rebel cruisers. Again nobody was hurt, but Admiral Benham, who was busy communicating with Da Gama, warned him not to attack American vessels. USS Detroit
, under Commander
Willard H. Brownson
, was one of the modern cruisers in Benham's squadron. The other two were the USS San Francisco
and USS Newark
. Admiral Saldanha Da Gama's fleet of twenty-four ships was much stronger, as most of the rebel navy was stationed at Rio, though only the Trajano, the cruiser Guanabara and the gunboat
Liberdade were directly involved. The 1,400 ton Trajano was armed with twelve guns and the much larger 2,200 ton Guanabara mounted eight. Liberdade was only 250 tons but armed with eight guns. She was Da Gama's flagship
and patrolled back and forth between the two cruisers and the main fleet. Brazilian commanders expected a battle against the American squadron so men from other ships were used to reinforce the Trajano and the Guanabara.
The affair climaxed on January 29 when Benham ordered Commander Brownson to escort the American merchantmen into the wharves, where their cargoes would be unloaded, and to attack the first Brazilian ship to open fire. So at 6:00 am the Detroit headed in, followed by the Julia Rollins, the Agate and the barks Amy and Good News. The Detroit was cleared for action and at 6:20 the crew was at battle stations with guns loaded. But just then, while sailing between Cobras and Enchadas Island, lookouts observed two or three Brazilian auxiliary cruisers which were beginning a bombardment of the federal shore batteries near Santa Barbara Island
. Commander Brownson decided to wait for the engagement to end so he did not violate neutrality, and as soon as the armed tugs
hauled off the American ships were underway. The Trajano and Guanabara were not far away, the two cruisers were moored to a buoy in line of battle, and Admiral Da Gama's flagship was nowhere in sight. By 7:00 am, Detroit and her escortees were within gun range of the rebels and at about that time the Trajano fired a warning shot over the Amys bow which temporarily stopped her. In order to get the ships moving, Commander Brownson had to assure the merchantmen that he would protect them if there was any more fire. An attack came a few minutes later; at 7:04 the Amy received a round from the Trajanos naval musket. Immediately Detroit returned fire with one of her 6 inches (152.4 mm) guns and a shot hit the Trajanos stern about two or three feet from the starboard bow, causing light damage. Brownson then hailed the Brazilians, who were less than sixty yards away, and the commander declared that "If you fire again l will return the fire, and if you persist in firing I will sink you'. However, Trajanos crew opened fire again with a full broadside from the starboard battery; one near miss went over the Detroit and another over the Amy but no damage was caused.
For the next several moments the Detroit maneuvered, and at 7:16 am Brownson found himself in a good position to rake the enemy vessels from 200 yards away. That morning the sea was rough, so the anchor was dropped and preparations were made to slip the cable if necessary. The American barks were directed to continue on to the wharves. At 7:32 am the Trajano fired another broadside at the Amy; all shots missed. USS Detroit responded and a second round struck the Trajano under the counter, near her sternpost. Following this the rebels ceased firing and the engagement was over, after about a half an hour. Admiral Da Gama only found out that there had been an exchange of fire when he anchored the Liberdade and two of the tugs near the Guanabara. Captain Brownson sent an officer aboard the Liberdade to ensure a ceasefire. Da Gama said that he had not ordered the attacks on the American barks, and that only blank rounds had been used during the first incidents in order to scare off the merchants and not actually harm them; however minor damage from rifle fire to the Agate and the Julia Rollins proved otherwise. Da Gama also offerred to surrender his fleet to Admiral Benham, but the offer was not pursued. American reports make no indication of casualties on either side and the affair did not go any further. In the end, Detroit successfully reopened Rio to American commerce, and Brownson's bold actions are credited with preventing any more attacks on United States flagged ships during the revolt, which ended in March of 1894. The captain became known for the engagement, and newspapers across the United States reported the story.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
merchant ships in the harbour of Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro , commonly referred to simply as Rio, is the capital city of the State of Rio de Janeiro, the second largest city of Brazil, and the third largest metropolitan area and agglomeration in South America, boasting approximately 6.3 million people within the city proper, making it the 6th...
, a bloodless naval engagement
Naval battle
A naval battle is a battle fought using boats, ships or other waterborne vessels. Most naval battles have occurred at sea, but a few have taken place on lakes or rivers. The earliest recorded naval battle took place in 1210 BC near Cyprus...
occurred between a United States Navy
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
warship and an ironclad of Rear Admiral
Rear Admiral
Rear admiral is a naval commissioned officer rank above that of a commodore and captain, and below that of a vice admiral. It is generally regarded as the lowest of the "admiral" ranks, which are also sometimes referred to as "flag officers" or "flag ranks"...
Saldanha da Gama's rebel fleet. Ultimately the Americans completed their objective, and the Brazilians offered to surrender their ships.
Affair
The incidents which led to the short engagement began on January 21 of 1894, when the 586 ton American barkBarque
A barque, barc, or bark is a type of sailing vessel with three or more masts.- History of the term :The word barque appears to have come from the Greek word baris, a term for an Egyptian boat. This entered Latin as barca, which gave rise to the Italian barca, Spanish barco, and the French barge and...
SS Julia Rollins was fired on with rifles from a fort on Cobras Island, while heading to Gamboa. Brazilian fire was heavy though nobody was harmed; the American crewmen were forced to take cover and maneuver their ship out of the fort's range, where they laid anchor. The Brazilians then opened fire again, but this time with the guns of the ironclad cruiser
Cruiser
A cruiser is a type of warship. The term has been in use for several hundreds of years, and has had different meanings throughout this period...
s Trajano and Guanabara. Julia Rollins moved once more until finding a safe anchorage, then a boat with a few sailors was the lowered and sent to inform Admiral
Admiral
Admiral is the rank, or part of the name of the ranks, of the highest naval officers. It is usually considered a full admiral and above vice admiral and below admiral of the fleet . It is usually abbreviated to "Adm" or "ADM"...
Andrew E. K. Benham, who was in command of three cruisers at Rio de Janeiro with orders to protect American interests and observe the rebel blockade. On January 26, another incident occurred when the bark Agate was fired at with rifles and naval guns from Cobras Island and the rebel cruisers. Again nobody was hurt, but Admiral Benham, who was busy communicating with Da Gama, warned him not to attack American vessels. USS Detroit
USS Detroit (C-10)
The USS Detroit was a protected cruiser of the United States Navy which was launched 28 October 1891 by Columbian Iron Works, Baltimore, Maryland, sponsored by Miss F. Malster and commissioned 20 July 1893 with Commander Willard Herbert Brownson in command...
, under Commander
Commander (United States)
In the United States, commander is a military rank that is also sometimes used as a military title, depending on the branch of service. It is also used as a rank or title in some organizations outside of the military, particularly in police and law enforcement.-Naval rank:In the United States...
Willard H. Brownson
Willard H. Brownson
Rear Admiral Willard Herbert Brownson, USN was a United States Navy officer whose career included service against pirates in Mexico, and service during the Spanish-American War. He also served a term as Superintendent of the United States Naval Academy.-Early Life and Career:A native of Lyons, New...
, was one of the modern cruisers in Benham's squadron. The other two were the USS San Francisco
USS San Francisco (C-5)
The first USS San Francisco was a steel protected cruiser in the United States Navy. She was later named Tahoe and then Yosemite....
and USS Newark
USS Newark (C-1)
The first USS Newark was a United States Navy protected cruiser, the first modern cruiser in the US fleet.She was laid down by William Cramp and Sons, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on 12 June 1888, launched on 19 March 1890, sponsored by Miss Annie Boutelle, the daughter of Congressman Charles A...
. Admiral Saldanha Da Gama's fleet of twenty-four ships was much stronger, as most of the rebel navy was stationed at Rio, though only the Trajano, the cruiser Guanabara and the gunboat
Gunboat
A gunboat is a naval watercraft designed for the express purpose of carrying one or more guns to bombard coastal targets, as opposed to those military craft designed for naval warfare, or for ferrying troops or supplies.-History:...
Liberdade were directly involved. The 1,400 ton Trajano was armed with twelve guns and the much larger 2,200 ton Guanabara mounted eight. Liberdade was only 250 tons but armed with eight guns. She was Da Gama's flagship
Flagship
A flagship is a vessel used by the commanding officer of a group of naval ships, reflecting the custom of its commander, characteristically a flag officer, flying a distinguishing flag...
and patrolled back and forth between the two cruisers and the main fleet. Brazilian commanders expected a battle against the American squadron so men from other ships were used to reinforce the Trajano and the Guanabara.
The affair climaxed on January 29 when Benham ordered Commander Brownson to escort the American merchantmen into the wharves, where their cargoes would be unloaded, and to attack the first Brazilian ship to open fire. So at 6:00 am the Detroit headed in, followed by the Julia Rollins, the Agate and the barks Amy and Good News. The Detroit was cleared for action and at 6:20 the crew was at battle stations with guns loaded. But just then, while sailing between Cobras and Enchadas Island, lookouts observed two or three Brazilian auxiliary cruisers which were beginning a bombardment of the federal shore batteries near Santa Barbara Island
Santa Barbara Island
Santa Barbara Island is a small island of the Channel Islands archipelago in California. It is located about off the Southern California coast from the Palos Verdes Peninsula, near Los Angeles in Ventura County, California....
. Commander Brownson decided to wait for the engagement to end so he did not violate neutrality, and as soon as the armed tugs
Tugboat
A tugboat is a boat that maneuvers vessels by pushing or towing them. Tugs move vessels that either should not move themselves, such as ships in a crowded harbor or a narrow canal,or those that cannot move by themselves, such as barges, disabled ships, or oil platforms. Tugboats are powerful for...
hauled off the American ships were underway. The Trajano and Guanabara were not far away, the two cruisers were moored to a buoy in line of battle, and Admiral Da Gama's flagship was nowhere in sight. By 7:00 am, Detroit and her escortees were within gun range of the rebels and at about that time the Trajano fired a warning shot over the Amys bow which temporarily stopped her. In order to get the ships moving, Commander Brownson had to assure the merchantmen that he would protect them if there was any more fire. An attack came a few minutes later; at 7:04 the Amy received a round from the Trajanos naval musket. Immediately Detroit returned fire with one of her 6 inches (152.4 mm) guns and a shot hit the Trajanos stern about two or three feet from the starboard bow, causing light damage. Brownson then hailed the Brazilians, who were less than sixty yards away, and the commander declared that "If you fire again l will return the fire, and if you persist in firing I will sink you'. However, Trajanos crew opened fire again with a full broadside from the starboard battery; one near miss went over the Detroit and another over the Amy but no damage was caused.
For the next several moments the Detroit maneuvered, and at 7:16 am Brownson found himself in a good position to rake the enemy vessels from 200 yards away. That morning the sea was rough, so the anchor was dropped and preparations were made to slip the cable if necessary. The American barks were directed to continue on to the wharves. At 7:32 am the Trajano fired another broadside at the Amy; all shots missed. USS Detroit responded and a second round struck the Trajano under the counter, near her sternpost. Following this the rebels ceased firing and the engagement was over, after about a half an hour. Admiral Da Gama only found out that there had been an exchange of fire when he anchored the Liberdade and two of the tugs near the Guanabara. Captain Brownson sent an officer aboard the Liberdade to ensure a ceasefire. Da Gama said that he had not ordered the attacks on the American barks, and that only blank rounds had been used during the first incidents in order to scare off the merchants and not actually harm them; however minor damage from rifle fire to the Agate and the Julia Rollins proved otherwise. Da Gama also offerred to surrender his fleet to Admiral Benham, but the offer was not pursued. American reports make no indication of casualties on either side and the affair did not go any further. In the end, Detroit successfully reopened Rio to American commerce, and Brownson's bold actions are credited with preventing any more attacks on United States flagged ships during the revolt, which ended in March of 1894. The captain became known for the engagement, and newspapers across the United States reported the story.
See Also
- First Battle of TopolobampoFirst Battle of TopolobampoThe First Battle of Topolobampo was a bloodless engagement and one of the few naval battles of the Mexican Revolution. The small action occurred off Topolobampo, Mexico and involved three gunboats, two from the Mexican Navy and another which mutinied from the armada and joined the rebel...
- Callao AffairCallao AffairThe Callao Affair occurred in November 1820, during the Peruvian War of Independence. It began when a Spanish fort opened fire on the United States warship USS Macedonian. Though the ship was damaged, the Americans did not violate their neutrality by counter attacking...
- Bahia IncidentBahia IncidentThe Bahia Incident was a naval skirmish fought in late 1864 during the American Civil War. A Confederate States Navy warship was captured by a Union warship in Bahia Harbor, Brazil...
- Santo Domingo AffairSanto Domingo AffairThe Santo Domingo Affair, or the Santo Domingo Crisis, refers to an incident in 1904 involving the United States and insurgent forces of Carlos F. Morales in the present day Dominican Republic...