Capture of Manuel Briones

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Capture of Manuel Briones

Swedish frigate Eugenie, painting by Jacob Hägg
Date1851 or 1852
Location
Off the coast of Ecuador, Guayaquil
Result Swedish-Ecuadorian victory
Belligerents
Sweden Sweden
Ecuador Ecuador		 Pirates
Commanders and leaders
Sweden:
Christian Adolf Virgin
Ecuador:
Barroterán (possibly)		 Manuel Briones
Strength
Sweden:
1 Frigate
Ecuador:
Several soldiers		 Unknown
Casualties and losses
At least 4 Ecuadorian soldiers executed 1 Whaler and 1 smaller vessel captured
6 pirates executed (including Manuel Briones)

The capture of Manuel Briones was a brief altercation between Swedish and Ecuadorian authorities and the pirates of Manuel Briones who had set out to attack the upcoming Flores expedition.[1]

Background

The Flores expedition was set to be launched from

Floreana, was plotting to intercept the expedition.[2] The island of Floreana only hosted five prison guards making escape easy for Briones and his gang, and they murdered most of them.[3] Once free the bandits boarded and seized the American whaler George Howland
as well as the crew without bloodshed.

The altercation

Manuel Briones forced the American crew of the George Howland to set sail down the Ecuadorian coast, but before going to Guayaquil, it was decided to first gather supplies from the island of San Cristóbal. Present on the island was a small detachment of 5 Ecuadorian soldiers and the island's governor, all of whom, as well as a considerable amount of money and supplies were taken onboard the ship.[1] General Mena (a woman), would be raped by several of the bandits but was eventually allowed to leave, this is in sharp contrast to her male counterpart who were all killed and thrown overboard with the governor.[1]

Setting out for Guayaquil, the bandits continued down the coast where almost immediately upon arrival, they encountered a couple of expeditionary vessels sent by Flores himself.[1][2] The bandits wasted no time in murdering and capturing the crew, with only a few escaping. It was then that the Swedish frigate HSwMS Eugenie, which had just departed from Callao,[4][5][6] became alerted of the rampaging pirates by a distressed sailor. The Swedes decided to take action and pursue the bandits. They stood little chance against the well-armed Swedish frigate and fled ashore after a short chase.[2] The Swedes confiscated the stolen ships where they found an American named Peacock who had been hidden on the whaler for several days in fear of being found and murdered. An Ecuadorian detachment of soldiers would later find and imprison the pirates.

Aftermath

The bandits would later be executed in Guayaquil in front of an audience of locals and the previously mentioned Swedes.[6]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c d "The Galapagos: a Brief History - Jacob P. Lundh".
  2. ^ a b c https://galapagos.gob.ec/wp-content/uploads/downloads/2021/02/Historia-humana-San-Cristobal.pdf
  3. ^ "Galapagos Province (Ecuador)". www.crwflags.com.
  4. ^ "Fakta om seglatsen :: Eugenie". www.eugenieseglats.se. April 25, 2023.
  5. doi:10.2307/3636739 – via JSTOR.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link
    )
  6. ^ a b "Galapagueana | Timeline". galapagueana.darwinfoundation.org.
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