Chassériau, Benoît | The “Expedicion secreta” of the Free State of Cartagena de Indias against the forts of Portobelo (Panama)

Chassériau, Benoît

A highly significant group of 69 documents, mostly manuscripts, in Spanish, concerning the “Expedicion secreta” against the forts of Portobelo (Panama) led in January 1814 by the Free State of Cartagena de Indias—the first area of current Colombia that declared itself absolutely Independent from Spain. Benoît Chassériau was commander-in-chief of the secret expedition and of the Western Army of Cartagena. These records are of particular importance because most of the official Columbian archives related to the Free State of Cartagena of indias (1811–1815) were destroyed during the wars of independence.

Panama became both a military depot for supplies and troops as well as a staging area for operations against the rebels on the Atlantic coast of New Granada. This naturally made Panama the target of the rebels in Cartagena. The attack by the secret expedition began on 16 January 1814, when a force of eight schooners and 460 men, mostly privateers, under the command of Benoît Chassériau, attacked Portobelo. The royalists, under Governor Joaquin Rodriguez Valcarcel, repulsed the invaders and sent them fleeing back to Cartagena.

To lead the naval division, Benoît Chassériau selected Renato Beluche, a corsair associated with the Lafitte brothers who was known for his bravery and his soul as a leader. Beluche had obtained the rank of lieutenant in Cartagena and later became Bolívar's "favorite admiral." From the schooner General Bolívar, he would lead eight captains and privateers: Charles Lominé who will continue fighting alongside Bolívar, Pedro Dupin, Jean-Baptiste Pemerlé, Juan Lachicotte, Matías Padrón, Fortunato Lepta and Domingo De Mesa. (See Nouvion, L'ami des Colombiens, Benoît Chassériau (1780–1844), Paris, 2018 (pp. 47–59 specifically discuss the secret expedition to Portobelo); Sosa, Compendio de Historia de Panamá, Ediiciones LAVP, 2017; Vogel, “Rebel without a Cause: The Adventure of Louis Aury,” in Laffite Society Chronicles VIII (2002): 3.)

Calendar of the 69 documents

* Chassériau, autograph manuscript report of military operations to the President of the Free State of Cartagena de Indias, Manuel Rodríguez Torices (1788–1816), on board the schooner General Bolívar, 19 January 1814. 

* Proclamation of Benoît Chassériau, commander-in-chief of the Western Army of Cartagena to his fellow citizens and neighbors of Portobelo (Benito Chasseriau, comandante en Jefe del ejército de occidente de Cartagena a sus conciudadanos los vecinos de Portobelo” “en frente de la ciudad de Portobelo, 15 de enero de 1814”). 2 pages. This proclamation was printed for distribution to the population of Portobelo.

* Proclamation of Benoît Chassériau, commander-in-chief of the to the Authorities of Portobelo, 2 pages. This proclamation was printed for distribution to the authorities of Portobelo.

* Address of Benoît Chassériau to the soldiers of the Expedition ("A todos los militares que componen la Expedición … Terrible en el combate, y generoso en la Victoria, tal es la divisa del verdadero guerrero," “en la ensanada de Buenaventura, 15 de Enero de 1814”), 2 pages.

* 5 notes and letters of Lieutenant Renato Beluche, privateer, commander the naval forces of the expedition. Beluche became Bolívar’s favorite admiral and was the victor of the battles of Lake Maracaibo. His remains are in the National Pantheon of Venezuela.

* Note on the necessity of the 16-gauge artillery piece, one page.

* “Cantidad de los tripulación embarcado a bordo de los corsarios”; a roster of the crews on board the corsairs, one page.

* “Cantidad de los fusiles desembarcados por los corsarios de la División baro el mando del Comandante Chassériau”; inventory of the umber of rifles by schooner, one page; with 2 related letters.

* 7 letters of Antoine Leleux, Secretary of War of the Free State of Cartagena, former aide-de-camp of Francisco de Miranda and close friend of Simón Bolívar, including the letter confirming that President Torices had authorized the expedition.

* “Relación de los gastos indispensables que he pagado del dinero entregado a mi disposición en la expedición dirigida contra Portobelo en el presente mes de Enero de 1814,” 2 pages.

* “Relación de las armas que par orden al Excelentísimo Señor Presidente gobernador del Estado siguen para la expedición” by Juan Bolsa and Antonio Anoulo; 4 inventories of weapons, 4 pages.

* “Proyectos de instrucciones para el comandante de la Expedición secreta”; instructions for the commander of the Expedicion secreta, 5 pages.

* Budget of the expedition (“2300 pesos … 600 en platas y 1700 en billetes”) by Marcos Fernández de Sotomayor (from 1811, he occupied the Secretariat of the Bishopric and later became Secretary of the Treasury until the fall of Cartagena in the hands of Morillo).  

* Report of the abandonment of the brigantine Hercules following damage, 9 January 1814, 2 pages. Signed by the eight captains: Charles Lominé, Pedro Dupin, Jean-Baptiste Pemerlé, Juan Lachicotte, Matías Padrón , Fortunato Lepta and Domingo De Mesa.

* Memorandum of the official decision to retreat in the face of much larger Spanish armed forces, 24 January 1814, 2 pages. Signed by Captain Félix Layet, Lieutenant Jeronimo Scarpetta (New Grenada Battalion), Captain Carlos de Lamereux (infantry), Captain Hippolyte Dufour Davas (Cavalry).

* Memorandum on the need for weapons and food for the schooner El Ribon, by Captain Jean-Baptiste Pemerlé, one page.

* Memorandum on the need for weapons and food for the schooner El Carmen, one page.

* “Repartición de embarque de las tropas destinadas a la expedición secreta a bordo de los buques de la División”; memorandum regarding the distribution of the troops aboard the ships of the division, one page.

* 8 receipts for sabers and other weapons (“Recibos de sables etc… ”), signed by Lieutenant Jeronimo Scarpetta, Dr. Federico Meyer, chief medical officer of the expedition, and others. 

* “Repartición de 342 pesos en doblones, los 2/5 para la Cámara, y los 3/5 a las tropas,” one page.

* 30 letters and notes including one letter by Juan Guillermo Ros, Secretary of State and Interior — 3 letters by Juan General Salvador Narváez (1788–1827) — one letter by Juan Robertson (1767–1815), General Secretary General of the Government of Curaçao (1808–1812), who sympathized with the revolution of Caracas. (In 1812, he settled in Caracas and served Miranda there. Bolívar sent Lino de Clemente and Juan Robertson to the British government for recognition of Latin American Independence. Robertson was the English translator of the "Carta de Jamaica" and the author of the first known biography of Simón Bolívar.) — one letter by Juan Elias Lopez, governor of Cartagena — one letter by Juan Bolsa — one letter by Captain Félix Layet — one letter by Lieutenant Jeronimo Scarpetta — one letter by Captain Roberto Capoul — one letter by Captain Domingo De Mesa — one letter by Doctor Federico Meyer — one letter by F. Dupeyron, former secretary of Francisco de Miranda.

This lot and lots 341–347 in Part 2 are components of an extensive and remarkable archive of papers, manuscript and printed, by and relating to the French diplomat and spy Benoît Chassériau (1780–1844), whose life reads like swashbuckling fiction: patriotic combatant during Colombia's war of independence; Minister of the Interior and of Police for the Free State of Cartagena de Indias (Colombia); comrade in arms of Simón Bolívar; commander-in-chief of the Western Army of Cartagena in the campaign against Portobelo (Panama) in 1814; schemer-in-chief of the planned French secret expedition against Panama in 1820; the first diplomat sent to Colombia in 1824 by Viscount François-René de Chateaubriand, French minister of Foreign Affairs; Consul in Saint Thomas (U.S. Virgin Islands) and Puerto Rico—and father of the Dominican-born French Romantic painter Théodore Chassériau (1819–1856).

All of this material, mostly in French or Spanish, descended within the family from Benoît Chassériau to his son Frédéric-Charles Chassériau (1807–1881; State Councilor and historian of the Navy), thence to a cousin, Baron Arthur Chassériau (1850–1934; stockbroker, banker, art collector, and major donor to the Louvre), and by continued descent to the present owner.