José Polo de Bernabé y Mordella

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José Polo de Bernabé y Mordella (* 1820 ; † 1900 ) was a Spanish vice admiral and ambassador to the United States.

Life

José Polo de Bernabé y Mordella was married to Carolina Pilón y Sterling († June 29, 1909). Their children were José, Carolina and Luis Polo de Bernabé Pilón . His cousin was José Polo de Bernabé y Borrás .

The first republic was proclaimed in Spain in 1873 when José Polo de Bernabé y Mordella was the Spanish ambassador to Ulysses S. Grant in the USA.

Spanish Embassy in Washington

During his tenure were accredited in Washington:

  • Admiral Don José Polo de Bernabé, Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary ("Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary")
  • Luis de Potestad, Legation Secretary
  • Pedro Ortiz de Zugasti, Second Secretary of the Legation
  • Nicolás M. Rivero y Custodio, Third Legation Secretary
  • Pedro d'Vargas, attaché
  • Luis Polo de Bernabé, attaché
  • Colonel Teodoro Bermúdez, military attaché.

The US ambassador to Madrid was Daniel E. Sickles .

Virginius crisis

On March 1, 1870 in connection with the Ten Years War , the US citizen John F. Patterson had on behalf of Manuel de Quesada y Loynaz , a brother-in-law of Carlos Manuel de Céspedes , with funding from a US shipping line, from the Washington Navy Yard , the USS Virginia bought that in the American Civil war as a blockade runner had been used. She was renamed Virginius and took care of rebel groups in Cuba . In June 1873 this side paddle steamer Virginius docked in the port of Colón in what was then Colombia (today in Panama) to have its engine overhauled. The Spanish gunboat Bazán tried to intercept the Virginius . The Virginius was able to escape under the escort of the USS Kansas .

Virginius , loaded with 300 Remington rifles, 300,000 cartridges, 800 daggers, 800 machetes, shoes and black powder for the Cuban insurgents in Haiti in October 1873, was seized by the Spanish frigate Tornado off Bahía de Guantánamo and towed away.

US flags at times gave the impression that the Virginius was the property of a US company and that propaganda was being made for a US war on the part of the Cuban insurgents against Spain.

The Spanish authorities brought the Virginius prisoners to a court martial and had some of them executed. Among the Virginius prisoners were citizens of Great Britain and the United States. The HMS-Niobe threatened to bombard Santiago de Cuba if the executions of the prisoners were continued by the Virginius.

With the support of the British Ambassador, the US Secretary of State Hamilton Fish reached an agreement with José Polo de Bernabé y Mordella that the Spanish authorities would respect the US flag hoisted on the Virgin, that the executions of the team would be suspended in Cuba and that the team would behave accordingly of their nationality before the respective courts.

In 1888 Vice Admiral D. José Polo de Bernabé y Mordella was appointed deputy director of the Naval Academy.

In 1890 he was appointed to the State Council.

predecessor Office successor
Mauricio Lopez Roberts Spanish Ambassador to Washington
April 5, 1872–9. July 1874 		Marqués de Potestad-Fornari

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ ABC , 1909/07/01, En esta corte ha fallecido, verificándose anteayer el triste acto de su entierro la respetable y virtuosa senora dona Carolina Pinlón y Sterling, vidua de Polo de Bernabe, madre de nuestro embajador en Berlin, don Luis Polo de Bernabé
  2. ↑ Guia Oficia Espana Madrid, Imprenta Nacional 1876
  3. ↑ James Mallory, Grady McWhiney, Fear God and walk humbly: the agricultural journal of James Mallory, 1843–1877 p. 647
  4. ^ The New York Times , Nov. 30, 1873, THE VIRGINIUS QUESTION .; THE AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE UNITED STATES AND SPAIN . embracing the terms of settlement of the Virginius affair, was drawn and signed to-day by Admiral Polo, tho Spanish Minister, and Secretary Fish.
  5. ^ The New York Times , January 6, 1874, THE CAPTURE AND SUBSEQUENT DEMAND. AN AGREEMENT WITH THE MADRID GOVERNMENT. THE CORRESPONDENCE. SECRETARY FISH'S ULTIMATUM. REPLIES FROM THE SPANISH MINISTER. REPRESENTATIONS OF SPANISH DUPLICITY REPLY OF SECRETARY FISH. NEGOTIATIONS WITH THE SPANISH LEGATION AT WASHINGTON Fish and Admiral Polo
  6. ↑ http://www.spanamwar.com/virginius.htm
  7. ↑ La Vanguardia , 10/02/1888, Reales decretos nombrando Vicepresidente del Centro Técnico Facultativo y Consultivo de la Marina al Vicealmirante D. José Polo de Bernabé y Mordella; y Vocal de la Junta encargada de redactar un Código penal marítimo, al Capitán de navío Don Manuel Pasquín y de Juan.
  8. ↑ Gaceta de Madrid , 11/03/1890, Real decreto nombrando Consejero de Estado al Vicealmirante de la Armada D. José Polo de Bernabé y Mordella.
personal data
SURNAME Bernabé y Mordella, José Polo de
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Admiral Polo
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Spanish Vice Admiral; Ambassador to the USA
DATE OF BIRTH 1820
DATE OF DEATH 1900