| Panama Crisis of 1885 | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Isthmus of Panama | |||||||
| |||||||
| Belligerents | |||||||
 Panamanian Rebels  United States |  Colombia  Chile | ||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
| James E. Jouett Bowman H. McCalla | Rafael Nuñez Juan Lopez Lermanda | ||||||
The Panama Crisis of 1885 was an intervention by the United States during a rebellion in Panama, at the time part of Colombia, and an ensuing show of force by Chile in support of the Colombian government.
The 1846 Mallarino–Bidlack Treaty, signed by Republic of New Granada (Colombia and Panama) and the United States, obligated the United States to maintain "neutrality" in the Colombian state of Panama in exchange for transit rights in the isthmus on behalf of Colombia. [1]
Chile's influence in the region followed its victory in the War of the Pacific. In this war, Chile defeated Bolivia and Peru and gained large swathes of territory from both, removing Bolivia's access to the sea. U.S. sympathies lay with Bolivia and Peru, and Chile rejected American attempts to mediate. A Peruvian attempt to cede a naval base to the U.S. in Chimbote Bay in 1881 was blocked when Chile, learning of the deal, sent marines to occupy Chimbote. [2]
In March 1885 Colombia thinned its military presence in Panama by sending troops who had been stationed there to fight rebels in Cartagena as part of the Colombian Civil War (1884–1885). [1] [2] These favourable conditions prompted an insurgency in Panama. [1]
The United States Navy was sent there to keep order, in light of invoking its obligations according to the treaty signed in 1846. [1] The North Atlantic Squadron of the U.S. Navy, commanded by Rear Admiral James E. Jouett, was ordered to deploy to Panama with the orders to protect American lives and property and to ensure free transit across the isthmus of Panama, while respecting the sovereignty of the Colombian government. A battalion of 234 marines was organized by Major Charles Heywood, and these were eventually joined by another two battalions, under Heywood's overall command as the head of a provisional Marine brigade. It was the first time that the United States Marine Corps assembled a brigade level formation. Along with Heywood there was also another future Commandant of the Marine Corps, then-First Lieutenant George F. Elliott, deployed in the marine force. The landing force was under the overall command of Navy Commander Bowman H. McCalla. [3]
On 7 April, the screw sloop USS Shenandoah arrived in Panama City and three days later, other American ships started arriving in Colón, Panama. On 27 April a force of marines was landed in Panama City to help suppress rebels who had taken over the city when local troops had moved out to deal with a revolt in Colón. The next day, federal troops from Colombia arrived from Buenaventura, Colombia's nearest Pacific port. By this time, there was also a small force of the National Army of Colombia supported by a strong contingent of American troops in Colón. [2]
In response to the American intervention, Chile sent the protected cruiser Esmeralda to Panama City, arriving on April 28. [2] The Esmeralda's captain was ordered to stop by any means an eventual annexation of Panama by the United States. [4] According to a U.S. publication in August 1885, right after the Panama events, "[The Esmeralda] could destroy our whole navy, ship by ship and never be touched once." [2] By the time the Esmeralda arrived to Panama, however, the conflict had already been resolved as the United States withdrew from Panama and the Colombian government retook control of the city on April 30th.
Commander Bowman McCalla submitted a report to the United States Secretary of the Navy on the performance of the Marines during the expedition. He criticized the Marines for their lack of training in land warfare, especially in tactics and their handling of machine guns and artillery, and concluded that they spent too much time in barracks when they could be training. McCalla proposed having annual war games with the fleet and the Army that would prepare marines for expeditionary operations. These changes were rejected at the time by the Commandant of the Marine Corps, Charles Grymes McCawley, who held the view that the marines must prioritize the limited duties of providing security aboard ships and at naval bases rather than landing operations. For the rest of the 1880s and 1890s, up until the Spanish–American War, McCawley and his successor Charles Heywood continued to maintain these as the key missions of the Corps, as they believed that if the expeditionary role of the Marine Corps was developed, the branch risked being absorbed into the Army. [3]
The first USS Shenandoah was a wooden screw sloop of the United States Navy.
The Peruvian Navy is the branch of the Peruvian Armed Forces tasked with surveillance, patrol and defense on lakes, rivers and the Pacific Ocean up to 200 nautical miles from the Peruvian littoral. Additional missions include assistance in safeguarding internal security, conducting disaster relief operations and participating in international peacekeeping operations.
George Frank Elliott was a United States Marine Corps major general. He was the tenth Commandant of the Marine Corps between 1903 and 1910.
The Chilean Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the Chilean Armed Forces. It is under the Ministry of National Defense. Its headquarters are at Edificio Armada de Chile, Valparaiso.
Rear Admiral Bowman Hendry McCalla was an officer in the United States Navy, who was noted for his roles in the Spanish–American War and putting down the Boxer Rebellion.
Charles Grymes McCawley was the eighth commandant of the Marine Corps and served as an officer in the United States Marine Corps during the Mexican–American War and the American Civil War.
USS McCalla (DD-488), a Gleaves-class destroyer, was the second ship of the United States Navy to be named for Bowman H. McCalla, who served during the Spanish–American War and would eventually attain the rank of rear admiral.
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The Chincha Islands War, also known as Spanish–South American War, was a series of coastal and naval battles between Spain and its former colonies of Peru, Chile, Ecuador, and Bolivia from 1865 to 1879. The conflict began with Spain's seizure of the guano-rich Chincha Islands in one of a series of attempts by Spain, under Isabella II, to reassert its influence over its former South American colonies. The war saw the use of ironclads, including the Spanish ship Numancia, the first ironclad to circumnavigate the world.
Marines are military personnel generally trained to operate on both land and sea, with a particular focus on amphibious warfare. Historically, the main tasks undertaken by marines have included raiding ashore and the boarding of vessels during ship-to-ship combat or capture of prize ships. Marines also assisted in maintaining security, discipline, and order aboard ships. While maintaining many of their historical roles, in modern times, marines also engage in duties including rapid-response operations, humanitarian aid, disaster relief, special operations roles, and counter-terrorism operations. In most nations, marines are an integral part of that state's navy, such as the United Kingdom's Royal Marines; in some countries their marine forces can also instead be part of the land army, such as the French Troupes de Marine; or, more uncommonly, a nation’s marine forces may be an independent military branch such as the United States Marine Corps or the Ukrainian Marine Corps.
Major General Charles Heywood was the ninth Commandant of the Marine Corps. He served as an officer for over 45 years and was the first Marine to reach the rank of major general. During Heywood's term as Commandant, the size of the Corps more than tripled, from 2,175 Marines to 7,810 total.
The secession of Panama from Colombia was formalized on 3 November 1903, with the establishment of the Republic of Panama and the abolition of the Colombia-Costa Rica border. From the Independence of Panama from Spain in 1821, Panama had simultaneously declared independence from Spain and joined itself to the confederation of Gran Colombia through the Independence Act of Panama. Panama was always tenuously connected to the rest of the country to the south, owing to its remoteness from the government in Bogotá and lack of a practical overland connection to the rest of Gran Colombia. In 1840–41, a short-lived independent republic was established under Tomás de Herrera. After rejoining Colombia following a 13-month independence, it remained a province which saw frequent rebellious flare-ups, notably the Panama crisis of 1885, which saw the intervention of the United States Navy, and a reaction by the Chilean Navy.
USS Galena was a wooden armed steamer in commission in the United States Navy from 1880 to 1890. She had an active career in which she operated in the North Atlantic Squadron and South Atlantic Squadron, seeing duty in the Mediterranean Sea and Aegean Sea, along the east coast of South America, in the Caribbean, in the waters of Canada, and along the United States East Coast and United States Gulf Coast.
The United States Marine Forces, South, headquartered in New Orleans, Louisiana, is the Marine Corps service component of the United States Southern Command. The commander of MARFORSOUTH is in charge of all Marine units assigned to Southern Command, advises the commander of Southern Command on the usage of Marines, and oversees the planning and implementation of Marine deployments in the region. Their main tasks include assisting marine and naval infantry forces in Latin America, humanitarian relief, peacekeeping, and counter-terrorism.
Panama is a transcontinental country spanning the southern part of North America and the northern part of South America.
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The Burning of Colón, or the Panama Incident, was a major event of the Colombian Civil War of 1885. Panamanian rebels loyal to Pedro Prestan destroyed the city by committing arson before retreating from a battle with federal Colombian troops. The episode also included a landing by United States Navy sailors and marines from two warships after the rebels seized American citizens.
The Chilean cruiser Esmeralda was the first protected cruiser, a ship type named for the arched armored deck that protected vital areas like propulsion machinery and ammunition magazines.