Brig PANDORA Under Attack

Watercolor of the Maine-built brig Pandora at the Battle of Tortuguero (April 15, 1844), the first naval battle of the Dominican War of Independence (1844-1856). The United States was ostensibly neutral during the conflict, although Pandora indicates that American merchant ships were involved. The vessel's master-James Paxton- gave an account of the battle that was published in the Boston Post. It heralded Pandora as "unvanquished" in this "glorious encounter"-a victory that "stands alone in the annals of mercantile warfare." Read a little more closely and you'll discover that the Pandora, in fact, grounded on the beach (Dominican forces also claimed victory). After the battle (and a refloating), Pandora sailed to Marseilles, at which point Paxton commissioned the well-known ship portraitist Joseph Honoré Maxime Pellegrin to paint our watercolor. The painting illustrates a number of details included in the Boston Post account. Paxton clearly made sure that Pellegrin properly captured the glory (as he saw it). There is more research (including the Boston Post article) in the paper accession file.