Juan Nepomuceno Burriel Linch

The Virginius Affair On October 27, 1873, the commandant of the Spanish garrison dispatched the Spanish warship Tornado under the command of Captain Dionisio Costilla following reports of suspicious activity. On October 30, a chase ensued of the North American steamer, the Virginius. The filibustering vessel was captured on October 31, 1873, and taken to the port of Santiago de Cuba.

A Spanish court-martial convened by Burriel on November 2, 1873, swiftly sentenced the Virginius captives, with the first four executions taking place on November 4, 1873. In a report to the Governor-General Joaquín Jovellar y Soler, he indicated the leaders of the expedition as Bernabé Varona, William A.C. Ryan, Jesús del Sol, and Pedro de Céspedes. On the 7th and 8th of the month, 53 crew members, including Joseph Fry, were executed at Santiago de Cuba for piracy on Burriel's orders. On November 8, British Naval officer Lambton Lorraine arrived at the port of Santiago de Cuba on the HMS Niobe to intervene and prevent further executions of the surviving Virginius crew and passengers by Burriel. The American consul in Havana alerted the United States Department of the Navy for aid. By November 15, Burriel was confronted by Commander William B. Cushing of the USS Wyoming on the harbour pier who threatened to open fire on Santiago de Cuba if the punishments weren't suspended. Upon the threat of the ship's cannons pointed towards the Governor's palace, Burriel agreed to halt the executions. Spain's Government later pledged to comply with international law, return the Virginius, free the surviving crew and passengers, and provide an indemnity of $80,000 to both the British and United States governments.

Burriel was dismissed and sent back to Spain, but he was able to regain significant military roles after the Bourbon restoration of December 29, 1874. This promotion was called into question by Caleb Cushing, the U.S. Consul to Spain in a letter to Alejandro de Castro y Casal on August 18, 1875.

The Spanish Tribunal of the Navy took up Burriel's case in June 1876.

Death Juan Burriel died on December 24, 1877, in Madrid, Spain before a trial could take place for his role in the executions.