What is virginius?

Virginius was a steamship that was built in Glasgow, Scotland in 1853 for the Spanish Navy. The ship was named after its designer, Robert Ramage Virginius. In late 1873, the ship was used by Cuban rebels to transport arms and ammunition from the United States to Cuba during the Ten Years' War.

In October 1873, Virginius was captured by the Spanish Navy off the coast of Jamaica. The crew and passengers were taken prisoner and brought to Santiago de Cuba. On November 4th, 1873, 53 crew members and passengers- including American and British citizens- were executed by firing squad without a trial. This event caused an international diplomatic crisis and led to the US threatening war with Spain.

The incident became known as the Virginius Affair and was a major factor in the eventual end of the Ten Years' War.