Alto Velo Claim

[1] Representatives of Patterson & Murguiondo claimed to work the guano deposits from March 1860 to October 24, 1860, at which time the Dominican warship Mercedes arrived at the island under the command of Francisco Nio.

[3] An American investigation of the incident determined that Alto Velo fell into an area then-disputed between Haiti and the Dominican Republic and that neither country had established a clear claim or record of occupation.

[4] In 1867, a final statement from Secretary of State William H. Seward advised against the use of U.S. military force to enforce the claims on Alto Velo.

In the statement, Seward cited an 1859 opinion by Black disallowing a Guano Islands Act claim on Cayo Verde (Green Cay) in the Bahamas.

[5] Whether the resignation was due to Johnson's refusal to support the Alto Velo claim or his unpopularity among Congressional reformers (and thus a liability to the defense team), however, is disputed.