During the Second Siege of Veracruz in 1859, a Mexican officer named Thomas M. Marin of the Mexican Navy purchased vessels in Cuba, that he armed and equipped to sail back to Veracruz to assist and supply General Miramon's siege of the held city. The Liberal Mexican government declared Marin's fleet to be that of pirates so ships of the Home Squadron were ordered to intervene and arrest Marin. Two of Marin's ships, the steamer "General Miramon" and the sloop-of-war "Marquis of Havana", arrived at their rendezvous off Anton Lizardo. They were spotted by a Mexican fort and the frigate USS "Savannah" which ordered the sloop-of-war USS "Saratoga" to intervene with help from two steamers.