Captain Joseph Fry was made the new captain of "Virginius" from October 1873. Fry had served in the US Navy for 15 years, before joining the Confederacy during the Civil War. Fry was promoted to commodore in the Confederate Navy. However, after that position disappeared after the Union victory in 1865, Fry was underemployed. In 1873 he took the job as captain of "Virginius". "Virginius", moored in Kingston, Jamaica by this time needed repair, and the boilers were breaking down. As most of the previous crew had deserted, Fry recruited a new crew of 52 men, both American and British. Many were inexperienced and apparently did not understand that "Virginius" was supporting the Cuban rebellion. Three were very young recruits, no older than 13 years of age. "Virginius" took on 103 native Cuban soldiers that arrived on board a New York steamer. Fry had been warned by the US Consul at Kingston, Thomas H. Pearne, that he would be shot if captured. However, Fry did not believe the Spanish would shoot a blockade runner. In mid-October, Captain Fry, accompanied by four mercenaries, took "Virginius" to Haiti and loaded the ship with munitions. On October 30, "Virginius" sailed to Comito to pick up more weapons and then on the same day started toward Cuba. The Spanish had been warned when "Virginius" left Jamaica and sent out the warship to capture the vessel.