The daring American now took a bold step. He sent a note to the Archduke, demanding the release of Koszta. And he said that if the prisoner was not sent on board the St. Louis by four o'clock the next afternoon, he would take him from the Austrians by force of arms.
A refusal came back from the Austrian ship. They would not give up their prisoner, they said. Now it looked like war indeed. Captain Ingraham waited till eight o'clock the next morning, and then he had his decks cleared for action and brought his guns to bear on the Huszar. The seven Austrian ships turned their guns on the St. Louis. The train was laid; a spark might set it off.
At ten o'clock an Austrian officer came on board the St. Louis. He began to talk round the subject. Ingraham would not listen to him. It must be one thing or nothing.
"All I will agree to is to have the man given into the care of the French consul at Smyrna till you can hear from your government," he said. "But he must be delivered there or I will take him. I have stated the time at four o'clock this afternoon."
The Austrian went back. When twelve o'clock came a boat left the Huszar and was rowed in shore. An hour later the French consul sent word to Captain Ingraham that Koszta had been put under his charge. Captain Ingraham had won. Soon after, several of the Austrian ships got under way and left the harbor. They had tried to scare Captain Ingraham by a show of force, but they had tried in vain.
When news of the event reached the United States everybody cheered the spirit of Captain Ingraham. He had given Europe a new idea of what the rights of an American citizen meant. The diplomats now took up the case and long letters passed between Vienna and Washington. But in the end Austria acknowledged that the United States was right, and sent an apology.
As for Koszta, the American flag gave him life and liberty. Since then American citizenship has been respected everywhere.