The Sun.
London, England, 1865-11-20 00:00:00

THE REBELLION IN JAMAICA.

DESPATCH OF THE LIEITT.-GOVERNOR TO
THE COLONIAL OFFICE.
A supplement to the London Gazette, issued on
Saturday night, contains a despatch from Governor
Eyre to Mr. Secretary Cardwell, giving an official
account of the " most serious and alarming insur-

rection of the negro population" in the colony.
The despatch gives an account of the origin of the
rising, and the first steps of insurrection, on Satur-
day, the 7th of October, when an effort was made

by a powerful body of negroes to rescue a black man,
who was on trial before the justices. Warrants
were issued for the apprehension of 28 of the prin-
cipal persons concerned in the disturbance.
" Upon the arrival of the police at the settlement
where the parties lived (called Stony Gut,' and
about three or four miles from Morant Bay), a shell
was blown, and the negroes collected in large num-
bers, armed with guns, cutlasses, pikes, and
bayonets. _ _

" They caught and illtreated three of the police -
men, putting them in handcuffs, and administering
to them an oath upon a Bible, which they had
ready, binding them to desert the whites and join
their (that is the black) party."
The Governor subsequently received a letter from
the Baron von Ketelholdt, informing him that
serious disturbances were apprehended, and the
Governor states in detail the various steps which
he took for bringing the military and naval forces
to bear in suppressing the apprehended disturb-
ances. Meanwhile the insurrection had commenced,
and a number of the survivors had fortunately been
brought on board one of her Majesty's ships. The
despatch proceeds :
"No less than sixteen gentlemen were known
to have been killed, and eighteen others wounded.
The most frightful atrocities were perpetrated.
The Island Curate of Bath, the Rev. V. Herschell,
is said to have had his tongue cut out whilst
still alive, and an attempt had been made to skin
him. One person (Mr. Charles Price, a black gen-
tleman, formerly a member of Assembly) was ripped
open, and his entrails taken out. One gentleman
(Lieut. Hall, of the Volunteers) is said to have been
pushed into an outbuilding, which was then set on
fire, and kept there until he was literally roasted
alive. Many are said to have had their eyes scooped
out; heads were cleft open, and the brains taken
out. The baron's fingers were cut off and carried
away as trophies by the murderers. Some bodies
were half burnt, others horribly battered, Indeed,
the whole outrage could only be paralleled by the
atrocities of the Indian mutiny. The women, as
usual on such occasions, were even more brutal and
barbarous than the men ; the only redeeming trait
being that, as far as we could learn, no ladies or
children have as yet been injured.
" The prisoners on board the Wolverine were
landed, and five of them tried by court-martial,
four of whom were hanged on the stone archway of
the burnt Court-house, near to which all the mas-
sacres had taken. place on the 11th. One prisoner
was flogged. The Attorney-General of the colony,
in his capacity as a captain in the militia, sat as a
member of the Court.

" At Port Morant a gunboat had taken on board

the ladies and children and other refugees (number-
ing about 100) collected from the Bath, Plantain
Garden, and other districts. Many of these unfor-
tunate people had suffered great hardships and run
great risks, some having been for days and nights

in the cane fields or in the woods, without food or
clothing, save what they had on, and subject to all
risks which exposure at night in a tropical country
entails.

" All had come away without any other posses
sions than the things they had on. The weather
was extremely wet, and the little gunboat, though
a refuge from the rebels, could not afford to such a
crowd either adequate shelter from the weather or
accommodation of an kind suited to the require-
ments of delicate women and children. Lieutenant
Brand and those acting under him were most kind
and zealous in doing all they could ; and Captain
De Horsey assisted by sending his medical officers
to visit and cheer and supply medical comforts to
the invalids. Still the night spent on board the
gunboat, and the subsequent voyage to Kingston,
must have been one of great trial and suffering to
the unfortunate refugees. Eventually they were
all landed safely on the afternoon of the 15th."
The Governor then states :
" There was one very important point to be de-
cided upon. Throughout my tour in the Wolverine
and Onyx I found everywhere the most unmistakable
evidence that Mr. George Wm. Gordon, a coloured
member of the House of Assembly, had not only
been mixed up in the matter, but was himself,
through his own misrepresentations and seditious
language addressed to the ignorant black people,
the chief cause and origin of the whole rebellion.
Mr. Gordon is now in Kingston, and it became ne-
cessary to decide what action should be taken with
regard to him. Having obtained a deposition on
oath that certain seditious printed notices had been
sent through the Post-office, directed in his hand-
writing to the parties who have been leaders in the
rebellion, I at once called upon the Custos to issue a
warrant and capture him. For some little time he
managed to evade capture, but finding that sooner
or later it was inevitable, he proceeded to the house
of General O'Connor, and there gave himself up.
I at once had him placed on board the Wolverine
for safe custody and conveyance to Morant Bay.
" Great difference of opinion prevailed in Kingston
as to the policy of taking Mr. Gordon. Nearly all
coincided in believing him to be the occasion of the
rebellion, and that he ought to be taken, but many
of the inhabitants were under considerable appre-
hension that his capture might lead to an immediate
outbreak in Kingston itself. I did not share in this
feeling. Moreover, considering it right in the ab-
stract, and desirable as a matter of policy, that
whilst the poor black men who had been misled were
undergoing condign punishment, the chief instigator
of all the evil should not go unpunished, I at once
took upon myself the responsibility of his capture.
" I cannot myself doubt that it is in a great degree
due to Dr. Underhill's letter and the meetings held
in connexion with that letter, where the people were
told that they were tyrannised over and ill-treated,
were over-taxed, were denied political rights, had no
just tribunals, were misrepresented to her Majesty's
Government by the authorities and by the planters,
and where, in fact, language of the most exciting
and seditious kind was constantly used, and the
people told plainly to right themselves and to be up
and doing, to put their shoulders to the wheel, to do
as the ilaytians had done, and other similar advice.
" The parties who have more immediately taken
part iu these nefarious proceedings are :—Firstly,
G. W. Gordon, a member of the Assembly and a
Baptist preacher ; secondly, several black persons,
chiefly of the Baptist persuasion, connected with
him ; thirdly, various political demagogues and agi-
tators, who, having no character or property to lose,
make a trade of exciting the ignorant people ;
fourthly, a few persons of better information and
education, who find their interest in acquiring an
influence amongst the black people by professing to
advise them, whilst in reality they are but exciting
and otimulating their
_evil passions ; fifthly, a few

Lblic

Baptist missionaries, who like - endorse at pu
meetings or otherwise all the untruthful statements or

inuendoes propagated in Dr. Underhill's letter,; and,
lastly, a section of the press, which like the Watch-

man and County Union is always disseminating Sc-

ditious doctrines, and endeavouring to bring into
contempt the representative of the Sovereign, and

all constituted authority.

" Whilst it is my duty to point out how mischie-
vous has been the influence of a few of the Baptist
ministers, and of various members of 'that pursua-

sion, it is equally my duty and a pleasure to state
that I believe the large majority of the Baptist

ministers have been most anxious to support the
authorities, to teach the people to be loyal and in-
dustrious, and to endorse the advice given to the
peasantry by her most gracious Majesty. _ _

" In reporting the occurrence of the outbreak of
the rebellion, and the steps taken to put it down, it
is my duty to state most unequivocally my opinion
that Jamaica has been, and to a certain extent still
is, in the greatest jeopardy.
" Humanly speaking, I believe that the prompti-
tude and vigour of action which has at once grappled

,th and punished the rebellion, has been the saving
of Jamaica. The whole colony has been upon a
mine, which required but a spark to ignite it. Dis-
affection and disloyalty still exist in nearly all the
parishes of the island, and had there been the least
hesitation or delay in dealing with them in the
parishes where they became developed in rebellion,
I confidently believe that the insurrection would
have been universal throughout the entire island,
and that either the colony would have been lost to
the mother country, or an almost interminable war
and an unknown expense have had to be incurred in
suppressing it."
A postscript, dated Oct. 23, observes:—

" Having kept my despatch open, I am enabled
to add that Mr. George Wm. Gordon has been tried
by court-martial at Morant Bay, and sentenced to
be hung. The execution was to take place this
morning at eight a.m.

"1 have seen the proceedings of the court, and
concur both in the justice of the sentence and in the
policy of carrying it into effect. It is absolutely
necessary for the future security of Jamaica that
condign punishment should be inflicted upon those
through whose seditious acts and language the re-
bellion has been originated.
"I have omitted to state that during my absence
the Executive Committee caused the Haytian refugees
in this island, and various other persons who were
suspected of being mixed up with or of encouraging
seditious movements, to taken be into custody. I
quite concur in the propriety of this step.
" If no further outbreak occurs, I hope to be able
in a short time to proclaim a general amnesty, ex-
cept to actual murderers, upon the rebels coming in
and submitting to the Queen's authority, and I yet
hope that the disturbed districts will be sufficiently
quieted in time for the. sugar crops, now nearly fit
for cutting, to be reaped."
The following is the official
LIST OF KILLED AND WOUNDED.

Volunteers Killed.—Captain Hitchins, Ist Lieut.

Hall, 2d Lieut. Reid, Corporal Harrison, Corporal
Filfoy. Many others killed or burnt, names
unknown.

Wounded.—Sergeant Harrison severely ; Private
Rutty, since dead ; Private Conri, ditto ; Private
Good, Private Ross, Private M'Contie, Private
Williams.

Civilians Killed.—Baron Ketelhodt (Custos St.
Thomas-in-the-East), Rev. Victor Herschell, Mr.
Walton, J.P., Mr. Arthur Cook, J.P., Mr. A. B.
Cooke, Mr. M'Cormack (aged man and cripple),
Mr. C. Price, Mr. A. Brown, Police-inspector
Alberga, Augustus Hire, Mark Douglas (reported).

Civilians Wounded.—The Hon. W. P. Georges,
J.P., and Custos of St. David ; 1). M'Pherson, •
coroner (since dead) ; Arthur Warmington, J.P.,
sword cut; Brookes Cooke, her Majesty's Cus-
toms ; Mr. Grey, vestryman ; Wm. M'lntosh, Mr.
Bowen, J.P., Wm. Mitchell, James Williams, Mr.
M'Pherson (since dead), Mr. A. Lewis, C. Alberga,
Mr. J. W. Jackson.