The Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1837-1845, 1839-01-24
COMMUNICATIONS.
FOR THE MADIsoNIAN
FOX TIE MADIsUNIAN
THE MARINE CORPS. NO. ,.

THE MARINE CORPS.-NO. 2.
Mr. EDiToR: From the general tenor of your OBJ
servaiioDs ON Naval affairs am well assured that
you entirely favorable TO every branch OF that
all.inporiant arm OF our National defence. And,
therefore il is that have presumed TO make your
paper the vehicle through which TO PROFOUND few
questions r'specingthe Uni.ed States Marine Corps
II has been observed by one of oldest, end most
experienced Naval commanders, "thal if the nation
is ambitious 10 have an efficient Navy, it will find
that the only by which that object is 10 be OBJ
tanned, consists in perfect arrangement Of all its
paris" Then lei ask ifan efficient Marine Corps
can be expected 10 perform the highly important
duties required Of il.
The subject OF a mutiny on board one Of our
Naval vessels il is useless, here, for me TO waste
time in discussing as il has been decided Tin the
Ohio case) not at all likely to take place, under
any circumstances. But will, Just by way Of
variety, relate to you occurrence which sayored
Of that same, which happened on board our vessel
the last time was in the Mediterranean. We've
relieved al the Island OF Corfu and received orders
to proceed Immediately home BY the way of The coast
of Africa. When we arrived al Port Mahon, we
were put in quaranina but in cont liberation Of the
general good health Of the crew. the Representations
nf the Surgeon, and The anxiety Of our Commander
10 proceed onward, some ten days of quarantine
was r9ken of. Ii was then, amid the hustle and con-
fusion incdentlo preparing I the homeward bound
cruize, that the ships company asked permission to
go on shore. The Captain, through The l>t Lieu
tenant told them that il would be impossible, III der
existing circumstances, for him TO grant it them.
Immediately they congregaed on the fore castle,
marched deliberately an on the quarter deck, en-
masse, and demanded to see the Captain, and maugre
the orders Of the officer of the deck, there they re-
IN ined. The LIST Lieutenant on learning the fact,
walked into the cabin and reported j. TO the Captain
whose orders were sans appeal" Turn out the
guard supply them with ball cartridges, take cut
lass and drive them forward His orders were i'm
mediatey carried into execution by the executive
officer, and the men returned peaceaby TO their duty
But II there had not been Marine Guard on board
osurporl the officers think We that would have been
the case do not. II might not have resulted in a
direct muliny. Oh Io-the thing is impossible in
the United States serrice, Men are not pressed nor
do they ever have their greg aopped but they would
not have gone readily 10 work and, in course the
ship must have been detained, when il was OF the
utmost Importance that she should proceed on her
course. As it was, new messenger, which had
been rove hat morning to heave up the anchor at
the shortest notice, cut in two places during the
night, in OF which twas nearly severed but that
is matter of little consequence, Sailors hoard
an American ship not al all rcfractofy and thank
God, there is need of a Marine Guard to shoot
them doarn.'" On this subject much more could be
said bu, other important features Of the case require
consideration. Are mot Marines absolutely necessa-
ry in ferreling out pirates among the West India
Islands, and other places where boats only can be
used with efect2 During cruze in the Mediter-
ranean in 1897 and nur chin Wac en,ployeJ in
conveying merchant vessels in the Archipelago one
night we had three American and two English briggs
under convoy from Smyrna, richly laden. Ii was a
calm, cloudy dark night one OF the American
brigs drited away from the others some half mile
We could not make her out through the haze of the
ht,-when boat from one of the vessels in adj
vance of us, pulled hastily along side our ship, the
officer of which informed our Captain that the
Greek Pirates from the Island Of SRA, were sweep
ing directly towards the brig Immediately, three of
our cutters were lowered, and the Marines ordered
intothem, and we came up with the " devoted bark"
just as The last of the praticll rascals were goag
over her cangway. Unfortunately, one of the boats
crew shouted as we came along side, and pell NELL
the Pirates threw themselves over the side Of the
brig into their boats, but ere they could reach the
shore, the sharp inccssant fire OF the Marines sue
ceeled in killing nearly all of them. On returning
to the brig we found her in rather deplora Bile
dlton-two of her crew were lying murdered on
her deck, and fore and aft the chief mates pro-
file, was ghaslly sabre wound that reached from
his forehead to his chin. Is not Marine Guard
requisite for the police duty of Ship of Ware
Can any one imagine greater abSurdty than would
be the placing sailor m a sentry on post al the
brig, when, perhaps, his messmle confined for
misdemeanor 1t would be his delight (if he
could obtain liquor) to have glorfcation with him
on The spot. Or would it answer to put of
var sailor on post over the spirit room? Nothing
would please him better than to serve it out, adj
bum to his shipmates, and fore and aft that shir,
scene would be presented which would defy the
imagination to paint.
On board the Ohio, ship Of the line with crew
OF over a thousand men, they have guard Of less
than fifty marines TO do the duty Of hundreds but
still it is conended that the Marine Corps should
be increased. More anon. / am, &C.
ONE OF THE Navy.