Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1842-12-30

given Tor the American flag which was then wn
wing al The gaf; after which MI hands were piped
down mud the usual duties Of The vessel were re-
sumed.
-Four Of the men who appeared to hc most
deeply Implicated, were placed in irons imined-
a'"y upon the discovery OF the projected nutiny !;
hut The others suspected to he concerned, were
permitted to 70 to duty until they reached this
por', when they were also ironed aud sent on
board The Worth Carolina.
Ihe following are the names Of the men md
boys now confined on board the rereiviug-shp,
ana awaiting The notion of The Navy Department {:
charles A. Wilson, su makers lnnie; Daniel
Mckinney, lnndsuan; Benjamin F. Green. ordin.
hry senhhn (hpprpntice y Alexander Mckee, 81
class apprentice; George w. Warner, ordinary
seminar lappreurre;) Charles G.. GoldcrnIan lands.
man (npprenlice y Eugene sullivan, LIST class mp
rrenilcei George Kueavah, landsman (uppreu-
we !; Richard iintnlliun, 1st class apprentice !;
nnar!rs Van Velsor ordinary seaman (apprentice:)
,iehY Wnltham, (,nuntoJ ward room steward /;
Edward Gillia, (nnlatto) Storage cook.
ilsse are unqnesIlonahly the material facts nj
'ehhWg lbis attempt to seize upon national ship
ANA convert her iu:o PiRATE, aud the cunse-
qnent prolnp und jus; punishment Of the ring
'thuerS What ndds greatly to the dsgracelul
character Of this dang erous and daring atempt to
oDaIn possession OF n National vessel, is the fact
That one Of he tGicsrs If The ship devised and was
AZ me head OF this projected mniny; md when
we Dear IN nlrd that Spencer informed Wales
mat he had confederate al The Isle IF Pines where
the SoinerS bad not been, and that his Chief con
ieueraIes, Cromwell aud Small shipped on board
diter spencer had joinel there can lie
able doubt but The nutiny was arranged in this
port. Wat confirms this supposition is the fact
now ascermined TINT Spencer declared before his
departure hat he would never return 10 this city,
anu on me passage out assumed To he able to tell
men fortunes, and assured his fellow midsp-
men IN the stecrage that they had not long to live
words which nj the time were treated ms badiuage
hut which were doubtless based upon knowledge
OF his desperate schemes
The American Ids the fDllowinr parliculnrs
showng still more clearly the imminent necessity
OF tie execution Of The ringeuders:
f0r Mree days The prisoners were kept in irons
'ne Commander hoping To te spared the necessity
OF taking life. y last il brrntnc evident that the
storm was still brewing, and that although the loss
OF Their rInglcaders had deprived the rest of those
concerned OF any efficient head for the time, the
danger was 10y no means over, unG hence that
severe example was absolutely necessary 10 apoid
rescue, aud prevent the final execution aud sue
cess ct their plans. The crew were so dlsordery
ani 81 Ite under control Tint eUery officer on
60ard came to the same conclusl0u aud urged M.
OH their Commander the immediate execution of
tbs prisoners. The men not engage in the orig
MAJ plot testified IN The strongest to the
that the matter was sill in agitation, and that
prisoner as he was .niishipr an Spencer was still,
ny signs or Otherwise, IN communication with his
associates.
Every ilIing indicated that the plot was on the
polh' OF consn'nntion, aud tci,heuL dissenting
uoice among the officers and petty officers, it was
at '"-t 'I"t-r'niued that the prisoners should he
hnng al the yard-arm oi The vessel. This was
com nuIcnied to hliishIpman Spencer aud for a
time he bore il without iaterng; but at last his
frmness gave way aud hc nude n lu confession
OF his gni't, accompanied with an acknowledges
mrht 81 The justice OF lis doom.
From his own confession it was ascertained
That while on hoard The John Adams, on the coast
OF BRAZIL anl subsequently when sent home, (llnv.
ing resigned rather than lie tried Ivy court MARI
li"lj on board The lrigae Potomac, he had enter
famed ~ both vessels determination to excite a
MUMMY Tor The purpose ct turning pirate. The
plan on board the Sunrrs WAS originated and had
made some progress before leaving The harhor (
New York The outbreak was To ake plnce lust
alIer leaving ST. Thomas, and every lhng Ind
been afrnngei 10 bling about The result SUCCESS.
lHlly.-Wnh the lenders alive aud subject 10 a RS.
cue, nnd with II crew the great majority ot whom
were believed To he more or less implicated how
lar il was impossible to tell, with proofs recurring
every mInure that tie plot was but postponed not
destroyed, the men being dsorlerly, lracI0us aud
d i>ohrdlenl, ii seemed the duty Of Commander
'hNtuIlt W HtSlHle IN IOlintT. WIN lneIr leu
ders rescued, the gnnIe was their own again. and
not only the lives OF all On board not implicated
in The plot would have Iinl the forfeit of further
delay, but many II fearful act Of piracy aud muir
der would in all probability have swelIed the list
OF crime.
1t hecame clear that there was no alternative.
and according when about three days of from
NJ. ThomaS, IN tho presence of the assemb d
crew, the sentence was put into execution.
The following article appears as commnnica.
lion in the Mn,!lsoban, and was probably written
MS suggested by our Baltimore correspondent by
the Secretary of War himself. 1t cmbodies facts
not known here before and will he found to pos.
s0Ss deep inlerest-.N Y Tribune.
" The friends OF young spencer, who was exc
cueh. together with Two senmen, on the LIST inst.
would have been content to abide the nvesIiga-
ton which the laws Of The country require in such
eases, and would have trusted To That justice which
our tribunals award to all emitted to the proec-
lion nf The Constitution AMI laws of the country.
Various publications have however appeared in
the New York papers, and been copied into pa-
per OF extensive circulation at the seat of Govern.
uen giving versions OF HE transaction, the maie-
rails for which, II not tho versions themselves
were obviously furnished Ivy some officers who
had hand in The bloody deed. This is evident
from tbelr containing some facts which could he
known only 10 those Oiiicers-bnt SO perverted so
exaggerated and intorspersed with 50 much sur.
mise, and so much downright falsehoOd as to o.
vince the deep anxiety felt TO make sure of tho
frs, impression on the public mind. An awful re.
rests on those officers, and above all
on their commander Without Tia least desire TO
render that responsibility more hazardous than il
now is, it il still deemed an act o simple and bare
Justice 10 the memory OF The slain, to shy that an
examination of the papers transmitted By Com
nander Mackenzie, show these facts:
LIST. That Acting Midshipman Spencer was nut
n double irons on the 25h of November, aud The
maze, Samuel Cromwell, and seaman
Elisha Small, on the dag following, on churge of
ntended mutny.
I'd That no disorder Off mutinous character
appeared among the crew 70, the four succeeding
lays: HAT tho vessel was going with good breez-
- aud in good weather towards the island of ST.
THOMAS, where she actually arrived and took in
uppies on some day between the Isl and 9Th of
December
81. That, on The Both of November the opinion
II The officers was required by Commander Mnc- |
enzie 10 The disposition of The prisoners; thut