Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1843-01-05
:, 6 Rae snusss. Nov. 30, 1872.

,.r,,.r,., TIE time has arrived when | am desi
rous Of aya,ling myself at your counsei IN WE fI
b,a postop in " hc!,, as commander OF inns 'esss',
find myself placed You aware OF the clfcu ns.ane
III hv. ,es,,,sd in the confinement. OF mldshlpuia"
Snancer boatswan's mate 5. Cromwell, ana seu"Hn
l. Small, as prisoners; and purposeiy acs'"'" '''"
entering into any detail OF men, ,:Eo
Necessarily ignorant of the exact extent o' u''a"ss
lion among crew which has been 50 long, SO y
,;cally end so assduo7sIy tempered with BY an eyee
novpr that suspicons Of the grGvcst nature atacn
persons still al large and whom the d.iicu''y o ians
cnre oil The prisoners already have, makes me more
reuc:ar, shan should Otherwise be IN aPprene""'
have determined TO address myself TO you, and 10 asA
vonr united counsel as the best course 10 ne no"
pursued and | call upon you TO take mic deioela'e
I'd dspassonac consideration the present cohd'''o
The vessel and the contingencies OF every nature 'n'
the future may embrace throughout the REMAINDER o
our cruise and enlghen me with your opinion aS ~
the hes, course To be pursued.
am, very respectfully, gentlemen,
Your nest obedent,
ALEX. SLIDELL MACKENZIE,
Commander.
Lieut., Gncrt Ganscyocr,, Passed Assistant Surgeon
r.. ". Ieacock, Puser II. NJ. Heiskel, Acting
Master NJ. C. Perry, sldshipman Henry Rodgers,
rlidshipman Egber, Thompson, Nlidshipman Chas.
W. Hays.
After had written the letter 10 The officers, but be-
fore had sent il, 9 o'clock of "Wednesday morning,
3;h November had arrived and with it the customary
morning Quarters. Wilson, having failed IN ms az
tempt TO get up on outbreak IN the n;oh, ana hhn'he
himself narrowly watched; feeling, indeed, that ne
could no longer he left at large had come forward WIN
som lame and absurd confession, and the request that
he should not be roned. | Immediately told him that
if he would make real confession he should not be
nioested; and that it only an insult TO offer me
such lame story that which had been already re-
ported TO me By Lieut.. Gcnsevoort. Nothing more
could be got from him. and at quarters he iroued-
In his sail bag found African knife, oil an ex-
traordnary shape, short and gradually expanding IN
breadth, and sharp both sides, II was oil no use Tor
nny honest purpose II was fit only to Kill. 1t had been
secretly s.arpened, by his confession, the day DC
FORE with ile 10 perfect edge. He had begun also
to sharpen his butteaxe with the same assistant One
part of il he had brought 10 edge The sharpening
of bae-axes had never been allowed or praclIsed on
bolrd the Somers
McKinly, also down among the certain, and beyond
a doubt correctly, arrested. Hitherto he had
kept large by his admirable steadIners, and command
Of coun.enance. He in fact, is The individual who,
the mutiny bad been successful would nave made way
with all his competitors and risen to the comma nd
Remembrance Green's deneanor during the past night
sent for him. Intercepted him. and lroned him. Alex
auder Mckee, who was to have taken the Wheel nno
who was entirely in the confidence OF Cromwell, was
also roaed
These individuals were made 10 81! down as they
were taken and when they were ron.d walked de-
beraiey ound the battery, ullowedby the hfst Lieu
tenant, and made together very caren! 'nsnec-
lion of the crew. Those who, though known TO be
yer ~.
were calico ont and Intercepted: care vas taken no;
To awaken the suspicious Of such from courage and
energy were really formidable, unless It we're intended
arrest hem. Onr prisoners now amounted 10 seven
filing up the quarter deck, and rendering IL very I'M
cult iieeo them from communicating with each other
inter ferinr essentially with the mana cement of the
vessel The last prisoners taken were those TO whom
refer ncp is made 10 my letter the officers, written
befale, bnt no, sen, until unit! after their capture
Ca The receipt of my letter, the officers imme oateiy
PlH n -
ma ION Of witnesses. The witnesses were Gully sworn
al nd the testimony accurately written down; IN addition
the oa:h, each witness signed the evidence %s'ch ne
Rad ,-iyep after i, had been read over 10 h:n he ON
GERS passed the whole Gnv in this occupation without
.nis rrrpion and without food renamed IN charge
of the deck with The three Young Mdshpmen on con
sisnt duty The officers were excused from evening
quarters AT niehu'i orders were sent 10 them 10 as
continue their deliberations and resume their Watches,
MS the present safety of the vessel must be attended TO-
The risks and uncertainty OF the preceding nght mao
determined me that such should not be passed
drew up watch-b of all the officers, Iders included,
dyidis then, into two watches, and assigning each n
ppara!a station different parts OF The vessel looh
CHARGE of the staboard watch myself and assigned Inc
laboard 10 the first Lieutenant. THIS brought me WIN
two wa hes on deck but the first Lieutenant had been
rs much on duty "a myself Even this, however, was
grea, re lief, as Obtained at intervals during The mid
watch an hour two of refreshing sleep
in the curse of the morning of Thursday, the His
of Deem her, The fret Lieutenant presented to me The
following letter, in answer to that which had adoress
ed en- the previous morning to the ofhcers:
H. S BRrG SoMERs, Dec. l, 1872
ing our counsel ..~", Of yesterday, reques.
the PRISE ners acting Mdshpman Philip Spencer, 5bat
/ swans Mate Samuel Cromwell, and seaman Eish'
Small, would state that the evidence which has come
TO kn owedge is OF such nature that, after as dispas
sonate and deliberate consideration Of the case as ht
exicencJ CT the time would admit. we have come to
cool decedcd and opinion that they have beer
guilty of full and determined intention TO commit mu
tiny hoard of this vessel, of most a,rocious nature
and that the violation of circumstances, having made
il conne others with them, the uncertainty
as TO what they cagued with others still
large, the nposslbility of guarding against the con
| tngencies which "day an hour may bring forth,
we convinced that it would be impossible 10 carry
them to the United Sutes and that the safety OF the
public property, The lives Of ourselves and OF those
committed to charge, requires that, givng them
sufficient time to pre- pare they should be put 10 death
in best calculated, as an example to make 8
beneficial impression upon The dIsasected. This OPP
MON we give bearing in Nd our duty to our God, on
country, and to The service
| We Sir, very respectfully,
! Your obedient servants,
GUERr GANSEvOORT,
Lieutenant.
Il. W. LEECoCK,
Passed assistant Sargeon
! II. NJ. HIESKELL,
Purser.
NC PERRY,
.76ting Master.
! HENRY RODGERS,
.Ndshipman.
EGBERT THOMPSON,
! .Mdshipman.
CHARLES w. HAYS,
/ .Mdshipman'e
al once conc,,rred in the justice of their opinion
! sud in the necessity Of carrying ITS recommendation
J into immediate effect There were two others OF tht
conspra,ors almost guilty, SO far as The intention
was concerned the three rngleaders who had beer
FIRST confined and 10 whose cases the attention oil INT
officers had been invited hut they could be kept
confinement without extreme danger TO The ultimate
safety Of the vessel The three chief consplralos, alone
were capable OF navigating and sailing her by the''
removal the motive capture and carrying
GU, OF the original design of piracy was at once taken
away Their lives Justly forfeited to the country
which they had betrayed; and the interests Of tina
couniyan the honor and security OF IT'S Nag require
the necessities of my posilion found my law, and II
Them also must trust 10 find my justification.