The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1843-09-18
Port NIaIiOn.
correspondence of the Herald
PoRT MAuoN Julv Iqh 1874.

once more free citizen. Having escaped the
bondage OF a floating prison in which have been
incarcerated for the last three years. intend TO use
the privilege OF my freedom, the fear of the cats
no longer tonguetes me by exposing to the gaze of
the public the state OF degeneracy to which our ma
Wy is reduced IN consequence OF the unmanly, UNI
gentlemanike, and inhuman treatment of its naval
officers to that caste of the human family denomina-
ted seamen; not that any prejudice might have en-
tertaned towards its officers induce me 10 make
this exposure, which can be proved on oath by our
crew, comprising the number of $50 men, should
any be so squeamish as to doubt its authenticity
but from paragraph read from New York pa
per, while at Port Mahon, respecting the difficulty
OF shipping ssamen for our navy, and the surprise
OF our citizens as to the objections of our seaneu
from entering service. thought for the s'iu-
ton of this mystery ! would merely take d retros.
pective glance OF few occurrences which came
under my immediate observation during my seryI
tude on board the Delaware, and leave our cii
Zens, who are enamored of the digp,ttd cha
racter o! our officers TO d,aw from th- follow
ing their own conclusions which. perhaps nav
some what assist their bsw,iisrci idfas-as TO
that information they 20 anxious 10 obtain, az
give but superb ,tal idea ct few Incidents. 1
merely state that having entered he service, was
transported ri the PeHnsy lvauia r, &c wing
ship and you may fudge OF the arl,f Of nv pa,r,u,-
ism IN my coGntry's service, when was threatened
with ppnshmen NJ tor remonsrHiipg with the officer
of the deck 10 consequence of hetJg ordered 90
on shore 20 work NJ the hour 81 "a O'Clock, wthouI
any breakfast You wall doubtless he surprised that
such coud be the case, but At YOU hut rtcGlrc, IN,
system ut open robbery aud wholesale ConiI-cattou
/ so long earned On by the superlntenGen's 1T our
navy yards ard naval Departments. ev. beior,
your eyes untii hut lately detected wheH rig
gug, canvass, stores Ne Ne we're by these ta,tb-
,rlIlnI-iV IL
verted l1to cash by the usual resource, the Jug
g'ilg agency ot a expenditure hl, yJp need nor
th,r -r' in the least surprised hat poof lack
sklnErdO one haH ,lsratlons, and comueiied AZ The
expense NJ MS stomach 20 supply the pockets ot tse
il,ustlIous personases. Bale IN the vcnny al Nor
i@lk being then all ine rage, words are tuad qiae To
convey 80 you even IN idea II what our poor /.
lows sui, red board NE Penus vvabia r ~ par
uungrr Just imagine what "ond be thr result o.
your tertps II, alter hemg iTepanned mo tjie s,I
by ,h- promise OF r.crivns We rSlons al
by vrrumtnt, then Ia ht turuCn 10 work be
daylight III tbp ~ dst Il WINTER, AID al he rsCal
hoard II breakfast hour 80 go Ia your Iess and po
had n,orsei I, eat, as has been my case many
tlmcs, and " mas lht cObstqI' nee If tb- SW,ntng
specu,atiOp al Us Officers Do younoi imagine you
would be- JOS II q ~ exposing the srodndrels who
count be r,par- # -oGh cruelty pp0ng the fit
tlng out / h PrHns,iVtu the pflva,iJEswe endu-
red be gdl- al description reco,ect
co loa INV -sf"ttes utat', haung nothing 10
cat rrir-r utrd her cOnJu o. ~ the captain who,
Al ~ crug cn,ls,i,p1 nc,d ~ respectable appel
atIon II mtituCus -Cruudfe Isl warded each dozen
oi the cat-, fha most Il. ctno gag resorted 10 by our
oiticeis OCCASIONS ~ THIS description TO prevent
/ the exposure oil their rascallty. Never had slate
prison convict more reason TO be rejoced on hearing
ms repr,ovr was ted than we were on receiving
"tdeA- - 9 "uth gs aud hammocks ready to 60 on
hoard The J"ii Nare, then destined tor the Brazil
,i"n. Au-r recommending Capt. Skinner to the
omtor o IS DEM ohn, to which he lovingly
sttatL ~, and having sauted HIM with three hearty
grrhu-, Ne babe adieu 10 starvation and the Penn
-vv,n't II in's Information cannot solve your
~ .nYsa - In he nj mo N COS vNnn
wiil relate few more particulars which have al
e .dy appeared in the public prints OF England. To
guarantee the truth OF this statement while the
Brazilian station, Van Rensselaer, Hall, our boat
swain, though taken IN the act OF committing the
same revolving deed for the commission of which,
the LIST Lieutenant Of the Independence frigate was
rent home TO be tried by court martial, though this
unhallowed deed was reported to the LIST
| Lieutenant, and TO by the ships
corporal and three other witnesses, men of
unimpeachable characters, who detected him in
| the commission OF this unnatural crime, it was not
until they demanded Court Martial on themselves
which according to naval law, cannot be denied
that the slightest attention paid to their report
Mark the following Partially which perhaps may en-.
bic you TO Judge little better TO the great diff
Guilty OF procuring seamen; after having gone through
| the mummery of a sort OF mock trial, though con-
victed on the cearest evidence, he was acquitted OF
the charge and transferred on board the Columbia
frlgate, and then not until ships company, TO
man, refused To- perform duty under him; while a
few days alter, marine OF most respectable char
dCteT, VINO, Delng niue ana laxative,
while returning from shore liberty, had his hands
most nhumany nufilated and sabered TO slices, by
the Mldshlpman OF the boat, named Kemble, and
though this act OF harbary was reported by the
| boats crew TO the officer OF the deck, the unior
tunate victim of this ferocious treatment was put II
| the brig, and after a weeks confinement, was agait
| taken out and hogged the bare back
with the cats until he was covered witt
with blood. SO much as TO reasons, which preve n.
seamen from joining our service Indeed. il has
rived to respectable point, when the Ftrs, Lleue
nant OF the Independence can commit The airuc on
crime OF sodomy with a REFER, and a comm 3siUut
| officer OF the Delaware with favorl,e boy, and
notice is to be taken OF these abomrstions. vhl
| an unfortunate seaman Tor he slightest "iirnct
punished To the utmost eXtft my II The law u
instead OF mocklng Us, bv mont ~ I,priou- .. t
amendments OF acts and ny-atCil-s ~ 'hn 4 ffrrtpi
| raries allowet us by government, "a as cranbsr
fies, sour.crout ,vcklts and nuuher ~ other Deb
cacies, which lSxpPct are some illg elpiiar 10
ratons in the Peunsy lvana, l. drawn for Tue benef
OF some swindlng navel superintendent | Say %
necessary eXdm,l ; were made al nr officers dcCu
sed Of these di gushing ou'rages, the pubic pres,
would not TEEN wth the rectaol those impntoiiop-
against the character Of our oIc.Ts, which so otter
add to the disgrace oi our navy, already JOsy
degraded vii, tor he better Spiapa,iCn OF m,
text, respecting the difficulty OF uepc Inng sthInPr
relate another incident while q, sea Mdsbpma'
| Read, whose character on board the Delaware, J.
proVPrbial tor no better quality than that al hsas,
hruaiiiy and cowaroy revenge. beat a maU wIhou
! ne slightest pyOvuc4tion, until has s"-
wan gore; he presenicd himself ~ hs cundilion
! the Captain aud First Llcuteuentr, WHO Al The M
was pronerading the quarter deck, aud rs usu,
the UDy satisfaction h' received. was that II h.,
Tered ~ pres mt himstt 40 sbcb condi b.tui
~ officer, he w0ud he severely puuish-d Tia
! rhesa Transactions occurred on hoard Fri ,sh mat
nt.~ar, what woulJ be the result, mere " this--t
IL Ltut"naDt, IN compliment ~ the digeIiy OF h
raie, would be- run NJ ~ tn s'dibpatd in'c SalC
srns, aud there hanged rnti dead: our bodtswalu
would ornament the oypo.ltc extreme on the lar
board sac; tie mldshlpnsn would b. dlsml s-d
| / Nuisance. duU uiSgIntr u I've service, while
me swmdling al the ErDnsy ydnit gen
iiemrn. lnsiead of being conuved az by .hs
rontsdcrates would he plnished by the uill1ry in
the pubic streets. Ga, Il made my heart a'mos, |
burst with indignstion 10 s AFTER sh n aunt
lng The blood red banner Of Euyltrd, ptiac raIly |
manned by ,hr flower Of my ccultrymau, and hear |