New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1843-02-24
Naval Court Martial on board the U. -
ship Norsh Carolina.

THURSDAY, February ~
The court met as usual, all the members present
bu, Captain Smith, who is very ILL., and the record
having been read,
William H. King was recalled, and further cross
examined by the Judge Advocate, but nothing OF
importance or differing from his previous testimo-
ny was elected.
Bilnger Scott, Is years of age, second class
apprentice, was then examined. This witness tes-
tilted to having heard Spencer ask Cromwell ii he
could disguise the brig so as to be brought into
New-York without being recognized, to which
Cromwell replied that he could. Dir. Rodgers
coming past ut the time, he added :" in ID
short order, by shifting the bowsprt aft. He had
been given money and tobacco by Spencer, whose
hammock boy he was. Spencer once asked him If
he wanted some tobacco, and he (wi,ness) told him
it was against tie Commander orders when Mr..
Spencer said if he was hauled up about it, ne Mr.
S.) would stand between him and the commander.
His cress-examination elected nothing of i'm
ps1tance, save that Spencer had given him tobacco
on two or three occasions, and had given him j
| pound at each time.
Commander Mackenzie upon being asked by the
President whom he proposed to call next, rose and
read the following to the Court
The prisoners brought home charged with muiny In the
Seners having been removed from the naval jurisdiction
brought before civil for best known to
who had agency in the transacsn and others OF
vice on The apdats of the civil authorities and been allow
appear and give evidence charging that the prisoners
bags PROPOSE with permission OF the Coun to call up
Lieutenant Gansevoort and ask him very few as
to the in which these 1ssy
ers treated with cruelty with all the kindness con.
sistept with their safe keeping
| Lieut. Gansevoort was then recalled and qaes-
toned by Commander Mackenzic.-The top-gal-
liant studding-ssils were converted into bags, for
the purpose Of keeping the prisoners warm and dry
! in rainy weather These bags were tarpaulin, and
kept the prisoners dry. Some water may lave got
in at the top, but they had southwesters made to
keep that off them-large capes to covar their
shoulders. The bags came over their shoulders
with drawing Strings. They were very loose, and
left the prisoners power to move their limbs. AS
the weather became colder as we made northing
they were furnished with pea-jacke,s and or
blankets-fnme Of them with more. Some Of them
had complained of the cold previous to their get
ting the bags, and Mckinley had asked me to see
that they did not suffer from it. They were bet
ter protected than any body who kept the deck,
either commander, officers, or any body else.
They had the same rations they always had.
Hot coffee was served to them whenever it was
served to the crew. They had also fruit, which
was paid for by the commander and the ward
room mess one quarter by the latter, and the re-
mainder by the commander. The commander was
very soicitous for their comfort and gave me re-
pcated orders to let them have everything that was
consistent with their safe.keeping to make them
comfortable.
Cross-ezanlined.-The bags were put on the
prisoners when the weather began to get cool
think after we left ST. Thomas. never heard any
complaints from them about the bags; my impress
sion is that they were rather pleased with them.
They were taken below shortly before our arrival,
when the bags were taken of from them None
| of them were frost-bitten. The bags were for
their comfort, and not for their security. Some
of those bags are now on the Somers. | never
heard from Mckinley that his feet were frost,
bitten.
By Capt. Bolon.-The confinement in bags
rendered their security more precarious, as they
might have worked their irons of without observa.
tion
By Judge Advocate.-The log-book will show
whether we had cool weather before our arrival al
St. Thomas. The following was the temperature
at mid ME ht from the execution till our arrival here: