Richmond daily Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1842-1861, 1847-05-13
| The Trini, Defence, and prirsa and es I.i,ut
Ch.rie. q. Hunter, before = Naval Court MAI

me Tstai, Defence, and Rsprirnand ef Lieut..
tial. =
cuAReEs AND SPECIFICATIONS
Charges and Specifications preferred By Comm odoe M C.
Perry Comma nder-in- Chief Of the United States Naval
Forces IN the Gulf OF Mexico. against LeaL CHARLES
Hunter, United States Navy, late commanding the u
- steamer Seourge.
CHAReE FRsr-Trcatins with eou,emp, his sups,io, M.
ing IN the execution OF his Office
Speeihe atom Frst-ln that he the said Lieut. Chades
unieT U. s. Navy did on tho 3lstof March 1871 hcin
men IN command OF the u s. Seousc enter the
port OF AsaTado. and did there aogatc 10 himself nbe
SAID Lieut. Charles G. Huner) tho authority aud power
mat are vested only IN the Comma Chief by enter
ng n'o Tor and receiving the surrender OF Al
Narado aud Its dependencea.
Specification seeondIn that the said Lieut. Charlie. G
hunter u D Navy, did on the 3lst day OF March 1877
with tho u s. steamer Scougc under his command p,o
coed from Asarsdo TO the OF Fa-c tapam wi,bon
any orders authority, aud there demand the 81
the said town OF Fla-catapsm, aud into and SIGN ,
ees OF eapi'uaton, although Of the an
proach ct the Commander Chief; whom alone surb
powers are conhdcd-thus treating with contempt the a,
SV OF MS superior being in the execution OF his Office
Specification Thrd-ln that the said Lieut. Charlie. &;
Hunter u 3 Navy, did, the 3lst day OF March lsI7
h proceeding from ANnrado TO Fa-ca-ap m, apure four
schooncrs OF which he lire and burnt, and an
9her nc abandoned, thus substituting his own will for b.
u'set.uon OF the CommandcIn-Chici. who was within
lew hours reach OF communication and treating with
tempt the authority oi his superior all OF which i, y,
on OF the laws OF the United States. contained in sn
act Tor the better government of the navy I an. II,d
States, approved April 23d, 1900"
CuARsI SEcoND.-Disobedenceo OF orders
Specification First-ln that he the said Liam, ,,l
e. Hunter, IT, s. Navy, having been ordered TO t.por Ia
Captain Samuel l.. Breese and 20 ...., IN hIo,S ; Nv
port ut AVsrsdo. did ia dsobedencc or dsr,p.tJ of
AlvaraJo. " '''' '"" o'
Specification Second-In that he the said I;,n,s,,o
Iha'IeS L. Hunter. ". 5, Navy, having been ordered nm
he evening OF the LIST Arr lsI7. report himself in per
sou TO the Commander his quart.r. i'm IN. @
OF aVnrado nt 10 o'clock, a NJ of the following no,n
did dsobey said order all OF which is in violation of h
Jaws OF hs United States contained in ian act for bc
All Iha -. d,
proved April 23d. 1900" '' up
(Sgned) NJ C PERRY
Commanding Home squadron.
DIFFERENCE LIEUTENANT HUNTER
MR. PRE'IDENr AND GENrIEMEN Oh rms Courr I u
not Trouble you with unnecessary verbage but procecd a.
e 20 'ne point, My orders were. las stated In tho Lot
spec Snu charge) Ia report Capt Breese and 10 asss in
bockadng, Alvarado. did not consider them fr,n ,h
be larry considerably as orbddine annoy the enemy
~ every way IN my power as modifying in the slightest
uceee ue general duy OF every officer having military
command IN time OF modest and cripple tho en.,,
IN every possible way On the evening the Both March
being sufficiently near, opened upon tho fort ,t aIy,,J
WIN shot and shells Apprehensive OF a notther Istnod
oil and on durng the night, with strong breeze and royb
sea Iowards morning, having moderated stood close
into inc bar. again opened upon the forts Shortly nfe
wards Dissolved two horsemen upon the beach, holding
white nag, and boat Crossing the bar al The same
mrs boa" brought mo an offer the part of the autho
nes 10 surrender the city. Permit here 10 observe Mr.
PRESIDENT that as there sides To every ourson an
here may be two results 10 every affair this Kind Ava
au" now IN our possesson but let suppose that IL was
not 10 be- that had been fooled third Tim, IN o,r %
forts To take 1t. What would have been NV posnn I
say having refused the offer OF the when the au
ho''teS were ready TO yield 1.-THE American forces had
ooeh rd ne baiied IN their efforts CAPTURE i'll
MIR President, the tina, now beial me is rid
10 inc MANY anu Disgrace which would have remained AL
aeheu 10 my name perhap3 long after in the grave
you, VT resident Cor any member of thi. honornbIo
CouTt,) will fancy yourself my place when the Off,, ~
enPuauoh reached me, think you perceive that IL
placed me IN difficult embarrassing position,
ha' might have got much experienced oi ser than
myself into trouble. had decide upon the dsobey;n
ol my orders the hand aud the possible
ces which my refusal To take such responsibility mich,
lead 10 the other. had TO decide bet,yee, TOO, 49,
The one leading 10 present personal safety and The nos
sib'y oi future iniany; the other some personal risk
perhaps but by which the honor OF navy and INV hon
or, at least, were sale. have stated thus . view, h
took Of my position, aud the motives on which INV nc
tons were founded wall not say. MIR President that I'M
uer similar circumstances would have taken s,mi,,
view oi your positions; but think may saw ub,n. ,Lo
danger OF dissent here elsewhere that I'm, s,n
we" dlu-ihat you, or any other member OF this
hohofapo court, would have done lust what did A.
summons Tor the surrender OF the city Of AIyarado ,
not made until the authorities hesating 10 SIGN ,s .,,;
:" capi'ulinon,-l thought myself enirapped when !,
became necessary TO u'o strong and Strong
language. Upon the reception OF that summons Dr."
signed the articles, and IN the name of tho IInoJ So,
o America took possession OF "Alvarado" and It's de-
PendGncics Shortly afterwards, learn that after our
attack the evening previous, the garrison had fire.. L
public vesso Is, spiked and buried their pups I,.oJ
lg' Pu'h"Y OF government property, chiefly munitions
o war on board o several small vessels, and were proceed
ing up the TiVer Ia the direction OF the city of
PAM" followed, as conceived II Ia he nv H., II
captured ono OF them loaded with arms &c thar %, ns,
and burned her prevent her falling into the ben - -
enemy Another worthless ourselves or the enc,,,,
and abandoned, aud two others, brought to Alva,oJn
The pursuit oi these vessels led me 10 the city of .F
"a pam' where arrived about Two o'clock IN the morn
ming trusting 10 the audiences OF the attack ordered h
unta To assemble and demanded within thirty minutes an
enire and unconditional surrender and my demands Voc
complied with. ] contend, Mr.. President and gen,l.
ct the Court, that all that happened after the cspiin,
." A.aaao' followed as natural and necessary conse-
quence mot however, fOrseen by mel when accened NJ
their oier TO surrender. contend that nv error con;,
IN the original dsobedience of my orders (which from WIN,
have since learned, regror) and that what did aeT
wards, was IN great measure obliged To do Knowing
that several small vessels of the enemy laden win ia
~ stores, within my reach could doubt that il was
my duty To destroy or capture them Seeing from the con-
duet OF the enemy at Avarado that 4 panic prevoied
among them and that there was prospect Of success
demanded the immediate and unconditional surrenJe, G
Fla-cataram. contend that these two acts followed o
necessary consequence To first disobedence of otder
O the motives that led To that STEP have made NJ, boncs
exposition To the Cont, aud hope that Won will consic,
them. together with tho difficulties my position and INV
want OF experience IN such matters as some pnoton X
my Iau regret my error, apart from the trouboit has
brought upon me. Roget IT, because il has given Offence
to the COMMANDMENTS chief. q speak from rumor onlyI
nave no certain knowledge Of the lac) as bsy,
heic was an understanding between Ile commando in
chri aud the commanding general ashore that ,,
To D, combined attack made toy tho squadron and army
on these places might thus seem that had sougl, ~
rob OF its Just parc patton this affair that arm of tho scr,
wee, which, ~ the progress of this war; has acquired for
SCI" ahu TOT our country, So much honor and glory Moth
ing could be farther from my mentons-I knew nothing
ct any such understanding Ono matters remain 10
be touched upon. am charged IN the spec of the
LIST charge, with nrrogang to myself the powers of com
ma"def IN chiei' m signing articles Of capulaon &c
although aware Of the immediate approach u the comman
der-in chief. la regard the rs my error was ono nj
simple ignorance knew that had obtained possession
OF these places, and OF hand them owe, IN
the hrst senior officer that might approach; but had NOT
the remocs intention Of exercising any OF the powers of
commander nchief. knew, pothsps should rather
cay bad reason 10 believe, that tho
would snye IN short time; but did not know precsely
when, si less did know that he was nearer ,ban V,.
Cruz
In The 2nd specification Of the Pad charge am charged
with having dsobeyed order call at specified time
at the commander IN chiefs quarters
Gentlemen wnssi absorbed by the diculties N, s,
rounded me, that his order report myself entirely
escaped my fccollecuon,-this may lame excuse
but II has nj least the merit Oi truth. But Mr. President
none oi ns are entirely Tree from occasional acts OF forget
ILLNESS The honorable member Yesterday who rave IN ha
testimony, made mistake, and say tbs, the conf
dence with which leave ~ hs hands has been IN
creased by the handsome manner in which no corrected his
grFa sol aut .t,,I., of,