Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1852-08-06
PurSCr SAWYER.

During our absence, paragraph was copied
Advertiser, respecting the lamcntcd death of our
esteemed and respected townsman, Mr.. GEO.
f. SAWYER, Purscr ofthe flag ship Cumberland,
III our Mediterranean Squadron. which would as
suredly never have found its way into our col
umns if we had been at home. BY the mac
curacy, and more still by the coarseness, of its
statements in regard to the death of Mr.. Saw
YER, 1t was calculated TO intiict pain upon the
numerous friends Of That gentleman in our vii
lagc and vicinity, and we very sincerely regret
that ii should have got into the Free Press
The friends OF Purscr SAWYER are our friends,
and we are as incapable, we trust, as any Of
them, of saying, or permitting to be said, in our
columns, anything in reference to his unhappy
death that they would not wish to have said
1t is well known in our community, that
PurSer SAWYER was i'll somewhat feeble health
whcn al his orn earnest solicitation, mot by any
means unexpectedly" as the Newark paper
has it) he was ordered on duty as the Purser of
the Cumberland. As gentleman and an Of
tccr, Mr.. SAWYER was sensitive to the extreme
point, and no officer in the Navy would be less
likely to be willing to remain an unusual time
"awalting ORDERS" lie was always more than
ready to be Oh duty and we happen to know
that his orders to ION the Cumberland were
received by lin with entire satisfaction and
pleasure.
In regard to the circumstances precedin.
and attending the death of Mr. SAWYER we
have the fullest and most reliable information.
Through the kindness of his brother, Captain
II. b. SAWYER, in command the u. S. Naval
Station at Sacket's Harbor, we are in possess
sion Of a letter addressed to him Capt. SAW
YER by Captain GoLpsBoRoUGH Of the Cum
borland, dated ~. $. Frigatc Cumberland,
Spczla, Sardinia, June 25th, le52," and moth
ing We could say would be 50 satisfactory as
the extract from this letter that we are per-
United to give below. After few words in
troductory, Captain GoLpsBoRouGm says:-
Your brother died on board this ship, in his own
room, yesterday afternoon, at - minutes past six
O'Clock and regret to say, he died by his own
hands-by seycring the blood vessels OF his neck,
one and all with the small blade OF an ordinary pen
knife Alter intlictnG the wounds, he lived proba-
by hall an hour. Ever since our departure from
the United States, and, indeed even before leaving
there, it was pretty generally thought on board that
his mind was say the least OF il in troubled state
but lie continued in the discharge OF his duties until
the day before his death, and them for the first time,
h manifested very decided symptoms OF downright
insanity. The moment th.s was discovered, every
procauil onary measure was taken to guard against
acts OF violence. llls room was stripped OF razors
knives, * re-, in shorl, of everything that he would
be likely 10 resort to for the purpose of self dcsruc-
ton and II careful guard was placed over his per-
son to accompany him wherever he might 60 and to
watch his movements attrutyeiy. Ills mcssnales,
one and all hut more especially our Fleet Surgeon
DR., l.. Il. Hunter and his asss,auts manifested to-
wards him every possible and attention, and
while several OF them were sitting within few feet
OF ms room, and the guard himself close at hand
with his room-door wide open, and his curtain but
very partially drawn, he cOntTived, by means of a
knife which he had evidently carefully concealed to
lnillcl lhe wounds which resulted in his death But
lwo OF three minutes before perpruallng this mclan
choy and awid deed he was walking To and lTo IN
the wardloom, and conytrsnS with the gentlemen
about Inn, though, at course, in quite ucohrrtut
srau yet IN one not in The slightest degree ca,cua-
ted To excite any suspicion orapprch nsion their
part OF any wa Cnt purpose Al the time, he had
his coat of but on finishing his remarks, he went
deliberately to his room, put his uniform coat ON,
seated hmSelt III chair by his bed side and in that
situation, and without solitary groan, or making
the slightest noise, he did what have mentioned -
The slIyht noise oCcasIOned by the blood Howinr
ON the deck, was the only thing that lnlimaled what
had happened aud when discovered he was still sea
ted II h,s char, and, as it were, somewhat support
ing his head with his right hand, the elbow of that
0Tm resting upon his bed. The knife had dropped
Gpon the bed Such, my dear Sir, are the circun-
flauC,s Wrca a.lfnd,d me demise Ct your wornv