The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1865-07-25
THE PUNISHMENT OF A DELIN-
QHENT OETTnEr


The readers of the Press have not forgotten
that, in August last, the U. S. steamer Pom
toosuc, sent out by the Navy Department to
cruise for the pirate steamer Tallahassee, to
the surprise and indignation of the people of
Maine, remained in this port and again in East
port, neglecting the service for which she had
been detailed, while the pirate was bringing
devastation and ruin upon the fishing fleet on
our coast,
1t happened that this vessel was lying in
PASSPORT harbor when the Congressional par
ty was there in the Mahoning, and the gross
ness of Lieut.. Stevens conduct was SO appar-
emit that members of that party telegraphed
the Department, and the arrest of the delin-
quent officer was the result
On the 10Th of Oct, Naval Court Martial
was commenced at New York, and Lieut.. Geo.
! 4. Stevens-the Commander of the Pontoo-
suc-was put on trial on the following charge
and specification:
! CHARGE Failing to do his utmost to over
take and capture or destroy a vessel which it
was his duty to encounter"
+ Specifcdtion-"I this;. that between the
18th and 18th days Of August, in the year 49,
GA, the said Lieutenant-C Commander George A.
Stevens, being then in command of the u. S.
steamer Pontoosuc, at sea, under orders to
cruise In search of the piratical steamer Talla-
hassee, did twice return from said cruise to
ports in the United States unnecessarily, and
remain in port without necessity, first at Port
land, on or about the 18th day of August, and
I again at Eastport, on or about the 18th day OF
August, thus disseminating and suspendine
bis search for the said pratcal vessel, and fail
ing to do his utmost to overtake the said YES
sell" a is L fe.-t,a ~.
Upon this charge and specification the find
ing of the court was as follows:-
@That the specification Of the charge is prov.
en-, with the exception of the word Sunneces-
sapily,' as it occurs in the ninth line of the
specification; that the accused Lieutenant
Commander George A. Stevens, of the U. s
Navy, is guilty ofthe charge. And the court
do therefore, sentence and adjudge the said
Lieutenant Commander George, A. Stevens, o.
the u. S. Navy, to be suspended for one year
with the loss fisk months pay, from the datt
of his sentence" d4sir
In general order just issued from the Ma
| w Department, this kid-glove style Of dealing
with an offense Of the first magnitude is thus
handled; ~ zol 1anagh 69Ys.ar aHFJA -F-s
The offence committed by Lieutenant Com
mander Stevens was of the gravest character
one Of the capital offences, on conviction o
which court martial is authorized to pass the
sentence of death. The Court do not find i
proved that he returned to port unnecessarily
but that he remained in port without neces-
sity, ON two several occasions, at a time WheI
duty called him most urgently to be at sea-
| A formidable piratical vessel was known to b
| then within short distance of our coast, pur
suing triumphant career of plumber and de
4 struction, and the calls of public opinion
amounting to clamor, invoked the assistance
| of the Navy, and even directed the attention
of the Department to this particular officer
who was enjoying his ease in port while hi
orders and every consideration of patriotism
| and Of self-respect required him 90 be at sea
| A more fragrant case Of delinquency, and on
1 coming more completely within the purviey
| of the law, could not well occur Yet the pub
| lie is to be informed that court of officers 0
the Navy consider this capital offence, at
tended by no circumstances of mitigation
is sufficiently punished by suspension for ST,
months without pay, and with pay for tn
same period, the latter being equivalent tt
leave of absence for six months.
The Department declines to outrage publ
| opinion and its own sense of justice, or to mis-
| lead the younger officers the Navy by ap
proving a sentence SO glaringly inadequate.
Lieut-C Commander Stevens is hereby re
lieved from arrest. eaid7 70 lT1q ~ Aa
| sail b 50 s "a