The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1877-1885, 1883-05-30
An Old Tins Matter Isensat;on.

The death, as reported, by ~.,el.xrarh
on Saturday Ut Nlrs. Alexander Sldell
Mackenzie. at the residence of he "a
Bngsjier Genera K. : MscAeaz;e
>. army, santa Fe, New Mckee. vii
some forty years ago by the hanging of
Spencer, Cromwell and Small On board
the brig Somers, command i hy her di,-
tlnguIshed husband, Commodore Alex.
Sildell Mackenzie. The Commodore had
achlevel quite a literary reputation. aud
hls name was familiar ID American read
ers. He was the author Of 4 Year IL
Spain. by a young America, aud
spain Revisited lie was also autho.
OF a popular life % Capt .in Paul Jones
aud some other works which were favor
ably received, besides being a valued con
trlbutoT to the knlckerbocker and other
periodicals. Of that day. The Somers
went out In 1872 with a crew Of l20 men
and 90 apprentice boys under age, and
on the return from the coast of Africa,
while approaching the Isle of Pines. a
mutlny was suspected, which demanded
severe measures, a the officers believed
TO secure the safety Of the ship. After
investigation the young men above men
toned We're hung to the yard arm. Ii
was believed that the conspiratorS inteu
ded to murder the officers and divert the
vessel into a piratical cruiser. Commo-
dore Mackenzie on reaching New York
marched with his crew To the nearest
church and returned thanks 10 Almighty
God for their safe deliverance. he also
sent 90 70 Washington a sealed dispatch,
conveying the first news Of the tragedy
had been enacted. The intelligence, as
spread through the country, caused a
sensation, and what added to the interest
was the fact that Spencer, the rlngleader
IN the suspected mutlhy, was u sou OF
John Z. Spencer, then Secretary of War
under Preslden, Tyler's administration.
A. WAS natural, Secretary Spencer wrote
a letter which was extensively published.
~denOnu-lug The act Ut Mackenzie a. llie-
gil aIu unnecessary, and saying that II
there were any grounds for believing that
a mutlny was contemplated the prisoners,
after their arrest aud confinement 10
irons, should an! could have been brought
with safety to the United States, where
they could then undergo a legal trial.
The Commodore was tried by a Court of
Inquiry, and also by a court martial the
trial lasting two months, and he was &C
quilted. Complaint was made during
the trial because Benjamin + Butler and
Charles OCOnor, employed by the faith
er of young Spencer, We're not allowed 10
sit BY and put questions approved by the
court. Whatever may be thought Of the
character aud necessity OF the execution
at this late day. the act of Mackenzie was
complinented by the merchants of y. Y.
and applauded by the press at the time
AMI the public voice generally was in his
favor. Regarding the further history Of
Commodore Mackenzie, it may be stated
hat five years alter the TRAGEDY on the
brig Somers the Mexican war broke out.
aud towards its close Mackenzie wa sent
on a secret mission by President Polk
Cat the instance OF the late Senator SlI
dell, 5 bro her Of Alexander olideil Mac,
kenzle, whose Lane was changed to meet
some beqGeet,) to Santa Anna, then at
Havana, with a scheme to restore that
ex -dictator to Mexico, upon some agree
ment advantageous 10 the Uni ed States;
but the conference did not succeed
Mackenzie, a few years later, was killed
by a fall from a 10 e and the brig So
mers went down 10 the bottom Of the
sea with all OH board.