The semi-weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1882-1886, 1885-12-30
MUTINY AT SEA.
Prompt Action of Admiral
Ammen and the Officers of
sTHE OCEAN oTrEEN
Results in Saving the Steamer and
Passengers From a Mutiny-
Two Ringleaders Shot.

| At the request of a literary friend TAX
up TINS writing Otan occurrence on May Ii
1854, nearly one year before tn close O
the civil war.
In complying with this request, l hav
before me the official report made to tn
| Navy Department on reaching the Unitet
States, dated the 5th and 10th of June
and also the synopsis of the proceedings O
my trial by court-martial, published in tn
New York Army and Naval Journal o
about August 20, 1864. may as well re
mark that during my navallife Ihave neve
had other charges preferred against m,
| than those now referred to.
In the early part OF May, 1854, l founl
myself in Baltimore, and my sea outfit
somewhere else, as had recently been re
| moved from the temporary command O
the 'Shenandoah, and had been ordered
to report by letter to Rear Admiral Greg
ory, then at New York, for any duty te
| which he mi aht assign me.
Upont el graphic orders received from thu
departme mt, found myself obliged to leaS
| on the first train for New York, where
must 60 on board the Aspinwall mai
| steamer, ocean Queen" and take charge
OF draft OF 22O men. These men had beer
" GU hOlu CIc hIuIy uHutT ktucfd
order, owing to the impossibility of enlist
ing seamen; the high bounties then paid for
army enistments had enticed seamen to
enlist as part Of some State quota.
My time was 20 limited that 1 had not
even Il change of linen after my arrival in
New York, or time to supply it by pur.
chase, and was indebted to a fellow passen.
senger for what was essential. The prov.
erb OF Duty before decency," so dear to
all ''men Of the sea- (given to the world
by Boatswain Cheeks as he stood in the
ships gangway without having on a sup.
posed indispensable article of wearing ap
parel, rs we learn in "Midshipman Easy")
braced me up on that trying occasion.
On the afternoon OF the 18th OF May, a
raw. partially rainy day, navy yard tug
came alongside the ocean Queen" at an
chor off the Battery. The men were hastily
mustered over the gangway. Boatswain
Thomas G. Bell, who came with the draft,
was ordered to report to me and act as my
aid in taking care OF the men and deliver
ing them at Panama to Captain Richard
J.. Law, then commanding the 'Cyane''
lying in that harbOr.
We went to sea without delay and passed
outside OF Sandy Hook before dark The
vessel had !, 400 passengers without count
ing my command, many OF whom were not
sailors, merely supposed to be from the
reason that soldiers could not be made out
OF them. There were many s1iyerpool
dock men," as a certain class were called at
that time. They were in all sortssf cloth
ing, the greater number in navy, others in
army uniforms, and several in those of
Confederate soldiers. ~
About midnight tie officer in charge of
the vessel sent for me, stating that several
of the men wished to see me. had re-
tired several hours before, but arose,
I found four men in the gangway, and
asked why they called me. The spokesman
said they were uncomfortable; there was
no room between decks and they had to lie
on deck. / replied that l knew they were
uncomfortable; ina day or two we would
be in IL pleasant latitude, and in the mean
time would see what could be done. They
finally said whisky would makeit all right.
l told them that was quite out OF the
question, as it would make it all wrong.
They left without any manifestation OF
disappointment or anger-perhaps i'm
pressed with the idea that the interest l
had expressed was the result OF intimida-
ton, and not from disposition to look
after the comfort and well-being OF all Off
GERS under whom men are placed.
The starboard side OF the vessel sheltered
from the weather by the hurricane deck,
was assigned as the quarters OF my men,
and was in my belief preferable to the
crowded steerage below. If compared to
the exposure OF soldiers in the field before
an enemy, not only these sheltered quar-
ters but the food itself were all that could
be desired.
On my trial by court-martial it ap-
peared in evidence that the first night out,
and probably previous to my being called
to see these men, the draft had been cam
vassed to ascertain who among them could
work tie engine and wha their o. her quail
fications were to run a vessel. One man
was missing and supposed to have been
thrown overheard by the others; the cause
was not surlnised, but it may well have
been his condemnation of the plans of the
ringleaders.
The following morning asked several OF
the men as to their breakfast; ana they ex-
pressed satisfaction; but, finding they had
not had potatoes or vegetables, made a
request of Captain Tinklepaugh, who COM
formed me that III the future they would
be provided.
In the afternoon tin pots and pans-the
dinner furniture OF my draft-were thrown
overheard, and the servants OF the steamer
who waited upon the men, were beaten and
abused to such degree that they refused
to serve. The object evidently was to pre-
vent the well-disposed from getting any
thing to eat, and thus to make the dissatis-
faction general. I at once detailed num-
Der of the colored people who belonged to
the draft to reset and replenish the ia bles,
and thus prevented the well-dlsposed from
being deprived OF food.
The captain of the vessel, not without
cause, was much concerned by reason OF
this mutinous conduct, and the disrespect-
full and inenacing expressions OF my men,
and told me he felt much disposed to put
into Hampton Roads and get rid of twelve
or fifteen, if not all of my draft. Whilst
had to admit that the conduct and Ian
guage of some OF them were disrespectful
and mutinous, told him hoped he would
pursue his voyage; if he went into Hamp-
ton Roads the delay would be serious, and
l felt satisfied we could control the men.
The following morning was in the act of
inspecting their breakfast. when l was
asked to do so by Russell, one OF my draft,
in the most disrespectful manner. The
breakfast consisted of hard bread, coffee
or tea as preferred, and hominy and mo-
lasses, then became convinced that the
object of some OF my men was to have
difficulty, quite irrespective OF any treat
ment which it was in my power to have be-
slowed upon them.
Soon after breakfast heard Russell and
Kelley in conversation with Boatswain
Bell, my assistant. They declared they
had eaten nothing since they had been on
board; if their dinner that day was not
such as they wished they would certainly
90 aft into the cabin and help themselves.
Kelly said he had once aided, on board OF
a vessel of war, to knock down sentry
over the spirit room, and they intended to
do as well on board OF the ocean Queen"
he knew there was liquor on board and he
intended to have it. This conversation,
although addressed to the boatswain. was
loud and evidently intended for my ear. /!
replied that ho ped that their dinner would
be all they could ask; that had spoken to
the captain on that subject; but their pro-
nosition to 20 aft and help themselves was
quite out of the question, and ii there was
an attempt of that kind they would GER
tainly be shot. They replied contemptously
that they were accustomed to being under
fire. and felt no alarm whatever. Kelly
added that they regarded me as a very well
disposed person; that he felt satisfied that
I would do every ching in my power FOR their
comfort. and therefore l had not been
harmed. (The previous day he had en-
deayored to provoke me into an attempt
tn nut him in irons in order to bring about
n rupture and a fight.) did not reply to
these asst remarks, 80 insulting to my posi-
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