The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1892-11-06
A MUTINY QUELLED.
HOW AN ADMIRAL CUT SHORT A
DANG ROUS RISING.
Admiral Ammen's Story OF a Mutiny

! SoANCN bullelS-NeTVY SSuOQCL OF
the Of1ce-s OF ths Ship.
From the Washington Star.
There Is an admiral Of the navy now
living near Washing on. whose nerve and
decision nee saved a ship and loo mas
sengers from the rlrs OF a bloody mu-
tiny. To do it be- was compelled to shoot
a mutneer dead with his own hand, and
then walk boldly into the MUST Of the
mutinous crew, and unaided and alone
place five Of them in irons.
The uervy officer who thus put down the
muuny which threatened the whole ship is
| Admiral Daniel Ammen, who was at that
time captain in the United States navy.
1t is thrilling story and can best be told
In Admiral Ammen's avn words, the words
! which he used before the court-mAr ,ial that
tried and acquitted him.
| II was ordered by tue navy department "
SAID the admiral, "to take passa q on the
| ocean Quee on Friday, Nay 49, lS6l, to
| receive on board that vessel and take charge
! OF draft OF 20 men, intended for the
tactic squadron, TO accompany them TO
| Panama, aud, after delivering them 70 the
senior otficer'present at that point. to return
| TO New YOrk. Boatswain Thomas c.
| Bell Of the navy was ordered to as
sist me- No marine guard or other assist
ants we're as igned. Tie draft ca from
Philadelphia, and although 1t was not in
| eVIdence) was principally composed Of men
who had been transferred from the army a
| short time before. The Ocean Queen left
| the wharf at New York about o'clock D.
| IN. She had On board about l,041 passen-
| gers, excluding the draft; about one third
were women and children. 1t had been ar
ranged that the draft should be received on
board after the steamer had left the wharf,
| and it was SO done.
lis Is proper here to explain that on
board that steamer the Storage and cabin
passengers are divided from each other by
leans on the star board side OF fixed bulk
| head and on the port side by a lattice, in
| which there Is gateway; and by the rules
OF the vessel all Storage passengers are for
| hidden to come abaft these bulkheads The
| men composing the draft we're steerage pas
| senRers. Owing to the crowded state of the
steerage the star board side of the spar
deck, under the hurricane deck. was appro-
| priated exclusively to the men under my
| charge. Although crowded, / should have
much preferred at that season of the year
anu for that voyage, living and sleeping
there, to occupying berth in the Storage.
THEY WANTED WHISKY.
about midnight that night l was called
| and told that my people wished to see me- |
at once dressed and went on deck, where |
was met by tour men, two of whom | re-
member as John Kelly and Alfred Russell,
seamcn the deceased), who told me they
were uncomfortable, had no place to sleep,
and therefore had to wander about the
| decks; they finally said that whisky would
| make it all right. | replied that 1 knew
| that they were uncomfortable; that in a
day or two we would be in a pleasant lati-
tude, and that in the meanwhile | would see
what could be done to make them less I'M
1 . s-N, t,I k...A q 49, 4. it,
OF The question, as 1t would make all wrong
They left without any nantes alton If
disappointment or anger, perhaps impressed
| with the idea that the interest had ex
| pressed was the result Of intimidation and
not Of the disposition have to care for the
comfort and well being of those under my
command, and which regard as a not un-
important part of the duty of all officers
| under whom men are placed.
| THE following morning (Saturdayl all of
the draft that asked expressed themselve
satisfied with their breakfast, although
| found on inquiry that no vegetables had
| formed part of it. l soon made a request
to Capt. Tlnklepaugh on this subject which
he at once agreed to. In the afternoon at
dinner there was dissatisfa elton, at least on
the part Of twelve or fifteen. who threw
overheard number OF pots and pans con-
tanning food, and beat and abused the serv-
ants Of the ship until they refused to do
duty. Chief among these twelve or fifteen
| were Kelly and Bussell. The object was
| probably to prevent the better disposed
men from getting anything to eat and thus
| to make the dissatisfaction more general
| 81 at once detailed number of the blacks
| belonging Co the draft to reset and replensh
the tables, and thus prevented the W oil dis
| posed from suffering. The captain of the
vessel was, not without cause. seriously CON
| cerned on account Of this mutinous conduct
and the very menacing and disrespectful
| expressions of my men, aud told me he felt
much disposed to put into Hampton Roads
| and put on shore at least twelve or fifteen.
if not all, of the draft. While had 60 adj
NIT that the conduct and language OF some
| of them were very mutinous and disrespect-
full, 1 told him hoped be would not do this
| that the delay would be great and that
| felt satisfied tina. we could control the men.
THE following morning. Sunday l5)
| the men appeared to be entirely sober. the
supply of liquor obtained through the steer
age passengers having probably given out.
| Their breakfast consisted Of hard bread
| boiled salt bee of good quality. tea or coffee
| and honiny and molasses. | was in the act
| of inspecting their breakfast when | was
| asked to do SO by Alfred Bussell, seaman
| phe deceased) III the most disrespectful
terms and manner. After my inspection
became convinced that the object Of the
men was a difficulty irrespective of any
treatment which II was in ny power to have
besto WED upon them.
DETERMINED TO MUTINY.
"Soon after breakfast | heard John Kelly
and Alfred Russell ID conversation win
Boatswain Bell my assistant in charge of