Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1899-03-09
Famous Mufinfes I'm the British Navy

For reasons which will at once suggest
themselves to every intelligent reader
mutinies in the navy have almost inva-
riably been more serious and determined
affairs than similar outbreaks happening
in the sister service.
Almost everybody has heard Of the mu
tinv at the More, which blocked up the
trade Of the Thames from May q until
June 10, 1871, and left practically the
whole of our southern seaboard 10 the
mercy of an alien foe. This was un-
doubtedlv the most serious outbreak that
has ever taken place in our own or for
that matter. I'm any other navy. The
mutineers seized their officers trained
the forward guns aft. hoisted the red flag
on the admirals ship, double-shotted the
broadside cannons, and told OF men with
lighted matches at every port-hole. Al
the same time. however, discipline was
strictly enforced.
Eventually. OF course. the mutlny was
sunpressed. and the ringleader Parker)
suffered death by hanging, with twenty
two of his companions. No one can,
of course. offer any excuse for the violent
conduct of these misguided men. Never
theless. II is impossible 10 deny that
they had genuine grievance, that re-
heated petitions for redress had been con-
temptuously ignored and that from the
date of their execution the status ana
treatment Of Jack Tar underwent a mark
ed change for the better
In 1901 the mutiny Of the Bantry pay
squadron gave rise TO the widest APP
prehension. The Temeraire led the out
unless
demands were complied with, TO fire the
shin and murder their officers. Other
vessels Joined in. notably the Formidable
Majestic. and Vengeance. Luckily. the
marines remained loyal and by them,
chiefly. the mutiny was suppressed. Eleven
men only were executed Tor TINS
affair. but the fioggings inflicted on the
remainder were. in most cases, or such
shocking severity that one would nave
thought death itself would have been far
preferable.
Perhaps the best known and most dra-
matte of single-ship mutnies were those
which broke out on the Bounty IN 10y
and I'm the Danae frigate In 1900. Inc
facts connected with the frst-named In
cident are almost too well known 70 bear
rendition. Suffice IL 10 say, that the
men. driven to madness by harsh and
tvrannical commander, mutinied near
Tahiti. I'm the Southern Pacinc ocean
set the officers adrift In an open BOAT
and carried the ship TO Pitcairn island
a lonely, uninhabited spot lying apout
midway between Australia and south
America Here their descehuah's ie'''"''
until this very day.
THE mutiny Of the Danae's crew tooN
,loco earlv i'm March. the men rising III
resnonse 10 a previously concerted sis
,al and numbering their ofiicers' aiter
which the crew sailed The frsate INTO
Brest Harbor. and handed her over 10 inc
French authorities IL Is some satlslac-
ttor IN know that five of the muuneers
u,ere taken prisoners while lighting
ooainst us soon afterwards, and promptly
hanged. . -. l..
4 precisely similar attempt was made
l., ~ earoe wear to seize the Hermione,
,,,itb the avowed intention of handing her
also over TO France. Happily, the scneme
,vas frustrated, but the commander OF the
shin. one Pigot was brutally murdered
He descended into the fo'-castle 10 reason
,,,itb the indictments. and was set upon
and literally hacked TO pieces, the frag-
roo,.e Of the carcass being afterwards
.hr,,st through one OF the portfolios. For
,,artioination I'm this diabOlical crime two
men named. respectively. James Allen
ord John watson, were afterwards hang
ed al Portsmouth.
Tho rising on board the London in May.
l7g7 was really a sequel 10 the bloodless
mutinv which broke out at Spithead ear
Uer i'm the same year The London was
Admiral Colpoys's flagship. and was being
onproached by "A boat i'm which were some
lnarued men from the other ships Of the
fleet bearing a petition. The Admiral for
bade them TO approach, and on their per-
sisting he ordered a guard Of marines 10
fire upon them The vOlleying or the mus
tots vas a signal for an immediate up
rising on the part OF the l.ondOn's crew.
The marines were oyerpOwered and dis
armed COlpoys was seized and roughly
handled. and the other officers were sent
on shore.
In this case. as In most others the red
coats remained loyal. II was. therefore,
all the more alarming when a serious
mutinv was discovered, a little later on.
TO have been Matched among the marines
Of tho Plymouth squadron Luckily, on
the morning Of the very day the plot was
10 have been put into execution one OF
the mutineers turned traitor. with the
result that the authorities We're on their
guard. and the rising was suppressed al
most ere it had begun.
The following morning at daybreak
three OF the ringleaders-Lee Coffy, and
Branning were shot. Another. a youth
OF IL, named McGlnniS, received the afro
cious sentence OF 600 lashes with the
CATO -nne-tails, the punishment 20 be
inflicted in two instruments OF 500 lashes
each. cats 10 be picked" and four 10
be counted slowly after each stroke.
It Is seldom that one hears OF a naval
mutiny In which the signal for revolt has
come, not from the men, bur from the
officers. Yet something very like this
happened In August. 1902 when stanch
old Admiral Benbow put out from ia
maica TO fight the French fleet under Dn
Case. The British squadron consisted
OF seven ships OF from fifty 10 seventy
guns, and Benbow felt sure OF victory
until he observed with dismay that five
OF his captains were deliberately disobey-
ing his orders. They. I'm fact. declined TO
clap on sail. and were soon hull down on
the horizon. Nevertheless. Benbow at
tackled with his own ship and the little
|. Ruby; but he had TO retire In the end.
with more than half his men hors De
combat and he himself MORALLY wound
ed by a chain-shot which had shattered
| his right leg.
The last scene OF this strange and
| ira lc episode-sO creditabe 10 Benbow,
! so disgraceful 10 most OF the others con-
| cerned--took place on the quarter deck
| OF his Maiesty's ship Bristol. In Plymouth
| Sound. In the early morning OF April l6.
| 1905; when captain Kirby. 81 the Def
| ance. and Captain Wade, OF the Green
| witch. tha two officers who were proved
-. "a. rf.,ota.taro 81 al. 49,,