Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-06-24

discovered or supposed to be discovered on
the prig when on the coast Of Africa. The
mutiny was alleged to be among the young
cadets, and their leader was said to be a
son Of John Q. Spencer. the Secretary Of the
Navy. A qTumhead court-martial was
eaHeo, and the captain, who seems to have
oeen unduly nervous, caused young Spencer
and two of his alleged confederates to be
hanged from the yard arm of course. such
an event, including among its victims a son
OF member of the cabinet, produced a
tremendous sensation. Although Capt. Mac
henzie was finally acquitted by the court
appointed to try the case, a cloud always
rested. perhaps untustly, on his reputation,
which will doubtless never be fully cleared
away: 1t is curious coincidence that his
son, Gen. Randall Slidell Mackenzie, a gal
liant cavaIry officer in the civil war, became
insane and continued SO until his death by
his own hand in 1889.
The Somers' Fate.
With this shadow resting on her name
the brig Somers engaged in the Mexican
war, but her doom was as it were. al
ready predestined. by the fate of young
Spencer. While chasing a blockade run
ner in broad daylight off Vera Cruz she
was struck by sQual capsized and went
down. Before the boats of the American,
English and French fleets lying there could
come 10 the rescue half of the crew of
the SomerS were drowned or eaten by
sharks.
Pursued by 1ll-Luck.
Now, will any one tell us what motive
ed our Navy Department to name one of
our new vessels the Somers? As if by a
natural presentiment, II is stated that the
crew which took her across the German
ocean was panic struck, and the crew that
started with her from England also put
back, alleging serious defects; and she was
finally Obliged to remain in England dur
ing the whole of the late war. Perhaps ii
was lucky for her, her crew and our coun-
try that she did so. Her name should be
changed without delay, or she should never
be put in commission. Is there such pow
erty of good names in our history that We
must needs put up with such as are mani
festly unlucky.
An UnrecOgnized Naval Hero.
Take, for example, the great name of
Macdonough, which there seems to be such
a disposition TO relegate into obscurity, or
of Cassin, his able lieutenant Where are
the statues to Macdonough, where the ships
named after him? And yet for naval skill
and courage there is none greater in our
history. 1t is no disparagement TO the bril-
liant achievements of such American heroes
and tacticianS as Hull, Stewart, Perry. Por-
ter of the Essex, Farragut or Dewey TO
assert that Macdonough's strategy at Lake
Champlain has not been surpassed by any
of our naval heroes, considering the means
at his command.
Hood and Nelson beat the French fleets
when anchored at Basseterre and the Nile
because the latter strangely, culpably
omitted to protect the defense properly.
Macdonough, on the other hand, beat the
English feet, though exceliently maneu-
vered because he made the most skillful
measures to prepare for emergencies. There
is nothing more mastery in our naval con-
fiCts than his anchoring head to the north
ward in Plattsburg bay, with springs,
Hedges and hawsers so arranged as to be
able to command the direction of his broad
sides. This skillful arrangement proved one
of the turning points in the war of 1872
There are numerous other fitting names be-
sides those of Macdonough in our history.
Any one of them drawn, blindfold, from
hat would prove more appropriate for the
ships of our navy than such names as
Somers or Chesapeake.