The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1899-07-27
RECAPTURE OF THE HERMIONE.
The Thrilling Attack Made by the
Crew of the Surprise.
Household Words.

Household Words.
On the night of Sept. %, 1884, while the
British thirty-two-gun frigate Hermione
was cruising off the east coast Of Porto
Rico mutiny broke out on board. II would
appear that on the preceding day. while
the crew were reefng the topsails, the cap
tain-Hugh Pigot by name. and described
as lone of the most cruel and oppressive
captains belonging to the British navy
called out that he would fog the last man
off the mizzen-topsail-yard. Captain Pigot
was known to be a man of his word in
matters of this sort, and. as the cat would
naturally fall to the lot of the man at the
extremities of the yard, two Of these poor
fellows made an attempt TO spring over
their comrades nearer the mast, but miss
ing their hold fell on the quarterback and
were both killed. When this was reported
to the captain he Is said to have answered,
Throw the lubbers overheard" This was
the elimination of a long series of oppres-
sive acts on the part of the captain, and
the result was that the crew mutinied, and
killed their officers. with few exceptions.
Captain Pigot was stabbed, and while still
alive thrown out Of the cabin window.
Thereafter the mutineers took the ship into
La Guayra, and represented to the Spanish
governor that they had set the officers
adrift in the jolyboat. Soon afterwards
the Hermione was added to the Spanish
navy. and as fitted for sea in this service
she mounted forty-four guns, while her
crew, which in the British service had been
22o. was increased by 100. exclusive of about
seventy soldiers and artillerymen.
Two years later-in September. 1799-intel-
lgence reached Admiral Sir Hyde Parker,
commander-in-chief at Jamaica, that the
Hermoine was about to sail from Porto Ca
belo for Havana. and, accordingly. on the
10th of the month. he detached the S-gun
frigate Surprise, Captain Edward Hamilton.
to look out for her. The total force OF
the Surprise was 1877 men and boys. Cap
tain Hamilton, it seems, proposed to the
commander-in-chieft to attempt the cutting
out Of the Hermoine il barge and twenty
more men could be given him, but Sir Hyde
Parker refused his sanction, considering the
ordered to cruise about sixty TO eighty
leagues off Porto Cabelo and endeavor to
intercept the Hermoine. For some weeks
these orders were acted on, but the Hermit
one was not met with, and, as the provi-
sions of the Surprise were running short,
Captain Hamilton determined on more ener.
getic measures On Oct. Fl he was on the
harbor of Porto Cabello and had satisfied
himself that the Hermione was still there
She was moored between two batteries sit
peared TO be ready for The batteries
were SAID to mount some zoo guns.
The Surprise stood 0ff-and-on until the
evening OF the 24th. when, after dinner,
Captain Hamilton announced to his officers
his intention of attempting the capture OF
the Hermione; Later the crew were mus
tered aft. and the captain made speech,
in which he reminded them Of their former
successful exploits. He concluded with these
words: Il find it useless to wait any longer;
we shall soon be obliged to leave the sta
ton. and that frigate will become the prize
of some more fortunate ship than the Sur
prise. Our only prospect of success is by
cutting her out this night
This proposal was received with great
cheering, and the crews for the six boats
were Immediately selected. Every man was
shown; the password was Britain and
the reply ireland" At 1880 o'clock the
expedition started. Captain Hamilton lead
down that, in the event of reaching the ship
undiscovered. only the boarders were TO
board. the boats crews remaining where
they were, to be in readiness to take the
Hermione in tow directly the cables were
cut; The rendezvous was to be the Hermit
ones quarterback. When within a mile of
the Hermfone the advancing boats were
discovered by two gunboats, each mount
ing long gun. and were fired upon. The
pinnace. by the captains orders, threw of
all attempts at concealment, and with
hearty cheers its crew pulled for the prize.
The other boats ought to have followed
suit, but some Of them instead fooled away
the time the Hermione was reached her
crew were on the alert; nevertheless Cap
tain Hamilton and his party made good
their footing on her forecastle, and, push
Ing their way along the gangway, reached
the quarterback. The cables were cut and
the Hermione taken in tow not a second too
soon, for the shore batteries were now
entering a vigorous protest in the form Of
heavy fire. Meanwhile, there was hard
fighting going on on the frigate, and IL was
not until an hour after the first attack that
all opposition was put down. At 2 o'clock
in the morning the Hermione was safe in
British hands once more and out of range
of the land batteries.
OF the British there was none killed,
though Captain Hamilton, Mr.. Maxwell
the gunner, and ten others were more or
less severely wounded. The Spanards had
119 killed and 81 wounded out of their total
of 365.
TT is impossible" says James ito do JUS
tice to Captain Hamilton, the gunner Mr.
Maxwell, and the first boarders from the
pinnace; they were unsupported for more
than ten minutes, and this gallant handful
of men succeeded In possessing themselves
of the quarterback. The history OF naval
warfare, from the earliest times to this
date, affords no parallel to this dashing af-
fair; 1t was no surprise; no creeping upon
the sleepy unawares. The crew of the
frgiate were at quarters, standing to their
guns. aware of the attack, armed, prepared
In readiness, and that frigate was captured
by the crews of three boats, the first success
being gained by sixteen men,"