serviceyears laterwork branch commands relations death_date death_place birth_place allegiance name birth_date rank image article_title birth_name
1815-1848 author , naval historian united states navy uss somers john brother-in-law -rrb- ranald slidell mackenzie -lrb- son -rrb- alexander slidell slidell mackenzie -lrb- son -rrb- -lrb- brother -rrb- matthew c. perry -lrb- 13 september 1848 tarrytown , new york new york city , new york united states of america alexander slidell mackenzie 06 april 1803 commander alexander slidell mackenzie -lrb- 1803-1848 -rrb- . jpg alexander slidell mackenzie
 alexander slidell
alexander slidell mackenzie

alexander slidell mackenzie -lrb- 1803 -- 1848 -rrb- , born alexander slidell , was a u.s. naval officer most famous for his 1842 decision to execute three suspected mutineers aboard a ship under his command , the `` uss somers '' .
mackenzie was also an accomplished man of letters , producing several volumes of travel writing and biographies of early important u.s. naval figures , some of whom he knew personally .
mackenzie was the brother of u.s. senator john slidell of louisiana , who was later involved in the american civil war 's `` trent affair . ''
mackenzie was captain of the uss `` somers '' when it became the only u.s. navy ship to undergo a mutiny which led to executions , including philip spencer , the nineteen-year-old son of the secretary of war john c. spencer .
mackenzie 's handling of the `` somers '' affair , including its lack of a lawful court martial , was controversial ; the incident was described at length in vina delmar 's novel `` the big family '' .
it also inspired the novella `` billy budd '' by american author herman melville .
the `` somers '' affair also led to the founding of the united states naval academy .
