MUTINY ON IHE FRIGATE CHESTERFIELD.

NZ Truth, Issue 152, 16 May 1908, Page 7

MUTINY ON IHE FRIGATE CHESTERFIELD.

Bouswai:i Winket f urns the Table.

4 Ssaie olttoat Mea SBot— Wreck 0* tße ScS««ner Drake— . ' Her Boatswain Another Hera.

ft; I have DasgedJ a miserable night* So full of fearful dreams, of ugly sights That as I am a Christian faithful mwo, I would not. spend another such a night, Though 'twere to buy a trodd of happy days ;; 80 fXiIL of. dismal, terror isaa tha time^ — Shaiaspeare^

There -were some reckless spirits. Kwng m "the Rood old days,'* 'as many persons have the hardihood to term the time lone gone. To the lover of historical narratives, a more appropriate term would be "the bad old days,'" inasmuch as chronicles of the last century — to go no further buck— show that occurrences took place then that men nowaday wouH look upon as the acts of m<admen r Imagine, if you can, a mutiny breaking out aboard^ a man-o'-war, about the last plape possible where an oute. break could be successful. Yet there have been m<any even m the British navy, and m future issues of "Truth" we will 1 give pur readers the plain voi -varnished truth about a few o£

■ THE.MOST NOTORIOUS. Over a score of men were shot for the mutiny which took place on the warship Chesterfield m 1784. The Chesterfield, under the command of Captain O'B-rian Dudley, was at the 1 ( f • : r-'cd of! Cape Coast Castle, on th« western coast • of Africa, somewhere between Cap« Three Points, and Cape Verde, when a dangerous mutiny broke out onwn^st the crew. The ringleaders were Samuel pouchman and John Morgan, lieutenants of marines',, and Thomas Knight, the carpenter, and they were aided and abetted by' scores of their shipmates. But the uprising against authority being unsuccessful, <hn chief delinquents were, " after their capture, tried by court-roar ti-al, found -p-uiltv. , and shot. They were charged with "exciting and encouraging nuitiny, and running -away with his Majesty's ;ship Ches^-rfifild. on the I %h day of October, 1748, from the "coast of Africa, leaving their captain, two licutenini's, with other officers arid other s'eamien on shore."

It ann pared from the evidence adr 'duced brfom • "' THE COURTMARTIAL. by which the prisoners were tried, and. which was 'provided over by Sir Edward H^wlte. that, on the day m Question, Captain Dudley*, being on shore at Gape Const Castle,- a British possession,. Kent off his barge +o , J,teutena)i+..; Gouehnyan. ordering him to, fiend (\ he cutter with the bor. xswain of the ship on hoard Wnat . nip-ht. v . ' {"'onchn^an, hnwpTpr, directly orderp'rf the barge to be hoisted m, and the- hoatswain. to turn all hands on to." the quart ?r-declc. This older be-

rag complied) witKv Coucbmaa then tame from Ms cabia wielding a swords andi addressimc the assemble* men* said, "Kere I am, <Jod damin me, I will stand* by you wMle I fra,ve i a drop of Wood m msy body." He was acconrapanied by John Morgan, .the second lieutenant of nmrines, Thomas Klnight (ithe carpen*er)-. Joha Place (the carpenter's mate, a principal actor), and about ftihir'ty seamen with cutlasses. They ! then gave three huzzas, a-nd, threw? ' tlu-ir hats o-verboar4 ; damninic old I h«ts v and saying . that they would ; SOOISf GET NEW ONES.

Couchaman next sent lor "Wiaket, to know if he would stand by hinu send go . with him. But the boatswain replied, "Na/V and ' -added, '''For Gtod's sake, sir, be ruled by reason, and consider what you are about." Coachman at this threatened to put the speaker m irons if he did not join with him, but the boatswain toid him tba-t he never would 'be m such piratical designs, and was imr .mediately ordered into custody, two sentinels being; placed over ham. Couchman soon after sent for Gotham, the mate of the ship ; but G-il-ham also refusing to join hint, he was put into custody with five or six others. They were confined, howover, only five' or six hours ; for, m the middle of the night, Oouchiman sent for them, took them into tire great cabiii, desired them to s»t and drink ptmoh, and then dismrissfi them.

The next day the boatswain "was invited to dinner by the new com mander, who b^gan , to rail at Captain Dudley and proposed to thrboatswain to sign a paner. Thi* was refused, and the boatswain indifmantly quitted th,e cabin. As h* o!H so, b<e tlvourfit of the ship's gimner. who had taken no part m t>\tr mutiny,- >a,pd the boatswain resolve to interview him. Afterwards hf learned \ the gunner had still twenty •pistols at his disnosal. and eventually if I ' was dr^rTr>nrer! that' -an effort- should be made, nfter darknc*"' had set. m. to recover the shin FROM THE MUTINEERS.

When evening drew on, the boatswain proceeded to sound the ship's company,, and soon found about thirty of the seamen, besides the m-ates, gunners' mates, an.d coxswain of the barge, ready to aid m the matter!' Taking the command on himself, the boatswain took steps' to <ret up all the irons or bilboes on the forecastle. Next he sent for ihr twenty pistols, and saw that they were all loaded. Then three : men were ordered to sta.ml by the grand magazine aft. The remainder of the volunteers, h.p.vim* no pistol,

told to stay by the bilboes, and secure so many prisoners as should be sent to them.

This disposition being made, the boatswain, Roger Winket. went directly on the deck, and divided his ,small company into two parties, one ■of which, roing down the amain hatch, and the other down the fore hatcli<way, theys soon secured! eleven* or twelve OP THE RINGLEADERS,

and; sent them up atiietlv- to the fore[castle. The two parties then joined. :and proceeded immediately to the .great cabin, where ' they- secured Douohman and -Morgan,, with the carpenter, whom they ironed and conifined m different parts of the vessel. ! Drink evidently was the downfall of the muliineers, as had they been wary and well-prepared to enforce their commands, their capitulation could not have been brought about so easily/. The Chesterfield l>ein« thus secured, Captain .Dudley again boarded her, and resumed command.

All sail was got on the ship, ami she stood away m She direction) of Britain, arriving shere. m due course, and handing; over the mutineers to the naval authorities.. A courtnuartial having found them garilty of the crimes imputed to them, they ■were sentenoed to be shot, and m the following June they met their fate. Boatswain Winket was afterwards rewarded for Ms services by betas: appointed to the sinecure position- of nraster-attendscfffc at WoorwicS" Dockyard, at the salary of £300 per year..