Not One Shred of Decency

by Bob Brown

  Mackenzie paused, then began in measured cadence, “There will likely be an inquiry into the circumstances of the rebellious act of Spencer, Cromwell, and Small. If there is, you gentlemen may be asked to testify as to your recollections of the event. Therefore it behooves us not to discuss the details of the incident with anyone, including your families. It will reflect adversely on our cruise if the slant of your testimony varies from individual to individual. It might be worthwhile for you to have a little informal discussion amongst yourselves to insure that you have a sameness of mind on this matter. Of course in the main that is: Spencer led Cromwell, Small, and a few others into an ill-conceived plan to murder the officers and take command of the Somers. These three men so inflamed some twenty others that even after their arrest, the safety of the officers and most of the younger crew was in serious jeopardy. At my request, a council of officers diligently searched for solutions to this dilemma. After prolonged deliberations they had no choice but to recommend that Spencer, Cromwell, and Small be hanged, since it was obvious the Somers might not return safely to New York otherwise.” Mackenzie paused again. “Does anyone here have a view different from that?”

  With barely a moment for anyone to speak if they wished, Mackenzie continued, “Your dedication to duty and fairness while serving on the council of officers has not gone unnoticed. I intend to see that you all get promotions as soon as possible. Of course such promotions might be misconstrued if they take place before the inquiry.”

  He folded his arms and appeared satisfied that he had covered all he intended to say. “I wish you all a long and successful career in the U. S. Navy. Thank you, you are dismissed.” He promptly walked to the ladder and left the officers sitting quietly.

  Matthew Perry smiled slightly but wrinkles creased his forehead. He got up and climbed the ladder also.

  “How long do you suppose an inquiry will take and we’ll get our promotions?” Rogers asked, to no one in particular.

  Leecock said, “It won’t matter to me because I’m getting out this navy just as soon as I can after we hit shore.”

  Hieskill said, “Me too.”

  The others did not comment.

  Ganse withdrew to his own thoughts of promotion. He wondered if he would be reassigned to be captain of his own ship. He would command a ship a lot differently than Mackenzie. This would be his chance to start a fresh career. He could do it, he was sure he could do it. His insensible gaze settled on a spot on the blackened deck planks. His eyes widened as a vision faded in  the tip of a colorless cutlass impaled a plank  a molasses like gray mess oozed down the cutlass and spread onto the grimy plank.

  **********

  Ganse had just resolved a conflict that had raged in his head for hours. He waited until everyone had gone topside. He looked at his clinched fist and slowly opened it to reveal a key. He knew it was wrong, but what really was the harm in it? After looking again to see that no one was coming, he unlocked Spencer’s locker, quickly grabbed a bottle of rum and slipped it under his belt where it would be concealed under his jacket. He closed Spencer’s locker, pulled the bottle cork, gulped a quick swig of rum and stored the bottle in his own locker. He shuddered as the rum burned a path down his throat. It still tasted strong and bitter but he had developed a craving for it and it did calm him down. This was the third time he had raided Spencer’s rum. The first two times it was just for a quick swig, but this time he had sinned with commitment and had taken the whole bottle. He reasoned that Spencer was not there to drink it so it would only go to waste anyway. He had purposely not purchased a plentiful supply of rum while in St. Thomas with the honest intention of quitting when his supply ran out. This had proven to be not so easy to do, and thus he was now driven to steal. Everything would be different when they arrived in New York. He would have lots of things to occupy him and then it would be easy to wean himself of the rum habit. He opened his locker again and took one more swig before going topside.

  CHAPTER 27

  Shortly before eight bells the Somers quietly slipped into New York Harbor and dropped anchor on the dark winter night of Wednesday, December 14, 1842. Bell clangs with different tones from ships near and far pierced the fog laden air of the harbor to announce the time of eight bells. Oars splashing the water could be heard through the fog, then gradually a small boat became visible working its way toward the wharf. Four sailors maneuvered the boat to let two officers climb a ladder nailed to some piers and they quickly faded into the New York shadows. Sailors’ curses submerged in the fog echoed back to the wharf as the men rowed back to the Somers.

  Most of the major newspapers routinely reported on harbor traffic. The next morning on page 3 of the Courier and Enquirer a brief story had the headline, “All Men And Officers In Excellent Health After The U. S. Somers Cruise.” The story proceeded to describe real or imaginary bits of information about Liberia, but did not describe any activities aboard the Somers because no one had been interviewed yet. Obviously the temptation to assume that all had gone as planned was irresistible for a weary late night reporter. Later he would be sternly chastised for failure to verify his facts.

  **********

  The morning after the Somers arrived in New York, four seamen rowed Mackenzie close enough to a wharf for him to climb a ladder and disappear. The seamen then returned to the Somers. Before leaving Mackenzie instructed Ganse to have the four prisoners in irons on the spar deck released but restricted to remain on board the Somers until he gave further instructions. The weather was cold and the prisoners had become slovenly with their sail canvasses, canteen plates and cups scattered all around. Mackenzie no longer considered them a threat and he was disgusted with the way they were sprawled on the deck all the time.

  He walked to Commodore Perry’s headquarters. He had not had a chance to request a meeting but he knew that Perry would be anxious to see him anyway. He knocked on Perry’s door.

  Apparently Perry had been close inside the door for it opened immediately. There was a young midshipman with him. “Mackenzie! Am I glad to see you. Come in.” He turned to the midshipman and said, “That’ll be all for now, Mr. Washburn.” The young man appeared to be in awe of Mackenzie and also seemed to be reluctant to leave. He backed out of the door, still looking at Mackenzie.

  Perry closed the door and motioned for Mackenzie to have a seat. “Washburn was just repeating the most fantastic rumor he’d heard about the Somers. Now you can give me the real story.”

  “Your man could not possibly know anything for I’ve only allowed two officers to leave the Somers and they’re on special assignment and ordered not to talk to anyone. Those two officers are your sons, Matthew and Oliver.”

  “Matthew and Oliver? How are they?”

  “They are fine, sir.”

  “Good. Tell me what’s going on? Why the secrecy? How was the training cruise?”

  “The training cruise was very successful. However, we did have a problem about two weeks ago. Philip Spencer and two others recruited about twenty men to take the Somers by force . . .”

  “Washburn tried to tell me that, but I thought he was wrong, for he had heard that you had a crew of four hundred and I knew that couldn’t be. Tell me all about it.”

  Mackenzie spent the next thirty minutes explaining about the mutiny attempt and why it became necessary to hang Spencer, Cromwell, and Small. He would have finished sooner but Perry interrupted him frequently to clarify certain points. Finally Mackenzie explained that Matthew Perry was on his way to Washington to break the news to John and Elizabeth Spencer. Oliver Perry was assigned to find Cromwell’s wife and Small’s mother and inform them of the demise of their loved ones.

  Perry leaned back, exasperated. “This is so unexpected  and disappointing. It’ll cast a large shadow on our efforts to establish a training ship.”

  “Perhaps not, sir. When everyone learns the true story, they’ll know that we did what was necessary and they’ll honor us for our devotion to duty.”

&n
bsp; “It won’t work that way, Mackenzie. If it’d been anyone other than Philip Spencer, you might be right. I’ll support you, and I expect Upshur will support you, but John Spencer will be furious and he has lots of supporters in Congress and elsewhere. I don’t know about President Tyler, he’ll bend to the political winds. Did you bring a written report?”

  Mackenzie straightened in his chair, ran his hand inside his jacket and produced several sheets of crumpled paper. With one hand he held them against his chest and gave them a quick press with the other hand.

  Perry unfolded the papers and smoothed them again on his desk. Before reading them he counted the pages. “Is this a summary?”

  “That’s my report.” Mackenzie smiled.

  “Three pages! Three men! One page per man? Come now, Mackenzie, I’ve written longer reports than this explaining a broken spar.”

  Mackenzie smiled, “After the hangings we were very busy. I didn’t have much time.”

  Perry frowned and began reading the papers. When finished, he laid the report on his desk and stared at them. He nervously patted the desk top. He reached for his tobacco and pressed a measured amount into his pipe. Mackenzie sat calmly with a fixed smile, not a big smile, but a smile nonetheless. After striking a match and creating billows of smoke, Perry looked up and pointed his pipe at Mackenzie. “Let me tell you what you are up against. John Spencer has spent his entire life as a meticulous, disciplined attorney. He will demand to know every breath that was taken, who did the breathing, and what time of day they breathed. This report will enflame him, for he’ll think you have taken his son’s life as of no more value than a spit in a bucket.”

  “There’s not a whole lot more I could add. As for Spencer, he was the mutineer, not me. It was our lives or his, and I’m thankful we’re alive and he’s dead.”

  “I can appreciate how you feel, but this situation can get out of hand if not handled properly. Besides, you have some tough things to explain.”

  “Such as?”

  “You did not give the prisoners a chance to defend themselves and you summarily hanged them with only ten minutes notice. . .”

  “They were consummate liars. Their testimony would have been worthless, and the crew was agitated and belligerent. We had to hang them without notice to prevent a bloody revolt.”

  “That may be, but you need to write a more detailed report with emphasis on justifying every action.”

  “Since when is a captain not master of his vessel. When at sea, I’m supreme commander. My word is my bond. If I say my actions were justified, then that should be enough.”

  “That might be enough any other time, but this time the Secretary of War’s son was hanged.”

  “You and Upshur, Secretary of the Navy, are who I report to. You make it sound as if I need a report for Spencer. He is Secretary of War. I owe him nothing.”

  Outwardly Mackenzie seemed as calm as he might if they were discussing the weather, but Perry must have found Mackenzie’s words caustic. “Mackenzie, you’ll get your dander up at your peril. You must believe me, if this matter isn’t handled with utmost finesse, it’ll explode in your face. Indeed, all our faces, and it could scuttle our hopes for a training ship. Direct your report to Upshur, of course, but Spencer will read your report and he must be convinced that your actions were justified. If you don’t, there’ll be hell to pay.”

  “All right, I’ll scan my logs and notes to see if there is more.”

  “Do more than scan. Go back to the Somers and write a thorough report from beginning to end.” He started to return Mackenzie’s report, then pulled it back. “I’ll have a yeoman copy this before sending it on to Secretary Upshur. I will deliver it as a summary report and say that a complete report is forthcoming.”

  Mackenzie’s face was inscrutable. He assumed the meeting was over and started to stand up.

  Perry asked, “Agreed?”

  After a second, Mackenzie nodded.

  “I’m anxious to see my sons. Will you tell them to come see us as soon as they are relieved from duty?”

  “I will. Oliver is free to go now, but Matthew will be free after he returns from Washington. He should be back soon.”

  “Don’t forget, full report.”

  Mackenzie nodded as he buttoned his jacket and shut the door on the way out.

  Perry sat at his desk and rubbed his neck. Then he sucked on his pipe furiously until it began to burn his tongue. Mackenzie’s complacency must have baffled him. He had hoped for a celebration when the Somers returned, certainly not cause for a confrontation with John Spencer, the Secretary of War.

  CHAPTER 28

  The servants had been dismissed for the day so John Spencer went to see who had pulled the door knocker. He held a glass-enclosed candle high to see his visitor better and quizzically inquired, “Perry? Matthew Perry? From the Somers?”

  Perry removed his hat. “Yes sir.”

  John looked over Perry’s shoulder to peer into the darkness. “Philip? My son, Philip? Is he not with you?”

  “I’m afraid not, sir.”

  “Come in, come in. You are Commodore Perry’s son, Oliver Hazard Perry’s grandson, aren’t you?”

  “He was my Uncle, sir.”

  “Oh, sorry. I’m very anxious to hear all about your cruise.” Spencer, dressed in a comfortable smoking jacket, led Perry through the unheated hall to his study and shut the door. He set the candle on a table. A fireplace warmed the study in noticeable contrast to the cold hall. On Spencer’s desk a whale oil lamp highlighted a partly finished letter he had been writing. “I assume that you have just recently arrived in New York?” he asked.

  “That is right, sir. At Captain Mackenzie’s request, I came straight to Washington. This is my first stop.”

  “Please, have a seat. Has Captain Mackenzie gone to report to Commodore Perry or Secretary Upshur?”

  Since Spencer was still standing, Perry remained standing. “I think he will tomorrow, sir. It is my duty to bring you some very unpleasant news.”

  Spencer stood erect and waited for Perry to continue. Philip, in trouble again, his chest filled with dread. He did not want to hear yet another report of Philip’s misdeeds  but he must.

  “Your son, Philip, and two others, lost their lives at sea.”

  Spencer’s shoulders sagged. He leaned slightly forward and placed his hands far apart on his desk and slowly sank to his chair. For once he had to search for words. Trouble he expected, but not death. He continued haltingly, “You had a skirmish at sea? Did Philip fight bravely  did he die courageously? Tell me the particulars.”

  “It grieves me to report that Philip and the other two men organized about twenty men to murder the officers and take command of the Somers. They intended to convert it into a pirate ship.”

  “What! Philip, a mutineer, a pirate? I can’t believe this.”

  “It’s true sir.”

  Spencer fell back in his chair. He looked at Perry at length, then down at the unfinished letter, he picked it up, but not to read, then he dropped it back to the desk. He moaned, “Oh Philip, how could you? How terrible.” Then after a few moments, “My wife’s health is failing  how can I ever tell her about this?” He raised his head and looked directly at Perry. “Tell me, how did it happen, how did he die?”

  Perry sat down and placed his hat in his lap. “The three leaders were apprehended, but since the Somers doesn’t have a brig, Captain Mackenzie was forced to place them in irons on the spar deck. This left them exposed to keep the other mutineers agitated. The officers were the only men whose loyalty was assured, so they had to man the ship and also guard the prisoners. After a few days the officers were exhausted and it became obvious we would be overwhelmed before we could reach the next port. After Captain Mackenzie consulted with the officers, he ordered that the three leaders be executed.”

  “Oh Philip, my son, my son.” He inhaled and exhaled loudly, “And how was he executed.”

  “They were hanged from
the yardarm, sir.”

  “Oh my! And buried at sea?”

  “Yes sir.”

  “Did he die bravely, Mr. Perry?”

  “Absolutely, sir.”

  “This is such a shock, I don’t know what to ask …I … No one in my family has ever died in disgrace before.”

  “I’m sorry, sir.”

  “Tell me everything, Mr. Perry.”

  “Captain Mackenzie instructed me to inform you that Midshipman Spencer confessed his guilt and agreed that his punishment was fair. Your son’s last request was for you and your wife to forgive him for the heartache and disgrace his actions have brought to the Spencer name.”

  “Did he write this request? Do you have it with you?”

  “No sir, I believe your son was too distraught to write. I think Captain Mackenzie took some notes. I do believe Philip was truly remorseful, sir. I think he was particularly concerned for what this would do to his mother.”

  Spencer swallowed, “Anything else?”

  “I’ll answer any questions you may have to the best of my ability, sir.”

  Spencer slowly straightened in his seat and then stood up. Perry also rose. Now erect with a stern expression, Spencer said, “I’ll expect Captain Mackenzie’s full report on my desk tomorrow, Mr. Perry.”

  “Due to traveling time I suspect that it’ll be quite impossible to deliver it to you that soon, but rest assured that I’ll deliver your request to Captain Mackenzie with the utmost dispatch, sir.”