The Curse of the Somers: The Secret History behind the U.S. Navy's Most Infamous Mutiny

233 Pages·2022·18.487 MB·English

by  James P. Delgado

i
THE CURSE
OF THE SOMERS
ii
iii
The Curse of the Somers
The Secret History behind the U.S.
Navy’s Most Infamous Mutiny
James P. Delgado
iv
Oxford University Press is a department of the University of Oxford. It furthers
the University’s objective of excellence in research, scholarship, and education
by publishing worldwide. Oxford is a registered trade mark of Oxford University
Press in the UK and certain other countries.
Published in the United States of America by Oxford University Press
198 Madison Avenue, New York, NY 10016, United States of America.
© James P. Delgado 2023
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in
a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, without the
prior permission in writing of Oxford University Press, or as expressly permitted
by law, by license, or under terms agreed with the appropriate reproduction
rights organization. Inquiries concerning reproduction outside the scope of the
above should be sent to the Rights Department, Oxford University Press, at the
address above.
You must not circulate this work in any other form
and you must impose this same condition on any acquirer.
Library of Congress Control Number: 2022943851
ISBN 978– 0–1 9– 757522– 2
DOI: 10.1093/o so/ 9780197575222.001.0001
1 3 5 7 9 8 6 4 2
Printed by Sheridan Books, Inc., United States of America
v
To George and Joel Belcher
vi
What’s past is prologue, what to come, in yours and my
discharge.
Shakespeare, The Tempest, Act 2, Scene 1
vii
CONTENTS
List of Illustrations | ix
Preface | xi
Acknowledgments | xix
Introduction: The First of December 1842 | 1
1. Philip Spencer | 7
2. An Unlucky Ship | 31
3. A Sailor’s Life for Me | 55
4. A Fatal Cruise | 72
5. A Hanging | 94
6. Controversy and Inquiry | 115
7. “Damn Bad Luck Follows” | 137
8. Legacies | 157
Epilogue | 168
NOTES | 179
BIBLIOGRAPHY | 193
INDEX | 205
vii
viii
ix
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS
Map: The Ill- Fated Voyage of the U.S. Brig Somers, 1842 xvii
1.1 John Canfield Spencer 11
1.2 Philip Spencer 19
1.3 USS North Carolina at the Brooklyn Navy Yard 25
2.1 The ideal of a heroic U.S. Navy: Stephen Decatur
at Tripoli 34
2.2 The destruction of USS Intrepid off Tripoli 35
2.3 Richard Somers 36
2.4 Alexander Slidell Mackenzie 41
2.5 The rough-a nd- tumble New York of the era 51
3.1 Abel Upshur, Secretary of the Navy 62
3.2 A “boy sailor” of the U.S. Navy in a period
advertisement 67
3.3 Commodore Matthew Calbraith Perry 69
4.1 The “sweepings of the streets” of New York, less than
a century after Somers’ voyage. Some things did
not change. 74
4.2 Flogging a man on USS Cyane, 1842– 1843 81
4.3 The anti- slavery patrol in action: the U.S.
brig Perry captures the slaver Martha 87
ix