An Historical Review of the Royal Marine Corps, from its Original Institution down to the Present Era, 1803Gillespie, Alexander, Major
History
An Historical Review of the Royal Marine Corps, from its Original Institution down to the Present Era, 1803
Gillespie, Alexander, Major
Great Britain. Royal Marines -- History
Partaking of the diabolical spirit of the times, one of the most
daring and sanguinary mutinies broke out in the Hermione, on the
22d of September, that ever disgraced the Christian world. After
the most shocking barbarities exercised upon Captain Pigot, the
Officers, Marines, and loyal Seamen, who were unsuspicious of their
hellish plot, they carried the ship into the Spanish port of La
Guira, whose Governor most ingloriously refused to give her up.
An avenging power, in numberless examples, too striking to be
overlooked, has followed those traitorous murderers, and has
vindicated the justice of his injured laws. Contempt embittered
by remorse have been the inseparable companions of all those
guilty individuals. Driven from the shores where they sanguinely
anticipated nothing but recompence and applause, many of those
wretched outcasts, by retracing their steps towards their native
land, have met a certain and disgraceful doom, others unable to
bear the stings of a wounded conscience, and abhorring existence,
have precipitated their own dissolution, while the remains of
those unhappy wanderers still throw a wishful eye from, their
lurking spots, back on the soil which gave them birth, but where
a vigilant Police, that vicegerent of heaven's purposes, is ever
awake to their crimes. Even the very ship which was the theatre of
their lawless outrage, has also been involved in their accursed
destinies, for she was sometime after gallantly cut out of Porto
Cavallo, by Sir Edward Hamilton, at the head of a body of Seamen
and Marines from the Surprize, although protected by 200 heavy
cannon, and under circumstances of incredible carnage, with the
loss of only one Englishman.
A peculiar spirit of activity seemed to pervade our squadron upon
the Jamaica station, during the year 1797. Above 60 vessels of
different descriptions were taken or destroyed, under batteries
where they rode in confident security, but which were uniformly
inadequate to shelter them from determined valour. The zeal and
directing genius of Captains W. H. Ricketts, and the unfortunate
Pigot, were always well seconded by their Officers, their Sailors
and Marines.
At the eventful period when Britain was contending for the general
liberties of mankind against the most vindictive and powerful
enemies she had ever encountered, when our islands were menaced
with invasion, and treason stalked throughout our streets, she
suddenly found herself deserted by her long tried and guardian
fleets.
The turbulent demon first appeared in the garb of justice, but
after having gained its ends, he soon threw away the mask which
covered his mutinous and corrupt heart. Those liberal concessions
made by a considerate and grateful Country, appeared to stimulate,
instead of suppressing revolt, and its contaminating principles
diffused themselves over every quarter of the world.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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