tain); who, after weighing the circumstances, sent for the offender, and ordered him to walk the quarter-deck, with a shouldered musket, as a slight and summary punishment, to which he was induced by a prepossession in his favor, and a consequent wish to preserve him from degradation, and severe corporal punishment, which must have been the result, if the steps authorized by the service had been strictly adopted. This order the serjeant, in a peremptory and insulting manner, repeatedly refused to obey. What temper, however stoical, could withstand so flagrant a breach of all rules of discipline, in the eyes of a whole ship’s company? Lieutenant Gamage became violently enraged, and ran below for a sword, certainly not with any intent to use it fatally, but to intimidate, and enforce obedience to his orders. When he came again on deck, which was instantaneously, the serjeant had so far complied as to hold the musket in his hands. Gamage struck it with the sword, expressed his indignation at the subversive conduct of the marine, and ordered him to walk about. He shouldered arms, and appeared to comply, upon which the lieutenant returned his sword to its sheath, and was in the act of walking away, when, in the same instant, the serjeant threw the musket down, and, with a loud oath, asserted his determination to persist in his disobedience. Gamage became infuriated again, drew the sword, and made a short thrust. The consequence was fatal. The weapon, taking an upward direction, entered the body of the unfortunate man, and occasioned his almost immediate death.
Words cannot express the dreadful and torturing emotions which, at the awful moment, racked the heart of Lieutenant Gamage: he remained fixed to the spot, and gazing, in all the agony of unutterable grief on the terrific scene before him, whilst in his attitude and countenance, the terrible conflict of contending passions, the yearnings of pity and remorse, which swelled his bosom almost to breaking, were depicted in the strongest manner. When he recovered himself sufficiently to speak, he called the brig’s crew together, expressed his deep contrition at the sad act he had committed, and surrendered himself to justice, by giving up the command to the second lieutenant.
