Tim Murphy's Reviews > Sailing the Graveyard Sea: The Deathly Voyage of the Somers, the U.S. Navy's Only Mutiny, and the Trial That Gripped the Nation

Very interesting historical story of the US Navy’s only mutiny—or at least that’s how it was recorded. This is the story of The USS Somers, a brand new (at the time) small fighting brig of the US Navy in 1942. After a short shakedown crew, the captain, Alexander Slidell MacKenzie, brought on a permanent crew which included a young, pugnacious midshipmen, Philip Spencer, who happened to be the son of the US Secretary of War at the time. MacKenzie hanged Spencer and two “accomplices” during the first cruise on the charge of mutiny. The book recounts the events that led up to their hanging and the aftermath, including the Navy’s investigation of the incident and subsequent court-martial of MacKenzie which ended in his acquittal. It’s a fascinating story and excellent read.

The story does offer cautionary tales on two accounts. The first is the folly of sweeping under the rug the discontent of a famous father’s progeny. Spencer had exhibited disquiet and trouble in pervious Navy service that ought to have disqualified him from sailing with the Sumers, or at the very minimum resulted in serious corrective action. But because his father was a famous, politician, his supervisors chose simply to kick that can down the road, directly resulting into the Somer’s tragic tale.

The other is the severe temptation that results from absolute power. There is, perhaps, no greater unchecked power over people than that of a ship’s captain on the high seas, and particularly if the ship is a military ship. This was true to a far greater extent in the navies of the 18th and 19th centuries than it is today. MacKenzie was a severe taskmaster, far too free with the lash, and, at the whiff of a mutiny brewing, arrested, convicted and sentenced to death three men of his command, all without any opportunity for a trial, even aboard ship: just MacKenzie as arresting officer, judge and jury. We each have but one life, and the power of a single person to decide to snuff it out on his own judgement is unjust, a very sad tale and forever besmirched the reputation of the Somers and Captain MacKenzie.

The book is an interesting read, and excellent study in personalities that impact history. Well worth the time.