Battle of Drummond's Island
Encyclopedia
The Battle of Drummond's Island occurred during the American
exploring expedition
in April 1841 at Tabiteuea
, then known as Drummond's Island. After an attack by native warriors on the United States Navy
sloop
USS Peacock
, the Americans decided on exacting redress for the incident, which they succeeded in doing.
William L. Hudson
when Commander
Charles Wilkes
ordered him to explore Drummond's Island, so named after a member of the expedition. Around this time Lieutenant Hudson learned from a member of his crew that a merchant ship had wrecked on a reef
off the island northwest coast years before. Most of the crew were massacred except a "white woman" and a child who were supposed to still be living on the there. So on April 6, the Peacock anchored off Utirod on Drummond's island and he went ashore with the Scientific Corps
and a few navy officers, as well as the detatchement of marines. At first the natives were described as peaceful and they led the Americans to their village center. Tabiteuea means "land of no chiefs" in Gilbertese
and the natives themselves practiced egalitarianism
which meant the Americans had no chief
, or leader, to consult with. Utirod was said to be where the massacre had taken place so other than studying the flora and fauna of the island, Hudson wanted to inquire about the shipwreck and the stranded woman and child. The natives spoke nothing of the incident but "parts of the vessel was found" inside the village's huts though most of the buildings were deemed off limits.
After several hours the Americans returned to their ship but returned the following afternoon of April 7. All was fine until Lieutenant Hudson and his men were on their way back to the Peacock when they noticed that a member of the procession, Seaman
Jno Anderson, was missing. A search was made and went unnoticed by the Gilbertese who appeared to be arming themselves with swords, spears and other weapons. Eventually the search was discontinued and the Americans began boarding their gig
and four armed boats
. Just then the natives tried to surround the sailors and marines, throwing rocks and waving their swords and spears as the boats shoved off. No one was harmed in the affair and Lieutenant Hudson decided to wait for Jno Anderson until April 9, by which time the small schooner
Flying Fish
arrived.
at the mass of warriors. He then ordered his men to begin volley fire and devastated the natives according to the Peacocks log book. A little while later the natives "fled to the bush" so the American vessels pulled in closer to shore, within "pistol shot" range. Then the landing was made.
The Gilbertese were not gone for long, many returned to defend their villages and they unsuccessfully skirmished with Americans for hours. When all the buildings of Utirod were burned, Walker and his men moved on to another nearby village and destroyed it as well. They then tried to inquire about the shipwrecked survivors but again nothing was uncovered so Lieutenant Walker led his men back to the boats. There were no American combat casualties but the armed boats were damaged in some way during the action and they were repaired aboard USS Peacock as she sailed to rejoin Commander Wilkes in the sloop-of-war USS Vincennes
with the Flying Fish in company. Twelve islanders were killed in the fighting and others were wounded. Later during the expedition, the Peacock sank without loss of life in July 1841 while sailing the Columbia River
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
exploring expedition
United States Exploring Expedition
The United States Exploring Expedition was an exploring and surveying expedition of the Pacific Ocean and surrounding lands conducted by the United States from 1838 to 1842. The original appointed commanding officer was Commodore Thomas ap Catesby Jones. The voyage was authorized by Congress in...
in April 1841 at Tabiteuea
Tabiteuea
Tabiteuea is an atoll in the Gilbert Islands, Kiribati, south of Tarawa. The atoll consists of two main islands: Eanikai in the north, Nuguti in the south, and several smaller islets in between along the eastern rim of the atoll. The atoll has a total land area of 38 km², while the lagoon measures...
, then known as Drummond's Island. After an attack by native warriors on the United States Navy
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
sloop
Sloop-of-war
In the 18th and most of the 19th centuries, a sloop-of-war was a warship with a single gun deck that carried up to eighteen guns. As the rating system covered all vessels with 20 guns and above, this meant that the term sloop-of-war actually encompassed all the unrated combat vessels including the...
USS Peacock
USS Peacock (1813)
The first USS Peacock was a sloop-of-war in the United States Navy during the War of 1812.Peacock was authorized by Act of Congress 3 March 1813, laid down 9 July 1813 by Adam & Noah Brown at the New York Navy Yard, and launched 19 September 1813. She served in the War of 1812, capturing twenty ships...
, the Americans decided on exacting redress for the incident, which they succeeded in doing.
Background
The USS Peacock was under the command of LieutenantLieutenant
A lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer in many nations' armed forces. Typically, the rank of lieutenant in naval usage, while still a junior officer rank, is senior to the army rank...
William L. Hudson
William L. Hudson
Captain William Levereth Hudson, USN was a United States Navy officer in the first half of the 19th century.-Career:Hudson was born 11 May 1794 in Brooklyn...
when Commander
Commander (United States)
In the United States, commander is a military rank that is also sometimes used as a military title, depending on the branch of service. It is also used as a rank or title in some organizations outside of the military, particularly in police and law enforcement.-Naval rank:In the United States...
Charles Wilkes
Charles Wilkes
Charles Wilkes was an American naval officer and explorer. He led the United States Exploring Expedition, 1838-1842 and commanded the ship in the Trent Affair during the American Civil War...
ordered him to explore Drummond's Island, so named after a member of the expedition. Around this time Lieutenant Hudson learned from a member of his crew that a merchant ship had wrecked on a reef
Reef
In nautical terminology, a reef is a rock, sandbar, or other feature lying beneath the surface of the water ....
off the island northwest coast years before. Most of the crew were massacred except a "white woman" and a child who were supposed to still be living on the there. So on April 6, the Peacock anchored off Utirod on Drummond's island and he went ashore with the Scientific Corps
Office of Naval Research
The Office of Naval Research , headquartered in Arlington, Virginia , is the office within the United States Department of the Navy that coordinates, executes, and promotes the science and technology programs of the U.S...
and a few navy officers, as well as the detatchement of marines. At first the natives were described as peaceful and they led the Americans to their village center. Tabiteuea means "land of no chiefs" in Gilbertese
Gilbert Islands
The Gilbert Islands are a chain of sixteen atolls and coral islands in the Pacific Ocean. They are the main part of Republic of Kiribati and include Tarawa, the site of the country's capital and residence of almost half of the population.-Geography:The atolls and islands of the Gilbert Islands...
and the natives themselves practiced egalitarianism
Egalitarianism
Egalitarianism is a trend of thought that favors equality of some sort among moral agents, whether persons or animals. Emphasis is placed upon the fact that equality contains the idea of equity of quality...
which meant the Americans had no chief
Tribal chief
A tribal chief is the leader of a tribal society or chiefdom. Tribal societies with social stratification under a single leader emerged in the Neolithic period out of earlier tribal structures with little stratification, and they remained prevalent throughout the Iron Age.In the case of ...
, or leader, to consult with. Utirod was said to be where the massacre had taken place so other than studying the flora and fauna of the island, Hudson wanted to inquire about the shipwreck and the stranded woman and child. The natives spoke nothing of the incident but "parts of the vessel was found" inside the village's huts though most of the buildings were deemed off limits.
After several hours the Americans returned to their ship but returned the following afternoon of April 7. All was fine until Lieutenant Hudson and his men were on their way back to the Peacock when they noticed that a member of the procession, Seaman
Seaman
Seaman is one of the lowest ranks in a Navy. In the Commonwealth it is the lowest rank in the Navy, followed by Able Seaman and Leading Seaman, and followed by the Petty Officer ranks....
Jno Anderson, was missing. A search was made and went unnoticed by the Gilbertese who appeared to be arming themselves with swords, spears and other weapons. Eventually the search was discontinued and the Americans began boarding their gig
Captain's Gig
The captain's gig is a boat used on naval ships as the captain's private taxi. It is a catchall phrase for this type of craft and over the years it has gradually increased in size, changed with the advent of new technologies for locomotion, and been crafted from increasingly more durable...
and four armed boats
Boat
A boat is a watercraft of any size designed to float or plane, to provide passage across water. Usually this water will be inland or in protected coastal areas. However, boats such as the whaleboat were designed to be operated from a ship in an offshore environment. In naval terms, a boat is a...
. Just then the natives tried to surround the sailors and marines, throwing rocks and waving their swords and spears as the boats shoved off. No one was harmed in the affair and Lieutenant Hudson decided to wait for Jno Anderson until April 9, by which time the small schooner
Schooner
A schooner is a type of sailing vessel characterized by the use of fore-and-aft sails on two or more masts with the forward mast being no taller than the rear masts....
Flying Fish
USS Flying Fish (1838)
USS Flying Fish , a schooner, was formerly the New York City pilot boat Independence. Purchased by the United States Navy at New York City on 3 August 1838 and upon joining her squadron in Hampton Roads 12 August 1838 was placed under command of Passed Midshipman S. R. Knox.Assigned as a tender in...
arrived.
Battle
After it became apparent that the sailor would not return, Hudson attacked the town to administer punishment. About eighty marines and sailors under Lieutenant William M. Walker of the Marine Corps was divided into three sections and landed at daylight. Meanwhile the Peacock maneuvered into firing position off Utirod and the Flying Fish covered the landing of men in seven boats. In case the landing party was overwhelmed, the schooner would provide covering fire and rescue the survivors. Around 700 Gilbertese warriors were dancing in the jungle near the beach and as the boats pulled in, Lieutenant Walker shouted a warning to let Seaman Anderson go. The demand was ignored and the natives entered the water and headed for the boats, forcing them to retreat a little ways. After this Walker turned his boats around and opened fire with a rocketRocket
A rocket is a missile, spacecraft, aircraft or other vehicle which obtains thrust from a rocket engine. In all rockets, the exhaust is formed entirely from propellants carried within the rocket before use. Rocket engines work by action and reaction...
at the mass of warriors. He then ordered his men to begin volley fire and devastated the natives according to the Peacocks log book. A little while later the natives "fled to the bush" so the American vessels pulled in closer to shore, within "pistol shot" range. Then the landing was made.
USS Vincennes (1826)
USS Vincennes was a 703-ton Boston-class sloop of war in the United States Navy from 1826 to 1865. During her service, Vincennes patrolled the Pacific, explored the Antarctic, and blockaded the Confederate Gulf coast in the Civil War. Named for the Revolutionary War Battle of Vincennes, she was...
with the Flying Fish in company. Twelve islanders were killed in the fighting and others were wounded. Later during the expedition, the Peacock sank without loss of life in July 1841 while sailing the Columbia River
Columbia River
The Columbia River is the largest river in the Pacific Northwest region of North America. The river rises in the Rocky Mountains of British Columbia, Canada, flows northwest and then south into the U.S. state of Washington, then turns west to form most of the border between Washington and the state...
.
See also
- Punitive expeditionPunitive expeditionA punitive expedition is a military journey undertaken to punish a state or any group of persons outside the borders of the punishing state. It is usually undertaken in response to perceived disobedient or morally wrong behavior, but may be also be a covered revenge...
- First Fiji ExpeditionFirst Fiji ExpeditionThe First Fiji Expedition undertaken by the United States Navy occurred in October 1855 during the civil war on the islands. In response to the alleged arson attacks on the American commercial agent in Lautoka, Viti Levu, the navy sent a warship to demand compensation for the attack from King Seru...
- Second Fiji ExpeditionSecond Fiji ExpeditionThe Second Fiji Expedition was an 1858 United States Navy operation against the native warriors of Seru Epenisa Cakobau on the island of Waya in Fiji...
- First Sumatran Expedition
- Second Sumatran ExpeditionSecond Sumatran ExpeditionThe Second Sumatran Expedition was a punitive expedition by the United States Navy against inhabitants of the island of Sumatra. After Malay warriors or pirates had massacred the crew of the American merchant ship Eclipse, an expedition of two American warships landed a force that defeated the...
- Nukapu ExpeditionNukapu ExpeditionThe Nukapu Expedition occurred between October of 1871 and February of 1872 and was a British punitive operation in response to the murder of Bishop John Coleridge Patteson by the natives of Nukapu...