Midshipman William W. Feltus

William W. Feltus,Served as Midshipman on board "Essex" under then under command of Commodore. David Porter in the War of 1812;

Not much is known before Midshipman Feltus joined the elite "Bluecoats" of the American Navy at the tender age of 13. He was the son of Martha Feltus (Ryan) and Reverend Henry James Feltus. The Captain of the Essex, David Porter went rouge with his small fleet operating as if privateers. The adventures of the Essex are very well documented with the Diary of young Feltus contributing to a great deal of it. It was an exciting and harrowing journey full of fantastic adventure. Almost unbelievable, Reading like a novel written by Herman Melville or Robert Louis Stevenson. It all ended in tragedy for young Feltus. In the midst of a mutiny Feltus and several sailors were set adrift landing on the beach of a nearby island they were immediately murdered by the natives. The Midshipman's courage and commitment have lead him to become an idyllic sailor and martyr to the U.S, Navy. His diaries have been researched time and again through the centuries.

It was through a narrative of daily occurrences on board, sea battles with British warships, chase and capture of pirates, privateers, and merchant vessels, and accounts of encounters with savage tribes on the Marquesas Islands in the Pacific.

Enlisted, U. S. Navy, Sept., 1811:

Among those massacred by natives at Marquesas Islands, Pacific Ocean. This after put adrift being marooned at sea along with his Captain and mate. Wounded and tortured by mutineers.

His logbook of the voyage, long in possession of the family of Henry James Feltus,. Is now de-
posited with the Historical Society of Philadelphia, Pa.

See

"Journal of a Cruise in the Pacific,

• by Capt. David Porter

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Another account of the tragedy;

Wm. Feltus, a midshipman in the Navy, of great promise. This young man, at his own urgent request, had been entrusted to the care of the late Lieut. Col. Gamble, who was attached to Commodore Porler's command in the South Seas.

After the capture of a number of prizes, the Commodore sailed in the Essex from the Marquesas Islands, leaving Col. Gamble in charge of four of
the captured vessels. A few days afier, the men mutinied, and gained possession of one of the prizes, a heavy armed ship, called the Seringapolam, and detained Col. G. who had been severely wounded in the conflict, and midshipmen Feltus and Clapp, as prisoners, until 10 o'clock at night, and then set them adrift in a leaky boat

By great exertions, however, Col. Gamble and his young companions succeeded in reaching the shore between two and three o'clock in the morning, but
they had scarcely set their feet upon land, before they were attacked by the savages, when young Feltus, and three others who had not joined in the mutiny, were killed.

The circumstance is thus alluded to in Col. Gamble's Journal :

" Let any man of sensibility judge what my feelings are at this moment-but two days since, they were put to the torture by a mutiny, and now to have a youth of sixteen whom I tenderly lovcd, and who possessed every qualification, necessary to command respect and esteem, united with a great ambition to become a profcient in his profession, which he had already so far accomplished as to excite the admiration of
every naval officer who knew him, cut off by cannibals, and that, too, at a moment when he was most dear to me, is a trial so agonizing as to render life almost a burden. It will not appear strange that I should have formed a brotherly affection for a young man placed under my immediate care by his own request, whose mind was adorned with erery virtue, and in whom I
placed the most implicit confidence at all times, there being a cordial attachment l and a wish on his part to execute all orders with cheerfulness, and even to anticipate my wishes. He was an acquisition to the
service, an ornament to his parents, and deserved a better fate, but it is the will of Providence,-I can truly say, I loved him tenderly.'

• https://archive.org/details/feltusfamilybook00felt/page/56/mode/2up

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Information compiled by Robert William Moon Jr.