came to the assistance of
his brother officer, and got a pair of damaged eyes for his
interference. The drunken company, who were really the proper
subjects for punishment, now sided with Whalen, and loaded their
guns with the avowed intention of shooting all the officers if they
again attempted to take him. In the _melee_ that followed, one of
the officers shot Whalen, but the ball glanced from his forehead,
leaving only a red line on the skin, and he was soon on his feet.
He used no weapon but his fist; but he knocked the officers down as
fast as they approached. Reinforcements now arrived for the
officers. Colonel Walker, seeing that a general mutiny was imminent,
ordered out two batteries of light artillery and two companies of
infantry. The guns were placed so as to sweep the camp of the
mutineers, and they were summoned to surrender. They had intrenched
themselves behind a large mass of rock, whence it would have been
difficult to dislodge them without serious loss of life. After some
deliberation, they agreed to surrender if they were allowed to
retain their arms and return to duty. This proposition was of course
rejected, and the guns were double-shotted with grape, and a second
summons to surrender sent to them. This time they obeyed and threw
down their arms, which were secured, and they were soon strongly
guarded. I was detailed the same evening, with a number of others,
to guard these mutineers. During the night a fight occurred between
one of the mutineers and a prisoner in the guard-house. I interfered
between them, and was handsomely whipped by both of them. This was
too much for any one to stand, and seizing a gun from a sentinel I
pinned one of them to the wall of the guard-house with the bayonet,
and the other was bound by the guard. I now released the man I had
pinned to the wall, and was glad to find that he was only slightly
wounded in the side. He was also ironed and confined in the
black-hole.

Fourteen of these mutineers were tried in a few days by a general
court-martial. Whalen was sentenced to death. Four of the others
were sentenced to wear a ball and chain for a month, and lose six
months' pay. Three of these being non-commissioned officers were
publicly degraded, and put into the ranks. The remainder were
sentenced to wear a ball and chain for a month, and lose three
months' pay. Whalen's sentence was to have been carried out a month
from the time he was tried; but as there was a strong