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"The Peekskill riots were race riots directed against African Americans and Jews attending a civil rights benefit concertRobeson, Paul Jr. Paul Robeson: Quest For Freedom, pp. 168–169 Chapter 9 2008. that took place at Cortlandt Manor, Westchester County, New York, in 1949.Ford, Carin T. Paul Robeson: I Want to Make Freedom Ring, p. 97 Chapter 9 2008. The catalyst for the rioting was an announced concert by black singer Paul Robeson, who was well known for his strong pro-trade union stance, civil rights activism, communist affiliations, and anti-colonialism. The concert, organized as a benefit for the Civil Rights Congress, was scheduled to take place on August 27 in Lakeland Acres, just north of Peekskill.Ford, Carin T. Paul Robeson: I Want to Make Freedom Ring, p. 98 Chapter 9 2008. Paul Robeson's remarks in Paris, 1949 Robeson had given three earlier concerts in Peekskill without incident, but in recent years Robeson had been increasingly vocal against the Ku Klux Klan and other forces of white supremacy, both domestically and internationally. Robeson specifically made a transformation from someone who was primarily a singer into a political persona with a vocal support for what were at the time considered "communist" causes, including the decolonization of Africa, anti-Jim Crow legislation, and peace with the USSR.Robeson, Susan The Whole World in His Hands: A Pictorial Biography of Paul Robeson Chapter 5, The Politics of Persecution, p. 180 Robeson had also appeared before the House Committee on Un-American Activities to oppose a bill that would require communists to register as foreign agents and, just months before the concerts in 1949, he had appeared at the Soviet-sponsored World Peace Conference in Paris. Referring to the growing tensions between the USA and the USSR, he stated: > We in America do not forget that it was the backs of white workers from > Europe and on the backs of millions of blacks that the wealth of America was > built. And we are resolved to share it equally. We reject any hysterical > raving that urges us to make war on anyone. Our will to fight for peace is > strong...We shall support peace and friendship among all nations, with > Soviet Russia and the People's Republics.Robeson, Paul The undiscovered Paul > Robeson: quest for freedom, 1939–1976, pp. 142–143 2010]"Phillip S Foner, > Paul Robeson Speaks, selected speeches and writings, 1978, p. 197" What came over the wires to news agencies via the AP in the United States was as follows, > We colonial peoples have contributed to the building of the United States > and are determined to share its wealth. We denounce the policy of the United > States government which is similar to Hitler and Goebbels.... It is > unthinkable that American Negros would go to war on behalf of those who have > oppressed us for generations against the Soviet Union which in one > generation has lifted our people to full human dignity.Robeson, Paul The > undiscovered Paul Robeson: quest for freedom, 1939–1976, p. 143 2010] Research by historians would later show through time records that the AP dispatched this fabricated version on its wires as Robeson began speaking.Seton, Marie. Paul Robeson, 1958, p. 179Pages From History: Paul Robeson and the Paris Peace Conference of 1949 http://www.zikkir.com/index/188568 retrieved November 17, 2010: "What's fascinating about that dispatch is that it turns out from my research that the AP had put the dispatch on the wires as dad was stepping up on the rostrum. So, it appeared in American evening papers before he had any idea that he had been quoted like that and it was made up out of whole cloth, not quite out of whole cloth, they used bits and pieces of speeches he'd made elsewhere on this tour, stitched them together in a way that sounded like his style of speaking, added this phrase, Negroes will not fight for the United States in a war against the Soviet Union and put it on the wires. And immediately the State Department and the machinery of government here spread this Robeson has said thus and so, he's a traitor to the country and pressured black leaders to denounce him and pledge loyalty to the United States. Many did, some didn't, but it became issue number one. Paul Robeson, Communist traitor to the US." The comment was not investigated by the American press for its veracity and there was nationwide condemnation of Robeson. In the early stages of the Cold War and its accompanying wide anti-communist sentiments in the West, this statement was seen by many as very anti-American. The local paper, the Peekskill Evening Star, condemned the concert and encouraged people to make their position on communism felt, but did not directly espouse violence. The riots were explicitly racist, with the rioters shouting racist terms for African Americans and Jews, burning crosses, and lynching effigies of Robeson both in Peekskill and in other areas of the United States.Robeson, Susan The Whole World in His Hands: A Pictorial Biography of Paul Robeson Chapter 5, The Politics of Persecution, p. 182 First concert The concert, organized as a benefit for the Civil Rights Congress, was scheduled to take place on August 27 in Lakeland Acres, just north of Peekskill. Before Robeson arrived, a mob of locals attacked concert-goers with baseball bats and rocks. The local police arrived hours later and did little to intervene. Thirteen people were seriously injured, Robeson was lynched in effigy and a cross seen burning on an adjacent hillside. The concert was then postponed until September 4.Ford, Carin T. Paul Robeson: "I Want to Make Freedom Ring" Following the concert, request for Klan memberships from the Peekskill area numbered 748 persons.Robeson, Paul Jr. The Undiscovered Robeson: Quest For Freedom, pp. 169–170 Chapter 9 2008. Robeson's longtime friend and Peekskill resident, Helen Rosen, who had agreed to collect Robeson at the train station, had heard on the radio that protesters were massing at the concert grounds. Robeson drove with Rosen and two others to the concert site and saw marauding groups of youngsters, a burning cross on a nearby hill and a jeering crowd throwing rocks and chanting "Dirty Commie" and "Dirty Kikes."Duberman, Martin. Paul Robeson Peekskill, p. 365 Robeson made more than one attempt to get out of the car and confront the mob but was restrained by his friends.Ford, Carin T. Paul Robeson:I Want to Make Freedom Ring, pp. 97–98 Chapter 9, 2008. The media were flooded with reactions and charges. The Joint Veterans Council of Peekskill refused to admit any involvement, describing its activities as a "protest parade... held without disorder and... perfectly disbanded." Peekskill police officials said the picnic grounds had been outside their jurisdiction; a state police spokesman said there had never been a request for state troopers. The commander of Peekskill Post 274 of the American Legion stated: "Our objective was to prevent the Paul Robeson concert and I think our objective was reached."Duberman, Martin. Paul Robeson Peekskill, p. 366 =Meetings to protest the first riot= Following a meeting of local citizens, union members, and Robeson supporters who formed "The Westchester Committee for Law and Order", it was unanimously determined that Robeson should be invited back to perform at Peekskill. Representatives from various left wing unions - the Fur and Leather Workers, the Longshoremen and the United Electrical Workers - all agreed to converge and serve as a wall of defense around the concert grounds. Ten union men slept on the property of the Rosens, effectively guarding it. A call was then put out by the "Emergency Committee to Protest the Peekskill Riot." On Tuesday, August 30, an overflow crowd of three thousand people assembled peacefully and without incident at the Golden Gate Ballroom in Harlem to hear Robeson speak,Duberman, Martin. Paul Robeson Peekskill, p. 367 Second concert The rescheduled September 4, 1949 concert itself was free from violence, though marred by the presence of a police helicopter overhead and the flushing out of at least one sniper's nest. The concert was located on the grounds of the old Hollow Brook Golf Course in Cortlandt Manor, near the site of the original concert. Twenty thousand people showed up. Security was organized by the Communist Party and Communist dominated labor unions. The men were directed by the Communist Party and some unions to form a line around the outer edge of the concert area and were sitting with Robeson on the stage. They were there to fight any protestors who objected to Robeson's presence. They effectively kept the local police from the concert area. The musicians performed without incident. =Setlist= * Sylvia Kahn: "The Star-Spangled Banner"Blecha, Peter. Taboo Tunes: A History of Banned Bands & Censored Songs, p. 146\. Backbeat Books (San Francisco), 2004.Wilkinson, Alec. "The Protest Singer: Pete Seeger and American Folk Music" in The New Yorker . 17 April 2006. Accessed 25 January 2015. * Piano performances by Leonid Hambro and Ray LevCohen, Ronald D. Rainbow Quest: The Folk Music Revival and American Society, 1940-1970, p. 63\. University of Massachusetts Press (Amherst), 2002. including works by Chopin and Bach,Robeson, Paul Jr. The Undiscovered Paul Robeson: Quest for Freedom, 1939-1976, p. 173\. John Wiley & Sons (Hoboken), 2010. Prokofiev and RavelWilliams, Roger M. "A Rough Sunday at Peekskill" in American Heritage Magazine, Vol. XXVII, No. 3\. April 1976. Hosted at the Internet Archive. Accessed 25 January 2015. * Singing by soprano Hope FoyeReuss, Richard A. American Folk Music and Left-Wing Politics, 1927-1957, p. 227. * Pete Seeger: "T For Texas", "If I Had a Hammer", and another songFrillmann, Karen. "Today in History: Peekskill Riots". WYNC (New York), 4 September 2009. Accessed 25 January 2015. * Paul Robeson: "Go Down Moses", the English ballad "No John No", and "Farewell, My Son, I'm Dying" (, Proshchay, moy syn, umirayu...), the final aria from Boris Godunov * Appeal for funds * Paul Robeson: Seven other songs, including "America the Beautiful"Lynskey, Dorian. 33 Revolutions per Minute: A History of Protest Songs. Faber & Faber (London), 2011. and Negro spirituals ending with "Ol' Man River" Robeson's accompaniment was provided by Larry Brown.Adams, Janus. Freedom Days: 365 Inspired Moments in Civil Rights History, pp. 4 ff. Wiley, 1998. . =Aftermath= The aftermath of the concert, however, was far from peaceful. After some violence to south-going buses near the intersection of Locust Avenue and Hillside Avenue,48 Hurt In Clashes at Robeson Rally Hillside Avenue having since been renamed Oregon Road,Hillside Cemetery Info concertgoers were diverted to head northward to Oregon Corners and forced to run a gauntlet miles long of veterans and their families, who threw rocks through windshields of the cars and buses. Much of the violence was also caused by anti-Communist members of local Veterans of Foreign Wars and American Legion chapters.Robeson, Susan. Paul Robeson:The whole World in His Hands Chapter 5, The Politics of Persecution, p. 181 Standing off the angry mob of rioters chanting "go on back to Russia, you niggers" and "white niggers", some of the concertgoers and union members, along with writer Howard Fast and others assembled a non-violent line of resistance, locked arms, and sang the song "We Shall Not Be Moved." Some people were reportedly dragged from their vehicles and beaten. Over 140 people were injured and numerous vehicles were severely damaged as police stood by.Seeger, Pete. Brave Nation video; Police inaction, at 10:00 minutes in. ;Pete Seeger and Woody Guthrie One car carried Woody Guthrie, Lee Hays, Pete Seeger, Seeger's wife Toshi, and his infant children. Guthrie pinned a shirt to the inside of the window to stop it shattering. "Wouldn't you know it, Woody pinned up a red shirt," Hays was to remember.Courtney, Steve; So Long to Lee Hays. North County News, 2–8 September 1981. Seeger used some of the thrown rocks to build the chimney of his cabin in the Town of Fishkill, New York, to stand as a reminder of that incident. To Pete Seeger, It's Still the Song of the River. Reisler, Jim. New York Times, 13 June 1999. ;Eugene Bullard The first black combat pilot and decorated World War I veteran, Eugene Bullard was knocked to the ground and beaten by the mob, which included white members of state and local law enforcement. The beating was captured on film and can be seen in the 1970s documentary The Tallest Tree in Our Forest and the Oscar- winning, Sidney Poitier-narrated documentary Paul Robeson: Tribute to an Artist. Despite recorded evidence of the beating, no one was ever prosecuted for the assault. Graphic photos of Eugene Bullard being beaten by two policemen, a state trooper and concert-goer were later published in Susan Robeson's pictorial biography of her grandfather, The Whole World in His Hands: a Pictorial Biography of Paul Robeson.Robeson, Susan. Paul Robeson:The whole World in His Hands Chapter 5, The Politics of Persecution, pp. 182–183 =Protests afterwards= Following the riots, more than 300 people went to Albany to voice their indignation to Governor Thomas Dewey, who refused to meet with them, blaming communists for provoking the violence.Duberman, Martin. Paul Robeson, 1989, Peekskill, p. 367. Twenty-seven plaintiffs filed a civil suit against Westchester County and two veterans' groups. The charges were dismissed three years later. =Reactions in the U.S. House of Representatives= Following the Peekskill riots, Democratic House Representative John E. Rankin of Mississippi condemned Robeson on the house floor. When Republican New York Congressman Jacob Javits spoke to the United States House of Representatives, deploring the Peekskill riots as a violation of constitutional guarantees of freedom of speech and free assembly,Duberman, Martin. Paul Robeson, 1989, Peekskill, p. 373. Rankin replied angrily. "It was not surprising to hear the gentlemen from New York defend the Communist enclave," Rankin bellowed, saying that he wanted it known that the American people are not in sympathy "with that Nigger Communist and that bunch of Reds who went up there." On a point of order, American Labor Party House Representative Vito Marcantonio protested to House Speaker Sam Rayburn that "the gentlemen from Mississippi used the word 'nigger.' I ask that the word be taken down and stricken from the RECORD inasmuch as there are two members in this house of Negro race." Rayburn claimed that Rankin had not said "nigger" but "Negro" but Rankin yelled over him saying "I said Niggra! Just as I have said since I have been able to talk and shall continue to say."United States Congressional Record, September 21, 1949, p. 13375, Speaker Rayburn then defended Rankin, ruling that "the gentlemen from Mississippi is not subject to a point of order... referred to the Negro race and they should not be afraid of that designation."United States Congressional Record, September 21, 1949, p. 13375 Then Democratic Representative Edward E. Cox of Georgia denounced Robeson on the House floor as a "Communist agent provocateur." =Aftermath= Within a few days, hundreds of editorials and letters appeared in newspapers across the nation and abroad, by prominent individuals, organizations, trade unions, churches and others. They condemned not only the attacks but also the failure of Governor Dewey and the State Police to protect the lives and property of citizens, and called for a full investigation of the violence and prosecution of the perpetrators. Despite condemnation from progressives and civil rights activists, the mainstream press and local officials overwhelmingly blamed Robeson and his fans for "provoking" the violence. Following the Peekskill riots, other cities became fearful of similar incidents, and over 80 scheduled concert dates of Robeson's were canceled. On September 12, 1949, in response to Robeson's controversial status in the press and leftist affiliations, the National Maritime Union convention considered a motion that Robeson's name be removed from the union's honorary membership list. The motion was withdrawn for lack of support among members. Later that month, the All-China Art and Literature Workers' Association and All-China Association of Musicians of Liberated China protested the Peekskill attack on Robeson. On October 2, 1949, Robeson spoke at a luncheon for the National Labor Conference for Peace, Ashland Auditorium, Chicago, and referenced the riots. Legacy and reconciliation ceremonies In recent years, Westchester County has gone to great lengths to make amends to the survivors of the riots by holding a commemorative ceremony, at which an apology was made for their treatment. In September 1999, county officials held a "Remembrance and Reconciliation Ceremony, 50th anniversary commemoration of the 1949 Peekskill riots." It included speakers Paul Robeson, Jr., folk singer Peter Seeger and several local elected officials."Paul Robeson Remembrance and Reconciliation Ceremony," 50th anniversary commemoration of the 1949 “Peekskill riots” in Cortlandt, Westchester County, NY, includes speakers Paul Robeson, Jr., folk singer Peter Seeger and several local elected officials. The Peekskill riots in fiction *The Peekskill riots appear in E.L. Doctorow's novel The Book of Daniel. Paul Isaacson (a fictionalized version of Julius Rosenberg) leaves the bus to reason with the mob, and is beaten up by them. *The riots figure prominently in T.C. Boyle's World's End. The protagonist's adoptive parents serve as local, assistant organizers of the concert (alias of "Peterskill" riots within the book). * Also in George Mandel's Flee the Angry Strangers, published in 1952, there is brief mention of the riots. * In Ring Lardner Jr.'s The Ecstasy of Owen Muir (1954) there is an extensive segment concerning the incidents at Peekskill. The Peekskill riots in recording and film *Song: "Hold the Line" recorded by Pete Seeger and The Weavers *Song: "Let Robeson Sing" by Manic Street Preachers *Song: "My Thirty Thousand" by Woody Guthrie, later recorded by Billy Bragg and Wilco *Song: "Three Chords and The Truth" written and recorded by Ry Cooder *Song: "The Peekskill Story" (Casetta/Hayes/Seeger) The Weavers with Howard Fast and Pete Seeger *Radio: NPR's 50th anniversary commemoration of Peekskill riots *Radio: The Peekskill Riots, Maryknoll Sisters radio documentary *Radio: NBC Radio Interviews *Video: The Robeson Concerts *Video: Paul Robeson: Here I Stand, PBS American Masters *Video: Paul Robeson: Speak of Me As I Am BBC *Film: Joe Glory *Film: Paul Robeson: The Tallest Tree in Our Forest *Film: Paul Robeson: Portrait of an Artist References External links *The Robeson Concerts: Peekskill, New York, 1949 dead link *FBI documents on the Peekskill riots peekskil_riots.htm document removed *The Peekskill Story *Courtney, Steve. "Peekskill's days of infamy: The Robeson riots of 1949," The Reporter Dispatch, September 5, 1982. Sec. AA: pp. 1,4-5. * Daniel Frontino Elash Peekskill Remembered * Feingold, Joel Remembering Peekskill 1949 riots 1949 in New York (state) August 1949 events September 1949 events Anti-communism in the United States Riots and civil disorder in New York (state) Paul Robeson Peekskill, New York White American riots in the United States "
"Dalilah may refer to: * Dalilah or Delilah, name * Dalilah (bellydancer), Spanish oriental dancer * Dalilah (crater), a crater in the northern hemisphere of Saturn's moon Enceladus * Dalilah the Crafty, a character in One Thousand and One Nights "
"John Benbow (10 March 16534 November 1702) was an English officer in the Royal Navy. He joined the navy aged 25 years, seeing action against Algerian pirates before leaving and joining the merchant navy where he traded until the Glorious Revolution of 1688, whereupon he returned to the Royal Navy and was commissioned. Benbow fought against France during the Nine Years War (1688–97), serving on and later commanding several English vessels and taking part in the battles of Beachy Head, Barfleur and La Hogue in 1690 and 1692. He went on to achieve fame during campaigns against Salé and Moor pirates; laying siege to Saint-Malo; and fighting in the West Indies against France during the War of the Spanish Succession (1701–1714). Benbow's fame and success earned him both public notoriety and a promotion to admiral. He was then involved in an incident during the Action of August 1702, where a number of his captains refused to support him while commanding a squadron of ships. Benbow instigated the trial and later imprisonment or execution of a number of the captains involved, though he did not live to see these results. These events contributed to his notoriety, and led to several references to him in subsequent popular culture. Family and early years Benbow was born the son of William and Martha Benbow. The astrologer John Partridge recorded the exact time and date of his birth as being at noon on 10 March 1653, and this is the date used by the National Museum of the Royal Navy, the Encyclopædia Britannica, and the local historical accounts of Joseph Nightingale published in 1818.Nightingale, pp. 167–175. A biography within an 1819 publication of The Gentleman's Magazine, however, records in a short biography entitled Life and Exploits of Admiral Benbow by D. Parkes that he was born in 1650, as does the 1861 Sea kings and naval heroes by John George Edgar.Edgar, pp. 206–214. Edgar records that Benbow's father died when Benbow was very young, while Parkes' account describes his father as being in the service of the Army under Charles I and not dying until Benbow was in his teens. Encyclopædia Britannica writes that Benbow's father was in fact a tanner. Meanwhile, his uncle, Thomas, was executed by Charles I. Both Parkes and the National Museum of the Royal Navy concur that Benbow was born in Coton Hill in Shrewsbury, Shropshire, and Nightingale asserts that the death of both uncle and father, and the family's association with Charles I in the years following his execution, ensured that the "family were brought very low." Benbow's lack of possessions, Nightingale writes, turned him to a career at sea. Naval career = Early years = Benbow entered the Royal Navy on 30 April 1678, aged 25 years. He became master's mate aboard the 64-gun under the command of Captain Arthur Herbert, whilst she was fitting out at Portsmouth. He sailed with her to the Mediterranean, where Herbert was promoted to the rank of vice- admiral whilst serving under the commander-in-chief in the Mediterranean, Admiral Sir John Narborough.le Fevre, pp. 22–27. During this period the English fleet was often in action against the Barbary pirates of North Africa that were actively preying upon European shipping. Rupert herself captured an Algerine warship in 1678, which was later commissioned in the Royal Navy as HMS Tiger Prize. Benbow distinguished himself well in a number of actions against the Algerine vessels, and won Herbert's approval. On Narborough's return to England, Herbert was appointed acting commander-in-chief, and made Benbow master aboard on 15 June 1679.Stephen, p. 211. Nonsuch would remain at Tangiers and off the African coast and had a number of successive captains who would go on to achieve flag rank, including George Rooke, Cloudesley Shovell and Francis Wheler. All were impressed by Benbow, and would afterwards help to advance his career. Nonsuch was next in action on 8 August 1681, this time against the Algerine warship Golden Horse. Golden Horse had been engaged by , under the command of Captain William Booth, and when Nonsuch arrived on the scene Golden Horse surrendered.Allen, pp. 76–81. A dispute then arose over the question of the prize money and how it should be shared out, and comments were made amongst Nonsuchs crew against those of Adventure. Benbow's repetition of these eventually came to Booth's knowledge, and the captain brought a court- martial against Benbow, however this revealed that Benbow had only been repeating these words rather than being their originator. Benbow was ordered to forfeit three months' pay, amounting to £12 15s., to Adventures crew, and to "ask Captain Booth's pardon on board His Majesty's ship Bristol, declaring that he had no malicious intent in speaking those words; all the commanders being present, and a boat's crew of each ship's company". = Merchant trading = Nonsuch then returned to England and was paid off on 9 November 1681. Benbow left the Royal Navy and entered the merchant service, sailing a merchant vessel from London and Bristol to ports in Italy and Spain. By 1686 he was a "tough merchant seaman" and the owner and commander of a frigate named Benbow, trading with the Levant. In May 1687 he commanded a merchant vessel, Malaga Merchant,Clowes, p. 460. and was aboard her when she was attacked by a Salé pirate. He mounted a successful defence and beat off the attack. It was claimed afterwards that he cut off and salted the heads of thirteen Moors who were slain aboard his ship, and then took them into Cadiz to claim a reward from the magistrates.Campbell, p. 206. A Moorish skull-cap, "coated with varnish and set in silver" and bearing the inscription "First adventure of Captain John Benbow, and gift to Richard Ridley, 1687" is referred to in 1844 by Charles Dickens in Bentley's Miscellany where he speaks of Shrewsbury's history, and the 1885 Dictionary of National Biography also relates the story.Stephen, p. 208. = Return to the Navy = Thomas Phillips (left), John Benbow (centre) and Sir Ralph Delaval (right). The three had been important figures in British fleet operations against the north coast of France during 1692–93. Benbow only returned to the Royal Navy after the Glorious Revolution in 1688. His first recorded commission was to the post of third lieutenant of on 1 June 1689, under the command of Captain David Mitchell. His first command came on 20 September of that year, when he was appointed captain of . He was transferred to on 26 October and then to on 12 November. Benbow's next post was as Master Attendant of Chatham Dockyard. He then moved to become Master Attendant at Deptford Dockyard in early March 1690, a post he intermittently held for the next six years. He was master of HMS Sovereign in summer 1690, under his old commander Arthur Herbert, now Lord Torrington. He was assigned to act as master of the fleet, and took part in the English defeat in the Battle of Beachy Head. After the defeat, a Royal Commission was held into the circumstances that led to it. Benbow was highly regarded as a specialist in both navigation and pilotage, and his evidence given in July 1690 to the preliminary investigation strongly favoured his old patron, Torrington. He did not however testify during Torrington's court- martial in December that year.Stephen, p. 172. Benbow continued aboard Sovereign throughout 1691, and by the summer of 1692, was again master of the fleet, this time under Admiral Edward Russell, then aboard Britannia. Benbow worked closely with his old colleague David Mitchell, then serving as Russell's first captain, and Josiah Burchett, Russell's clerk. Benbow may have advised Russell to take the Gull Passage inside the Goodwin Sands to the Downs, where they linked up with the Dutch forces.Aubrey, p. 82. Benbow served as master of the fleet during the Battles of Barfleur and La Hogue. After the battles, Benbow returned to Deptford to resume his duties as master attendant, spending a brief period at Portsmouth Dockyard helping to oversee repairs to the fleet.Merriman, p. 37 He had already had his pay upgraded to that of a master attendant, he was now to be paid as a master, in addition to his master attendant's wage, presumably as an acknowledgement of his special services. = With the bomb flotillas = Benbow returned to active naval service in September 1693, joining Thomas Phillips, the second engineer of the ordnance, in jointly commanding a flotilla of bomb vessels to attack Saint-Malo. Benbow went aboard the 48-gun and began the bombardment on 16 November.Stephen, p. 214. It continued intermittently until 19 November when a large fireship was sent into the harbour. An attempt was made to bring her alongside the town walls, but she ran aground, was set on fire, and exploded. Despite the failure of the initial plan, considerable damage was done, and Benbow's forces were able to take the fort on Quince Rock and disabled it, carrying artillery and prisoners away and bringing them to Guernsey.Stephen, pp. 208–214. Benbow was still dissatisfied with the overall result and initiated a court-martial against Captain Henry Tourville, accusing him of cowardice for not bringing his ship in closer. There was no conviction though, as the mortars were proved to be defective. Benbow's experience led to him being promoted to a similar flotilla, this time to be deployed against Dunkirk under the command of Vice- Admiral Shovell. A number of converted merchant vessels, rigged like fireships but designed to explode rather than burn, were assigned to support the expedition. Benbow had a hand in preparing these vessels for the operation throughout 1694, and worked closely with the principal storekeeper of the ordnance, Willem Meesters.Clowes, p. 477.Harris, p. 190. Benbow's attacking fleet was covered by Shovell's fleet on the Downs and the attack was planned for 12 and 13 September. However, the French were able to block the entrance to the port, preventing Benbow's squadron from entering, and a storm further disrupted operations. Benbow drew back from Dunkirk, and instead sailed around to Calais, where he carried out a further bombardment on 27 September. He returned to the Downs and then resumed his duties at Deptford Dockyard. He spent December organising a convoy for a fleet of merchant vessels due to sail to Cadiz. = Rise to admiral = Benbow as an admiral, engraved by John Chapman and published in 1797 Benbow was soon at sea again in March 1695, being appointed commander-in-chief of His Majesty's ships which were then off the coast of France. His squadron was highly successful, taking a number of French merchants in early April and bringing them to England as prizes. Benbow was recommended by Lord Berkeley, who had served with Benbow at Saint-Malo, to be promoted to rear-admiral at the next opportunity, and in the meantime he was appointed to the command of the 70-gun . He was soon joined by a volunteer – his then fourteen-year-old son – also named John Benbow. Benbow then sailed with Berkeley and the Dutch lieutenant-admiral Philips van Almonde to Saint- Malo, intending to operate against privateering operations being conducted from the area. Benbow moved to command , to direct the inshore operations of ten English and Dutch warships, nine English bomb vessels, and seventeen small boats and vessels.Clowes, pp. 477–480. They began operations on their arrival off Saint-Malo on 4 July, remaining in action until evening the next day when they withdrew, without having achieved any decisive result. Several houses had been destroyed for the damage and loss of a few of the bomb vessels. Benbow was given eight bomb vessels and seven or eight frigates and was dispatched down the coast. He attacked Granville on 8 July, shelling it with over 900 bombs over several hours, and departed having set the town ablaze. = Public and private reception = The outcome of the operations had left Benbow in a tense relationship with his immediate superiors. Berkeley had been accused of excessive timidity in his actions, which it was believed had led to the failure of the attack on Dunkirk. Benbow on the other hand was widely lauded for his fearless inshore attacks with his bomb vessels.Stephen, pp. 208–211. Berkeley wrote on 28 July: > As to Captain Benbow, I know of no difference between him and me, nor have > we had any. He has no small obligation to me, but being called in some of > the foolish printed papers ‘the famous Captain Benbow’, I suppose has put > him a little out of himself, and has made him play the fool, as I guess, in > some of his letters. I will not farther now particularize this business, but > time will show I have not been in the wrong, unless being too kind to an > ungrateful man. However the Admiralty approved of Benbow's conduct and ordered him "to be paid as Rear-Admiral during the time he has been employed this summer on the coast of France ... as a reward for his good service." Benbow was then appointed to the grand committee of sixty men to oversee the plans for Greenwich Hospital in December 1695, but the issue dragged on until 1 May 1696. The Admiralty again stepped in and Benbow was finally promoted and appointed commander-in- chief of the squadron before Dunkirk as "Rear-Admiral of the Blue for the duration of this present expedition" and moved aboard the 70-gun .Matthew, pp. 50–68. His orders were to protect English and Dutch shipping, especially from the squadron of the privateer Jean Bart. Bart was mostly successful in evading pursuit however, usually escaping into Dunkirk when Benbow's force drew near. Benbow was appointed to command a squadron in the Soundings in December 1696.Stephen, p. 87. He carried out a number of cruises between March and August 1697, protecting allied trade and escorting the West Indian and Virginian merchant fleets into port. These activities marked the last English naval expedition of the war. He also carried out reconnaissance activities on the French fleet in port in Brest in July, before resuming patrol operations off Dunkirk, this time in concert with a number of Dutch ships under Rear- Admiral Philips van der Goes, until the end of the war in September 1697.Treves, pp. 289–295. = Appointment to the West Indies = Benbow was made commander-in-chief of the King's ships in the West Indies on 9 March 1698 and instructed to tackle the issue of piracy. He sailed in November, the first leg taking him from Portsmouth to Madeira. Sailing under his protection from the Salé pirates was Paramore, under Edmond Halley, then sailing to the North Atlantic to carry out experiments to observe magnetic variations. Benbow finally reached Barbados in February 1699, and moved to the Spanish Main aboard his flagship, the 60-gun . He threatened the governor of Cartagena with a blockade, and so compelled him to restore two English merchant ships that he had detained.Stephen, p. 453. These ships had been intended to take part in an expedition against the Scottish Darién scheme. Without the ships, this became impossible and the colonists were saved for the time being. This was counter to the English government's desire to see the end of the Scottish colonising efforts, and in June Benbow and the other West Indies governors received orders "not to assist the Scotch colony in Darien."Stephen, p. 209. Benbow then sailed as far north as Newfoundland in order to drive the pirates away, but they evaded capture. Benbow returned to England in the summer of 1700, and was appointed to the command of a fleet in the Downs. Benbow served there until summer 1701, under the command of Admiral Sir George Rooke. He was promoted to rear-admiral of the red on 14 April, followed by vice-admiral of the blue on 30 June. He then flew his flag in the 70-gun . = Spanish treasure fleet, West Indies, the Action of 1702 = With the peace becoming increasingly uneasy, the English government became concerned over the possible fate of the Spanish silver fleet, due to arrive in European waters from America. They were worried that the French would intercept the ships and use the treasure for war preparations. Benbow was issued secret instructions to find the fleet, and then "to seize and bring them to England, taking care that no embezzlement be made".Japikse, pp. 477–9 Benbow's squadron was detached on 2 September and sailed for the West Indies, arriving on 14 November, and was at the Jamaica Station in mid-December.Cundall, p. xx He remained there for several months, being joined on 8 May 1702 by several vessels under Captain William Whetstone. Whetstone was made Rear-Admiral under Benbow, who had been promoted to Vice-Admiral of the White on 19 January 1702 By now, the War of the Spanish Succession had broken out, and news of its declaration reached Benbow on 7 July. He detached Whetstone and six ships to search off Port St Louis in Hispaniola for a French squadron under Admiral Jean du Casse, which he believed would call at the port on his voyage to Cartagena, and from there he might raid English and Dutch shipping. After Whetstone had left, Benbow took his squadron and sailed for Cartagena, anticipating that either he or Whetstone would find Du Casse and bring him to battle. The legend of 'Brave Benbow', "Adml Benbow courageously commanding his Men to fight after his Leg was shattered to Pieces, St Martha (West Indies) 19–24 July 1702." By the time that Whetstone had reached Hispaniola, Du Casse had already departed. Benbow's force subsequently sighted the French on 19 August, sailing off Cape Santa Marta. The French had three transports and four warships carrying between 68 and 70 guns, while Benbow commanded seven ships carrying between 50 and 70 guns. The English forces were heavily scattered, and the light winds meant that they were slow to regroup. They did not achieve a form of collective order until four in the afternoon, after which a partial engagement was fought, lasting about two hours, until nightfall caused the fleets to temporarily break off. The action quickly revealed a breakdown in discipline amongst Benbow's captains. He had intended that the 64-gun under Captain Richard Kirkby would lead the line of battle, but Kirkby was not maintaining his station. Benbow decided to take the lead himself, and Breda pulled ahead, followed by the 50-gun under Captain George Walton. The two maintained contact with the French throughout the night, but the other five ships refused to close. The chase ensued until 24 August, with only Benbow, Walton, and Samuel Vincent aboard making active efforts to bring the French to battle. At times, they bore the brunt of the fire of the entire squadron. Ruby was disabled on 23 August, and Benbow ordered her to retire to Port Royal. The French resumed the action at two in the morning on 24 August, the entire squadron closing on Breda from astern and pounding her. Benbow himself was hit by a chain-shot that broke his leg and he was carried below.James, p. 57. Benbow was determined to continue the pursuit, despite his wounds and despite Captain Kirkby's arrival on board, attempting to persuade Benbow to abandon the pursuit. Benbow summoned a council of war, and the other captains agreed, signing a paper drafted by Kirkby which declared that they believed "that after six days of battle the squadron lacked enough men to continue and that there was little chance of a decisive action, since the men were exhausted, there was a general lack of ammunition, the ships' rigging and masts were badly damaged, and the winds were generally variable and undependable." They recommended breaking off the action and following the French to see if the situation improved. Benbow had "seen the cowardly behaviour of some of them before, [and] had reason to believe that they either had a design against him or to be traitors to their country if an opportunity happened that the French could have destroyed the Admiral". He, therefore, ordered the squadron to return to Jamaica. On their arrival, he ordered the captains to be imprisoned, awaiting a trial by court-martial. Benbow received a letter from du Casse after the engagement: > Sir, > I had little hopes on Monday last but to have supped in your cabin: but it > pleased God to order it otherwise. I am thankful for it. As for those > cowardly captains who deserted you, hang them up, for by God they deserve > it. > Yours, > Du Casse. = Trial of the captains = Acting Rear-Admiral Whetstone returned to Port Royal, having spent 62 days cruising off Hispaniola, and preparations were made for the trial. Before it could begin, Captain Thomas Hudson died, who had commanded . The remaining captains appeared at the court-martial which convened on Breda, held between 19 and 23 October. Due to his injuries, Benbow passed to Whetstone the role of presiding over the court, but he was present at the trial. The court found Captain Kirkby of and Cooper Wade of guilty of breach of orders, neglect of duty, and the "ill signed paper and consultation ... which obliged the Admiral ... to give over the chase and fight", and condemned them to be shot. John Constable of was found guilty of breach of orders and drunkenness and was cashiered. Samuel Vincent of Falmouth and Christopher Fogg of Breda were initially sentenced to be cashiered for signing the six captains' resolution, but Benbow personally declared that they had fought bravely, and their sentences were remitted by the Lord High Admiral. The sentences were deferred so that Queen Anne could have a chance to examine the proceedings. After her consideration in January 1703, she allowed the sentences to proceed and Constable, Kirkby, and Wade were returned to England as prisoners. Constable was imprisoned until 1704, when the Queen pardoned him. Kirkby and Wade were shot aboard on 16 April 1703 while she was anchored in Plymouth Sound under Captain Edward Acton.Trevelyan, pp. 252–253. Controversy slowly began to develop over the events of August 1702. Supporters of the disgraced Kirkby and Wade sought to discredit Benbow by publishing their own account of the action.Woodman, p. 48. Death and burial Admiral Benbow's tomb in the Parish Church, Kingston, Jamaica Benbow died at Port Royal, Kingston, Jamaica on 4 November 1702. Whetstone reported that the cause of death was "the wound of his leg which he received in battle with Monsieur Du Casse, it never being set to perfection, which malady being aggravated by the discontent of his mind, threw him into a sort of melancholy which ended his life as before." He was buried on 16 November in the chancel of St Andrew's Church, Kingston. A marble slab was later laid over the grave, emblazoned with a coat of arms and inscribed: > Here lyeth the Body of John Benbow, Esq., Admiral of the White, a true > pattern of English Courage, who lost his life in Defence of his Queene & > Country, November the 4th, 1702, In the 52nd year of his age, by a wound in > his Legg. Received in an Engagement with Monsr. Du Casse; being Much > Lamented.Verrill, p. 282. Secretary of State Lord Nottingham wrote to Benbow in January 1703, before news of his death had reached London, to inform him that the queen was "extremely well pleased with your conduct and much offended with the baseness of those officers who deserted and betrayed you." Meanwhile, the cabinet was preparing to promote him to vice-admiral of the white and to dispatch him to transport troops to Newfoundland. Personal life and legacy Benbow married a woman named Martha (died 1722) after his return to England in 1681. The couple had at least seven children, including daughter Martha and sons Richard and John. Another son Solomon was baptised in 1686 but died in infancy.Laughton, p. 200. There are also records of two more sons named Richard who were born in Kent, and another daughter named Katherine. Son John went on to serve in the Royal Navy. The family lived in the parish of St Dunstan and All Saints, Stepney. In 1709, Katherine married Paul Calton of Milton, Berkshire, where Benbow is said to have stayed in the 1690s. According to Parish Records William Benbow son of Admiral John Benbow was buried at St Nicholas Parish Church, Deptford, Kent (now SE London) on 7 April 1729. One of the admiral's granddaughters married the Rev. John Simpson, who commissioned the current Stoke Hall, Derbyshire, following his acquisition of the estate upon their marriage. =Unruly behaviour= Benbow signed a three-year lease on Sayes Court in June 1696, a house belonging to diarist John Evelyn.Welcher, pp. 130–133. Six months later, Evelyn wrote to a friend complaining, "I have let my house to Captain Benbow, and have the mortification of seeing everyday much of my former labours and expenses there impairing for want of a more polite tenant."Evelyn, p. 359. In January 1698, Tsar Peter of Russia arrived in London to study British shipbuilding and seamanship. He and his entourage were provided with Sayes Court to reside in during their stay by William III. The Russians spent three months in London before leaving to tour the country. Benbow promptly asked for reparations from the Treasury, in order to be able to reimburse Evelyn and recover his own losses. He complained that the Russians had caused considerable damage to his house, with "much of the furniture broke, lost or destroyed".Morfill, p. 143. Christopher Wren was instructed to survey the property and declared it "entirely ruined". Benbow lost "twenty fine paintings" and "several fine draughts and other designs relating to the Sea" from his personal property. The Treasury eventually allowed payment of £350 9s. 6d. in compensation.Cross, p. 25. ="Brave Benbow"= An engraving produced in 1804 that helped to promote the legend of the event, entitled The gallant Benbow defeating the French Squadron. It shows Benbow's leg as completely shot away. Underneath another hand has written Benbow gives chase to de Grasse. Benbow's fame led to his name entering popular culture. A monument by sculptor John Evan Thomas was erected in 1843 by public subscription in St Mary's Church, Shrewsbury commemorating Benbow as "a skillful and daring seaman whose heroic exploits long rendered him the boast of the British Navy and still point him out as the Nelson of his times."Pidgeon, p. 85. A 74-gun ship of the line and two battleships were named . Robert Louis Stevenson named a tavern the "Admiral Benbow", where Jim Hawkins and his mother live, in his romantic adventure novel Treasure Island. He also titled the first chapter "The Old Sea Dog at the Admiral Benbow".Watson, pp. 25–27. There are a number of real life Admiral Benbow public houses around the world, and other institutions have also borne his name.Maxwell, p. 59. The incident of August 1702 also took hold on the popular imagination, and was celebrated in an alehouse song: > Come all you seamen bold and draw near, and draw near, Come all you seamen > bold and draw near. It's of an Admiral's fame, O brave Benbow was his name, > How he fought all on the main, you shall hear, you shall hear. Brave Benbow > he set sail For to fight, for to fight Brave Benbow he set sail for to > fight. Brave Benbow he set sail with a fine and pleasant gale But his > captains they turn'd tail in a fright, in a fright. Says Kirby unto Wade: We > will run, we will run Says Kirby unto Wade, we will run. For I value no > disgrace, nor the losing of my place, But the enemy I won't face, nor his > guns, nor his guns. The Ruby and Benbow fought the French, fought the French > The Ruby and Benbow fought the French. They fought them up and down, till > the blood came trickling down, Till the blood came trickling down where they > lay, where they lay. Brave Benbow lost his legs by chain shot, by chain shot > Brave Benbow lost his legs by chain shot. Brave Benbow lost his legs, And > all on his stumps he begs, Fight on my English lads, 'Tis our lot, 'tis our > lot. The surgeon dress'd his wounds, Cries Benbow, cries Benbow The surgeon > dress'd his wounds, cries Benbow. Let a cradle now in haste, on the > quarterdeck be placed That the enemy I may face 'Til I die, 'Til I > die.Nettel, pp. 286–287. Its musical theme forms one of the three arrangements on which English composer Ralph Vaughan Williams based his Sea Songs, originally arranged for military band in 1923 as the second movement of his English Folk Song Suite,Timothy Reynish, notes for British Wind Band Classics, Chandos Records 9697, 1999 and subsequently re-arranged for full orchestra in 1942 by the composer.Philip Lane, notes for British Light Miniatures, Naxos 8.570332 (released 2007) Another song has survived from the period with different air and rhythm but also known as Admiral Benbow, and it is often sung by folksingers. It begins We sailed from Virginia and thence to Fayal. References = Specific = = General = Online Printed External links * Letitia Elizabeth's poem 'Admiral Benbow' on an illustration and accompanied by a commentary (scroll down) 1653 births 1702 deaths 17th-century Royal Navy personnel British military personnel of the Nine Years' War British naval commanders in the War of the Spanish Succession People from Shrewsbury Royal Navy admirals "