Ship of Blood: Mutiny and Slaughter Aboard the Harry A. Berwind, and the Quest for Justice

by Charles Oldham

North Carolina native and lawyer Charles Oldham brings the incredible and unpredictable tale of the Harry A. Berwind to life for the first time.


In October 1905, North Carolina and much of the nation was captivated by the mass murder found aboard the Harry A. Berwind as it sailed the coast of Cape Fear. All four of the ship’s officers had been shot and tossed overboard, one crewman lay dead on the deck, and another was chained hand and foot. The three survivors, Henry Scott, Arthur Adams, and Robert Sawyer, had different stories. Scott claimed other sailors conspired together and restrained him when he would not cooperate; Adams and Sawyer claimed Scott pulled a gun and acted alone until they tackled and restrained him.


The most inflammatory factor that captured the nation: all the murdered officers were white, and the survivors Black.


Just seven years earlier, Wilmington, North Carolina witnessed a brutal white supremacist insurrection that killed dozens of Black citizens in the streets, and by 1905, Jim Crow laws were firmly in place. Predictably, all three survivors were found guilty and sentenced to hang. Yet the legal drama went on, defying all other predictions. Lasting seven years, the case reached the Supreme Court and even presidents Theodore Roosevelt and William Howard Taft. Adams and Sawyer were eventually found innocent and freed.

Genres: True Crime, Nonfiction

272 pages, Hardcover

Published February 1, 2022

Reviews

[M · Rating 4 out of 5]

3 men, 2 stories, an over 6 year legal battle, and a surprising outcome. These are just some of the components of this true crime. Taking place in 1905 in North Carolina a ship is discovered with 3 men aboard one of which is tied up. The man restrained has his version of events that is extremely different from that of his 2 unrestrained shipmates but one thing stays the same the men onboard are black, but the 4 men who are unaccounted for and, according to the surviving men, are dead one body remaining on deck seems to corroborate that. Who is telling the truth? Is anyone? And with racial tension that’s only stressed by the political, social and poor economic conditions a fair trial is impossible no matter who is guilty or innocent. This was a very interesting, well researched read and an important part in America’s racist history that isn’t talked about often.

*a copy of this book was provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*

[Valerity (Val) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book about a mutiny that happened back in 1905. It’s well researched where information still exists after all this time. There is a lot of history provided on the racial tensions of the time. Much was made of the officers and captain being white that were killed by the black crew. One of the black crew members was also killed. Those murdered were Captain Edwin B. Rumill 45, about whom the most is known. Also killed was John T. Hall, the mate and second in command; John Falbe, the cook/steward; and C.L. Smith, the engineer aka the donkeyman. From the crew members the least known, John Coakley was killed and his was the only body remaining on the ship The officer’s bodies were thrown into the sea.

The remaining 3 crewmembers were Robert Sawyer, about 30, Arthur Adams 23, and Henry Scott, 31 who was found bound and chained after being tackled by the other crew. Suffice it to say, the three crew members had different stories about what happened, with two blaming Henry Scott. Scott blamed the others. The journey through the justice system on federal charges really makes the story. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Janalyn, the blind reviewer · Rating 5 out of 5]

In October 19 05, a ship was found floating near the coast of the Carolinas. On board there were four white men and four black men. Unfortunately the four white men and one black man was deceased another black man was chained up and the two others claimed to be guarding him. Looking at the scene from a 21st-century point of view, it seems obvious, The man tained up must be guilty, but no looking at it from their racist modern day point of view they charged all three with murder. That’s because before being charged with murder they were guilty of being black in America. Thank God not everyone thought this they would be men to come and help the innocent go free. This book was told with great research and flowing there was no point where my interest lagged or I wanted to stop reading the book. It was well researched and it’s a book I highly recommend to any true crime fan and especially those who love historical true crime. I was given this book by neck alley and I am leaving this review voluntarily. Please forgive any grammatical of punctuational hours as I am blind and dictate my review but all opinions are my own.

[Becki · Rating 4 out of 5]

What started as a shipping schooner with eight men on board was recovered while traveling erratically along the coast with one dead body on board, one man tied up, and two more yelling for rescue.

In-depth non-fiction is never about just one event. This book was no exception: the history in the years before this tragedy contributed so much to the political climate and the players involved in the drama. Thankfully the author was thorough in his descriptions and explanations leading up to the slaughter aboard the Harry A. Berwind.

The way this book presented the facts before, during, and after the high seas massacre makes it a wonder that a similar presentation wasn’t done much earlier. There was follow-through with any information available regarding what happened to the participants in the original event and legal fall-out afterward. While it turns out the drama was made into a movie in the 1950s, there is even a comparison between this movie (stated to be based on a true story) and the vast differences from the available truth.

I gave this book 4 out of 5 stars. The level of detail was compelling, but not overwhelming. The author found the perfect meeting point between giving enough trivia to keep it interesting, but not detracting from the original intended story. I would recommend this as a great read for those who enjoy historical crime stories, as well as a healthy dose of race history around the early 1900s.

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[Lady · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow this book really starts so well. It is really a very interesting true story event. From the very start I could tell that this book would be a very interesting account of history. And I just love these types of books. So much controversy, did they get the real murders well you will definitely have to read this book and form your own opinion on that. I was certainly at the edge of my seat during the trial process and at the end. I must also mention that I was rather surprised at the outcome but I'm not giving anything away. It was truly a very interesting and unique true crime history book. I am so glad I found this book. I thought the author did an amazing job at writing this book and could tell it was well researched.
Many thanks to the author and publishing team for bringing together this very interesting and gruesome account of murder from history to light.

[J · Rating 4 out of 5]

In his book, Ship of Blood, North Carolina native and lawyer Charles Oldham writes the story of Harry A. Berwind which took place in 1905. It's a very well-researched historical nonfiction about murders on the ship. Those that were murdered were Captain Edwin B. Rumill 45, John T. Hall, the mate and second in command; John Falbe, the cook; and C.L. Smith, the donkeyman. The surviving members of the crew were Robert Sawyer, about 30, Arthur Adams 23, and Henry Scott, 31. All three survivors were found guilty and sentenced to hang. The legal drama makes the book. Thanks to Netgalley, the publisher, and the author for this advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

[Ron Baumer · Rating 5 out of 5]

An interesting story about the murders on board a ship and the racism experienced by not only the sailors but others as well. The story will make you think and also wonder whether the real story is known on what happened. A great true crime read.

Thank you to #NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

[Barry Chadwick · Rating 4 out of 5]

Love reading local history.

[Mark Ennis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent Book well written and research