Hammerton Killick
| Hammerton Killick | |
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Admiral Killick
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| Nickname(s) | Admiral Hammerton Killick |
| Born | April 18, 1856 |
| Died | September 6, 1902 (aged 46) Gonaïves |
| Service/branch | Navy |
| Rank | Admiral |
Hammerton Killick (April 18, 1856 – September 6, 1902) was an admiral in the Haitian Navy. He was killed in the 1902 Fermin rebellion when he refused to surrender his ship to the German warship SMS Panther. A naval base in Port-au-Prince is named after him. In 1943, he was honored with a postage stamp.
Killick was an "Anglo-Haitian mulatto." His father was of either Scottish or Irish descent.
Haiti in Killick's time was a poor country, and its navy was ill-equipped, with many of its officers serving under contract from other nations. At any given time, the number of ships in the Navy ranged between two and four. An observer in 1899 described obsolete, possibly un-seaworthy ships badly in need of paint being cannibalized for parts. Sailors in the navy often had to go without pay, and often had little, poor quality food. Moreover, the political situation in Haiti was not stable, with President Florvil Hyppolite facing revolts and rebellions, and the scorn of the international community.
As the Admiral of this poorly equipped, underfunded force a significant amount of Killick's resources went to trying to acquire more ships. In January 1894 an American yacht called the Natalie sailed out of Savannah, went missing and was presumed lost. There were rumors that the Natalie was carrying arms and ammunition to be used in a plot to overthrow Hyppolite, but her captain denied that there were any weapons on board, and claimed the trip was just a pleasure cruise. The Natalie was spotted near Long Cay, Bahamas in February. A short time later two Haitian vessels, the Defence and the Dessalines, with Killick on board, showed up near the Natalie. The Defence was carrying $25,000 in American gold to purchase the Natalie, and the Dessalines was carrying $60,000 in gold coin for the purchase of the Natalie. Killick and the Natalie's captain negotiated a purchase of the Natalie for £5,208 6s 8d, roughly $25,000. The Natalie was retrofitted in Savannah and added to the Haitian Navy.
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