Star. — London, England, 1802-01-21 00:00:00

rectamined by Mr. &attest cannot....' i.d not fee Mrs. Lacy; If in the Government Honfe the mnft have been farther from the fame than hint ; if fuch expreffions had been ufed as a. 1)--0 you. you (hall not leave the Wand till; the ttoppages are paid," he mutt have heard them. Roger Moore examined.—l was a private fn the garrifon in 1783, at Goree ; was preknt on the toth July ; the troops paraded between four and five o'clock. The Governor ordered Lieu tenant Fall to form a circle after the parade was over. The officers, confining of the Governor, Captain Lacy, Lieutenant gall, and Lieutenant systianley, had a converfation for fome little time in fide the circle. I was not near enough to hear: the officers (poke gently. Armftrong was not leen Ipeaking . to the officers, or they to bim ; he was to the right of the Company of Serjeants. G o ecroor Wall called Armftrong out of thermic, and reprefented him as the head ringleader of the mutiny. Armitrong made fome reply, and (poke to the Of ;he was dole to the Governor. In a little time the limbers of a fix-pounder were brought into the circle. Armftrong was tied up by the Governor's orders, having been (tripped. One of the mulatto men, who was interpreter to the garrifon, received orders to intim& the Blacks what they were to do, and which way they were to Inflia the puniihment. I think there were about three or four of them. He was puniffied aids a rope ; it appeared at a diftance about an inch in diameter. There were no knots. H e re . ceived eight ipmdred lathes ; I counted them, they changed regularly during the puniflussent like the drums of the regiment, each giving twenty-five firokes. He died in the !pace of four or five days. I law him carried to be buried. I law no mutiny, except being diflatisfied, not having received mo. ncy for fhort allowance, and that, talking with each other, they obferved that the Governor and the Commiffary were going off the ifland, and if they did not get a fettlement before they went' they never fhould. They had been on fhort allow ance for fome months. Armftrong Paid that he had been with the Governor, who promifed to fettle every thing: the men teemed overjoyed, and were quiet after this public declaration, and the parade was regularly formed. Armftrong, when be was punifising, afked forgivenefs, and laid he would never be guilty of the like again. The Go vernor t.Ad him that he hoped it would be a warn ing to him. If the manner of forming the circle was to be called a court Martial, I never Taw like it before, or fine. He was charged as a ring leader of the mutiny, afterward:. he was called out and tied up in a few minutes. There never was a fettlement of the !bort allowance money to this time. I do not know what is become of the officers. I know that Lieutenant O'Shanley died on the paf (age hone. Crofs-examined by Mr. Guawsy.—" I was in the African Corps ; there were three companies, tome of the men were drunk on that day. I re :member the Governor being called out by Surgeon Ford, and he went to the main guard. It was not before ; but while the punifisment was taking place ; there were Come difturbances with the cen try, a man was in liquor. The drummers were in the different companies : cannot fay whether they 'vac fober. I did not fee any cater or pieces of eats. ilteverheardanyfueh expreffions as—Cuthis beast, cut his liver. lithe) , had been sled I mud have beard them, I was nearer than the former witneft. The Courr—s. Was you paths* (Aber r A. " I was fober." Crofs-examined by Mr. GUILIBT.—Heard none of the foldiers fay they would not allow the Go vernor to leave the ifland ; they only raid if the Governor did leave the ifland; they timid never be paid. Arrdrong went through all the three companies, faying, their demands were to be Lair fed. While the punintment was inflicting, the Go vernor was called out of the circle ; but on what a.count witnefs does not know • does not know what had become of the catthat day; heard no filch ex preffion as " Cut his heart, cut his liver ;" and mull have heard them had they been tiled. Thomas Poplett examined by Mr. Wooo.—l v as Lieutenant in the African Corps, at Goree, in July, 17112 ; I faw the parade formed on the • tcth Jaly, between five and (ix o'clock in the evening; I was within the walls of the premifes in c‘htch I lived ; the parade was formed two deep ; the circle confided of the Lieutenant-Colonel Wall, the Officers. feveral black men, and the In terpreter; there was a guts.earriage ; the officers prefent were Captain Lacy, Lieutenant Fall, • Lieutenant O'Shanley, and, I believe, Enfign Ford. Serjeant Armltrong I fiiw (tripped, and faaened to the gun-carriage, and flogged on his bare back by feveral black men; they were fie. quently changed at every-25 lathes; I think he received Sco. I faw him fupported towards the Hofpital ; I was about 40 yeas dillant, on an elevation of t t feet; I could diftinab , fee what peed ; I have the fame rope that was ufed e I had it from one of the men. [The Wittier: here produced the rope, which was one of near an inch in diameters and which he declared he bad kept ever fusee.] The witnefs then proceeded—l cannot fay that the rope was knotted—l never few a punithment inflieted by fuch a rope in the army. If the pit niffraent is meant to be revere the rope is gene rally of long line ' • if moderate it is made of whip cord. I did not know Annftrong had been con viaed of any crime, or tried for any offence about that time. The ual whip is made of nine 'tads, and tied with a bit of thread, sad the handle of wood. I did not hear him ebasped with an h tt a in t i I before he was called out for paniffament. Captain Lacy was' dead fix or (even ears once; he was living in 178 t and commanded at chi chefier. Lieutenant 'Shiutley Toed on his pafage home, is the fame tranfport thee I came in ; I ar rived in England on the 34th of February, 1•184- I believe Enfign Ford is dead. I have beard Lieu tenant Fall died in the Fleet Prifon. I faw no mutiny, and believe there was none. I know Mr. Deering, the Committery ; I don't know lebether he is living or dead, I have not fees him for two nr three years. I was a prifoner at large, under cadence of a Court Martial. I was reftored to nay b his Majetty. cro • d by Mr.At.t.sio—l did not fee 'what rated al the dOatitans i s bottle l t tMdfl IN there in the morning. Mr. Ferrick examined.—ii I Was Stagedn td the garrifon of Goree, int*. I retolled *hat petted on the loth of July. My quartets *ere near the Governor's hoofk. I law the Go:sterna on the , evening parade. I was feet for about one hour before funfet ; there were prefent the Governor. Captain Lary, Lieutenants Fall and O'Shanley. and Enfign Ford. Armftrong was in the at of being punithed when I entered the circle. When I came in the Governor faid, " This damned infa mous fcoundrel, lam going to punifh him." The Negroes were punifhing him with a rope's end. — I looked on. I undentood he received 800 lathes. Nothing pared between the Governor and me.— The punithnient appeared rather revere, but I do not recolleft that it was worfe than the ufnal pu-1 nißmarnt, or that his cries were greater. I at. tended him afterwards from day to day. at the Hofpital, he lived till the isth ; I fuppofed from that tinie to this that the punifhment was the caufe of bis death • I did not make any obfervation to Governor Wall on the Rate of the punifhmento— (The witnets was asked tome queftions as to his redo* for not fo doing, when Mr. Keowi.xs ob jetted to the queftion. The Court, after a short confultation, ruled, that the winters was not bound to give any anfwer founded on his own opinions.] Wharfs proceeded.—There was not the fmalleft appearance of diforder or mutiny on that day,. Celle Baeom.—Was there,, in your opi nion, any chance 44 of his death from e Bogging?" Witnefs.—My prefent opinion is, that there was a great chance of his dying. Captain Lacy, Lieu. tenants Fall and O'Shanley, and Enfign Ford, are dead; I do not know whether Mr. Deering is dead or not. The inftrument with which Armftrong was punithed does more mifchief, becanfe it bruifes, and does not cm like the [tripes of a cat. I did not know it at that time. His back exhibited evident marks of bruifes, but was very little cut; he patted blood both ways, and was atlhmatic in the lungs. Loan Ca :sr Baao rt.-1410w long had you been in the practice at that timer'—" Two or 3 years." Crofs-examined by Mr. Know'. Es. —At that time I did not know it was a dangerous punishment; I had no medical experience with refpedt to ropes. I did not dare to interfere; I faw Armftrong that nigl4, he was not then dreffed ; it is not common to void blood in the urinary pelage ; I never doubted thatthe punifhment was the canteof his death, from that moment to this ; the body never was opened ; the abforption of blood is common i • I thould have forbidden Armftrong the ufe of ftrong liquors in his fitnation ; it is pollible the ufe of them might have proved fatal. Re-examined by Mr. Fistotect.—l attended front day to day, and did not know be had any (pirituous liquors. The Couar.—" Was he in a good (late of health previous to the punithment " He never was under my hands at all." William Roffer examined.—l was at Goree in 1782, and affilling the Surgeon in the hofpital. I remember tome tierfons being brought to the hot pital on the soth of July. I attended on them tfwring the whole time they were there. I recoiled Benjamin Armftrong being there. I attended him till his death. When became into the hofpit.4 he Paid that he had been punned by black men with out a Court Martial, and thould certainly die— never but that once he faid Co. His back was ex ceedingly bruited and fwelled, and as black as a new hat. He continued to grow worfe and worfe, and appeared to me in a dying Rate. 1 never had any hopes from the day he came in. Crofs-examined by Mr. GURNIT.—He never drank any thing but the garrifon allowance ; thic was half a pint of brandy. or a pint of wine, each day ; he had that allowance, and might drink it if he chofe. Re-examined by Mr. AlltOrf..--I had no reafon to obferve that he hurt himfelf by drinking brandy. The Court.--" Had you any orders not to lethim drink his garrifon allowance ?" A. " I never had." John Butler, Serjeant Major in the garrifon, fa w no appearance of mutiny, but was not prefent when the party went to the Governor's. Richard Bain examined.—l was a Serjeant in the artillery. The day before the Governor left the iuland the foldiers came to me, and told me it was the Governor's orders that I should make ant an account of what was due for thort allowance to each man. I did make out the account, and gave it to the Governor. John Clarke examined.—l was a private In the African corps in 1782. I did not hear of any mu tiny. Some men wore going on the loth of July to Mr. Deering's to alk for their rights due to them. Armftrong headed them the firft time. Go vernor Wall called him ; but I did not hear what liaror any objections made ; they went back. as . not with them the fecond time. The Court.—" Are you fure this was the fiat time P-A. “ I am fore it was the Het time." Crofs-examined by Mr. G us): y:-.-Armttrong headed the party the firth time ; they contifted of an or more. perhaps 30. This was about nine or ten o'clock. Annftrong and the Governor talked together; the party walked in rank. I can't fay whether he headed them the fecond time. I don't know what became of the cats. I did not fee any one in liquor. I was fober. The barracks were about goo yarcit from the Governor's houfe. ftrong faid the Governor would fee us fettled with. David Powell merely depofed that no mutiny happened on the loth of July. Mr. ATTONST GEMEILAT. now propofed that a letter, written by the prifoner to Lord Sydney, fhould be read, Charles Pearce produced a letter, filmed Jofeph Wall, addrefed to the Right Hon. Thomas Towit.l gond, dated sloth Auguit, 1782. Lieutenant Poplett was called to prove the band writing of the pittance. The Return of tikanrei fon, and by the prifoner was then read. The prit's letters and returns to Lard Syd ney on his arrival in England were produced by . a clerk from the Secretary of State's an d read by Mr. Shelton. They Sate that the garrifon had been for feveral months on fbort allowance, bat make no mention of an/ thing like a mutiny. A loyal Proclamation rn 1784, offering a le warder sod fit Govcraos WaM s apprehonfiak ival given 18 tattite, tbgetter with two letters, wrote Gnce his return to England to Lord Pelham. , They Merely mention his refolution to Rand his trial; and rcqueft that he might not be taken into cu ftody. The 1211 Witners was Mr. Oldham, Deputy+ Advocate General, who'fwore, that no return of a Court Martial upon Benjamin Armftrong, in the year 1782, had been made to his office. Mr. ATTORNEY Genteel. informed the Court the cafe for the profecntion was clofed. The Courty-4 , Now is the time, Prifoner, for you to make your defence." DEFENCE,. The Prifoner—" I muft beg your Lordfhies at tention for a few minutes—my voice is very low ; but I'll endeavour to (peak fo as to be underitood• ....On the toth of July, I rather think the accident happened on the r ith of July, but, however, I'll confine myfelf to the toth, the garrifon was paid off, and I prepared to embark for Europe. On the morning of the loth a certificate was prepared, that all were perfealy fatisfied ; unfortunately for me, that certificate was given in to the Secretary at War's Office, and is not to be found. On the loth, about eleven o'clock, all the men came up to the Government-Houfe ; I went out to them ; they made a demand of that allowance for provi lions due fmm Captain Adams. I told them I bad no right to pay them. In a very (hart time they d4erfed, and returned to the barracks. About two o'clock they returned, very much in toxicated with liquor, and infifted upon having their demands complied with. I expottulated with them for a long time to no effect. I ordered Serjeant Aribilrong to march them back ; he flood with his hat on, and Paid " He would be damn'd if he would, till I fettled with them, or their demands were complied with." I then or dered the men to face to the left, and march ; the anfwer was, " They would be damn'd if they did not break open the (tore:, and fatisfy themfe! yes." Finding them furiouily bent upon extremities, and having no refource, if they had proceeded to ex tremities, I begged an hour or two to confider, and would then give them an anfwer ; they hefi tated a little, and at length agreed, upon condition that I (bould not leave the Wind till it was fettled. Armftrong then marched them back, (booting, and making a great noife. When I returned to the Go vernment-houfe, I tent for the officers of the corps, and in the interval, between their arrival, I walked out, and was proceeding to the main guard,to know the [tate of the garrifon, and whether they were all concerned? I met Armftrong, Upton, Paterfon, and feveral more ; they told me of what I had pro mifed, and Paid, I should not go to the water fide till it was fettled. When I returned to the' Government Houfe, I found the officers there : they all agreed that immediate punithment was neceffary to put a flop to mutiny. I ordered Lieu tenant O'Shanley to go to the drum-major, and have the cats ready ; he returned, and reported that the dram-major told him the cats were dc iiroyed, and that I had bell get away as foon as I could, as the men were all agreed that no punifh ment fhould take place. He then propofed punn ing by the linguift and the natives ; this was ac quiefeed in by Captain Lacy and the other officers. I told him to go to the main guard and - order the punithment, that they might not be alarmed, knowing they were going to be punned. The parade was formed. The officers arrived, confining of Captain Lacy, Lieutenants Fall, andO'Shanley. I Aced the men if they had any claim to make One man came -forward and P aid he had Ilion allowance, due from Captain Deering. I then called upon Ai mfirong, he having no claim what ever. While Armftrong came forward, Enfign Poiu came running to me from the main guard, and informed me the man that was confined was breaking from his arreft, and coming to the pa rade. I ailed Ford to confine him ? He replied he could not, as the guard would not obey him. There being no time to he loft, I went to the main guard and left Captain Lacy in charge of the pa rade. Upon the s'oldier's feeing me he retired into the room, expefting to be fupported by the main guard. He was retiring, when I forced him into he Guard-houfe. While I was pulling him into the Guard-houfe the centry at the door clapped his bayonet to my breall, laving, " I Ihotild not enter." I (truck it out of his hand, and put him prifoncr with the other. Having replaced the guard, and • flopped the diforder, I returned to the parade : this evening I had ordered the artillery to parade, being afraid of the African corps, a cireumftance which never occurred before, that of the two corps being on the parade together. Upon coming to the parade, I ordered Lacy, Fall, and O'Shanley, to form a Court Martial. Ferric(-, the Surgeon, was on the parade at this time. Armftrong was brought forward, and charged with mutiny ; as I did not chufe to take away their lives, I chofe to form a Regimental Court Martial, I had it not in my power to form any other. While they were trying Armftrong I was outfide the Court Martial, Lacy came to me, and reported that they had ordered him 800 lathes. I returned into the circle, and told the prifoner of the fentence of the Court Martial, which was 800 lathes, to be inflieted by the I.inguift with a fmall rope's end. This was (hewn to the Sur geon before Arrnfirong was touched. He approv ed of the cord, which is not fo bad as a cat of nine tails. The punithment was then inflided. There was no other mode of punifliment ; the African Corps have no halberts. I do not know whether I am to (peak to the other charges. *LORD CKIEP Bsaoa. — " No, Sir, only to the prefent Indi&ment refpeEting Arm4ong." Prifestr....." On the eveinn4 he was taken to the hofpital he drank fpirituous liquors to fuch an er ect*: that be was intoxicated. I thought it was =- celery to the prefervation of my health to get away, being very ill. I arrived in England in Anna of the fame year, and found a number of charges exhibited againft me by a Captain in the African corps; thefe charges were tried ten mouths after, and Captain Roberta was reproved highly bc/2;i l : h hiajeltr for prefuming to bring thoib of which many were groundlefs. I went down to Bath, after meeting chore charges, and heard nothing further till two meffengers came down. The chief mercury informed me that be came from Uri Sydney. l iliktd bins if he hull ~~~ J ~L $ froth his 4.Tj e kigi tie tcpt4clia 011 agrMative. Wifkingto bib tb time f ordered a poll-coach And tour liorfes from the Bear lon, I (topped the coach when we got about flu nr tivo miles out of Bath, as there was a pet fon neceifiry to be with me in London ; we dined atMarlbn, rough, and afterwards pro , •‘..cded to Rending. where I ordered (upper in the ulna/ way. I tl.;1; left the inn, about eleven o'clock. My rvafon.for this was, that I did not know the charges agailii Mei and various reports having been fpread, that I had ordered a man to be !hot from the mouth of a cannon, and other arange 'furies, I then thougLt that it would not be fur my fifty to i.azarti trial, and withdrew nayfelf, conceivin;7, the public would not linen to the charge againft me without prejudice. No opportunity offering till the Fe lon, I returned to England—l am here now to anfwer the charge, and - leave my cafe to you, tor Lords, and Gentlemen of the Jury." The witneffes were then called for the prifoner. The &It winters called on the part of the pri cotter was Mrs. Lacy, who (fated that the was the widow of Captain Eacr, fo frequently mentioned in the former part of the proceedings. She was in the Government Hoeft, at Goree, on the loth of July 1782, when feveral foldiers came there to claim the payment of what was due to them for the short allowance they were placed on, while Mr. Adams was the Governor. The &it time they came was about nine or ten in the morning; in number they might have amounted to feventy or eighty men. They flopped oprofite to the Go vernment Houfe, and were headed by Serjeant Arm thong . He addreired the prifoncr, Governor Wall, anti that if he did not comply with . . their demand they would break open the Aores, and fat;sfy themfelves. They came again fame time afterwards, and from their manner the could pot confider them to be fober. 3'he Governor next went to them, and Armftrong fwore, that if their requeit was not complied with, the Itores fhould be broke open. The Governor requetkd to have a few hours to confider of it, and defired them, at the fame time, to return to their barracks. They then went away fhouting, and making a great noife. They Paid the Governor fhottld not leave the ifland till they were fatisfied; and Arm. ffrong, as well as two others, of the names of Up. ton and Paterfon, fpoke in fo threatening and alarming a manner, as made her apprehenfive of great danger. It was a quarter of an hour before the Governor could perfuade them to depart; after which he fent for the Officers off duty, of whom her late hulband was one, and Lieutenant Fall and Lieutenant O'Shanley the others, whom he ac. quainted with the mutiny going forward. It was agreed among( them, at that meeting, that they thould not confine all the offenders at once, but take them feparately, and try the ringleaders by Court-Martial. The Governor then fent to Sour ly, the drum-major, (tearing him to be prep.:red for executing whatever the Court might determine * and, on the return of that Officer, l.: reported that all the eats-o'-nine tails were defiroyed in the morning, and that the Governor, for his own relay, thould immediately embark, as the men were refolved not to fuhrri:t to any of them being punithed. j,ieutenant O'Shanley propofed that they thould be punned by the linguift, and hie people, as the regular drummers were enga-yeel in the mutiny. The Governor ordered the Court- Martial to prepare, and Lacy to have every thing ready to hold it on the parade. 'f he I;nguift was fent for, and came to the Government Hour: with the Officers Lacy, Fall, and O'Snanley. Crofs-examined by the TORN EY GT DIE &AL. She Paid, the confidered the Government Houfe ill Goree the fame as her own, as her hatband had been appointed to fuccecd klr. who was-to have embarked the following day. S7te conferred that the had been fometimes to vifit Mr. AVnii in Newgate, during the abfence cf his wife, a=.; well as in her pretence, but denied that the had ever remained there all night. To her knowledge there was no Mort allowance during Mr. Wall's time in the fettlement : what the men claimed had oc curred under the adminiftration of Governer Adams. She did not know Evan Lewis, and was certain he was not the orderly ferjeant on the 'orb of July : that duty was difcharged by a perfon of the name of Kearney. Believes the Commilrary Deering to be alive, but had not feen him for a confiderable time. The three perfons already named, viz. Armflrong, Upton, and Patcrfen, had feverally ufed threatening exptellions to the Genera/. Her hnfband, loon after his arrival at the ifland of Goree, had received a coup de Pill, which rendered him incompetent to do butinecs, and the had never proved his Will, in order to re. ceive property under it, no great !hare of property falling often to the lot of half-pay Officers. She denied having ever figned an affidavit with her hnfband refpaling this affair, though the thould not be much carpi-get' at any affidavit he might have made during the time of his derangement, in conc. equence of the caupdefoled the had before adverted to, Evan Lewis was again called, and swore that he knew Mrs.Lacy s and though. Ihe mull have known him. He perfilled in affecting that he was the or derly ferjeant of the Governor, through the whele of the morning of the loth of July 1782. • Mts. Lacy was then again examined by the Counfel for the prifoner.—She affirmed that Ihe was, and (Lill remained, the intimate friend of Mrs. W. and never visited the rt it - oner without her knowledge. Her hnfband remained in poll-el fion of the Government of Geree for fon:e Limo after Mr. Wall's departure, and though in a vet y debilitated flate generally, in cordeouence of the coup de fold, might have been able to dive evidence refpeaing the Drum-head Court Martial alluded to. in the year 1784. He did not die till the year 1787, Mary Faulkner ilepored, that the is the wik John Faulkner, now a penfioner of the Artillery Corps, and was at Gore; on t)ha L oth of July, t 7S 2, when a party of Irons so to 6o of the African c 0 , 1 ,4 applied to the Governor, beaded by Armaroilg, for their thort allowance money, infifting nu its being paid before he left the ifland. The Governor asked two or three hours to confider of it, atat Atmfirong (wore, if he did not comply with thc demand, they " wculd break open the ttores, and fatisfy thcrafrives. The men were much in licpct. 'I Wad nut Anfiboutiug, la a eery difordirly 1, 1