The Statesman. — London, England, 1809-08-02 00:00:00

We. COURT MARTIAL ON LORD G.iMBIER. • SIXTH DAY. TUESDAY, AUGUST 1. Captait! L[GU farther exhasioted. Q. (ty Lord Gambier) When was it that the two line-of-battleships of the enemy, that conti nued admit in the morning, moved towards the Ch _acute, and when did the three grounded ships get off the Pallas A. About half past 12, the two ships that were afloat vieut up the Charent , ., and shortly after the three ships that had been aground also moved. • Q. Yuu mentioned yesterday the strength of the enemy's battery on the Isle of Aix ; did you observe that any of the fortifications thereon had been blown up and destroyed ? A. I did not ; I think, *1( they had been, I was so close I mast have seen it. Q. Did you hear Lord Cochrane express to Captain Beresfutd, in Aix (toads, the prObability of three or four ur our erne-of-battle ships being lost its attackhg the enemy; and what pissed on that sabj et ? • A.. When Captain Beresfuril asked Lord .r.ose Irk reason for making the telegra m/O. , o 4 14i teat half the fieet could destroy the mirth) i.e the he said he calculated upon luring three or our of the ships, if the Cont. standee in Chief bail sent in the squadrdn. Q. If the two line-uf.bettle ships of the enc. asy, which had remained at their aiichurage in the' aorniug, bad moved lowai.ils the Charente at half •, past eleven o'clock, could frigates alone, assisted •, by tit:: Smiler vesSels, have suiteeded in their at. . tempt tu ti,Ntioy the whet,• of the enemy's seven ships on (hurt on the Petals? A. No; I am confident tog would nave made no impression on any of the etiess)'• shios—but on the contrary, I think it A ould have blen attended with the loss of some of our own ships. Q. Did it appear, that on the morning of the 12th April, or at any time wisest the enemy's ships were on slhre, and the signal had been made that they could be destroyed, there mast, on 'my part, any negli.et, or unnecessary delay, in taking effectual measure• for destroying them ? ;A. I \are already stated, that if our ships had been . sent in on the morning of the 12th, it would, is my opinion, have been sending them to inevittble destruction. I don't think tho slops could have beet' sent in sootier than they were ; arse( there did net appear to me the sdallest neglect, air unnecto. airy delay, on the part of the Commander sn• Chief. Q. (By the Coosa) From the first attack upon the 3 dips of the enemy, to the final cessation of hostilities against thesis, was every thing done that could be due,• to effeettheir destruction ? A. I think every thing was done that could be dam, a:tkl indeed more than I at first expected. Q. You have said that the responsibility of taking the Valiant into the Road of Aix rested en. tirely on the Captain, Cie pilot having refused to take her in; what reason did the pilot give fur not taking her its ? A. That the water was too shoal, and as the wind and tide then were ) he thought the ship would be lost. Q. Were all the enemy's ships, which were on shore on the Palau shoal, near enough to the Bri. tish ships to be destroyed by them ? A. Nu. Three ships that moved up to the Charente lay to the southward and east ward of the Ocean 'and she was never within gen shut of either the Valiant or Revenge. Q. Was it befoie they moved up the Charente? A. Yes. Q. Du you mean that those ships were not within reach of the guns of the British squadron before they moved up the Charente ? A. They were nut, in my opinion. Q. If the Ocean was not within reach of the guns of the Revenge and Pali ust , was she within reach of any of the other vessels ? A. Not where they anchored ; the frigates might have been moved near enough tu have reached them. Q. Could they have done that without being aground ? A. Yes, at about half tide I think they might. Q. To what ship did the Calcutta strike ? A. hare already stated that the Calcutta never struck : the Officer of the Beagle, I think, re ; ported to me that he had taken possession of her, and that the crew had abandoned hes. Q. Did you give him any orders in consequence of such report ? A. I did not ; it was my inten tion to have sent a party of marines immediately to her, as she lay considerably witho'it the reach of the enemy's batteries, and, I think, might have been brought out without the lo,s of a man She was upright, not afloat. She was set on fire a' very rew minutes after, but I du not know by whose order. Mr. Sroiss re.examined. Q. (fly Lord Gamma) At what time did the enemy's two ships of the line, which remaiued at anchor on the 12th of April in the morning, cut or slip their cables, and run towards the Cita reute ? A. Tire Cassard, bearing a Commodore's broad pendant, slipped or cut, and made sail fur the Chaterste at 10 min. pa,t one I'. M. ; the Foudroyant, bearing a Rear-Adin.ral's It ig, made sail fur the Charente at 20 minutes part one. I nuted the time by my watch, and I' ate positive as to the facts, because I made a to.:aturatidum at tae time.. 1 4. Do you remetnimr at w!sat tim. the three tnell's ships that were on Short spoil the Pal.iis and aar i eeel ult . , got Irvin Um& - A. 'To the best of my recollection, about omit o'clock, or a little after. Q. (By the Court) Did they remove from thence before the ships that were at anchor ran towards the Charente ? A. They did. Q. You were on board some of the British ships at their anchorage; were any of the enemy's ships at too great a distante to be destroyed by them? A. I was on board the Imperieuse during part of the time of the action; all the enemy's ships were at too great a distance to be destroyed by on r ships, except those that were destroyed, she Calcutta, Aquilon, and Versovie. It was . ' rather doubtful to me, whether the Revenge's shot could not have been fired with effect on the Tonnere ; the Revenge was the nearest ship to the . caemy. s Q. Was there any other itnation fts Me' Road of Aix,' iii which the Britis h squadron could be placed, . from which they could have destroyed the other ships ? A. No, there was not. Captain Basta:roan, of the 77ieseus s sworn I aid examined. Q. (By Lord Usataiee) Were you scut into Aix Roads with the Theseus, in the aiternoon id the 121 h of April ? A.The signal was made about 5 o'clock, to proceed into Aft Koa.ll. and assist ships in distr.'s, on which we instantly made sail. Q. Hail I sent in line-uf-battie ships to Aix ' Roads, early m the morning of the 12th of April, were any ships of the enemy in a positron to rake and injure our ships as they advanced ? A. Two of the enemy's imps were -admit ; one bore a flag, and the other a broad pendant, which, in i my opinion, would have entirely crippled any"! ships sent in to act. Indeed, if two of our ships had been placed as they were, I think we could have defied air enemy'. approach, for the approach must Merl been go n g end on. Q. If a.y of oar s-ips, advancing ender such eircumstancm, had become crippled, either by the s hips or she enemy ea" king them, ur the tire oi their batteries, could they Imre returned, or what would have been thi couseq corer? A. Under the cir cumstan•es if the wind and tide, I do not think they could have returned; and it they could, it must have been by the greatest goad fortune: the consetieentes would have been in my mind very se. rious, if they could not have returned. Q. Could two or three line of battle ships, on the morning of the Mb of April, when two of the ,enemy's ships lay afloat at their anchorage, have Ilevanced to attack them, by putting their helm{ a.lee, their fore or main-top sails being to the eleit; haring tags armlets thesis heads tasks N.E. would they, by these means, have been enabled to bring their guns to bear wish effect upon the vile ' my's ships, and be themselves nut of reacts of shot from the Isle of Aix? A. Certainly nut. Q. Could any line of battle ships have run td leeward of the two ships of the enemy that lay at their anchorage on the morning of the 12th April, have space enough to have anchored, and by these means to have attacked those ships? A. I should not like to have risked it myself, and it eppeare,l to me that there was scarcely room for a friend to have passed between them and the shoal, letting alone an enemy. I should have thought the at. tempt most hazardous. The tide was running strong flood, and the wind right in. Q. Did you ever understand by whose orders the Calcutta was set on fire? A. The only thing I know with respect to that, was by a conversation with Lurd Cochrane, in the presence of Captain Btigh and others. He said it was a thousand pities the Calcutta could not be brought off. He sent a 'reuniter on board to use his own discretion, and he set fire to her. Q. Do you think she might have been brought off? A. I was not on the spot when she was set on lire, bat . Lord Cochrane said she might here been brought off easy. Q. Did you go on board the Imperiense on the afternoon of the I2th April: what was her posi. lion ; and what passed between Lewd Cochrane and you ? A. She was on shore. I told him I had just come from the Cesar, which was also on shore, in a critical situation, within the range of shut and shell; that hi my opinion, ships of the line had no business 'there; that Lord Gambieti seemed to me to be most anxious to act with his fleet; that if he had sent them in there, few if an y would have returned, and that it would have betel' madness te have done it. His Lordship said that three sail of the line might have been lust, which it% his opinion did not signify. My reply was, that even one sail of the line, would, in my opinion, have disgraced the enterprize. This passed in the presence of Captains Bligh, Wooldridge, Make land, and others, and Colonel Cochrane. Q. Under the circumstances of the wind, the' tide, and Good making, did it appear to you that' on the morning of the 12th of April, or at any 1 time when the enemy's ships were on shore, and the signal had been made that they could be de. stroyed, was there on my part any neglect or un. necessary delay in taking effectual measures to de. stray them ? A. None whatever, and it was ivy opinion, on board the Caledonia, as well' as the opinion of many more, that the time of tide for seeding ships in was a time that would ensure their coining out in case of accidents. Q. Do you remember the signal of the Imperi. case on the morning of the l'2th of April, that the ent-mys ships were on shore, and that half the British fleet could destroy them ? ,A. I did nut see it made. Q. %V at impression did it make emir% you as to its propriety ? A. 'I thought the signal h very inicoper our, because it was impossible for the Let to have then acted st4aliset taw. Q. (By the Cotter) From the first - the enemy, to the final cessation of hostilit iv against them, was every thing done that could be le done to effect their destruction ? A. I think every i thing was, and much more than I ever expected to be done. Q. Are you clear in your recollection that the report made to you of the signal was, that half the sleet would be sufficient to destroy the ene. my ? A. Certain of it ; but previous to that I think that the report was, that the fleet could de stroy th , enemy. Q. Wnen an Admiral Is informed by signal that a specific force is sufficient to execute any service, is it generally understood that the force pointed out is the greatest that can bo employed, or the smallest that will be required ? A. It requires the tome pointed asst. • Q. Then if you ha,l been Commanderin Chief, and that -ignal had been mode to yon, what woe* yes . have considered as the smallest forte Ow! could have sent in ? A. I should have sent hie nicseeihn half to en4ure success. Q Qii yell think that on the morning of the Ilth tof Aptilft %ould have been prudent or vro_ per to hOe lent in more than half the fleet to the Ms R .441 to deoruy the enemy ? A. I think it ' , mid hive beet' very im i lroper ; and, as I said befog* I lid not think snips of the line had any visas thtle._ Captain KRIM, of the Revenge, deposed to the same effect as the last witness. lie said it was his firm belief that had any of the line.of.battle ships gone in sooner than they did, they would have 'been crippled, by which means the French ships would have discovered the strength of their posi. tion, and, of course, remained instead of going up the river, and hove prevented the fonr ships that Were afterwards destroyed from being so. On being sited, whether he observed the state of the fortifications on the Isle of Aix ? he an. 'gored in the negative, the situation of the Re. renge being so critical that he was otherwise taken p. Mr. HAVES, Master of the Caesar, deposed to the circumstances which had happened when he had been in Basque Roads two years before, when Sir R. Strachan pursued the enemy's Beet thither. The rise and fall of the tide was generally lb feet at spring tide. The enemy's ships frequently seemed ti take the ground at low water. It appeared that the anehurage was very confined. Captain •Deues.As, of the Bellona, and Captain GdentLY, of the Etna, deposed to the same elfect fir , net seltuesios. Lieutenant H 4WILI Nis, Signal Officer of the Ca ledonia, on being examined, said that no signal of revel was made to the Insperiense on the 13th April. Mr. Sl'ARsnor, Sifnal Mule of the Caledonia, sworn and examined. Q. What was the first signal male to the hp ship from the Imperictise on the 12th April ? A. The first signal merle by the Imperieuse I could not understand, and Sir H. Neale desired the sig. nal to be mail.. to make that message over again. The Imperieuse then made that " half the duet could destroy the enemy.-. 7 on shore." Q. During the whol.: coarse of that flair, was ans signal made by telegraph, or otherwise, from the I•nporicuse to the Caledonia, that two ships could destroy the enemy ? A. Ilure was no such sapid made. Mr. FAIR? ti said, that the distance of the ex plosion vessel from the enemy when she blew up, was a mite. Mr. WILKINSON (Secretary to Lord G4MSI rR) • re-examined. Q. Did you hear Lord Cochrane, on liis cons. ing on board the Caledonia on the evening of the . 14th of April last, say any thing to mr respecting the loss he calculated on of any of the King's ships I had sent iii to attack the enemy, agreeably to his signal ? A. Lord Cochrane told 'the Admiral, that if he had sent in the snips agreeably to his signal, he calculated upon three or four of them being lost. This alludes to the signal, " Half the Beet can destroy the enemy." Q. Did he say any thing respecting my own conduct, or that of soy Officers of the ships ? A. He spoke generally of flee miseondect of the small vessels (particularly of the gun-brigs), and of the fire-vessels, acid I was confident sloops were in cluded., from th-• circumstance of the lleagk being named. bort! G. expressed his regret, that his Lordship entertained so bad an .pinion of the con. duct of the small vessels, and particularly asked Lord Cochrane with res;..ect to the Beagle, Alert. ing to him, that the ceisduct of the Beagle had gained her the admiration of himself and the rest of the Officers of the Meet, who had observed her, and said, surely she behaved well. Lord Cods. 'rano replied, I have a great regard and esteem for Captain Newcumb; and from his having been an old intimate of mine, it may be supposed I would say every thing on his part, but I cannot make an exception. He slid nothing of Lord Gambier's conduct in my presence, but made comments on the conduct of the Officers, which I shall not re. late unless the Court regaire it. Lord Gamatta then I,ignitied that he had come to the close of his evidence, and was sorry to have detained the Court so long. The PRESIDUNT told his Lordship, that the Court's time was out of the question, and beggetlJ he would consider whether he had any other slit nets to call—a consideration, the result of which the Court n ill readily wait. Lord Gambier thane' eel the Court, and said he would avail himselfd the interval of tine between this and to.eaorttsr► l murnine, for that consideration. Adjourned till to-morrow. . - FROrELDINGS OF SPECIAL COUR r OF COMMON COUNCIL OF TILE CITY OF LONDON. HELD If CONSEQVISCS OF A Sorfce or A SOTTO'S GIVII4 ST SR. JAI•ES DLIFOR, TO ItZSCIRD TIC TOTS OF THASILS TO COL. wAaing. ?Anse ON Tai btu or ♦PRIL LAST. Yesterday was held, by summons from the Right Ron. the f,ord Mayer, a Special Coin t of Condemn Council, in consequence of a Requisi. (juts for that purpose, signed by Members of the Court. At half put 12 o'clock his Lordship took the Chair, and shortly addressed the Meeting, by Stitt ttht the Members o the Cistrt Rad beets summoned by his direction, in consequence of the following Requisition:— " Mit I,oae,—We, the vadenigned Members of the Court of Commis Council, deeming it highly improper, and di ...- gatory to the chitracter of the Court, to suffer the /twice of a motion to stand over, which proposes . to rescind from Vie jourisah of its p►oceedings. a vote, pawed no the Gth da v of April List, after the fullestdeliberation, expressing the tha►,ks and gratitude of the Codrt to OWYLLYY LLOYD %IV ARDLL. Esq. for the val, letrepidits and patriotism, which he so sindoently evinced by 'exhibiting and substantiating serious charges against the hie Commander ie Chief,'—do hereby re quest your Lordship to call upon an sorly Day an especial CJart of Cosmoses Ceurseil, fur the purpose of considering the same." The ItequisPion being read, his Lordship stated that he had received a letter from Mr. J1‘11:3 DIXON ; a letter, the reading of which att , ,,,led no small degree of amusement to alined the % hole Court. " New Bridge-strret, Slit July 1809. My Loan MAYOR--I ma much serpresed at the sem- Eyoor Londsbip has isnot for a Special Court of Coin . Cotner% to be held, to-morrow, to take into conshiera tite notice which I gave at the last Court, of my iplea. him) to brag forward, after the Recto, a Motion to expunge from the Journals the Resolution of the Thanks of the Court,. on the Ilth of April hot, to Mr. Wardle. . " I dal oat at that time. nor do I wish at present, to pre clude the party interested the opportunity of re-establishing huns..ll in the good opinion of his felloweltixetts, by the appeal he Intends to sake to the Justice of the country. id tine prosrebtion he has publicly declared be wilt institute for perjury, against the witnesses who were examined, on the part of the PlainHlf, in a recent trial at wemniaderu " As the interval of the Recess for *bleb the Court of Cominna Council was. as usual, adjourned, will, as I under stood, abed hie that opportunity, I thriven it right, seder the etreeMtitlefe to whit the Carmelo, was glassed, by the Vote of Thanks, to give the notice, menia l' to myself the alternative of bringing it forward at the Ant Court slier the Recess, or not, intending. iu that respect, to be gelded altogether by the rt.ult of the progecation for perjury, if instituted.—l therefore beg leave to inform your Lordship, that I shall not attend the Court on Tuesday. " I am, my Lord, with great respect, 41 ... a nir faithful obedient Servant. " JANILd MON." The laughter nccacioned by the general con. tents of this unique production having, after soine . • short lnpse of tine, subsided, I , Mr. bIILLER,, in a very neat speech, cldresited ,tbq Court, and stated, that the author of the let.er :bat had been just read,,aisd of the extreureisspry notice that bad on a former occasioti bee,. gives of a motion to resciad the Vote of Tliatils passed by that Court to Colonel Wardle., having thought proper to desert his post, he should himself take the liberty of inovin.:, that the Vote of Thanks, to Colonel Wardle should be expunged. &triter. dinary as such a motion might from him appear, he deemed it his duty to bring it forward, with a view of bringing to immediate decision a (portion, which neither the dignity of that Court, nor the justice due to Colonel Wardle, could with any degree of propriety, after notice of suck a motion, be suffered to hang in suspence at the pleasure or caprice of the Gentleman with whom it originated. Thep: opriety of this motion,aboadoisedowicahopen, and isirkous as to ordinary capacities it in ght ap. pear, be should leave to others to decide—bet he could not help thinking tliat the desertion of i ',Ai. ginal author was an incontrovertible proof that he never did seriously intend to persevere in it—tle. serted, however, as it had cow avowedly been, it was his determination to persevere in wis i siasuur i ng to obtaiu the rkcision of the Common Council of tbe City of London on so important a question. But as in thus introducing the subject it was by ao means his intention to become the parcel of such an offspring . , he should nut enlarge upon a topic on which he felt so little satisfaction—and would, therefore, conclude by moving the following Amendment on the Resolution voliug the Thanks of the Court to Col. Wardle, passed by the Court on the 6th day of April last. " That the Court having, on the 6ln of April last, voted to Mr. Wardle a gold box, with the freedom of the City, and their thaota for IN zed and Integrity in Or discharge of his duties as a Member of Parliament, mid bein g convinced that that vote had been improrrly entered int.', now resolved to expunge the Lane." .The Amendment being read, ..Mss., ALDKRMAN GOODBEITERE addres. ".sod the Court :-Tilly Lord Mayor, 1 lament not . I..ss thatit should have become necessary to urgt•a , decision of the question w loch has been created by the notice of a 'motion so extraordinary...-than . the necessity that was proved to have ontiippily existed for that imetatqation,the reboil aaf.,w i ice called forth the marked approbation of the con duct of Cul. Wardle-..not wily by this ,court, but by almost every public body throughout the ' kingdom.-.fur to me Ido confess this tao*t doss • • 1 wore :64 • are . : 4a....1 .0 .1 a .1 . 11.. , • • . • ....,...•: .•• • . • -NIP - . , e: . .• - ! . . - .. .. ••• ; . .: . • . .... (. • .., - . • f•:. • --.. • . • ' : o lot . . ' g l i • . . • •. ' -. •• % 9 1 . •., . .4, !-- i - -,-amet-16-p--•-• "..-.).-- - --.F......r?-r —,... As. ....., ..- „ 77 ii .., • i , t. ,. kV 4' :' 41 ,, 'WO :•{ 1• r 4 hofir n ......1 $ ;...eo.: 't y?l') . *s'4! io t oitsior4l3 $ V .tlAt'. l . 4 * •,.• . -: !,... .0) ig,l tsti i [h r t,-;> : v ' i nk ` CAi jr; ba on L.O .-,:. 4 ,• • 4 ... :. , 1.. or:. :!$i.Ml ki /emosi.:**44-6 10.1. . ‘-. - ‘• 0 1 ,4:)6 : •• • .;, . i - i• • , ,IF 'lel • - 40,4 ) .t5i• .--i ',O . V • . 'ok 's • . • f .,-,-4..4ef . tr. ;."14 a 1 i . 4 . r.f ti , .1 . 1 . 44 Jut! ti.. !i',..naid• Int.rt triiiKr`V 1 ' • i ' ai i ! -- f•' pi 4, .4.. . . I , .. •.;.r . it irtearli „.•;.;;:.'` . - 0-te l Lekik• -' 1 " . - ')e l 44. ..3ill Ci 4 X . . 1 INV ,, .- • . 1 • "". • '7 . t:V.7•P . tll4llllO tr • t 8 .... .., ~. ~..,..,..,... •. ~:„...1.1 ,: .! : • 1 • - .11 u 'lt A •ia l'7i . li i , . ' • -• : • z - _ ~ 4 ' i/4 . ...r i i .7 .. it: . iii , %., .. ytt. l iNj • Iro , ''' • . ..• . .1 t ';•it2.'.- -- • . ' • i . -• ill ..i.e f• . elotate_M_ ma . .;;, k .) . 1 :( if 1..; • ! :,.' ' t ' ~ -. .f•op - 7 • i . _ ...... %. 1470 a . / IVEDNESIMY AUGUS? 2, I 809 b , . g fir -4°' Vr ... IN 4 7 PRICE etc ........„. COURT MARTIAL b 1 tof my recollection, about one o'clock, o r 1 Q. (By the Courr) From the first attack upon 1 COLON EL WA RDLI!.. ON I al I ittle after. the enemy. to the final cessation of hostilities I !. 1 11 . 'I .. 4 6 . • • '~ ~1 i ! .l 1, I