The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1809-01-30 00:00:00

1

hoods (for obvious reasons) having lately appeared I
in the daily prints of Kingston, Jamaica, tending
to agitate and mislead the public respecting the cir-
cumstances attending a 111.1Clisy of some new recruits
of the ad West India Itie4inient ; and among other
equally groundless assertions, that the old soldiers,.
when ordered to fire upon the mutineers, bit the
balls off the cartridges, previous to loading ; the
editors having refused to publish the signed de-
claration
of the Officers who were present on pa-
rade, and whose lives were raved by the good con-
duct of the men in the ranks; ill justice to the
soldiers, and to refute and expose the authors of
such calumny, it is thought proper to mention,
that the regiment went out to exercise without any
anitnuoition, and that the mutineers were entirely
dispersed, and driven oft the ground, before a single
ball-cartridge cuine from the f
ont
; number hav-
ing been killed amid. wounded ou the apot by the
bayonet, and several of the old soldiers also wounded
by the mutineers, in defence of their Officers.—
To show the confidence the Officers bad iu the
fidelity of the regiment, the annexed letter from
time Commanding Officer on the parade, to the
General of the district, is subjoined, with the opi-
uiou of the Court of Enquiry.
" JOHN GRANT, .C3rtaitl, W. 1. Reg.
J rRED. lIROWNL, Capt. 24 W. I. Rcir.
" W. MAJOR, Capt. 24 W. I. Reg."
(COPY:,
" Port Heuderson, 27th May. line.
" SUR.••••-1 am sorry to acquaint you, that the re-
cruits revolted this morning ; Lieut. Ellis is killed,
and hlajoi Diteley wounded ; we want lie assistance;
the regiment behaeed remarkably well. Captain
Browne and myself are here with a party to iiiter-
cept those that have escaped into,the mangroves.
Captain Maclean* being unwell, was not in the
field. I SllppOde lIC will write you the particulars
from Fort Augusta.
~I have the honour to be, Sir, your most
lANT obe-
dient Servant, (Signed) JOHN G,
Capt. .2,1 W. 1. Reg.',
6 BEipailf Gen. Darby, Spanish Town."
OWI%
amigo% OT TOW COURT or TAIQUIRT. •
" The Court cannot find that the mutiny was
ally more than partial amongst the recruits, norain
tie Court find rely cause fur this act of inhuman
outra;;e, L ,yoad the violence of the party at drill
in tiuehtoutt ; but, on *contrary, find that the ge-
neral conduct of the regiment has beim steady, in
every respect creditable to itself. iu the unfortn-•
nate affair of this morning, displaying by its coo-
duct against the deluded mutineers, its ettaeliincet
to its officers. and obedience to their orders. It ap-
pears to the Court, taut no violence hail been. used
to the recruits; and, at the time they broke out of
the fort, they had been ordered to staud at ease,
and the serjeant had quitted them for some nrces.
'Airy purpose. Th,- corpora who endeavoured to
restrain them was wounded.
(Signed) J. W. SIURILLTT.
President, M. Gen."

rort Augusta, May 27th, itoe.
GLNLKAL Cat'-DER.
" Iltivi.cpunters, cgs* November, 1809.
.. His rimee the Duke u; Mend r lisaog ex-
pressed a wi.h that the liajor-General command-
ing His l'.llajesty's forces sUuuld comply with a re-
quert of the Mons' of Assembly, that certain Of-
ficers ought be permitted to attend a special Corn-
siittee, for the purpose of being eAummed as to a
int/tiny, aad t murder of two of H Majesty's
Officers of thehe 2i West India Regiment.is
" Upon this extraordinary occasion, the Major-
General feels it a paramount duty to apprize any
Officers, or other persons in a military capacity,
that may he allowed to appear, that he dots not
permit them to aie,wer any questions that the Le.
goslative rmtly of this Island may put upon the
subject of a late mutiny, or upon the Fovertunent
of His Majesty's furres. Ilse former
having gone through the sileinn investigation of a
c-nend Coart-Mortial, hod mulcr the high au-
thority of the King's Sign Mailual ; the proceed-
ings of which have been regularly transmitted to
the Judge-Advocate-General's Office ; approved
of by the King, and his Royal pardon extended to
some of the unfortunate offenders, as communi-
cated to the Commatider of the Forces in is letter
dated 2.3 th August, irioB, from Ills ltoyal High-
ness the Cormnander-in-Chief. The rides mid
articles for the better government and discipline of
His Majesty's forect, enacted by the Imperial
Parliament of Great Britain, so explicitly lay
down the law, that the Major-General will nut
submit to a deviation therefrom : nor eat. he admit
of any jurisdiction, in a colonial 1e..,t-rame, to re-
vise or investigate judicial proceedings held inaler
the Royal Prerogative. The Major-tieaeral.
however, noxious to co-operate with the head of
the Civil Government, in every mcasure that Call
tend to the good of the public senior, direct. that
Major Macleuit. commanding the od West India
'Regiment, awl Captain Twig:, Assistasit-Adju-
tant-General, attend at the Kings house. in Spa-
nish for theporpose of knowing his Grace's
pleasure as' to any information in their power to
give, comisteut with their duty.
" The Motor-General commanding extremely
regrets that any difference of °minim should exist
with any branch of the ll...eirhleure. on points in
which the public service is materially emu:erased;
particularly at a crisis when the united etforts of
every British subject may be molted in this
Wand. But as the Missies of the 14111/se of
Assembly publicly mica: ore their determiustion to
proceed tri the iovestigatiom or a motility, already
tried before the proper tribunal, and on whirls his
csty'a
to pleasure in. been ttttt known to the
army. prevent wily toiscotweptioii that may
arise, Wee fleneral "ficer who has the hannne
to
conimaml His Majesty's forces on this Maud. and
its dependencitar, thus makes k:191‘11 his derision.
until the eireistivattnees shall lo• rommuniented to
his Royal Iligliaess the Comasstmlee in chief, mid
instructions received thereon.
" By CommaraL
(Slimed) W. Ti INC; Aenstoot-A4j -Gee."
GENERAL t:L
Oftl" iIS.
November 26, Me.
1. The Major-General commanding hosting re.
coved a report from Captain 'Fonge, A,sistant
Adjaant-General, as to the circumstances of inter-
rogatories put to him by a Special Committee of
the noose of Assembly, with his replies thereto,
his conduct is highly approved of upon that ocea-
ann, as also Majne Macleate., o the 2d Wesyt India
Regiumust; those (Accra havinf g perfectly