The Sun.
London, England, 1830-03-22 00:00:00

TRIAL OF COMMANDER RUSSELL AND
DI It. HODGES.

A Court Martial assembled on Thursday, on
board his Majesty's ship Victory (flag-ship), in
Portsmouth harbour, which, by adjournment, con-
tinued the following day, to try Commander Rus-
sell, and Mr. Richard Hodges, master, of the Wolf,
for their conduct on the occasion of that sloop get-
ting on shore at the back of the Isle of Wight, on
the night of the 10th instant. The Court con-
sisted of the following Members :
Captain John Hayes, C.B. President; Captain
Hon. George Elliot, Captain Charles Napier, C. 8.,
Captain Right Honourable Lord William Paget,
M.P., Commander John Hindmarsh.—Moses Gree-
tham, Esq. Judge Advocate.
The usual preliminary proceedings having been
gone through, the Judge Advocate read the follow-
ing official letter from Captain Russel to Admiral
the Honourable Sir Robert Stopford, in which arc
detailed the circumstances out of which this inquiry
was instituted:— •
" His Majesty's ship Wolf, Portsmouth Harbour,
" March 13, 1830.
" SIA,—I beg leave to state, for the information of my
Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty, that on the 9th
instant his Majesty's sloop wo/j; under my command,
entered the English Channel, in her passage from Tangiers
to Portsmouth; the wind blowing hard from N. to N.W.
prevented my making any part of the English coast until
the ship got as high up as Portland, the lights of which
were seen at six p.m. on the 10th ; at eight p.m. bore up,
E. by N. intending to run through the Needles passage,
Portland Lights then bearing N.W. by W. five leagues by
estimation. I continued steering for the Needles until 11
20 p.m. when the master stated to me that it was best to
haul off for the night, as it was too hazy to run any longer,
being then only four miles off by account. I immediately
hauled up, and trimmed sails on the starboard tack, stand-
ing out to the Southward; at 11 30 p.m. the ship
struck; clewed up the sails, and fired guns of distress;
came on board several pilots, who stated the ship was od
shore at Brook, at the back of the Isle of 'tik ight, having
been set to the Southward and Eastward by the flood tide,
which, according to the information of the pilots, bad
been running much stronger than it generally does. On
the 11th, at 4 p m., I had the assistance of the Galatea,
Camelion, and three cutters ; and at 11 30 on the 12th
succeeded in heaving the ship off, with the loss of her
masts, rudder, guns, and stores thrown overboard to lighten
the ship, when she was towed into Portsmouth harbour,
by the Carron steam vessel, and secured alongside the sheer
hulk. " I have the honour to be, Sir,
Your most obedient humble Servant,
" ROBERT RUSSELL, Commander.
" Admiral Sir Robert Stopford, K. C, B."
The Court then proceeded to call witnesses.
Lieutenant Richard Rogers, First Lieutenant of
the IVo(f, called in and sworn :—Do you know
what was the situation of the Wolf on the 10111 of
March, at 8 p.m. ?—Yes; the Portland lights were
a little before the beam, I think, N. by W. about
three or four leagues distant. I quitted the deck
just before ten o'clock ; I had charge of her until
half-past ten; but the Captain wishing me to be up
in the morning, I went below. At the time I left
the deck the ship was not in soundings with the
hand lead. The lead was not hove after eight
o'clock to my knowledge. Was on deck before the
ship was fixed on the rock. The instant the ship
struck I went cn deck; she had not struck a second
time before I was on deck. When I came on deck
the ship's head was S.E. by S.; she was then
under topsails; the yards were braced upon the star-
board tack. I set to the course as soon as I came
on deck, and she came up S. and by W.; she was
then striking, but floated in less than two minutes
afterwards ; she went off and gathered way ; to the
best of my knowledge, when she gathered way the
wind was about west—about a point free; in about
a minute and thirty seconds, I should suppose, she
struck again; the mainsail was hauld aft, and the
yards backed ; she struck upon the outer reef. We
lost sight of Portland lights at half-past eight o'clock;
the revolving light showed very plain ; the weather
was not thick before ten o'clock; I had no orders
to get a cast of the deep-sea lead. Captain Russell
and the master, Mr. Hodges, were on deck when
I got there. Her head came on shore after she
struck, from the yards being backed. Did not see the
land before the yards were backed.—Q. Why did
you back the yards, as you stated her head came to
.S. by W. which was off shore ? A. I was ordered
to back the yards by Captain Russell, against my
my own opinion and the master's. When we
found the ship did not come off we furled the sails,
commenced lighteningand starting water ; the masts
were not cut away until next day ; we had the
stream anchor out, backed by a kedge ; she did not
move at all. After the topsails were backed she
paid round off her keel, she went nothing a-head.
She struck twenty minutes after eleven o'clock, I
believe.
Mr. Hodges, the master, asked—You said just
now the yards were backed against your opinion and
the master's; did you not then hear me earnestly
entreat that sail might be kept on the ship and not
backed, when she would get off ?—Yes ; and it was
against my opinion and master's that the yards were
backed.—What did I say upon the occasion ? I
cannot answer that question; from the noise on
deck I could not hear it.—Do you not recollect my
saying " for Heaven's sake keep sail on the ship ?"
Something of the kind.
Commander Russell asked—Was that before er
after she struck the second time ?—After.
By Mr. Hodges—Did I request Captain Russell
to fill the yards and keep sail on the ship, and did
he not instantly comply ?—Yes.
In answer to a question by the Court, witness
said Captain Russell took charge of the deck when
he left it, at half-past nine. I acquainted the mas-
ter the Captain had done so; I was to keep the
master's watch.
Captain Russell asked—Did you ask me if I had
any; objection for the master and yourself to exchange
watches, and what was my answer ?—Yes ; Captain
Russell said, I have no objection, I will look out.
Capt. George Hayes, R.N. called in and sworn-

When you commanded the Wolf, were you in pos-
session of an order that no ship of war should pass
through the Needles after dark ?—I do not recollect
ever having such an order. Could not recollect
precisely the situation of the Wolf on the 10th of
March, at eight p.m.; the Wolf bore up for the
Needles about half-past seven; to the best of his
judgment he should think that for the last half hour
before the struck she might have been about seven
or eight miles from the Needles; he quitted the
deck about eleven o'clock; the lead was not going
at any time previously to his doing so; when he
quitted the deck the Wolf was certainly nearing for
the Needles; saw no light on shore in that direc-
tion ; there was a fresh breeze when he quitted
the deck ; the weather was very thick ; the
wind about W.S.W. He should think the
Wolf was going about nine knots; Captain
Russell and the master were on the fore-
castle looking out ; when he quitted the deck, the
ship's head by the compass was between East and
by North, and East North East; at that time he
should not expect to see the land more than half a
mile; does not know that the lead was hove after
striking soundings of the channel until after the ship
had struck; was on deck 20 minutes, he supposed,
before he quitted at eleven o'clock, and was con-
fident that during that time the lead was not hove;
there was no leadsman in the chains to his know-
ledge; did not suggest to Captain Russell the pro-
priety of getting a cast of the head; he certainly
did observe that the weather was very thick to
attempt the needles; Captain Russell remarked
that they would run on and endeavour to make the
land, and if not, haul off in time, and place the ship
under easy sail to go into St. Helen's in the morn-
ing. The ship ran, he should think, after this ob-
servation, two hours or upwards. When he went
below he thinks Capt. Russell and the master were
on the forecastle.—Do you not remember to have
heard orders given that one if not both leads should
be at hand, and in readiness for use, although you
may not recollect them,to have been made use of ?
Those were the general orders of the ship during
F the time that I commanded her, and I recollect
Captain Russell telling me he had given the first