The Sun.
London, England, 1854-08-10 00:00:00

officer-like manner, which, I understand, caused consider.
able merriment to the men.
" The position drill, which they consider derogatory to
their rank and position in the service, consisted of the ex-
tension motions, and the usual portions of the sword ex-
ercise.—l have the honour to be, sir, your obedient servant,
" C. R. SHERVINTON, Lt. 46th Regiment,
" Actin Adjutant Detachment.
" The officer commanding g 46th Regiment, Weedon."
" Memorandum.—Manchester, May 9, 1854. The fol-
lowing officers will attend morning drill at seven a.m.
until further orders ;—Lieutenant Perry, Ensign Knapp,
Ensign Waldey, Ensign Hutton.
"By order. "C. R. SHERVINTON,
" Lieutenant and Adjutant Detachment 46th Regiment."
COLONEL GARRETT TO MAJOR. FYFFE.
"To Major Fyffe. "Windsor, June 1.
" Sir—I have the honour to acknowledge the receipt of
your letter of the 31st ultimo, relative to the misconduct
of Lieutenant Perry and Ensign Knapp.
" Judging of Lieutenant Perry by his antecedents, I am
not surprised at what has occurred ; but I had hoped that
on
p ar
on v doffi andc r o fa
dmv
aunc
ehe
dp r
ionm it se,
might, by attention,
Ensign Knapp, although not
service without animadversion.
" The conduct of Lieutenant Perry has been in gross
violation of discipline and insolent contempt of your autho-
rity, and, in my opinion, can only be disposed of by being
brought before the cognisance of a court-martial. I may
possibly
feel it to be my duty to institute the same line of
proceeding in Lieutenant Knapp's case, in order to enforce
the discipline of the service, which he as well as Lieute-
nant Perry has set at naught. At all events, I have no
doubt I shall be under the necessity of recommending that
his expected promotion do not take place.
"I will call on Ensign Waldey and his servant to-mor-
row for a summary of their evidences as to the insolent
contempt of authority shown by Lieutenant Perry, as. ro-
ported by you, and I shall thereon frame charges against
him, and forward them to you, in order that he may offer
any observations regarding them if ho can, previously to
submitting them to the general commanding-in-chief.
Both these officers will remain in arrest until their cases
have been disposed of. " R. G."
CHARGES AGAINST LIEUTENANT PERRY.
" 1. For conduct unbecoming the character of an officer,
in having, at Manchester, on or about May, 1854, on
receiving from Lieutenant and Acting-Adjutant Charles
Shervinton, a memorandum containing certain orders
from Major Fyffe, then commanding the division of the
46th Regiment, at Weedon, treated that document, by
certain signs and motions, iu a most ignominious and con-
temptuous manner.

"For wilfully absenting himself from parades, on or
about the 25th of June, 1854.
" The whole of such conduct being in contempt of the
authority of his commanding officer, and subversive of
good order and military discipline.

R. GARRETT,
" Lient.-Col. Commanding 46th Regt."
" Summary of evidence required as to Ensign Knapp's
absence from parade or morning drill, and date thereof.
" Also for sulkiness and inattention at various drills,
and their dates.

" Also misconduct at divine service, and date.
" Also as to absence from a regimental board on or about
the 27th of May.
" Also full particulars and summaries of evidences as to
the misconduct of Lieutenant Perry and Ensign Knapp at
morning parade, on or about the 21st of May, when for
drill.

" Whether the adjutant was present when those officers
ordered the sergeant-major to depart from the written
orders for regulating that parade.
"Also a summary of various evidences as to their con-
duct, after reprimand, to the acting-adjutant on the above
subject."

"R. G."
LIEUTENANT PERRY TO COLONEL GARRETT.
" Weedon, Ju, 1
" Sir,—ln reply to the charges preferred against m 854.
e, I have the honour to state, with regard to the first, I was in
Ensign Waldey's room, and in a hich flow of spirits, when
Lieut. and Aeting-Adjutant C. Shervinton came in and
handed me a memorandum, which, having read, I returned
him, but unfortunately forgot the respect due to him as the
representative of the commanding officer, and in a moment
of excitement (caused by what had taken place previous to
his entrance) I committed an offence which, in cooler mo-
ments, I would, never have been guilty of, and for which I
afterwards made such an apology as appeared sufficient to
Major Fyffe, and also satisfactory to Lieut. and Acting-
Adjutant C. Shervinton.

‘` I may mention, in further extenuation, that I had pre-
viously been on terms of great intimacy and familiarity
with Lieut. Shervinton, and that what I did was merely
meant as a joke; and I have no doubt ho would have taken
it as such had it not been for the official nature of his
communication.

" I have the honour to state, with regard to the second
charge, that I was orderly officer on the 25th of May, 1851.
I visited the hospital between two o'clock and half-past two
(which latter was the drill hour), in hopes of being in time
for drill, which I would have done had I not been detained
at the hospital for several minutes, there being no orderly
there to show me round the wards. I afterwards turned
out the magazine guard, and visited the sentries. When I
arrived in the barrack-square, by the back gate, the men
had fallen in, and were drilling under the sergeant major.
Seeing I was late, I did not like to fall in, for fear of dis-
turbing the parade. I then performed my duties as orderly
officer, by turning out the barrack-gate guard, visiting the
sentries, canteen, etc.

" I have nothing further to state in my defence, but
throw myself on the generosity of my commanding officer,
trusting that through your clemency I may yet have an
opportunity of showing my sincere regret for the past, and
by my future conduct of proving myself worthy of the
leniency extended to me. And I hope you may be induced
to look upon the first and more serious charge in its true
light, of an unthinking boyish trick-, and not in any way
intended as an insult to established authority.
" I am now quite aware of the very serious consequences
entailed by such an improper action.
" Hoping you will extend your mercy, and not enforce
the serious measures you have in contemplation, I have the
honour to be, sir, your obedient humble servant,
" J. E. PERRY, Liout. 46th Regiment.
" To the Officer commanding 46th Regt., Windsor."

MEMORANDUM FOR MAJOR FYFFE.
" The statement of Lieutenant Perry as to the contempt
shown by him to Major Fyffe's authority is not satisfac-
tory. Neither is it with regard to his absence from parade
on the 25th of May.

" The contempt shown by him was in the presence of a
private of the regiment, and the impression on the mind of
the commanding officer is, that it was designed, wilful, and
premeditated. The offence, however, consists in the animus
under which it took place, and the commanding officer must
be satisfied by other statements than those of Lieutenant
Perry that it was an unintentional and thoughtless over-
sight. Lieut. Perry's acts are a tissue of opposition to
the authority of his commanding officer, and cannot be
allowed to pass. Ho has stated his wish to serve else-
where, but the commanding officer cannot give any opinion
as to his so doing, and thus escaping an ordeal which his
conduct asks fur, until ho has shown by other statements
than his own that his acts wore the result of thoughtless-
ness and inadvertence.

" R. GARRETT,
" Lieutenant-Colonel 46th Regiment.
" Windsor, June 6, 1854."
LIEUTENANT SHERVINTON TO LIEUTENANT PERRY.
" Wcedon, June 7, 1854.
" Sir,—ln reply to your letter of this date, calling upon
me to state my belief as to your intention (or otherwise)
to show contempt or disregard for Mayor Fyffe by your
late treatment of an official from him,
" I have to acquaint you that the opinion I gave, when
reporting the circumstance, remains unaltered, namely,
that you acted in a thoughtless and inconsiderate manner,
without the most distant intention of showing contempt
for authority, or committing a breach of discipline.—l
have the honour to be, sir, your obedient servant,
"C. R. SHERVINTON, Lieut. 46th Regt., Actg. Adjt.
" Lieut. Perry, 46th Regt."
LIEUTENANT PERRY TO COLONEL GARRETT.

" Weedon, June 7, 1854.
" Sir,—l have the honour to submit to you Lieut. C. R.
Shervinton's answer to my letter, requesting him (Lieut.
Shervinton) to state whether my foolish act was inten-
tional or otherwise.—l have the honour to be, sir, your
obedient humble servant,
"J. E. PERRY, Lieut. 46th Regt.
"The Officer commanding 46th Regiment, Windsor."
MAJOR FYFFE TO COLONEL GARRETT.
" Weedon, June 7, 1854.
"Sir,—ln reply to your memorandum of the 6th, I have
to acquaint you that I called on Lieut. Perry, to procure
other statements besides his own, respecting his late breach
of discipline. He called on Lieut. Shervinton, whose re-
ply, together with a letter from Mr. Perry, I have the
honour to enclose.—l have the honour to be, sir, your
obedient servant, " DAVID FYFFE,
"Major commanding division 46th Regt.
" The Officer commanding 46th Regt., Windsor."
MEMORANDUM FOR MAJOR FYFF
"June .8,1854.
" Although the tenour of Lieut. Shervinton's letter to
Major Fyffe, of the 31st May, did not lead the command.
ing-officer to suppose that Lieutenant's Perry's offence was
the result of thbughtlessness, or that he did not intention.
ally offend, but, on the contrary, that his conduct was in
in the presence of
wilful contempt of the authority. of the major, Lieutenant-
Colonel Garrett is disposed to give the benefit of a doubt,
which may, perhaps, exist in other minds, but certainly
not in his. And if Major Fyffe is satisfied to allow it not
adfrom
to go before the authorities, he may,
the subalterns, admonish Lieut. Perry, and caution him
against the repetition of such unofscer-like
future,epPat
and
conduct, and also on the danger of absenting anci
in
nlnds of both of
himselfp
his duties and misconduct while at drill or
"It will be necessary to admonish Ensign?.
same time, and also to impress upon the
them that must be very circumspect
not expect any indulgences, or other consideration, until
their future conduct shall induce the commanding-officer
to consider they have become deserving of it.
" Both these officers are released, and may return to
their duty.