The Sun.
London, England, 1849-01-27 00:00:00

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PLYMOU
n
t ca
eTi Tel a.
followingtel V .
.e._/,y,; COUR/T -MARTIAL COMMANDER
. was held this morning on board her Majesty's ship
1.4)
1 1
Caledoniohao,ep
Ferret.
eoat
officer,
//
C Commanderat ero,ffiitcieHrsamoaze, for
the purpose of investigating certain charges preferred
of
cohmerpriMseai
the Court :—Sir John Louis, Bart., Rear-Admi-
jaegsatyi n'sstslt
ral of the Red, and second officer in command of
her Majesty's ships and vessels at Plymouth, President;
Captain Thomas Wren Carter, of her Majesty's ship
Caledonia, 120; Captain Sir Thomas Maitland, Teat., C.B. of her Majesty's ship Impregnable ; Commander
Charles Hale, her Majesty's ship Agincourt, and Com-
mander Rawatone, her Majesty's ship Apollo. Officiating
Judge-Advocate, William Eastlake, Esq. John Beer,
jun., Esq., of Devonport, appeared for the defence. Osp_
Min W. B. Mends, her Majesty's skip Agincourt,- Was
unable to attend, as he was suffering from an attack of
bronchitis, and a medical certificate to that effect was
put in and read.
The Court having been sworn, Commander Sprigg
was placed on his trial on the following charges :
For that the said Commander George Sprigg, when
commander of her Majesty's sloop Ferret, and in actual
service and full pay of her Majesty's fleet, did, upon the
main sea, on the toth day of June, 1848, evil entreat
eleven men, whose names are to us unknown, who were
part of the crew of the Brazilian schooner Castro the
Third, which he had taken as a prize, by ordering such
eleven men into a boat belonging to the said schooner,
and by ordering them, when in such said ;boat, to steer
south cast, to the western coast of Africa, which was
the nearest land, being at the time many miles off ; and
such eleven men not being then properly provided with
oars and water. For that, by such conduct, the said
Commander George Sprigg did behave in a cruel and
oppressive manner, unbecoming the character of an
officer in her Majesty's navy.
A statement of the charges have been read by the
Judge-Advocate, the following witnesses were called and
examined :
John Holmes, late boatswain of the Ferret, stated
that the Ferret was on the west coast of,Africa in June,
1848, at which time Commander Sprigg was her captain.
In that month a slaver was captured by her, called Castro
the Third. About five o'clock a boat belonging toile prise,
with ten or eleven slavers in her, was brought alongside.
Captain Sprigg ordered me not to allow any one to come
up, but to put into the slaver's boat a breaker of water,
a compass, lantern and candle, and shove her off to-
wards the shore. There were no provisions, that I saw,
in the boat, only a number of bags, but what they con-
tained Ido not know. Commander Sprigg held no com-
munication with the men in the boat, excepting to direct
them to steer S.E. fifty miles. I think he said for Ben-
guile. The men were pulling two oars when the boat
left the ship, and I think one steering. I did not see
anything cruel, oppressive, or unofficer-like in Com-
mander Sprigg's conduct towards the slavers.
By the Court—There was nothing taken from the
men in the boat, neither were they-ill used or beaten
when they refused to proceed in the boat. The men
were net, I think, sober. The boat was about eighteen
feet long, and apparently a new one. The boat was not
too heavily laden, and it was fine weather, with smooth
water. I believe there were provisions in the bags
which I saw in the boat, as it is frequently my duty, in
taking slavers, to overhaul men's bags ; and I have
scarcely met with an instance but that they have con-
tained some provisions.
By the defendant—l don't recollect that you ordered
the men to take out of the prize whatever they wanted,
but it might have been done without my hearing it. I
saw tin canisters, in which they are in the habit of car-
rying bread and provisions, in the boat. There was ano-
ther prise crew away from the Ferret besides the
prise crew on board the Castro. The pinnace, with the
crew, had been away from the Ferret for many days;
there had been great sickness on board the Ferret pre-
viously, and she was very short-handed in consequence.
Jeremiah Tomey examined—l was acting gunner of
the Ferret, and was on detached service when the slaver
was captured in June last year. I fell in with a boat
containing eleven men, the prisoners, who told me they
had no bread. I started some water into a tin, about a
gallon, and they drank it. They asked me the point
that they were near to, and I pointed out Coquimbo
Point to them, which they reached that night about
twelve o'clock.
Sergeant John Spooner examined—l am a sergeant in
the Royal Marines, late of her Majesty's sloop Ferret,
and was on board the Ferret in June last, when she
captured the Castro the Third. I was standing on the
netting just by the gangway when the slaver's boat came
alongside. The boat had a bag of crisped bread, the
same as they always carry on board, as well as other
bags and canisters, the contents of which I do not know.
The quantity of bread, I suppose, was about 10 to 12
or 14Ibs. The men appeared very jovial when
they were sent away. They did not ask for provisions,
and were very careless of the water, whether they took
it or not, and I bad to get in and place it, to prevent its
being upset. I have no doubt that they had a sufficient
quantity of provisions and water to enable them to reach
the shore,
Mr. Charles Cutford Mitchell examined—l ordered
twelve of the men into the boat, and received the captain's
order to let them have what provisions they required
from the cabin stock, and water. They refused to take
any water, but said they would go to the Ferret and get
it. They refused to take anything, and I put their
bags and clothes and different things into the boat. I
do not know what their bags contained, but in many
vessels that I have taken before these bags contained an
immense quantity of provisions.
The Court was
.here cleared for consultation, and,
after an interval of an hour, on the re-opening of it, the
following questions were put to the witnesses:—
Did )ou consider that Commander Sprigg evil en-
treated and behaved in a cruel manner towards the pri-
soners by sending them away?—l should say no,aftor
hearing of their arrival safe on shore.
Did you consider it so at the time?—l did, but having
heard that the pinnace arrived safe on shore, and hear-
ing from them the quantity of water remaining, I do not
thick it so. I believe that the men had provisions in
their bags. The provisions that had been taken away
from the cabin could not have been placed anywhere else.
This concluded the case for the prosecution, and
The President informed the defendant that if he
wished to have time to prepare his defence the Court
would allow it.
Commander Sprigg replied that he should like to have
until eleven o'clock to-morrow, which was granted.
The Court rose at half-past four.
The court-martial for the trial of Commander Sprigg,
of her Majesty's brig Ferret, re-assembled on board her
Majesty's ship Caledonia, in Hamoaze, shortly after ele-
ven o'clock on the morning of the 25th.
Mr. J. Beer, solicitor for Commander Sprigg, read to
the Court a voluminous and well-written address, point-
ing out the hazardous nature of the duty on the coast;
the reckless character of the slavers; the danger of taking
the crew of the Castro lIL on board the Ferret, while
her crew was so reduced that the captain of the foretop
had charge of one watch, and the ship's cook of an-
other; referred to the fact of his own activity against the
slavers having created hatred on their parts towards
him; and to the possibility of that hatred having origi-
nated the present charge.
The first witness called for the defence was James
Clements, late captain of the foretop of her Majesty's
brig Ferret. Witness, on the 10th of Tune, left the brig
at nine o'clock in the morning in the whaler, under
charge of Mr. Raffles, clerk's assistant, and reached the
Castro 111., after pulling fifteen or sixteen miles, about
two 'o'clock. Commander Sprigg hailed Mr. Mitchell to
hoist out the prize's boat, and send the prisoners in her,
taking what they thought proper. When this was com-
municated some got in, and witness left the prizeinthegig
with the prize's longboat. When near the Ferret Comman-
der Sprigg ordered witness to go in the gig, with the boat,
back to the prize, and direct Mr. Mitchell to put the re-
mainder of the prize's crew, with what they chose to
take, into the boat. They took what they pleased. They
were neither searched, beaten, nor ill-treated. They
took several tin canisters, and many other things; had
bread in a bag, and meat in the bottom of the boat.
John Giddy, carpenter of the Ferret, had charge of
the last dog-watch, and was relieved by Edward Eridge,
the ship's cook. The slavers' boat was 17 to 18 feet
long, 4 feet 7 or 8 inches broad, Portuguese built (if :int'
English she would be 5 feet broad); gunwale 11 or 12
inches or more out of the water ; the oars suitable, and _
about 15 feet long.
Sergeant John Spooner, R.M.—Never reported to_.,
Lieutenant Mansell that the slaver had only three gallons i;
of water. f
William Macey, carpenter's mate of the Ferret.—The
prisoners were well found, and not ill-treated.
Edmund Eridge, late ship's cook—The
w tb slaversthe
in the
e brig.
boat were quiet. Did duty as quartermaster
ive.,
in
the
Samuel Hobbs, corporal Royal Marino
s—on Tuesday
pinnace when the slavers came alongside
half from land.
evening, the 13th of June,
a mileana
and told theta
The gunner gave them bread andog; There are usually
water,
Coquimbo was twelve
milesa vicinity, with five or six
hands in each, generally plenty of native boats in tsaiiing.
The slavers did not
complain, but said they bad had a long pull. They
might
have landed andpreviouslyyMatson S
Commander
Ilenry James
Of Africa. Knows erved 81x years
on the west
coast
that part sitUt between 10 and 12 we Coquimbo, and
that part situate h,
and it is north latitude.
Smooth, The
water is always Al not the least dangerous
for boat navigation. most any boat, not overladen,
would be safe. Witness cruised nearly two years with
Commander Sprigg. Considers ' him an active and ener-
car andparticularly getic office
, successful ; his vessel ever
in excellent orde, and always ready for anything. The
slavers considered it an indulgence
their boat,allowed to go in
the request having-ence to be by
been repeatedly made
prisoners.
Frederick William Horton—Commanded the King-
fisher 22 months
on the coast of Africa. Should not
consider it dangerous for a boat to be sent under the
circumstances described. The land may be seen SO miles
off. Slavers consider it a boon to be sent in their own
boat. Should think such a boat very crowded, but not
dangerous.
Captain Butterfield served upwards of ten years on
the west coast of Africa. Otf Coquimbo the sea is
smooth. Frequently detached boats from the ship forty
miles off the coast. Always searched captured slavers,
who usually may bread, sugar, coffee, &c., in their lug-
gage. On one occasion a crew of seventeen slavers left
his ship in a boat twenty-four feet long with mast and
sail, when 100 miles from land, and arrived safe in Bonny
River. Commander Sprigg was two years under com-
mand of witness. His conduct was always correct and
energetic, and his ship in good order.
Captain Charles Edmunds, R.N.—Had Commander
Sprigg serving under his command last May, when he
sent, with a sailing order, a private note stating that a
run of slave-vessels might be expected on that part of
the coast. Tho Ferret was clean and smart in weighing
and making sail. Witnese never sent away prisoners
when more than twelve miles off shore. On one op.
casion five or six asked and were allowed tO
their own boat.

[PRICE SD.