The Sun.
London, England, 1807-07-25 00:00:00

CO Uhl' MARTIAL.

TRIAL of CAPTAIN LAROCHE., for COWARDICE..
PORTSDIOVTH, JULY 23.—0 n Monday, and the
three following days, a Court Martian was held • on
board the Gladiatoi to try Capt.' LAROCHE, late.
commanding His Majesty's Ship Uranie, for,Uot do-
ing his utmost to bring the Enemy to }talon op the
-lath of May and the MI of June last. The Mem-
bers composing the Court were—
Capt. Ilk A DLEY (eommancling the Plantagenet), President.
Capt.4ni tftwim, Captain HOST!,
V AlliON) '
Sem • Wooteomas.
Lieut. MORRISON,, Mist Lieutenant of the Uranus, was the
• P roseeutor.
The 'Admiralty. Order for the Trial was read., and
then a Lett&t. from Lieutenant•MOßßlTON, and other
Officer% of the Uranie, and also a Letter froth part
Of the Petty Officer's and Ship's Civiir of the Uranie,
to the Lords of the Admiralty, stating the conditel
(as the. • tilledged) of Captain lEmtociti, .and.' the
reports which prevailed to the -disadOantage 'of the
character of the Uranie, imputing CoWardice te 'her
on the above'days,', and demanding a 'CourtiMartial
on Captain LAROCHE, to clear' theif. f,irne, were
severally read:
The Court being then sworn, they proceeded to
• the eitamination of witnesses. .
The whbesses in behalf of the presecution were.,
the Second Lieutenant, Master, Master's Mate, Car-
penter, Pilot, Surgeon, 'Lieutenant of Marines,-and
a Seaman of the. Uranie, who deposed, that four 'Of
The main•deek guns were in the ,hold when the enemy
was first seen (oft th,e sth of May, when a Corvette
came out cif Cherbourgh,- and having looked at the
Uranie, ran in again); that they Were not mounted
till the next day after the enemy was'seen a second
time (on the 15th.ef May, when .a Corvette and a
Frigate came out,. and, after a few movements; re-
turned to port); that on the 22d Of June, the Frigate
and Corvette came out, and stood towards the.Uranie;
and that the Uranie wore frem the enemy for Sortie
time, and was an hour before she was ready for aa ion ;
that there was great csanfusion on. board the Uranie
during that time; that Captain LAROCHE betrayed
symptoms of agitation, fear, and (one witness swore
to a question pat by the Prosecutor) of cowardice.;
that he frequently changed colour, aid was agitated
in .a manner that he never betrayed before or since;
that the Uranie did not carry all the sail she could
have done; that if
.she .had, and' Papiaitl LAROCHE
had done his utniost to bring the enemy to aEtion, he
must l,ve cut off the Corvette,and must'have bronght 1
the Frigate to action, if she did not abandon the Cor-
vette, and that he passed 'the Enemy's Frigate with-.
in gum:shot
,(giving a broadside), and Wore,- and must
have been in close aeliott within a few 'Minutes, if
he had chased the Frigate, add carried all sail. .
The Surgeon (on cross-examination) said, that.
'Capt. LAROCHE ha9l been ill three or four days of a
,fever, and had taken medicine that morning
—calomel and salts ; and others admitted that he had
not dined with his officers, through indisposition, for
three oFfour days. All the witnesses for the pro-
secution said, that Captain LAROCHE had laid
'cher close in shore several limes, and for a long
time together, Ind had on one Occasion, when the .
enemy's frigate was sainting the Governor of Paris,
stood close into the works, ' hove to, hoisted his co-
lours, and fired at the 'frigate, byway of defiance.—
The witnesses admitted that-Captain L. add his Ofti-
ceri were on ill terms : one witness said that'Captain
L.. yeas on ill terms with all at times, and-Witli some'
at all times.
'The case far the prosecution closed 'at ten o'clock
on'Tuesday„ when Capt. LAROCHa reqoelted a-Short
tirOe to prepare' his defence. In about two hours,
the'Conrt again 'Opened, and Capt. L.•itottti's friend
read a very able defence, which insisted 'that :his
prosecutors were ina combination against him, from
personal prejudice;; that he had watched the enemy
at ancttor (except when,the weather would hot per-

Mit) 'incessantly; freqUently- ati4
that when the .duerny came out, he had endeavoured
to decoy him further from under the batteriei; and
that ihetenetny's
_object eras to decor the Drank,
under the batteries; that the enemy's Frigate carried
fifty is-pounders, the *Uronie only thirty-sik
pounders ; that the Uriiirie was foul in her hiittom;
and that the enemy's Frjgate was a fiver sailer; and
could bring him to 461i..0n whenever- she pleased,
-and•avoid an anion ate? pleasure; that he rarriett
all: the sail -he could with 'safety to his 'Majesty'
Ship, then my a lee-shore,
,and close in. it;
that caution the inure he-hated- him, as; dUring this
war, the -Mire* 'Frigacc had been captured by
running on shore at this very place.
Thedefence paid a most elegant compliment it;
the bravely of his Majesty's Navy at this day—ex-
pressed,a confidence they would not lightly believe
evidence to prove cowardice against. an. Officer whO
had the honour' to cominand one of his ,111aistv:1;
Ships—it concluded byisaying, Captain LA KOCH
would call witnesses that could have tip bias, to prowl
that .he had done his utmost to bring the'enemy rq
action, and had in no degree tarnished his Majesty's
Flag, or dishonoured .the Corps he was proud to be-
long to. _

The witnesses for Captain LAROCHE were, the
Lieutenant commanding the Gun-brig DeAnder, in r
company with the Untrue on this occasion, and the
other'Officeri of that Brig, and several of the
Uranie's seamen, among which last were the Cap-
tains of the tops and forecastle: they all deposed, that •
COt. LAROCHE • did his utmost to bring the Enemy
to aaion ; that had the Urairie carried all the sail'.
she could, and 'done every thing that could be sug-
gested, it was. impossible for het; to bring the:Ene-
my
to atlion while he avoided it, which he did-
- thatthe Enemy could bring Capt. LAROCHE to ac-
tion when he pleased, and avoid' it in like trimmer ;
that both forces were close in shore, and had 'Capt.
LAROCHE continued the pursuit, when he fired and .
tacked,' he Might have fallen under the batteries;
and greatly-endangerecl the safety of the Uranie. -
-Two military Officers., who had !been-on a mite
with Capt. LAROCHE, ,as visitors, deposed, that he
'tad alwaysdisplayed:the most undaunted courage,
and tried every means to provoke the enernyito try his
strength: Admiral'Sir ISAAC Corm,: deposed, that
Capt. LAROCHE had; verbally and by letter, revorted
to lain officially; 'that the IL ante's bottom IL
and that she wanted to be clock-1 ; Mr. 1..)t.n! ANIS
(builder in .t hc_,Dock lard) deposAl, that the L, -r:, :re
stood in need of several repairs,'and !li.it lte!.
Was very fo.uh The defence clete.t at ten on
Thursday morning,!and the Court were in delibera-
tion till half past otie o'clock.
The Court- being again opened, the Judge Advo- •
cate read the a entence, which w.is, that ",the charge
being in part proved, Capt:Lattoona is sentmcecl to
be 'dismissed from the command ot! his Majo,ty's
Ship Uranie." .
The Court, was much crowded the foot •
days; for-the trial,' from the serious nature of the
charges, had excited very extensive; interest. Ti.Vti
of the charges had the'scatence of :death affixed to
them ; the time -upon Which he was- found 'guilty,
infli&s death, or -any other pianishment Court
Martial shall choose-to •

111,1RGAT.g, JULY 23.

• Thisi.,place fillsylry last, and we haye the prospea
of a tnost'abondant sea km. , The Roys, or Packets,
as they are now more elegantly.termed, orrice eve,o..
day crowded with visitors of all'deficriptions. •
The Theatre opened on Monday to 'a respeCtable
btu nOt'a very numerdus audience. ST'urif eN Kept 13 I. It
was tO' have opened the season with Faiatd, hut
pdor John U'as, we. find, laid on his bar'.l:,
drinking thik whey ;cud lemonade,- instead of rid!
Sack and Ca.nar:y,....i.viihlial; Poins, Scce Ste_ Our,
Manager, we understand, has catered very well fur
the ensuing season, and besides a good stock of set-
tled' Performers,- he-has provided for the occasional
viitation of some of the London faVourites.

sONNET,

ON THE DEATH OE AIRS. CHARLOTTE SMITH.

EY Till karllOß OF " ro writ SKETClitli."

SWect Songstress I 'whom the melancholy Muse
With more titan timidness lov'd ; far thee she strung
The lyre, on which herself enraptued hung,
'And bade thee through the world its sweets dilfhse.

Oft bath tribtitary tear
!laid homage to the sad harmonious strain,
That told; sin! too true, the grief and pain
Which thy atTiiited mind was doOrn'd to bear.

•
Rest, sainted Spirit! from a rife of woe;
And, though no friendly hand on thee bestoW
The stately marble, or emblaton'd name,
To tell a thoughtless‘wOrld who aleeps'beloori
Yet, o'ot thy narrow bed a wreath shall bloivo
beriying vigour from thi• breath of Farnit.

' I
ELuG.Arri FETE.—The 'fashionable. world was,
highly gratified, on Thursday evening, at an enter-
faintnent given by the Marchioness of STAFFOUDi
nt the magnificent mansion in Cleveland-ww,
The.grand gallery of pi&nres has lately been aug-
mented, as we stated, by those colleted by ir.
BitANIA, This acquisition afforded the Marchioness a
good ,opportunity of: ak,wing that the partakei the
liberal disposition Of.the MarqUis in a desire of gra•
fifying thej,r -friends by a sight of such an ,
site ilssemblago of the alerts of genius. How,rrzuGh
is such 'm 'entettainment above the ordinary cha.
raaer of fashionable annisementi. The Palticl.✓ of
WALES, DtritE Of CLAEENCL; and a win),
,nutue-
rout company assembled. ~

The American Ship Cordeiia. (detained and seni
into-Plymouth), On the Ist June, twat the Equator,; -'
spoke, Hlis. Malesty's Ship Sir Edward ibighat, with
a Cenv,y for the Cape Of (nod Hope ; few day.
after, felj in witit'ten*l ofTransporii, With tioqA,
under. convoy of. tW4ierrnes, frotri ?wino° Ith
out• ninety days, 'haUtad to the River. No
bad twice attemptuticrosiing the line, brit 1.104
tolet.tward„ and Wero t hetf making the third att2nlptzi
soon* loag. t2u. tell in with a Wee.;
of 64 ~441ittod.ta;t I ,idi.unon, under conv,oy at.
the Alriteillid Steady, from Portsmouth, 2 S ja
company.