The Sun.
London, England, 1856-01-05 00:00:00

Naval and Military Intelligence.

Her Majesty's ship Neptune, 120, Captain Hutton,
will be put out of commission this day at Portsmouth,
and the Sampson, steam-frigate, will take such of the
crew as belong to Plymouth to that port, together with
those of the Arrogant, to spend their leave, at the expi-
ration of which they will be employed in other ships and
gun-boats.
Her-Mjesty's ship Marlborough, 131, screw three-
decker, will be masted on Monday at Portsmouth, and
rigged Ili readiness for commission if needed.
The steam-transport Rhadamanthus, Master-Com-
mander Belam, arrived at Portsmouthyesterday from the
eastward with machinery for the ships fitting out.
The Polyphemus, 5, paddle-wheel steam-sloop, Com-
mander Warren, returned to Portsmouth yesterday from
the westward with 58 supernumeraries for the fleet.
The Perseverance, naval steam-transport, Commander
Crang, hauled alongside Portsmouth dockyard yesterday
afternoon in readiness to embark troops.
The Sprightly, steam vessel, Acting-Master G. Allen
commanding, returned to Portsmouth yesterday after-
noon with Vice-Admiral Sir George Seymour's house-
hold equipment.
Lieutenant Charles Bullock, of her Majesty's survey-
ing ship Merlin, has been transferred to the temporary
command of the gun-boat Banterer, in the absence of
Lieutenant Harding, appointed to that vessel, but who
has not yet hoisted his pennant on board. The Ban-
terer left Woolwich basin yesterday morning, and
steamed down to the Royal Arsenal quay to receive her
ammunition, and to be provisioned. She will proceed
to Greenhithe on Monday to be swung. The post of
Lieutenant Viscount Gilford, gazetted to the command
of the gun-boat Bustard, is likewise supplied pro tern.
by Lieutenant W. Hewett, also from the Merlin. The
Bustard will commence taking in her sea stock, ammu-
nition, &c., at the arsenal-wharf on Monday.
Commander M‘Donald, naval superintendent of the
shipping establishment at Woolwich, has removed his
offices from the dockyard to the arsenal-yard, facing
the piers and wharf, where the business of that depart.
ment principally lie*.
Major-General Freeth, K,H., who has just vacated the
post of Quartermaster-General, in favour of Sir Richd.
Airey, was presented, on leaving the office, with a superb
silver inkstand, as a tribute of the respect and esteem of
the gentlemen employed in the civil branch of the de-
partment. The inkstand bears the following inscription:
—" Presented to Major-General James Freeth, K.H.,
late Quartermaster-General of her Majesty's Forces, by
the gentlemen composing the civil branch of that depart-
ment, as a testimonial of their great respect and sincere
regard for him personally, and their sense of the kind-
ness he has invariably evinced towards them."
The Messrs, Pattison, who are building several gun-
boats at Bristol for the Government, are pushing on the
with all possible rapidity in accordance with
Government. Large bodies of workmen
(ci
rnescttri uo cn tsi of
fro
m
are now employed upon them day and night, in order to
secure their completion during the ensuing month.
_ _

The 15th Hussars, now stationed at Manchester, have
met with success in recruiting. Since their arrival in that
town in August last they have obtained nearly 200 re-
cruits for their own regiment, besides almost 300 for the
11th Hussars, for which regiment they are also recruit-
ing. The regiment now numbers nearly 700 men.
62 invalids of Various corps arrived yesterday at
Brompton Hospital from the Crimea, 37 of whom, after
inspection, were detained for hospital treatment. The
remainder proceeded to St. Mary's Barracks, under the
care of Dr. Coates.
At a medical board held yesterday at Brompton,
among the number passed as unfit for further service was
Robt. Evans, 13th Light Dragoons, a youth who has been
in hospital nearly 12 months, and received his injury in
an extraordinary manner. In the charge of Balaklava a
shell entered the chest of his horse, which rolled com-
pletely over, falling upon Evan., when the shell burst
inside the animal, tearing it epee from the shoulder to
the hind-quarters, the weight of the horse nearly caus-
ing suffocation, while its death struggles inflicted severe
contusions on the legs of Evans, who would soon
have expired had not a man of his own troop and two
Lancers released him. Her Majesty evinced great sym-
pathy for this youth, and hi 4 photograph likeness was
taken by her special command.
At the recent exatninati,tn of candidates for admis-
sion to the Royal Military Academy, Woolwich, the un-
dermentioned gentlemen were found qualified, and or-
dered to join on the reopening of the institution on the
30th inst., viz. :—Buddle Atkinson, Henry VT. Isacke,
Julian F. Sandeman. Robert S. Mackenzie, George V.
Siev wrig,lit, Robert H. Vetch, Osmond F. Le Matte,
Henry G. Hasler, Edward N. Peters, Clement W. Bel-
lairs, Charles A. Lyon Campbell, Charles E. Dixon,
George Le B. Simmons, Wm. Tones, Flemying G. Gyll,
Basil De B. Tupper, Hugh F. A. Brodie, Francis L. G.
Little, Henry F. Turner, Hamilton Tovey, Robert
Athorpe, Rowland Hill, James Fellowes, Richard H.
Williams, Samuel H. Desborough, Richard N. Buckle,
Walter M. Jobston, James L. N. Willes, Thos. Burnett,
Archibald W. F. Campbell, John R. J. Bramly, Geo.
Carpenter, Lionel Gye.
The undermentioned gentlemen being also qualified
are ordered to join the institution as vacancies arise,
viz.:—Chas. W. H. Richardson, Vincent -Wing, Jaspar
Hornsby, Seymour De L.
has. been appointed Assistant-In-
wPerTetßic.a,Al•A' rtillery to the gentleman cadets
C.
cSY,DanadvißsObToJr.gPe .ASra. Saunders.
Major
in
irOnsenal, Woolwich, in the place of Capt. Haig)
wbo
has resigned the appointment.
Thete'j:Arorld boilers of the paddle-wheel steam-frigate Vul-
ture, 6, Capt. Frederick H. H. Glasse, at Plymouth,
having been found defective, are ordered to be replaced
with new forthwith.
Engineers and boilermakers at the Keyham steam-
yard are ordered to work from six o'clock in the morn-
ing until half-past 10 in the evening.
The riggers of the dockyard at Devonport have got
the frigate Satellite all ataunt, ready for being put in
commission.

The following appeared in our late edition la
night :

PROMOTION&
Commander James E. Caton to be Captain.
Lieutenant Hon: A. Drummond, late Flag-Lieutenant
to Vice-Admiral Sir T. Cochrane, to be Commander.
Lieutenant P. C. C. M`Dougall, of the Duke of Wel-
lirgton, to be Commander.
Lieutenant A. G. Edge to be Commander for Survey-
ing Service.
Lieutenant William Batt to be Commander.
Lieutenant John C. Sicklernore to be Commander.
APPOINTMENTS.
Captain E. B. Rice to the Leander, as Flag Captain
to Vice-Admiral , reernantle, at Balaklava.

PAYMASTER.
Alex. C. Yule, to the Conqueror.

ASSISTANT PAYMASTERS.
Richard C. Beale, to the Arrogant.
Thomas R. Dennis (in charge) to the Locust.
SECOND MAMMA
Daniel Pender to the Merlin.
Benjamin D. Connor to the Victory.
CLERKS.
Edward C. Taylor (acting) to the Thunder.
Alfred J. Myers (assistant) to the Fisgard.
and AgentSurgeo a
Surgeon James
jtames Cowan has bean appointed Surgeon
Sick•quarters, Leith.

On the 11th of December a court-martial assembled on
board the Valorous, in Kazatch Bay, to try Mr. Philip
James Dennehy, second master in charge of the Lynx,
despatch vessel, Lieutenant Commander C. M. Aynsley.
Captain Buckle was president, and the members com-
prised some of the ablest captains in the squadron. Mr.
Dennehy was charged with disobedience of orders, and
with having been absent from his station while the Lynx
was under fire of the enemy.
The circumstances are altogether singular. Mr. Den-
nehy was second master of the Hannibal, but, under the
impression that the Lynx would furnish him with better
opportunities for distinguishing himself, and of thus
gaining his promotion, he solicited and obtained the ap-
pointment. He proved himself a most indefatigable
officer, always up at four o'clock in the morning, and
never leaving the deck until all the duties of the day had
been fully performed. Under his care the Lynx became
a pattern of good order, and the discipline was unex-
ceptionable. Some years ago he served on the coast of
Africa in the Dolphin brigantine, and evinced much
commendable gallantry in the rather trying actions with
the natives at Lagos. His whole character seems to
belie the implication that the conduct for which he was
arraigned arose from the want of what is commonly
called "pluck," yet were the charges declared proven,
and he was sentenced to death.
The accusation arose out of circumstances at the red no-
tion of Kinburn. Mr. Dennehy unquestionably was un-
well—he was temporarily incapacitated for doing his
duty, and was not on deck when his services were in re-
quest. Some coolness bad arisen in the mess, and it is
possible that the evidence of the medical officer had the
effect of giving a bad colour to the affair. Mr. Dennehy
had been, it is said, unwell the night previously, and
was, in consequence, nervous and unfitted for the trying
business of the day. In his defence he adduced numerous
first-rate certificates and from some excellent officers. He
could not refute the allegation, and could only plead in-
disposition as the reasons. It may be argued that had
he wished to evade the consequences which he might
have expected to result from neglect of duty under such
circumstances, he would have placed himself on the sick
list, but he did not do that, and, therefore, had no right
to be off the deck when he was.
The court had no alternative. The Articles of War
decree the punishment of death, and no other sentence
can be passed upon any one found guilty of neglect of
duty under such circumstances. Those laws, which
might almost be termed Draconic, are the same that
were in force nearly two centuries ago, when witches
were burnt or drowned, and all sorts of enormities com-
mitted under the protection of the law. The Articles
of War have thousands of times acted as a bar to justice,
yet we live in the latter half of the 19th century with our
naval laws unreformed I Every class and denomination
in the kingdom, except the navy, is governed by laws
which have undergone careful revision. In obedience
to the Articles of War a man who is naturally as brave
as a lion may, from some aocidental cause, be banged,
(prom the Morning Herald of this day.
,d
of Russia is
while a clever coward will be able to escape the punish- The reported surrender of Herat to the forces o,
meet which is his due. The court has no discretionary
the Shah of Persia is, if confirmed one of the most
power, and, in consequence, the innocent may suffer significant events where the han
while the guilty altogether escapee. - „ir traceable, outside the great circuit of the war. The
We think it improbable that the sentence upon D
Dennehy has been, or will be, carried into effect. No importance of such a position in the bands of a
disaffec-
tion," although it is unhappily true that he was guilty manifest to any one who consults a map, with the
one will believe him guilty of "cowardice or Russian satrap—for such in reality is the Shah—is
of neglect of duty under suspicions circumstances. He knowledge that the Caspian is to all intents and
would not have been the first by hundreds bad he hesi- purpose a Russian lake. That grasping power
tated when making his first essay under fire ; but let holds every available point on its coasts. At the
him have another chance.. . Should he be found to flinch embouchure of the Volga, Astrakan has long ex-
a second time, let him die the death. There are several isted as a Russian settlement, and the entrepot
instances of officers who subsequently gained honour- through which the produce of Central Asia has
able distinction in the service, who, had their first essay found and still finds, its way to the marts of Mos-
been taken as a fair test, would have been ignominiously
DEATH OF ONE OF THE FOUR CAPTAINS dismissed it. Leniency was never more loudly called
OF GREENWICH HOSPITAL. for. Mr. Dennehy is the son of a gallant veteran naval ern shore, stands Astrabad, also a Russian position
oow and St. Petersburg. On the opposite, or south-
It is with regret we have to record the death of Capt. officer, and if we know the father aright,
we are certain
Cuppage, seniority 1830, one of the captains of he would not hesitate to act as his son's executioner if On the direct line from Astrabad to the Indus,
of especial importance at the present juncture.
Greenwich Hospital, which event happened on Thum- he had the conviction on his mind that his son really and midway between the former and Cabool, stands
day evening last, after a brief illness. merited the fearful sentence which has been pronounced Herat. Its population is said to number 100,000;
Captain Cuppage having lost a leg when midshipman upon him.—Unieed Service Gazette. • ►it possesses considerable trade, and is the residence
•