The Sun.
London, England, 1867-10-12 00:00:00

Naval and Military Intelligence.

The proceedings and finding of the general court-
martial which recently assembled at Chatham garri-
son, under the presidency of Col. R. A. Crofton,
commanding the Brigade of Royal Artillery, for the
trial of Private Michael Nash, of the Ist battalion
of the Bth (the King's) Regiment, having been
submitted to her Majesty for approval, were made
public at Chatham yesterday. The prisoner was
arraigned before the court on the charge of having
made a false accusation against Staff-Surg. M'Der-
mott, 2d Depot Battalion, doing duty at the Mili-
tary Hospital, Fort Pitt, in a letter written to Major
General Murray. The prisoner had stated that,
when a patient in Fort Pitt Hospital, Dr. M'Der-
mott shook his fist in his face, addressed an insult-
ing epithet to him, and, although he was suffering
from chronic rheumatism, ordered his removal to
Fort Clarence military prison to undergo the term
of imprisonment to which he had been sentenced by
a court martial previously held on him. The trial
of the prisoner lasted five days, numerous witnesses
being examined. Dr. M'Dermott positively denied
the charges made against him by the prisoner, and
gave his own explanation of the facts. The court,
after hearing the evidence and the prisoner's defence,
in which he reiterated the charges ho had previ-
ously made against Staff-Sur. M'Dermott, acquitted
the prisoner, and he was released from confinement
yesterday.

Yesterday Major-Gen. Murray, commanding the
division at Chatham, commenced his half yearly
inspection of the 2d Depot Battalion of Infantry
attached to the garrison. At 10 o'clock the various
corps comprising the battalion assembled on the
general parade ground, in front of their quarters,
whence they marched to Chatham Lines, the whole
of the troops being in marching order, but without
ammunition. 'l'he corps attached to the battalion
comprised the depot companies of the Ist battalion
of the 2d (Queen's) Royals, Ist and 2d battalions
of the Bth (the King's), the 29th, the 30th, and the
82d Regiments, and 106th Bombay Light Infantry,
the whole commanded by Col. Rickman. On the
arrival of Gen. Murray, and Captain Herries, Bri-
gade-Major Lynch, and other officers, the troops
gave a general salute. Each corps was then minutely
inspected, and the arms, kits, and accoutrements
examined, when the usual invitation was given to
any Man to step out of the ranks who had any com-
plaints to address to the major-general. The troops
were subsequently put through a few manoeuvres,
occupying about au hour, at the termination of
which they were marched off the ground to their
respective quarters. Major-Gen. Murray afterwards
made an inspection of the barrack-rooms, staff-
sergeants' and non-commisioned officers' quarters,
barrack-officers' men's quarters, and other portions
of the barracks, the opportunity being taken to in'
spect the barrack-rooms during the time the troops
were being served with dinner. The afternoon waS
devoted to the inspection of the battalion in 'Trio/
order, without knapsacks or havresacks, for the pur-
pose of testing the efficiency of the officers and men
in light infantry and field-day manoeuvres, each
man being supplied for that purpose with ten rounds
of blank Snider ammunition.

Lieut. M. C. Brackenbury and a detachment of
non-commissioned officers and sappers of the Royal
Engineers have been placed under orders to proceed
from headquarters, Brompton barracks, Chatham,
to Gibraltar, on the 15th inst., for service at that
station.

The iron paddle-wheel steam vessel Triton, 3,
Commander R. 11. Napier, which arrived at ply-
mouth on Thursday, as already announced in Ths
Sun, was put in commission in January, 1863, and
for the last three years has been employed on the
River Plate. She left the screw steam storeshiP
Industry, Commander Youel, at Madeira, on the
19th of September. The Diamond Company's
steamer Kaffraria and the steamship M‘Gregor
Laird bad both left the island, outward-bound, prior
to the departure of the Triton. The following is
the list of vessels spoken : —Aug. 9, lat. 18 18 S.,
long. 37 57 W., the brigantine Princess Alice,
bound for New York ; 20th, lat. 5 17 S., long. 31 11
W., the British ship Hurricane ; 31st, lat. 14 55
N., long. 25 16 W., the screw steamer La Plata, of
Waterford, bound for Montevideo; Sept. 7, lat. 24
30 N., long. 21 36 W., the ship lona, bound for
Bombay; 9th, lat. 27 40 N., long. 19 26 W., al°
ship British Flag, bound for Bombay ; 11th, lat.
31 9 N., long. 17 33 W., the bark Jacoba ; and
Oct. 1, lat. 44 56 N., long. 9 26 W., the serer
steamer Egyptian, bound south. After passing Sb•
Vincent the Triton experienced northerly winds,
which became very heavy in the Bay of Biscay, and
compelled her on the sth inst. to go for coal into
Brest, where she remained until the 9th.
Although her Majesty's ship Lion has been re-
moved from the Clyde "to meet a pressing exi-
gency," another ship of war will be sent to Greenock
as soon as she can be got ready.
In consequence of the defective condition of her
cooking apparatus, the departure of the screw stem
corvette Pallas, 6, Captain Mathew Connolly, from
Plymouth Sound, to join the Channel squadron, has
been postponed for a few days.

We are requested to contradict, on authoriO
the report that Lord Derby intends to retire immediatell
from office.

ATTACK ON A CHILD BY RATS.—Last evening'
Mr. O'Brien, residing at 27, Wellington-street (the losv°
portion of which house and also of the next house is 19°'
cupied by Messrs. Marr and Co., typefounders), was shall;
at supper with Mrs. O'Brien, when piercing cries s',..,"erB
heard from the nursery, which is on the top floor. lur.
O'Brien hurried to the spot, found the youngest chil.Jl
sweet little girl of about 15 mouths, had been attacked 131,,
sonic rats. Upon his entering the room with a light they
leaped from the bed and escaped. The poor child had itn
horribly gnawed about the head and arms. passing
the lobby to call his dog, which was in the next rooro,
11
O'Brien saw a swarm of rats mounting the stairs, not at
daunted by his appearance -or by the light. The (I°=fl
however, speedily put them to flight. The poor child!
arm was much swelled and discoloured. She was at one'
removed to King's College Hospital. We regret to sag
i
that the injury to the arm is regarded by the Inedic3t
officers as of a very serious character, and it is feared thB
arniutation may bo necessary.
A
SUDDEN DEATH IN A RAILWAY CARIIIAor.."
man named John Montague, who had been in a bad °t3tc,
of health for some time, was returning from Durban`
0
Newcastle in a railway train on Tuesday night, Who
suddenly expired. The body was conveyed to Niwenst
and the coroner's jury returned a verdict of death I°
zatual 011500.