The Sun.
London, England, 1857-08-25 00:00:00

THE COURT-MARTIAL ON COLONEL

CLARK.

The general court-martial for the trial of
Lieutenant-Colonel J. Clarke, Ist West India
Regiment, re-asssembled at Chatham garrison
yesterday, at 12 o'clock under the press
dency of Colonel H. Jervis, commandant of the
Provisional Battalion, for the purpose of eXamining
the witnesses for the defence. On the court being
opened, the Deputy Judge-Advocate, Major Mr
Ellis, proceeded to read the defence made by t°l
prisonar on Friday, the substance of which appeared
in the Times of Saturday. The first witness el'
amined yesterday was Lieutenant W. C. O'Shauga."
nessy, 2d West India Regiment, who was IA
Bathurst, Gambia, on the arrival of the prisoner,
and proved that no hostilities had taken Ple'ce
immediately before Colonel Clarke's arrival, asi
stated in the evidence for the prosecution
that there were already two field-officers at t.'"
station when the prisoner arrived'. The with
was present at an interview held between Colle
L. S. O'Connor, C. 8., and the great chiefs,e-
-n
the greatest anxiety for peace was manifested bi,
them. Colonel O'Connor was Lieutenant-Colonel
Hill's superior officer ; and on the receipt of a let
from the Adjutant-General separating the conaran
of Gambia and Sierra Leone Colonel 0'0:011t
commanded the whole of the West Coast of Aft",„
,
The witness had delivered official papers to the
prisoner from Colonel o:Connor, and the letter
from the Adjutant-General authorizing the separa-
tion of the command of Sierra Leone and Ga's
was kept by Colonel O'Connor at Goverernen.;
house. Captain J. S. Macauley, ht West hula
i
Regiment, was next examined with the viol-
disproving the fifth charge against the prisoner
that of advising and directing Captain Pearson an ;
Captain Macauley not to obey the commands
Lieutenant-Colonel J. S. Hill. Before being e
re
amined Captain Macauley was warnedby the
"t.:O
Deputy Judge-Advocate that he was not obliged'
answer any questions that might criminate bi°l.;
self, as that officer is under arrest and will ba trio",
by a general court-martial for disoboying the ordero
of Colonel J. S. Hill. The witness stated that the
prisoner had never advised him to disobey till
commands of Colonel Hill, neither had Colonel
Clarke ever forbidden' him to obey Colonel
orders. There was no conspiracy between witusll
the prisoner, and the late Captain Pearson to
mutiny, and if there were any dispute between
Colonel Hill and any of the offcers of the Ist We.
India Regiment it was not the result of the Pr.:
Boner's interference. Captain Pearson assumed
the
of the companies on the occasion of the
prisoner being placed under arrest, and veitne
never heard him censure Captain Pearson for doll
so, but, on the contrary, continued on the sal%
friendly terms with that officer as before. Witneer
had not seen any orders published for the prigt,
to proceed to Gambia, but on the first opportunly3
after his arrival at Sierra Leone he had embark;
for that station. After the prisoner had be t,
placed in arrest the letter from the Adjutant
00104
General was read on parade by order of
Hill, and the witness believed that the content,i'it
that letter were not known in the garrison tinti'oj
was read on the 7th of March. It was undersWded
by all the officers that the prisoner comniah,,,,e,
the troops stationed in Africa. Lieut. G. Tlia'".,„i
Ist West India Regiment, the prisoner's adjnAP-00
from 1854, until appointed to the general stag; vithe
next called and examined for the defence, „
with
view of proving the great inconvenience which *.a.
crued to the service by Colonel Clarke being S ,
denly sent away by Colonel Hill to take the coo"
ilia
mud in the Gambia ; but after a few questions m. ft
been put to the witness by the prisoner the 71
adjourned until this day, when it will °gol
assemble at 12 o'clock. There are still 50:4
witnesses to be examined by the prisoner, to es"
lish the points raised in his defence.