The Sun.
London, England, 1829-09-14 00:00:00

COURT-MARTIAL ON CAPTAIN DIC-

KENSON, R.N.

PORTSMOUTH, Seri. 12.
(SIXTRENTII DAY.)
The Court met this morning at the usual hour,
nine o'clock, when
Captain Ross, of the Royal Navy, formerly
Commissioner at Malta, and now Commissioner at
Plymouth, was called in and examined by the
defendant.
As Commissioner of the Dock-yard at Malta,
were orders given you to hasten the repairs of the
Genoa, that she might reach England before the
winter; and if so, state what was done to her ?—I
had such instructions from the Commander-in-
Chief, but it is impossible for me to recollect every
thing that was done. I remember that her cat-
heads had been shot away, and were repaired, as
was some heavy iron work, and some great altera-
tions made in her sails ; she was caulked and her
boats were repaired. Her mats, I think, had been
fished before she came in, but some additional iron
work was done to them.
Do von remember my offering to pay for the re-
pairs of the Genoa's boats, and you said the men
are so much employed that they cannot be spared ?
—Yes.
Is it your opinion that so much was done by the
carpenter's crew of the Genoa, that the ship re-
quired but little assistance from the Dock-yard ?—lt
is not a matter of opinion, but a matter of fact. The
master shipwright repeatedly reported to me the
great assistance he had received from the carpenter's
crew of the Genoa.
Do you recollect seeing me at the Admiral's
table, at the Admiralty-house at Malta, at the first
public dinner given by the Admiral, after our return
from Nayarit], and after the petition, called of the
nature of a round robin, had been given up to me ?
—Yes, I remember it from that circumstance.
Do you conceive, from that circumstance, that the
Admiral had fully forgiven me for presenting the
petition to him ?—lt appeared so. •
State to the Court how long you have known me,
and speak to my general character as an officer, as far
as it comes within your observation ?—I have known
Captain Dickenson since 1814. At that time he
was first Lieutenant of the Loire, and serving under
the orders of Sir G. Cockburn, in the Chesapeake.
There was much service then going on, which
brought him under the notice of Sir George Cock-
burn, from which circumstance he had been subse-
quently appointed Lieutenant of the Northumber-
land, then under my command, and bearing Sir G.
Cockburn's flag. During the time he was under
my command I had every reason to be perfectly
satisfied with his conduct; and Sir G. Cockburn
did what he could to make him a Commander, which
was done entirely from his own merits, as it was
only his services that brought him under the notice
of the Admiral.
Sir R. STopFortp—l wish you to state which of
the three ships, the Asia, the Genoa, and the Albion,
appeared to have been most injured in the battle of
Nayarit) ?—The Asia appeared to me the most in-
jured; but I doubt which of the two other ships
was most injured. I think we had more repairs to
do to the hull of the Genoa than that of the Albion,
Sir H. BLACKWOOD—Do you know how far the
Genoa's masts were fished before she came to the
Dock-yard, and did they require further fishing ?—I
do not know how far they had before been fished,
but hoops and an additional spar were supplied for
the greater security of the mast.
How long after such an action do you think it
would have occupied to put the masts in the state
in which you first saw them ?—lt would depend on
various circumstances, which I hardly recollect; and
it was almost impossible to observe every thing.
The master shipwright reported to me that the masts
had been well secured, particularly the one which
required no further security. They brought the ship
to England.
Did you make any other repairs of consequence
necessary after the action, which bad been made
previously to the arrival of the Genoa at Malta ?
There were many, I have no doubt, but I cannot
speak to them.
Were the masts of the Asia and Albion fished be-
fore they came to Malta, or afterwards ?—They
were both fished before they left Navarin, and taken
out at Malta. The Asia's foremast was taken to
pieces, and repaired and stepped as a mainmast ; a
frigate's mainmast was put in as a foremast ; she had
ajury mizenmast ; the Albion's foremast was taken
out, cut shorter, and also fished.
To which of the three ships did it appear to you
that most work had been done prior to their arrival
at Malta ?—To the Genoa, I suppose, as my atten-
tion was more immediately called to her, the Ad-
miral wishing to get her home first. There is no
doubt but more was done to her masts.
Sir R. STOPFORD—Was any one of the ships
heeled at Malta to stop shot-holes below the water-
line ?—I recollect no one; but a diver was sent
down to examine the bottom, I believe, of the Asia.
Captain ELLIOTT—DO you attribute less being
done to the Genoa's masts at Malta to the supe-
riority of the method employed in securing them, or
to their being less wounded than those of the Asia?
—The Genoa's masts, I apprehend, were secured
for a voyage to carry her to England; the Asia's
and Albion's were only temporarily secured to bring
them to Malta, as they must have been taken out,
they were so much shot. The Asia's mainmast had
not been repaired when I left Malta a year afterwards.
Were the Asia's masts worse wounded than the
Genoa's, particularly the mainmast ?—I think it is
likely.
Sir H. BLACKWOOD thought the Commissioner
could not speak to this. The Genoa's masts were
not seen at Malta, because the fishes were not

taken off.
Witness—l do not think the Asia's main-mast
could have been fished, it was so badly wounded, so
as to make it safe to send her to England with it at
that season of the year, winter coming on.
Captain ELLIOT—CouId the Albion's foremast
have been fished, and secured without cutting it
shorter so as to bring the shot holes below the main
deck, and below the wedges ?—lt was not necessary
to cut it for security. It was a long mast, and it
was not cut from any necessity to secure it.
Do you know in what way the Genoa's catheads
were knocked away ?--A shot had struck them, and
the shiners were in the dock-yard at Malta ; witness
could not say in what direction the shot had come
which had shattered the catheads.
Sir H. BLACKWOOD—Do you think that it must
have occupied more time at Navarin, to put the
Genoa's masts in the state they were when they ar-
rived at Malta, than those of the Asia or Albion ?
—I think it probable.
Witness withdrew.
Captain ROBINSON, examined by Captain DicK-
ENSON—Do you know if any marble shot were fired
by the enemy, and what were their effects ? A
shot of this description struck the ship on the main
deck on the starboard side, near the main hatchway,
hit the after-trunnion of a gun, and splinters of it
came down on the lower deck.—(A piece was pro-
duced in Court, weighing l Ib., the weight of the
whole shot was upwards of I cwt. His Royal
Highness the Duke of Clarence is in possession of a
larger piece than that produced in Court.)—1 know
of no others, but I have heard that several other
nimble shot struck the ship, but I do not know it.
What were the exertions of the men as to refit-
ting the Genoa after the battle, and how soon was
she ready to renew the action ?—I received orders
to have the quarters clear and have every thing
ready to renew the action if necessary. The main-
yard was lowered, the maintop gallant yards and mast
were cut down, the runners and tackles were got up,
the mizen-top gallant yard and mast were got down,
and the men set to work at different places. Some
hands were employed knotting
and splicing and re-
pairing the damages done to the rigging. To the
best of my recollection the ship was ready to renew
the action in about half an hour, as far regards my
own quarters.
What did you observe of my conduct durins the