Star.
London, England, 1815-02-07 00:00:00

Naval Courts-Mattial, trust, account itatisfac-
torily to This Court for some of the irregularity of
the examination of the witnesses, being the first.M.li-
iary Court Martial at which I was ever preterit, and
has deprived mo of the evidence I wished to produce.
—lf abuse were proof, if invective were evidence,
It
should stand a bad chance, but Sir John Murray for-
-got-ewe/Mtn 'he adtrested himself he forgot that
the Judgment of this Court would lead them to con-
clude, that when a man substitutes abuse for defence
it is because he has no better evidence to produce !
and when a man evades to answer the charge made,
by a discussion very irrelevant to the subject, it is
because he dare not meet the charge.
It is no wonder that, brigading over discontent and
disappointment for so many months, such a malig-
nant production should have been brought forth ;
this is a harsh term, but not too much so, by any
means, 'for those calumniating charges made in his
address, many of which were too bad for him to sup-
port. .even by a shadow of evidence, and some of
which, t 4 avoid discussion, he would have abandon-
ed. The admission of the infirmity of some of those
charges he has as readily allowed, as they were deli-
berately and unjustly made.
Sorely he had little respect to the Members of this
Court, so well informed in their profession, to sup-
pose that they would be deceived by high-flown—l
had almost said bombastic language. My reply
shall be short, and facts, not metaphor, shall be laid
before the Court.
Having stated, most solemnly to the Court, that I
had no personal ill-will to Sir John Murray ; after
my assurance to the Court; that, to the best of my
recollection, not even an angry word passed between
us, is he warranted in his Address to the Court ?
Words were used, in this Address. I am connoted
in moments of reflection, which his habits, and the
circle in which he moved, must have prevented the
use of. With respect to my keeping back his letter
of the 2d of June, it stands upon the minutes of the
Court Martial that Sir John Murray did not deliver
it to me until the 3d. That I had no vessel by which
I could send it away immediately ; and it is proved
by Sir John Murray's letters to me, which are before
the Court, that he knew it was sent on the 4th, with
the other letters dated on that day ; and he has con.
firmed his knowledge of the fact by a verbal confes-
sion of it before the Court.
Whether it was Sir John Murray's intention, in
making this statement, to impress on the minds of
those who heard him, that I had designedly -kept
back that letter, I will not pretend to say ; but that
it had that effect no person will doubt.
I next come to the charge exhibited against me
respecting the Bristol being ordered to anchor at a
considerable distance from the landing place at Ba-
laguer, with no other view than to prevent the Quar-
ter-Master-General from repairing to head-quarters;
and Sir John Murray continues, 4, w.ll might the
Admiral predict misfortune, if he proposed by this
exertion of his authority to deprive the army of the
service of one of the most active and intelligent of its
officers, and to cripple the most impoitint of the de-
partment by the absence of its chief." On the after-
noon of the 12th of June, about thrie o'clock, the
troops began to march down to the beach for em-
barkation. A little after sun-set, Sir John Murray
went on board the Malta. I remained on shore tilt
between two and three o'clock in the morning of the
I3th, when I returned to the Malta. and went to bed.'
—lt having been reported that the enemy had disco-
vered a pass round Balaguer, I had previously or-1
dered the. Volcano to go there to assist in covering
our troops, which had been sent thither the preceding
evening for embarkation. On my rising alkut six
o'clock, 1 found the following note on my table,
written by* Sir John Murray :
"MT MAR will be Captain Carrot to mike the
signal to any infantry embarked at Salun Hay, to come down
with us. Before you sail, perhaps it would be possible to pet
the troops in some order, that is, to get the regiments a little
together, that they may be enabled to disembark. My milers
are to disembark as far to the northward as possible.
" Your's, truly, . " JOON .111URRAT."
After all the staff horses, mules, &c. were embark-
ed at Tarragona, I proceeded in the Malta to Bala-
suer, leaving all the transports in charge of Captain
Bathurst, of the Fame, to be ready to weigh with
them, when I should send him orders for that pm.-
pose. The Bristol had been sent round to Salon
Bay, on the afternoon of the 12th, for the purpose of
embarking part cif the troops, and remained there in
charge of transports at that anchorage.
After I had passed the Bay of Salun, I observed
the Bristol getting under weigh, and made the signal
to remain at anchor, and while I was at dinner, it
was observed to me that she had got under weigh,
notwithstanding the signal I had made to her, ana
I immediately directed her by telegraph to return
to Salun.
From the letter which Sir John Murray had left'
on my table in the morning, it will appear evident
to the Court, that it was his intention, when he left
the Malta, to embark the troops which were at Bala-
guer immediately, and that they were to be 1 ended
r again as far to the northward as possible. It was
therefore with a view of keeping all the ships in a state
of readiness to move together, as soon as we should
have completed our embarkation at Balagner, that I
ordered the Bristol to return, and not from any de-
sire to keep General Donkin from repairing to head-
quarters. The ships went there solely for the pur-
pose of embarking the troops ; and General Donkin
has declared before the Court, that he never altered
the embarkation or disembarkation of troops, except
at Tarragona. What injury, then, could they suffer
by the absence of that officer ? I can only say, that
I received no assistance from him at the embarka-
tion at Tarragona, for I never saw him after sun-set.
Had General Donkin been disposed to visit Sir John
Murray, he had the means of doing it by boats, in
the slime manner as other officers did; and I found
no shfficulty in keeping up my communication with
the Fame, through the same channel, although she
was lying in •Tarragona Bay, at a considerably
greater distance than the Bristol. Sir John Mur-
ray's head-quartirs were at this time on board 'the
Malta, and the Bristol joined the next day, when Sir
'John Murray directed the troops to assemble at Ba-
laguer. But, Sir, the impression intended to be
made against me is of a nature to affect my charac-
ter, and even my life, were it possible that I could be
guilty of the crime alleged against me. It charges me
with suffering my private resentment, if I bad any,
against an individual, to affect my conduct in the
execution of thy duty to my country. It. Rot an

insinnation.,—it is a 'direct charge t hut t tiOst that
this insinuation will fully do away such an idea from
the minds of the Members of the Court, with wl'orrt
I have not the honour of being acquaintei ;
am sure that every persnn who kn will have
no hesitation in declaring that I am iatcapable tif

such conduct : .
The following letter from Sir John hitirriy, all.l
my answer, will support me in this last assertioo :
EXTRACT OF A LETTS:et, DATEN CASTALLA, MAY 0,
1813, AND ADDRESSED EY SIR JORDI MURItA%
REAR-ADMIRAL IiALLOWELL:
" There is a point on which I must say a few words. it is
respecting General Deakin's embarkation. Ifit losing with foe
is totally out of the question; but it is t•xtremely desirable ast
he thould be in a man of war. A trattlen t is ct to
separated; and the (2trarter-Master-General is a per, di •I) 1:r
cessary on landing, that we dioulti be put to a1?.....ry tnc
venience were he absent. I am therefore anxious that 'olive:I.:I
be kindnough to attach some man of war toe Mos. It is r
the Quover-Master-General, and hot fur General Ty&
I make this request. 'the same holds good fcr
but not in so strung a degree. (S,gned) 6' Writ" 1 r."
EXTRACT OF A LETTER FROM REAR-AT,MIRAL 11AL/0.
WELL TO SIR JOHN MURRAY, DATED 8 1.. M. Writ
MAY, 1813:
I saw Major Lem yesterday, and I told him C-nerai Ti^a.
kin might have either the Bristol (which is In.,ntled for a :dame
ral Officer) or the Polly horse-ship, or any °Ott r p 0 swe
name. I thought the second in command had a priur (lain; to
the Fame, and had theref Ire arranged for Ge;:Lral Citutun :a
go in her. I shall Levity happy to do any thing in my ;Power -1
accommodate General Dunkin; and shall be c.lsl;e,Nl to you, rir
Wm, If you will point out any way in which I can courr.bute :o
his comfort in the expedition hat is naw in contr..ni, huiun,
Oitned) " tin Li.uvrtt.L.
P.S. General Dunkin wry go ht the Thames, ii : el.refttA
EXTRACT OF A LETTER, DATED 12.50 P. M. IlItY '2 16
1813, FROM CASTALLA, AND ADDRESSED BY Ell J.
MURRAY TO REAR-ADVIIIAL HALLOWELL:

" I am extremely obliged to you for your accommodation w}•%
respect to General Donkin. Ou that subject I w,ll write
wise to-morrow. The post Is just coin= outs and I h .se a r, s
deal to do. (Signed) " J. 21UP KAI."

EXTRACT OF ANOTHER LETTER. DATED CASTALL
M4Y 21, 1813, FROM SIR JOHN MURRAI TO CZAR*

ADMIRAL lIALLoWELL I

" MY DLAR SlR—General Donkia, to whorl I communize:A
such parts of your letter of the I'd' as concerned Mtn, is n•t..*
obliged to you, and accepts your "MT of the Drilt-d.
(Signed) " J. SSIVIRAY.w

Here, Sr, yon will see the line of conduct 1 pito
sued on our embarkation at Alicant, previous to on
sailing to Tareagona ; and I so:el/oily assure the
Court, that from the time of our embarkation at tore
former place, until the period stated in Sir John Mor.
ray's charge, I do not recollect having hied one single
word of private altercation with General Dunkin.—
As to the charge of writing to Lord Bathurst en the
14th, I will only say, I wrote no such letor, nntwite.
standing the comments on my doing se. ei;r J. Mute
ray charges me with making the following signal—
"We are delighted." Ido not deny it. T:ie Ame-
rica informed nee by signal, on the 17th, th e T . '
William Bentinck was en board. I answered, "we
are all delighted." . Iti melting this reply, I spe.:e_
the sentiment of the whole army, and 1 really beli:.ve
of Sir John Murray also.
My address to him on the morning of the 12.. h, :4:
ten o'clock, and to which Sir J. Murray has ma2.*
no reply, fully disclosed to him toy sentiments clay
proceeding. I told him the object of my visit was to
infenm him of the disgraceful manner in w!,ich Vey
are going on upon the beach—that General D nkia
bad given directions in his name to spike the guns
and destroy the batteries—that we werebeiooing eiee
grace on the British character by such conduct, and
I intreated him, if he Was determined to :elite t a
siege, to do it in a soldier-like manner, and nut in tSe
disgraceful way in which wen? then doing it. I eel
eluded by stying, if you will allow the guns to re-
main till night I "ledge myself to take every thing
off. Sir John Murray says, that in a peregraph of e,a.
letter, I tell his Majesty's Government and the Mks
of Wellington that I had promised to embark the
whole of the guns if he would remain till night ; ei
my advice and opinion he says he knew—hut of sec%
offers he has no recollection. I refer to Sis Jei...a
Murtay's dispatch to recal it to his reemory ; and I
do mysolf speak positively to having pledged mycit
to execute the order. I did not make that pkifee
without having given it due consideration before I
made it. I knew the extent of the operation, are
the means I possessed to execute it ; and I never
made a promise to the army to perform any service
without fulfilling it, and there is no reason to suppoe:
I should have lat!ed in this instance.
After such a declaration, and Sir John Marc F
having persisted in raising the siege of Tarragona .a
CI:: manner he did, could he imagine I would be e-
lent ? Certainly not. His answer to me, whe.i I
communicated to him that I had written as stron.:le
to Sir Edward I'ellew as I had ever spoken, coe-
vinced me that he was prepared for it, he replie I--
"I am aware of it—l had every reason to expect
from the manner in which you have always %Fele: •
I have made my report to Lord Wellington, anJ e
feel myself accountable to no one else. With :elastic
to. the personal regard which Sir John Murray mar. I
was professing for him, l cannot receliect lievie;
any communication with him after his leaving Bale-
guay that was not official. On my a: rival et Alica It
I waited on Lnid William Bentinck as the Co!.1-
mauder of the forcee, to pay my visit of teepee: to
hinl—my next visit was to Sir John Murray, e? ea
had just resigned the command, when he Mused Is
see me—mid I.never called upon him again until t 1.4
day we marched from 'Meant for Valencia, whir. 1
waited on him to inform him that I liadoillottee a
ship for his accommodation, whenever he wished te
move. I leave never failed to pay immediete alen-
tion to every recviest Sir John Mu: ray made to too
it was a duty I owed to his rank. Sir John Murray
has mede great complaint of the delay in brine %
forward this trial ; but he must be aware that tie:
delay has heeu in a great measure created by himself.
The Court Martial was at fir,t ordered to he astej.-
bled at Tarragona. Some of the Members had Ix'
tuelly arrived there, and I had assembled the noel
witnesses to attend then:. The Judge Advocate, is
opening the prosecution, has explained the reasons a
its being afterwards directed to be held in Engl4o-
- John Murray received notification of this chatige
1
so early as the '2Bth of July, as appears by his letter
to me. This he thought proper to resist, and wrote
home to that effect, complaining of the injustice of
such a determination. Perhaps it might have be-a
less favourable to him if it had been held at Tarr_'
gona, for that spot would have produced the fullest
evidence against him. Would Sir John Murray et
Tartar= have ventured' to product web evidetto