Star.
London, England, 1807-10-16 00:00:00

COURT MARTIAL AT HALIFAX, IN

NOVA SCOTIA.

Nlinutes of the Proceedings of a Court Martial affemhkd and held
nn hoard his Majefty'm ship B►LLw, I. in Halifax Harbo•*r,
Nova Scotia, nn Wednefclay, afsth Aueult, !Roy, to try lent( in
Ratford, of his Majefty's thip Halifax, fur mutiny, defertino, and
contempt, as fet forth in a letter from her Commander, the
Right Honourable Lord JAMES TOWNSE END.
PRESENT
The Honnural le Sir A Le:ANDER Coenarisix, R. B. Rear Admi-
ral of the White, and Secot.d Officer in the Command at Hali-
fax, Prefrdent. '

CATTAI4S,
Francis Pickmore John Erflrine Douglas
William Charles Fable Philip Beaver
Edward Hawker Nathaniel Day Cochrane

Being all the Captains of the rank of Pon at this
place. On the Court alTembling, at half patt ten
o'clock—the prifoner being brought, forward, the
evidence called over, and audience admitted, read the
order aidetTed to the Prdidtot horn the Hon.
GEORGe CIItAIFIFLD BeRICELEY, Vice Admiral of the
White, and Commander in Chief at 'Halifax, Nova
Scotia, &c: dated the 25th t f Antal, and the Pia.
dent's Order to the Judge Advocate to officiate as
filch,'when the Members. and Judge Advocate, were
feverallf from, agreeably to A& of Parliament; and
the fallowing letter, containing the charges againft
the pi:fser, read :

Hi+ Majetty's Sloop HAIM'.
Halifax Harbour, isth Aura. /807.

. SIR—I beg leave to reprefcnt to you, that the five
men named in the margin*, belonging to his Majef-
ty'. !loop Halifax, under my. command; when lent
with a petty officer in the jolly boat, in Hampton
Roads, bn the 7th a Match lA. to weigh a kedge
anchor, which had been previoufly dropped for the
purpofe of twinging the 'hip by, taking the advan-
tage of the du& of the everi;.g, mutinied upon the
petty officer, fume of them threatening to murder him,
hut, the ref) interfering, they ; however, tak-
ing the boat under their own command, they fuc-
ceeded, in deferring, by landing at Sewel's Point.
The whole "f the aticve mentioned deferrers, I have
fince been informed,- entered on boatd. the United
States frigate Chefapeak, and were fees by me, and
feier al of my officers. parading the streets of Norfolk,
in ttiumph; under the American flag. A few day.
after the defeitinn. I accolled one of thefe men,
Henry Saunders, tithing the reafon ohlris deferting, and
received for anfwer, that he did not intend any thing
of the kind, hut was compelled by the rell to affilt,
and would embrace the firfl opportunity of returning
—At that moment, Jenkin Raiford, one. of the laid
s'eferters,coming tip, took the arm of the laid Henry
Saunders, deflating with an oath, that neither he. or
any r f the tell of the defetters, fhould realm to this
fhip, and, with a contemptuous gesture, told me, he
was in the land of Liberty, and milantly dragged the
field Henry Saunders away.
Finding that my expolittlating any longer would
not only be ufelefa in obtahing the deferters, hut, in
all probahiiity have collerned a mob of American.,
who, no doubt, would have proceeded to Ileps of vin-
lence, 1 inllantly• repaired to the houfe of Colonel
Hamilton, the Britifh Conful there, and related every
circumflance which occurred, and applied to him, a.
alfo to Lieutenant Sinclair of the rendezvous for the
United States fetvice, to recover the laid delerets,
but without cffee.
Being fince informed that Jenkin Ratford has been
recovered, in aeion, on hoard the United States fri-
gate Chefapeake, with his Blirannic Majltly's fhip
Leopard, and now a partner on hoard his Majesty's
!hip Bellona, 1 have to recprea you will be, pleated to
direr% a Court Martial may be affernbled for the por.
pole of trying the laid Jenkin Ratford, for the within
mentioned charge's of Mutiny, 'Dcfirtion, and Contempt.
lhave Ike honour to remain,' Sir, ,
Your moil obedient humble feevant,
J. TOWNSHSND.
To the Hon. G. C. Berk fley, Vice-Admiral
of the White, and commander in Chief, •
&c. Halifax, N.
The evidence were then es ithdrawn, and the-Right
Hon. Lord James Townfhend, (worn. • . • •
lL Relate to the Court what comes within your
knowledge of the charges againfl the Ptifoner ?—A
At the time o f the prifoner's deferting, I was' on
hoard the Mermaid; on heating a firing of musketry
kept up from the fhip, kbout fix o'clock, in the even-
ing of the 7th of March, I immediately returned
board; when Lieut. Carter informed me that fire men
had role on Mr. Turner, midllipman, and deferted
with the jolly boat. The nett morning, I fent Lieut.'
Mainers to Nr.rfolk, to acquaint Catra'n Hollis and
the Iltitilh Conful of thidefertion of the men—on
his return, he reported to me that he had fern fume
of them, one in particular, Richard Hubert, parted.
ing the !trees with the American flag, then Remit
ing for the Chefaptake. I then went up myfelf
to Not folk, and told the Britifh Conlol—and finding
that the men had entered for the Chefapeake,
applied to Lieutenant• Sinclair, who was enteting
men for her ; and received for anfwer, that there
were no men entered for them by the names I
gave ; but if any Deferters haffentered, I ntqfl apply
,to the Magitirates; which I did through the Conful,
who, I believe, applied to the Mayor and Civil Power.
I alto applied to Capt. Decatur, who referred me to
Lierit. Sinclair ; but I met with no fuccefs in recover-
ing the men.—l met the_ prildner, with. Saunders the
bnatfwaites mate, after my application, and asked
them the reafon they did not return to the
Saunders raid, he would ; and immediately went with
me about zo yards; when the prisoner laid hdld of
his atm, and laid he would be d—d if he Ihould re-
turn to-the fhip—that he was in the land of libel ty—,-•
that he would do is he liked—and that I had no bufi-
refs with him. The prifoner was very abulive—the'
words.l do not reallee. .
What anfwer did Lieut. Sinclair make to lon
the second time you applied to him ?—A. The lime
as before. I offered to point rut the men, if he would
allow me to go into the rendezvous, but to which he
returned no anfwer. I taw tome Nf the Deferters at
the rendezvous :'the prifoner was not among them.
Q Was the prifoner abufive to you perfnnally, or
was the abufe general ?—A. Chiefly perfonal.
Q._ by Prifoner— Did you not fend a gentleman to
call me out of the honk ?—.A. Yes.
IZ Did I not tome out at the fame time and Rand
at Saunders's back, all the time you were talking to
• Richard Hubert, Henry Saundcrs, Jenklu Radon], George
North, William liiU.