The Statesman.
London, England, 1815-01-17 00:00:00

STATESMAN

. .
Tilat the embarkation, if any longer delayed, might expectation of rudest reinforcements from Sicily,
be prevented by a change he the weather, or by the this did not appear to him to be a stifficient excuse for
activity of the enemy. That he had, after deducting his not hevingenade early prepatations tb save his
2000 men to cover the store', only 16,000 men in guns, if a retreat became necessary. As to the third
the whole, to meet an army of the best French sop- charge, he should leave that to the gallant Admiral
sliers in the service. That, as it was impossible to 'who was the presecutor in it. The facts were, how-
storm Tarragona, and so much depended on the ever proved, of a very precipitate embarkation of
safety of his army, he had deemed it prudent to ,the army, with the loss of the artillery and stores.
raise the siege, and only regretted that he had not It remained for Sir John Murray to show that this
done so at an earlier period.. That no blame-what- precipitation was necessary, and the loss unatoidable.
_ ever was imputable to:Admire! Ifellowell, but that He believed that the fact was, also, that Gen. Co-
he had thought the risk ten great to adopt his pops had no notice of his intention, until the guns
h:s seggestioo, of waiting anotimr day to bring off . were already spiked, anti n great part of the army on
bis ordnence, the importance of wt'ich he did not board. It appeared that he had sent off the field ar-
(leek ought to be pat in the scale with the safety eft tillery at lialageer, anti left the heavy artillery and
the force under his command. But why had Sir ; stores behind him, notwithstanding that Adm. Hal+
Jahn Murray, after receiving the information oft towell hart promised and engaged to bring them safely
which he had been in possession for some days on , off, if sufficient time were allowed him. Whether
good authority, delayed sti long to raise the siege, Ithe delay proposed by the gallant Admiral was coll-
ate, even continued to the last hour to land artillery sistent with the circumstances in which Sir J. M. was
and stores? Another letter of the same date served I placed, or supposed himself to he placed, was asubject
to show the fluctuating opinion of the Commander- for the most serious consideration of the Court. It
in-Chief, and admitted that the enemy had not acted had been already observed, that the Dukeeof Welling-
with the expected rapidity. Then followed the dis- ton, not satisfied with the details furnished by Sir
patch to Berl bathurst, and a long eaplanetion, J• Murray, had also ordered the Spanish General
addressed to Lord Wellington, in obedience to Copons to give his account of the operations at the
. Lis request to have minute information of the pro- siege of Tarragona. General Copons had sent a
brays of the siege, and the whole operations of the diary of the operations, which was then in his pos-
difleretst cups since the time of disemberkation. All session; but as he feared that he could not make this
, these documents he (Mr. Larpent) submitted to the legal evidence, he should, at present, abstain from
, Corot furnished no joetificatiou for the delay of the any observations on its contents. It was impossible
• General io minting to aelecision of such vital moment for him to foresee in what manner Sir J. Murray
. both to the safety of. the army and the ultimate sac- 'would shape his defence: but from the letters which
, cess of the other object of the expedition. Neither had already been read, he thought it evident that be
. did they eectelpale his cundect in not returning im- retied a good' deal on the thirteenth paragraph of
, nowliately to Valencia, where the French were then Lord Wellington's general instructions, in which his
reduced to 111000 men.. S:r John Murray had iu Lordship said, that he would forgive any thing, ex-
. fact, in his letter to Lord Bathurst, sae kteu his own veil having the fate of the next campaign risked by
. condemnation, for he there ascribed to a misplaced any of the corps of the army being defeateu or dis-
anxiety the defect.of all the plans which he bad been persed. It did not appear to hint that Sir J. Murray
entrusted to execute. Another later to Lord Wel- 'should have considered this part of the instructions as
• lingtou contained • still more detailed statement of directed particularly to himself. It would rather ap.
all the circumstances which had influenced Sir J. pear that this was meant for the Spanish Generals,
Murray hs the course Which be had pursued, tie. who, from a too great reliance on the quality of the
that there was no pant trapped to which, in case of troops they commanded, had frequently exposed their
a reverse, he could retreat; whilst the enemy had divisions to the ?anger of being defeated and de.
strong fortresses behind him, and was mach superior stroyed. Lord Wellington conceived that the prin-
. to him in every respect, except in ordnance; that cipal advantage of the Spanish troops over the French
General Copons bed been unable to afford him any could only be from having a superiority of numbers,
assistance; acid that he had delayed to Feist the siege and he wished them always to preseve this superiori-
.so long, in the Confident expectation of reinforce- V. How could that paragraph be a defence to him
ments, &e. That he bad also been disappointed in for persevering in the siege of Tarragona, when he
the hope of receiving some additional strength from could have no hopes of taking it, or for re-landing
Lord William Bentinck, and had, under such a cam- his army on the 13th at Balaguer ? This paragraph
leisation of disadvantages, taken that step that pru- was so far from being a defence to him, that it being
th•tore appeared to him to prescribe. evident that Lord Wellington attnched so much to
lie then read the statement of General Sachet's the not suffering any of the corps to be defeated or
force, •as it appeared from the papers of King Jo- dispersed, it was clear that next to the loss of the men
reply, which fell lute the hands of Lord Wellington. i themselves, there was nothing which could be more dis-
. his this statement, which was drawn up by the I
t ressing than the loss of all that heavy artillery, without
which the corps could not be effective in any sieges that
French General St. Cyr, it appeared, that the grandl
tot e of Suchet's army in Valencia, including a corps he might direct. The loss of this artillery was peculiar-
of XXV, which bad been sent to Tarragon% and ly important, from the great difficulty of replacing it
many small garrisons, amounted to 260300 men, of itt Spain. Admittiug that from this paragraph, he was
which 2,817 weir cavalry. Upon the documents {Justified its refusing a battle, and making a preci-
which had been read, it was his duty to submit to pitate retreat, how could he be justified in re-land-
• the Court, that, although it did not appear that any rug the army, and exposing it again to the same dif-
thing more could have been done on the Bth or 9th, ficulties and risks, when there was no apparent ob-
e et, that
• ]act for such conduct, either for any advantage to
been seta upon the 10th, every effort should have e
by hint, arid every preparation made for .be expected against the enemy, or for supporting the
removing the artillery sod stores. That wu the honour of the British arms ?—After a few more °b-
olero incumbent upott.hims front the knowledge he , serrations, the Deputy Advocate-General concluded
. had of the difficelties. of the embarkation, and the by apologizing for the lrugth of his statement, and
consequent danger of delay. Sir John Murray had for any errors in it which might proceed from Ms
been fully convinced in his own mind of the impos- own inexperience. Ile had stated nothing against Sir
sibility 'of taking Tarragona, Defoe) he had been ,J. Murray more strongly than be conceived himself
. landed tweuty.fear hours. The principal engineer ; bound by his duty to do.
had giveu his opiuion .that the place could not bel [rhe only witness which he called was Captain
, taken in less than fourtems or fifteen days, and , Zenthenin. The object of calling him, was to prove
this was a length of time that it would be evident-
the communications with Gen. Copons.]
ly imprudent to venture to remain there. After he Charles Joseph Zenthenin, being examined, said,
bad made his eemeattoe to raise the siege, the that he was a German by birth, and a Lieutenant in
-days of the 10th and 11th ought to have been em- the regiment of Meuron. He acted in Catalonia in
, played in providing for the safe embarkation of the , the capacity of Military Agent. Ile was dispatched
. artillery and stores, as well as of the army. Ott' on the night of the Ilth, to inform the Spanish Ge.
the contrary, it appeared that Sir J. Murray per. Beret Ovens, that in the morning Sir John Murray
-witted the lauding of artillery, ammunition, and would send him six battalions, and to point out what
position he was to take. He vs., sto place his troops
. stores up to the very moment when he ordered the 1
vo.smbarkation of the troops. From the details of • itt the left. General Copons simply answered him
ON operations of the 3d of June, it appeared that !" Very well."—lle had afterwards forwarded a let.
the disembarkation could be completely erected in ter to him on the 15th, but had no copy of it, and did
. one day ; and he was, therefore, at a loss to see not know its contents.
. what it was that made the re-embarkation impossible, f Sir John Murray desired the witness to be asked,
without leaving the artillery and valuable stores be- whether hiked not desh-ed him to inform General
hind. Ile should not make many observations upon Copons of his intention of raising the siege?
the detailed accounts given of the siege, but should Capt. Zenthetein answered "He did not, according
simply observe, that no artillery had been brought to to the best of my recollection."
bear against the body of the place till the night of The Deputy Anvoctere-Gsesetter. then closed the

case on the first and second charges; and sqM that he
relied on the evidence of the letters which had
been read, and which had been admitted by Sir J.
Murray.
The Overt thew asked Admiral Hallowell whether
lie was prepared to make any statement retpecting
the third charge? t
Admiral llallowell said, that as hwhadlnever be-
fore heard of -the second letter of Lord Wellington
which had been read tide day, nor of the detailed
answer to it by Sir J. Murray, which answer sp_
el
pea red to him to throw some reflections . Abe naval
ca isi
part of the service, he wished to have of these
letters, or to be allowed to peruse llutit,' and take
extracts, before he made his *tawniest- f. •
Sir J. Murray said, that he did not baby how far
it would be iu legal form to communicate this evi.
deuce to the Admiral. lie should supped* that, es
a Prosecutor,, it was his business to hate some pre-
pared. lie, however, never had inten4ed to throw
the slightest reflection on the conduct of the naval
part of the service. All he had meant ti state was,
that 'from the limited number of guts:vessels, and
some of them having been left at Lialaguer, these
had been no actual co-operation of the naval part of
the foree in the attack of Tarragoee,., until the
10th. He had sio objection, howeveriilthe Coirt
thought proper, that those letteswihquill S Corp.
municated. . .
The Court then permitted. Admiral. ,Ifejlotesill ie.
peruse the letters which had been give", in evallstillt.
and adjourned. Admiral Hallowell wall seat ilardts
his statement, and enter upon the third charpt* '•

the 10th. As Sir J. Murray must have known at
that time, that eit bout the assistance of General
Copoit,' corps of Spaniards, he could not bring
more than 0,000 men against Sachet, Ise tweet have
then known that it was impossible fur him to take
Tarragona, and should have initeediately taken
measures for the safe re-embarkation of the artillery
and stores, ar well as of the army. ile had also to
s;tte, that, in point of fact, the French had not ad-
. vaneed as f;r as Verdril, but had fallen back upon hear-
leg of s;r arri..al in the Bay of Item. He
s'n,ul.l u w proceed to the consideration of the se-
cond charge. As to the conduct of Sir J. Murray
after the siege wits raked, he bad beets positively
directed by hi, instrUiliJil, to return immediately to
Va!eneia, for the attai meet of an object specifisally
pointed oat to him. It seems that So J. Murray was
not sutficieittly impressed with the importance of ad-
hering to his instructions. lie violated both the
• letter and the spirit of those instructions ; for, in-
stead of immediately returning to Valencia, he re.
landed the army at tillaguer on the 13th and I4th of
June, awl was still in that neighbourhood when
Lord W. Ilentiiick arrived eu the 17th. The dues_
lion then would be, had he any sufficient motive for
thus deviating from his instructions? Sir J. Murray
had stated, that ;tichet Lad the advantage of being
:Ode to retreat in safety whenever lie pleased.—
%Vliat; then, could be the obiect of re-landing Mei
whole army at Baleg.uer ? He was himself, from
, experience, fully satisfied of the tfiErulties and
. dangers of re-embarking them. Why, thee, did be ,
.aeriin expose them to this danger, when, according
to his opinion, nothing could be done against Sachet,
w:io had a secure retreat ?If he had obeyed his in- I Mr. PdAcuEA Dv, from Rada, is engaged at Coyest-
strirtipu., he.would have been in Valencia on the garden, and will shortly maks his appearance In
17th, whereas he was then at Bataguer. As to the Romeo.

.646Acs.

TO MORROW THE LOTTERY BEGINS—THE FIRST
TICKET DRAWN A PRIZE ABOVE ,k2b,_ WILL
nixtival .00,0110 IN ADDITION, AND MAY
PROVE A PRIZE OF £30,000."