however, were most unhappy; for it took from him all his enjoyment of life, and may injure, in fome degree, his immortal reputation: by fuffering his thoughts to dwell too much on knaves and fools, he fell into the splenetic delufion, that the world is nothing but a compound of vice and folly; and from hence he has been reproached for fuppofing that all human merit was confined to himself, and to a few of his most intimate corre spondents. counsellors had given a different bias to the mind of the Poet, and the malignity of his enemies had exasperated his temper; yet he afterwards turned his thoughts towards the composition of a national epic poem, and poffibly in confequence of the hint which this epiftle of Lyttelton contains. The intention was formed too late, for it arofe in his de cline of life. Had he poffeffed health and leisure to execute fuch a work, I am perfuaded it would have proved a glori ous acquifition to the literature of our country. The fubject indeed which he had chofen must be allowed to have an unpromising appearance; but the opinion of Addison concerning his Sylphs, which was furely honeft, and not invidious, may teach us hardly ever to decide against the intended works of a fuperior genius. Yet in all the Arts, we are perpetually tempted to pronounce fuch decifions. I have frequently condemned fubjects which my friend Romney had felected for the pencil; but in the fequel, my opinion only proved that I was nearfighted in those regions of imagination, where his keener eyes commanded all the profpect. There was an amiable peculiarity in ring a heavy fhower of rain, as to form a becoming zeal of enlightened friendship: BY the annual return of the bill of morta No more let meaner Satire dim the rays Addrefs the least attractive of the Nine! This generous admonition did not indeed produce its intended effect, for other lity at Paris, it appears, that there have been, in that capital and its fuburbs, during the year 1782, Chriftenings 19,387.; Marria ges 4878; Deaths 18,953; Foundlings 5444 i Nuns profeffed 117. Increase in the latter compared to 1781, 30; decreased in Christenings 845; in Marriages 92; in Deaths 1217; Foundlings 164. [See the London Mortalitybill, vol. 44. p. 714.] Trial of the Hon. Lt-Gen. James Murray, [Befide the twenty-five public charges, inferted vol. 44. p. 571. Sir W. Draper exhibited four articles of perfonal com plaint againtt Gen. Murray, making in all twenty-nine charges.] The court began to fit on Tuesday, Nov. 12. 1782, and finally clofed on Saturday, Feb. 8. 1783. Lt-Gen. Murray opened his defence as follows. Sir George Howard, and the other General Officers affembled on this court martial, AM brought a prifoner before you, after forty-three years fervice in various stations, under all the different cli. mates where his Majefty's arms have been employed in the extenfive operations which fill the page of history during that period, without ever having been the author or the object of any military difhonour, nor the profecutor of any officer to a public trial, much lefs a prisoner myself at the bar of justice; fo that I freely acknowledge this to be the part of duty incident to my profeflion with which I am the leaft acquainted, as the court must have often perceived during the examination into the charges exhibited against me; yet, confcious as I was of my weakness in this respect, I felt fuch a ftrength in the integrity of my own intentions, and fuch a confidence in the difcernment and juftice of brother officers, who are to judge of my conduct, as made me difclaim calling any profeffional advocate to my aid, how much foever the complicated accufations with which I have been loaded, and my own poor abilities, might have claimed that indulgence. It is not my wish to conceal or perplex any thing: it is my defire to have every accufation fifted to the bottom. It was this motive that induced me to apply for a court martial to decide on my conduct. Some of my friends have thought I did wrong in preffing fuch a decifion. It certainly is not a fituation wantonly to be courted; but, like other disagreeable occurrences in life, muft not be avoided where honour calls for a judicial decifion; and while I lament the trouble which fo many refpectable officers have undergone on this account, I will freely fubmit to their candour, whether it was poffible for me, under the infinuations thrown out, and which have now been publicly avowed, and the charges exhi bited against me, to fit down quiet without demanding a public examination. I am far from being vain of the talents which God has given me, or the experience which has fallen to my lot for the improvement of them in the line of my tation of felf-conceit, I hope it may be profeffion; and yet, without the impu allowed me to fay, that I have fome military reputation as an officer to protect, I feel alfo that, in the defence of the caftle of St Philip, under the various difficulties which occurred, and no hopes of relief, I have fome merit with the public, concerning which I was defirous that the whole army might have an opportunity of judging upon certain grounds; and also that my family and friends might poffefs, now and hereafter, a juftification beyond the power of fophiftry or malignity to impeach. Befides these motives, I had another incentive to prefs for this courtmartial. I conceived that the reputation of his Majefty's arms, and the national character, as well as my own, were concerned; and was therefore juftly anxious that the truth of all the circumftances fhould be made known throughout Europe. For although I have made no complaints that no affiftance was sent to me during fo long a ficge, and although I have endeavoured to avoid every imputation of blame upon others, and to confine the juftification of my own con duct to the best disposition of the means put into my power; yet I hope the peculiar circumstances attending my garrifun, in this refpect, will never be for gotten, for their honour, and my own, by thofe who confider the final catastrophe. In a fcene fo trying, with a feeble gar rifon, a defective fortification, and little hope of relief when attacked by the combined forces of fuch powerful enemies, I muft confider it as a very unfortunate cir. cumftance, notwithstanding the little re gard I can now poffefs for Gen. Sir William Draper, that a man of his rank, station, and reputation for abilities, faw all my actions through the medium which appears from the charges he has exhibited; for certainly if ever difunion could prove of deftructive confequences to the public intereft, it was as far as it could operate in the fituation in which we ftood; and whether the caufes of this difunion proceeded from me or Gen. Draper, one or the other of us has much to answer for to this country. When I confider that the charges exhibited hibited by Sir William Draper compre. But the charges preferred against me do. hend a period of two years, in which even not admit of that manner of confidering the most minute article of my conduct, them. They neceffarily suppose some civil and military, has been examined corruption or treachery as the motives with the most inquifitive circumfpection, for my conduct, and particularly in not in order to furnish matter of complaint, oppofing the approaches of the enemy. it is furprising to myself, in revolving This is the moft captivating charge to upon the inaccuracies and accidents in- vulgar minds who are ignorant of the cident to human life, upon a ftrict re bad confequences to be apprehended, view of what is paft, when many cir- and the little effect which is to be excumstances are brought to light which pected from firing inceffantly on the were at the moment unknown, that I first parallel, before the spots where the have not given more occafion to appeal enemy intended to conftruct their batto the experience of this court for for- teries are difcovered. But fo far from giveness in those omiffions, which fall to acting by caprice or refentment, or what the lot of the ableft officer in fuch tranf is ftill more ignoble, from mean jealousy actions as those in which I have been en- in this refpect, I will thew, from a pregaged. I believe the fiege of Sweidnitz vious report I made to the King, that I is esteemed the best defence which has acted in all things from deliberate reappeared in modern times; and yet, if folves, drawn from my conception of the Mr Grebeval were asked at this day, ftate of the fortification and the probable when all the movements of all the be- attack, and the best mode of defence fiegers are known, whether, in any one which could be adopted under the cirpoint, he would have acted otherwife cumftances in which we stood. than he did? it is poffible he would acknowledge fome error which he had committed. Fortified with this opinion, if there was really any matter which I could be lieve might have been better effected in the fiege of Fort St Philip, I would now confefs it; but I folemnly declare, with the experience of eight fieges to aid my judgement, I do not conceive, upon reflection, how I could have acted other wife than I did with any advantage to the public. It is certain, though of no confequence in the ultimate decifion, that the naval arsenal had better been deftroyed: but this was an object fo much in the department of Capt. Lawson of his Majefty's navy, that I could not order it, and I trusted to him in the execution of what had been concerted between us. That Sir William Draper should differ with me in opinion, upon various points of service, under the choice of fuch diffi. culties as occurred, is moft natural; nor could I with any claim to a juft underftanding, be offended at this difference in opinion, if the points in iffue turned merely upon the question, Whether the judgement of Sir William Draper or my own weak opinion was the best? The military actions of the greatest officers, both ancient and modern, have undergone the fevereft criticisms; and it would be the extreme of folly for any man to expect an exemption from that fcrutiny, VOL. XLV. That the Duc de Crillon did attempt acquiring poffeffion of the fortrels I commanded, by corrupt means, is known to all the world, as well as the answer E made to him at the moment while I proclaimed the difgraceful proposal [See vol. 44. p. 50.] I claim no merit from this behaviour; I hope the meaneft foldier in my garrifon would have equally rejected fuch an ignominious offer; but I beg, while I claim no merit from fuch conduct, that it may not subject me to any malicious infinuations. It is beneath me to enter into any examination on that head. The zealous defence I made at Fort St Philip, although I would not wafte my ammunition on every paffing distant object, will fuf, ficiently refute the imputation; at the fame time it becomes proper for me to fay, that Capt. Don, my fecretary, who will be examined on many articles of the charges, knows the whole of that tranfaction, if the Court shall incline to put any question to him on that subject. I might, indeed, juftly complain of Sir William Draper, for endeavouring to prejudice the public opinion against me, by a number of charges, which he has not even profeffed or attempted to establish in proof. But I derive too much advantage from fuch a conduct, before difcerning and upright judges, to speak of it as an injury. The furest way of judging of the truth or probability of any doubtful accufation, more especially M of of one that ought only to have public juftice for its object, is by examining clofely the fpirit in which it is made. If in fuch a complaint of a public aceufer, there are any, much more if there are many charges evidently dictated by malice or grofs prejudice; if there be found a number of articles which he muft have certainly known from the beginning to have been incapable of the flighteft fupport from evidence, which could therefore be introduced for no other reason than to prejudice and defame, and which he himself feeks, even against the wishes of the accused, to abandon and retract, the prefumption in the minds of juft and fagacious judges, is, that the fame temper pervades the whole accufa tion; and thus the innocence of the accufed derives fupport from the injuftice of the accufer. Whether this obfervation applies to the cafe before you, I muft fubmit to the judgement of this court, who have heard the evidence adduced by the profecutor. One of the heaviest charges against me, and which has made the greatest impreffion on the public, is article II. 1. ift, Giving out in public orders, Jan. 8. laft (being the third day of the fiege) that the enemy's battering train was fuch as had never before been brought against any place of the firft magnitude fince the invention of gunpowder, and that the garrifon might be affured that the defence of Fort St Philip had little or no dependence upon its artillery; which orders tended to augment the terror of the enemy's attack, and to cool the zeal and ardour of the artillery men of the garrifon; and from the date of which order, the fire from the place became almoft extinct in the day time, and the enemy redoubled their efforts. Now is it poffible for any man to read the entire original order, and pervert the plain and obvious meaning of it to fuch an accufation as is ftated above, or to believe that a man could fuppofe that this order fhould have the effect of difpiriting the corps of artillery, as defcribed in the charge? I afk if there has been a tittle of evidence under all the discontent which bad fuccefs in war always generates, to vindicate the affertion. I do not pique myself on being an elegant writer; I have carried arms from my youth, and was not educated for any of the learned profeffions, neither did I ever Audy the words of any military order, with a view of parade; I wish at all times to make my meaning intelligible and I can only declare to this court, that I never was more unfortunate in conveying my fentiments, or lefs under ftood, if my words contained in that or der can bear the interpretation which my accufer has put on them; for my inten tion was to roufe the spirit and vigilance of the garrison, and to diffipate fome lit tle alarm which the opening of fo unufual a train of artillery against us had occa fioned. In like manner I fubmit to the court, whether art. 1. 2. 3. and 4. of class I. are not of the fame complexion; and I leave it to the world to judge what weight is due to any charge exhibited by Sir Wil liam Draper, who could affert to his Ma▪ jefty, article I. 5. in order to induce belief of neglect and surprise on my part, and the rapid approach of the enemy on the other, that even my own goods, plans, and papers were feized, and the troops retired into the Fort with great confusion, loss, and disgrace. I refer to the evidence produced, and I submit to the court, if there is the flighteft ground for fuch allegations. Several of the other articles which Sir William Draper wished to abandon, were evidently exhibited to the public with the fame view of injuring me in their good opinion; and it was for this reafon I would not consent to their being with. drawn, that the court might be convin ced in one of two alternatives, either that my accufer had preferred his com. plaint without due investigation or knowledge of the fubject; or that, notwith ftanding he had previoufly examined the matter, his prejudices were fuch, that he was willing to hazard his reputation upon affertions that could not bear exa mination, in hopes he might relin quifh them at his pleafure, after they had been included in the King's warrant, and read by a credulous public. Of this kind I fubmit to the court, whether I have not a right to confider articles I. 9.; II. 3.; IH. 5.; IV. 2. 3. ; V. 2.; VI. 1. 2. and 3. The great question in this inquiry is, fubftantially, whether I defended the fortrefs of St Philip to the utmost of my abilities, and whether I furrendered it to the enemy before there was a juftifiable neceffity fo to do. In the articles exhibited by my accufer, there is an ap parent contradiction; firft he charges me with not sufficiently retarding the enemy's approaches, and next he accufes me of furrendering the place when no impreffion had been made on the body of the work, nor the advanced batteries of the enemy nearer than 500 yards, and this after they had fet down before the place fix months. It would appear from thence however, whether from our activity or the enemy's negligence, that the enemy's approaches had been retarded for fome caufe or other, as the place was not furrendered from the impreffions made by their attack; therefore as far as refpects the public, the question seems of no confequence; but in what regards my military reputation it is very material; and I hope to demonftrate to the court, that there was not the least degree of blame to be imputed to me; but I repeat again, that the fole queftion as to the public, turns on this, viz. whether a fevere and rapid fickness from the icurvy among the troops, and a peftilential fever incident to that putrid disorder, obliged me to furrender the place when I did? and whether, fuppofing that to be the cafe, I was the cause of that calamity, or whether I did not do every thing in my power to prevent its effects? thefe points I wish may be investigated to the utmoft. I admit, with my accufer, that the place might have held out for two months longer, if this unforeseen calamity had not seized the garrison; and all my conduct was governed by that belief, as I hall fhew in many inftances. Still I cannot admit, even under the evil confequences of this dreadful disease, that our defence was by any means difbonourable to his Majefty's arms. of vegetables and fool air. I fuffered many of thofe calamities in common with the reft, and did not furrender my gar rifon until all the principal officers of the fort were unanimous in their opinion that no further effective defence could poffibly be made; and in reward, I am, a prifoner before this court, loaded with imputations of the fouleft and blackest nature, drawn up by a man, who feems to have been harbouring malice against me from the year 1780, and couched in language the moft opprobrious and reproachful to a foldier. These are the general obfervations) which I prefume to make on the accufation preferred against me; I shall next proceed to answer them article by article, and to adduce evidence in fupport of what I affirm to be the truth. In doing this, I muft beg your patience if I fhould trefpafs on your time in too long an examination, where perhaps the matter is already clear to the members of the courtmartial, who are fo converfant in the fubject; but as my age and a broken conftitution, worn out in the defence of Fort St Philip, may be the laft military fervice of any confequence in which I fhall be engaged, I wish to make it evident, not only to my brother officers,, but equally clear and intelligible to every member of the community, that I have not, either by ignorance, negligence, or. defign, betrayed the truft repofed in me; but that on the contrary, Ì have acted to the beft of my abilities with attention and zeal, for the honour of my King and country, and the glory of the British arms, as yet unfullied by any act of mine. Gen. Murray's defence to the two charges on which he was reprimanded. The 1st of thefe charges is Art. 8. of Bad conduct before the fiege. The fortrefs of St Philip was befieged in the laft war; the garrison then confifted of 3252 men, of which 2951 were regular troops; the army of the Duc de 8. Giving an order, dated, Oct. 15. Richlieu was 14,000 men; the place was 1782, in words to the following effect: taken in feventy-two days after an effort"No gun or any piece of ordnance herewas made to relieve it; and the Governor was made a peer. My garrison confifted of 2692 men, of which number only 2016 were regular troops, including 400 invalids fent from England in 1775; the army under the Duc de Crillon was 16,000; and from the time of his landing, to the time of my furrender, was 171 days. I had no relief fent to my affiftance, my unfortunate worn-out foldiers fuffered every hardship incident to the want after to be fired in day light without Gen. Murray's defence. shewn |