This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1834 Excerpt: ...contested by the boatswain and two or three of his men. In a few minutes she became a prize to the Frenchman, and was safely conducted into Cul-de-sac Marin at Martinique, where she was destroyed on our making good our landing. The surviving officers and crew had been received in exchange on board the Pompee before the ...
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This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1834 Excerpt: ...contested by the boatswain and two or three of his men. In a few minutes she became a prize to the Frenchman, and was safely conducted into Cul-de-sac Marin at Martinique, where she was destroyed on our making good our landing. The surviving officers and crew had been received in exchange on board the Pompee before the arrival of the expedition, and among them was the sergeant of marines. The Court-martial would have been summoned immediately, but for the operations commenced for the reduction of the island. As soon as this event took place, the order for its assembling was given. By some oversight, or, which is more likely, a desire on the part of the first lieutenant of the Pompee to give the unhappy sergeant a chance of averting the destiny that hung over him, he sent him on shore as one of the party to work at the batteries. Had the sergeant taken advantage of this opportunity, he would probably have escaped the ignominious death that ended his career; but here again he turned tail, and was remanded on board as a prisoner. The court rigidly examined into every particular, and, after a patient investigation of all the facts, honourably acquitted the officers, it being proved that the nature of their wounds was such as to pre elude the possibility of their taking any further part in the action; but the unhappy sergeant was condemned to be hung, and thirty-two of his cowardly followers to run him up to the yard-arm, and to be afterwards transported for fourteen years to Botany Bay. From the conclusive evidence that was produced, the fate of the poor wretch was manifest. The stillness of the tomb reigned throughout the court as the Judge Advocate read the sentence. The start of horror which seized the doomed man as his death-knell rang on his ear, was succe...
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