Crimean texts

MINUTES OF PROCEEDINGS

BEFORE THE

BOARD OF GENERAL OFFICERS.

[Page 1 of Proceedings]

MINUTES OF PROCEEDINGS
BEFORE THE
BOARD OF GENERAL OFFICERS
APPOINTED TO INQUIRE INTO THE
STATEMENTS contained in the REPORTS of SIR JOHN M'NEILL and COLONEL TULLOCH, and the Evidence taken by them relative thereto, animadverting on the Conduct of certain officers on the General Staff, and others in the Army,
AT THE ROYAL HOSPITAL, CHELSEA.

FIRST DAY.

Thursday, April 3d, 1856.

The Judge Advocate General read the Royal Warrant appointing the Board, as follows:-

"VICTORIA R.

Whereas by instructions issued by Our Secretary of State for the War Department, bearing date the Nineteenth day of February One thousand eight hundred and fifty-five, Sir John M'Neill and Colonel Tulloch were directed to proceed to the Crimea, in order to inquire into the whole arrangement and management of the Commissariat Department, and to acquaint themselves with the mode by which supplies of food, forage, and any other articles were obtained for Our army there, and also to examine carefully into the system of accounting, with a view to its simplification: And whereas by additional instructions issued by Our said Secretary of State, bearing date the Twenty-second day of February One thousand eight hundred and fifty-five, the said Sir John M'Neill and Colonel Tulloch were further directed to make inquiries into the alleged delay in unshipping and distributing the clothing and other stores supplied for the use of Our said army: And whereas the said Sir John M'Neill and Colonel Tulloch made to Our said Secretary of State two Reports, the first dated Constantinople, the Tenth day of June One thousand eight hundred and fifty-five, and the second dated London, January One thousand eight hundred and fifty-six, and the same have, by Our command, been laid before Our two Houses of Parliament, together with the evidence taken by the said Sir John M'Neill and Colonel Tulloch: And whereas the conduct of certain officers on Our General Staff and others in Our army has been animadverted upon in the said Reports and evidence: And whereas the said officers have demanded a full inquiry into their conduct: Now We, taking the whole matter into Our consideration, and being desirous that the truth should be made manifest, and that justice should be done to all parties, think it necessary that an inquiry should be made by the General Officers herein-after named into the statements contained in these Reports and evidence affecting Our officers above referred to, Our will and pleasure therefore is, and we do hereby nominate and appoint Our right trusty and well-beloved John Baron Seaton, General of Our Forces, Knight Grand Cross of the most Honourable Order of Bath, and Knight Grand Cross of the most distinguished Order of Saint Michael and Saint George; Our trusty and well-beloved Sir Thomas M'Mahon, Baronet, General of Our Forces, Knight Commander of the most Honourable Order of the Bath; Our right trusty and well-beloved Captain Henry Beauchamp, Earl Beauchamp, General of Our Forces; Our trusty and well-beloved Sir John Bell, Lieutenant-General of Our Forces, Knight Commander of the ...

[Page 2 of the Proceedings]

... most Honourable Order of the Bath; Our trusty and well-beloved Sir William Rowan, Lieutenant-General of Our Forces, Knight Commander of the most Honourable Order of the Bath; Our trusty and well-beloved Jonathan Peel, Esquire, Major-General of Our Forces; Our trusty and well-beloved William Thomas Knollys, Esquire, Major-General of Our Forces, to be a Board, of which We further appoint John Baron Seaton to be President, who are to meet accordingly for the purposes above mentioned: And you are hereby required to give notice, with as little delay as possible, to the said General Officers when and where they are to meet for the said inquiry; and you are hereby directed to summon such persons as may be judged necessary by the said General Officers to give information upon the said matters; and the said General Officers are hereby directed to hear and examine such persons touching the same; and they are further hereby authorized, empowered, and required, after strict examination into the matters before mentioned, to make a Report thereupon, together with their opinion whether the said officers of Our army above referred to be or be not responsible to any and what extent for the unsatisfactory condition of Our said army, or any portion thereof, noticed by Sir John M'Neill and Colonel Tulloch in their Reports, and the evidence thereunto attached; all which you are to transmit to Us through Our Field-Marshal Commanding-in Chief, to be by him laid before us for Our consideration; and for so doing this shall be as well to you as to Our said General Officers and all others concerned a sufficient warrant.

Given at Our Court at Buckingham Palace, this Twenty-fifth day of February One thousand eight hundred and fifty-six, in the Nineteenth Year of Our reign.

By Her Majesty's command,
(Signed) PANMURE.

To the Judge Advocate General or his Deputy."

The Judge Advocate General stated, that since the issue of the original Warrant Lord Seaton had stated his inability, on the ground of ill health, to take his seat at the Board as President thereof, and that consequently another Royal Warrant had been issued by Her Majesty to Sir Alexander Woodford to occupy the place of Lord Seaton.

The same was read as follows:

"VICTORIA R.

Whereas We did by a Warrant under Our Royal Sign Manual, bearing date at Our Court at Buckingham Palace the Twenty-fifth day of February One thousand eight hundred and fifty-six, in the Nineteenth Year of Our Reign, and countersigned by one of Our Principal Secretaries of State, nominate and appoint the several Officers therein named to be a Board, which is to be convened at the Royal Hospital, Chelsea, and to consider such matters as may be submitted to it and as are set forth in Our said Warrant: And whereas Our right trusty and well-beloved John Baron Seaton, General of Our Forces, Knight Grand Cross of the most Honourable Order of the Bath, and Knight Grand Cross of the most distinguished Order of Saint Michael and Saint George, appointed to be a Member and President of the said Board, which We have deemed it expedient to supply: Now know you, that We have thought fit to nominate and appoint and do by these presents nominate and appoint Our trusty and well-beloved Sir Alexander Woodford, General of Our Forces, Knight Grand Cross of the most Honourable Order of the Bath, and Knight Grand Cross of the most distinguished Order of Saint Michael and Saint George, to be a Member of said Board, and also to be President thereof, in the room of the said John Baron Seaton.

Given at Our Court at Windsor, this Thirty-first day of March One thousand eight hundred and fifty-six, in the Nineteenth Year of Our Reign.

By Her Majesty's command,
(Signed) PANMURE.

To the Judge Advocate General
of Our Forces, or his Deputy."

The Judge Advocate General further stated, that it had been communicated to the Commander-in-Chief that Sir Thomas M'Mahon would be also unable, from the state of his health, to attend the Board, and that therefore another Royal Order had been issued appointing Sir George Berkely in his stead.

The same was read as follows:

"VICTORIA R.

Whereas We did by a Warrant under Our Royal Sign Manual, bearing date at Our Court at Buckingham Palace the Twenty-fifth day of February One thousand eight hundred and fifty-six, in the Nineteenth Year of Our Reign, and countersigned by one of Our Principal Secretaries of State, nominate and appoint the several officers therein named to be a Board, which is to be convened at the Royal Hospital, Chelsea, and to consider such maters as may be submitted to it and as are set forth in Our said Warrant: And whereas Our trusty and well-beloved Sir Thomas M'Mahon, Baronet, General of Our Forces, Knight Commander of the most Honourable Order of the Bath, appointed by Us to be a Member of the said Board, hath since obtained Our permission to ...

[Page 3 of the Proceedings]

... resign his seat at the Board, and a vacancy hath thus happened therein, which We have deemed it expedient to supply: Now know ye, that We have thought fit to nominate and appoint, and do by these presents nominate and appoint, Our trusty and well-beloved Sir George Henry Frederick Berkely, General of Our Forces, Knight Commander of the most Honourable Order of the Bath, to be a Member of the said Board, in the room of Sir Thomas M'Mahon.

Given at Our Court at Buckingham Palace, the Seventeenth day of March One thousand eight hundred and fifty-six, in the Nineteenth Year of Our reign.

By Her Majesty's command,
(Signed) PANMURE.

To the Judge Advocate General
of Our Forces, or his Deputy."

The Judge Advocate General further stated, that subsequently to receiving the Royal Warrant appointing the Board, and stating the purposes for which they were to meet, a letter, giving further directions as to the proceedings of the Board, had been addressed, by the Secretary of State for the War Department, to the Commander-in-Chief, from whom he had received it.

The same was read as follows:

"War Department, 28th February 1856.

My Lord,

I AM to signify to your Lordship that the Queen has been pleased to appoint a Board of General Officers, which should be convened as soon as possible, for the purpose of taking into consideration so much of the Reports on the supplies to the British army in the Crimea, lately presented by Her Majesty's commands to both Houses of Parliament, as animadverts upon the conduct of certain officers upon Her Majesty's General Staff and in Her Majesty's army.

It is considered that such a Board will best bring before the Queen the explanations which these officers are desirous to make of their conduct as affected by the said Reports, and ultimately lead to a just judgment thereon.

I am further to state to your Lordship the importance of giving to this inquiry every degree of solemnity and publicity which usage and precedent have in like cases admitted of, and that the Judge Advocate General be specially instructed to convey to the Board Her Majesty's commands, not only to report an opinion upon the matters referred to them, but also to submit to Her Majesty what it may be in their judgment best to be done thereon.

Your Lordship will be pleased to receive her Majesty's pleasure with respect to the proper measures for carrying these Her Majesty's commands into execution.

I have the honour, &c.
PANMURE.

Field-Marshall Viscount Hardinge, G.C.G.
&c. &c. &c."

The President asked whether the Judge Advocate General was able to furnish the Board with the names of the officers referred to in the Warrant as having been animadverted upon in the Reports of the Commissioners, and who had demanded an inquiry.

The Judge Advocate General stated, that after receiving the Royal Warrant he made application to the Commander-in-Chief for the purpose of ascertaining who the officers were referred to in the Warrant, whose conduct had been animadverted upon in the Report of the Crimean Commissioners, and who had complained thereof, and that in reply, on the Fifteenth of March, he received the following letter from General Yorke:-

"Horse Guards, 15th March 1856.

Sir,

HAVING submitted to the Field-Marshal Commanding-in-Chief your letter of this date, requesting to be officially informed of the names of the officers referred to in the Royal Warrant of the 25th ultimo, whose conduct has been animadverted upon in the Reports of Sir John M'Neill and Colonel Tulloch, and the evidence taken before those Commissioners, and who have in consequence demanded a full inquiry into their conduct, I am directed to acquaint you that the names of the officers referred to are -

• Major-General the Earl of Lucan, K.C.B.
• " " the Earl of Cardigan, K.C.B.
• " " Sir Richard Airey, K.C.B., Quartermaster General.
• Colonel the Honourable Alexander Gordon, C.B. (Grenadier Guards), Deputy Quartermaster General.

I have the honour to be, Sir,
Your most obedient Servant,
(Signed) C. YORKE.

The Right Hon. C.P. Villiers, M.P.
&c. &c. &c."

The President requested the Judge Advocate General to read the rules to which the Board had agreed for the conduct of their proceedings.

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The same were read as follows:

"RULES for the Conduct of the Proceedings before the Board of General Officers appointed by the Royal Warrant, dated 25th February 1856.

1. - The proceedings of this Board will be conducted as nearly as possible in accordance with the practice of ordinary Military Courts of Enquiry.
2. - Evidence may be given before the Board either in form of written statements, to be read out to the Board by the parties tendering such statements, or by the oral examination of witnesses, conducted as nearly as possible in accordance with the ordinary military practice.
3. - This Board is not empowered to examine witnesses on oath.
4. - Every military witness will be informed that he is at liberty to decline making any statement which may form the subject of a charge against him before a Court-Martial, and that any statement which he may make after being so cautioned will be admissible in evidence against him.
5. - The cases of the several parties who are considered to have a right to appear before the Board will be taken separately."

The Judge Advocate General further stated, that the officers whose names were mentioned in the letter of General Yorke had not yet been summoned; but that he believed that notice could be given to every person interested in the inquiry before Monday next.

The Judge Advocate General was informed by the President that the Board desired to have laid before them copies of the evidence taken before the Committee of the House of Commons of last Session upon the State of the Army before Sebastopol, and of the Report of the Committee; and of all other papers which had been laid before Parliament relating to the subject of this inquiry.

Also that the parties to whom notice was to be sent were the officers named in the letter of General Yorke as having demanded an inquiry into their conduct.

Also that the Board proposed to take the cases of the several officers in the order of their military rank, beginning with the Earl of Lucan, to whom notice was to be sent that the Board would proceed with his case on Monday next.

Also that the names and addresses of the witnesses proposed to be called were to be sent by the several parties to the Judge Advocate General, by whose direction summonses were to be issued for their attendance.

And further, that notice was to be given of these proceedings to Sir John M'Neill and Colonel Tulloch.

Adjourned to Monday next, at Eleven o'clock.