Page:Royal Naval Biography Marshall v3p2.djvu/47

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captains of 1828.

exertions of the other British ships;” and that, “although less injured than the Asia, the Albion, la Syrene, or the Azof, she was the last ship of the combined fleet ready to leave Navarin, even after having had a whole watch of the Glasgow frigate to assist her. It did not appear to me,” continues the Vice-Admiral, “that any benefit would be derived to the service from my publicly reporting at the time this inferiority of conduct evinced in the Genoa after she fell under the command of Captain Dickinson, more particularly as I had had the pleasure of expressing my marked approbation of the manner in which that ship had taken up her station under Captain Bathurst.”

“The public investigation which took place in consequence of the above allegations commenced on the 26th Aug. and did not terminate until Sept. 17th, 1829, when the Judge Advocate pronounced as follows:–

“The Court are of opinion, that the charges have not been proved against Captain Richard Dickinson.

“That the charge stating that the account of the battle given in the Genoa’s log-book, ‘erroneously implies that the Genoa had three Ottoman ships of the line opposed to her on the starboard side, three 60-gun frigates on her larboard side and a-head, and a double-banked frigate astern,’ is frivolous and groundless.

“That the return made by Captain Dickinson, ‘that Captain Bathurst was killed in action, knowing that he did not die until many hours after the battle was over,’ was made without the slightest appearance of any improper motive.

“That the charge, stating, ‘that the Genoa continued firing after the battle was over, at the risk, and to the probable injury of the allied ships, until hailed from the Asia to cease,’ is vexatious.

“That ‘the letter presented by Captain Dickinson to Sir Edward Codrington, purporting to come from the crew of the Genoa, and desiring that Vice-Admiral Sir Edward Codrington would appoint him in preference to any other officer to succeed Captain Bathurst, as Captain of the Genoa,’ appears to be a petition which was presented without any improper motive being imputable to Captain Dickinson; but in presenting which he was guilty of an impropriety for which he has already received the reproof of his commander-in-chief. And the Court doth adjudge the said Captain Richard Dickinson to be Honorably Acquitted, and he is hereby honorably acquitted accordingly.

On the 30th of April, 1830, Captain Dickinson was ap-