436 ANNUAL REGISTER, 1805. 



23d. The trial of vicc-adrnliral sir 

 Eobert Caldcr, for not bringing the 

 French fleet to action a second time 

 oft'Ferrol,* commenced on board tlic 

 Prince of Wales this day at Ports- 

 mouth. The evidence for the pro- 

 secution occupied the court only one 

 day. The witnesses examined in 

 support of the charges were admiral 

 Stirling, captains Martin, Durham, 

 and Inman, aud Mr, Craddock, 

 master of the Glory, 



Vice-admiral sir George Monta- 

 gue, president of tlie court, called 

 upon sir Robert Caider for his de- 

 fence; and the poitits which he in- 

 sisted on for not renewing the en- 

 gagement were, that the enemy's 

 force was superior to his, and at a 

 considerable distance, with^a, heavy 

 swell on that day — tliat his fleet was 

 not fully prepared for a fresh action 

 — that he had oidy 14 sail of the 

 line, without frigates, and the enemy 

 IS sail, with frigates — that if he had 

 attempted to engage the enemy, the 

 Windsor Castle (crippled ship), and 

 two Spanish prizes, might have been 

 exposed, and perhaps taken. But, 

 above all, the admiral had appre- 

 hensions, that while pursuing the 

 combined tl»et, the Ferrol or 

 Rochefort squadron might appear, 

 aud his fleet become an easy prey to 

 the united force of the enemy. Un- 

 der all these circumstances, he judg- 

 ed it most prudent, and for the 

 good of the country, not to attempt 

 to engage the combined fleet on the 

 23d and 24th of July last. 



On Thursday the 26th, Mr. 

 Greetham, the judge advocate, read 

 the sentence of the court, to the fol- 

 lowing eflect : 



" In consequence of the letter of 

 admiral sir Robert Caider to the 

 lords of the admiralty requesting 

 an inTestigation of his conduct on 



the 23d and 24.th of July lasf, 

 after the action with the French and 

 Spanish fleets, and while in sight of 

 the enemy ; and in consequence of 

 the instructions thereupon directed 

 to admiral INIonbigue, to hold a 

 court martial, for the purpose of in. 

 quiring into the conduct of the said 

 admiral sir Robert Caider on the 

 said days, and to try him for not 

 having done his utmost to take oir 

 destroy every ship of the enemy 

 which it was his duty to engage: 

 This court has entered upon the said 

 enquiry; and, after duly consider- 

 ing the conduct of the said admiral 

 sir Robert Caider, and hearing aud 

 deliberating fully upon all the evi- 

 dence laid before us respecting the 

 same on the days aforesaid ; we are 

 of opinion that the charges against 

 the conduct of the said admiral sir 

 Robert Caider, on the above days, 

 in presence of the enemy, in not 

 having done his utmost to take and 

 destroy every ship of the enemy, 

 Mhich it was his duty to engage, 

 are fully proved. The court are of 

 opinion, that such conduct on the 

 part of admiral sir Robert Caldcr, 

 was not the result of cowardice or 

 disaffection, but of error in judg- 

 ment, for which he deserves to be 

 severely reprimanded — and he is 

 hereby severely reprimanded accord- 

 ingly." 



Upon the sentence being pro- 

 nounced, sir Robert Caider appear- 

 ed deeply affected — he turned 

 round, and retired without a word. 

 He was accompanied by a great 

 number of friends, and, on descend- 

 ing from the deck of the Prince of 

 Wales into his barge, scarcely lift, 

 ed up his head, which was apparent- 

 ly bowed down by the weight of the 

 sentence pronounced upon him. He 

 is in his sixtieth year ; forty-six 



of 



* For an account of this action, vide Appendix. 



