place in
Liverpool, I will briefly give the particulars of another affair, which
happened in the same year (July, 1804), which gave the gossips and _quid
nuncs_ of the town ample food for conversation. This was the
court-martial on Captain Carmichael, the Adjutant of Colonel Earle's
regiment of Fusiliers, and formerly adjutant of Colonel Bolton's regiment
of "Royal Liverpool Volunteers." He was charged with "disobedience of
orders, and with addressing Colonel Earle in abusive and scandalous
language respecting the officers of the regiment." The court-martial was
held by virtue of a warrant from His Royal Highness Prince William
Frederick of Gloucester, the General commanding the district. The
president was Colonel Bolton; the judge-advocate, Fletcher Raincock,
Esq., barrister-at-law.

It appeared that on the 12th of June the Fusiliers were drilling on
Copperas-hill (fancy _our_ Volunteers drilling on Copperas-hill!), at the
manual and platoon exercise, when they were commanded to "order arms" and
"stand at ease" by the Colonel; his intention being to keep the regiment
for the remainder of the morning at firelock exercise. Something was
said of a private nature by Colonel Earle to the Adjutant Carmichael,
who, instead of replying, took no notice of the observation. He
subsequently spoke to the Colonel in an insulting and impertinent manner,
treating him at the same time with marked indignity--calling out, loud
enough for the men to hear, "that he insisted upon the officers being
called together to inquire into his conduct, for such things were said of
him as he could not bear." On being told that that was not the time nor
place to bring charges against the officers, and that he should put down
in writing what he had to say, and he would then be attended to, he did
not seem satisfied, but continued to demand the calling of the officers
together. Colonel Earle told him to go on with his duty. Captain
Carmichael still took no notice of these orders; but said his feelings
were "worked up to a fiddle-string." Still disobeying Colonel Earle's
commands, he was told "to go home if he could not do his duty." He was
then heard to say that the officers, or some of the officers, were "a set
of blacklegs." For this offence Captain Carmichael was tried. He denied
at first the right of the court to sit in judgment upon him, and raised
three objections, two of which were read, and the third was stopped in
the middle, being