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Tuesday, February 14, 2023

A court-martial at The Horse Guards (Rex v. Lieut.-Gen. James Murray, 1782-83; Sir Charles Gould, presiding)

Wikipedia Commons reports:

The court-martial on Lieut.-General James Murray (Nov.- Jan. 1782-3) on charges brought against him by his second-in-command, Lieut.-General Sir William Draper, for conduct in Minorca, before, during, and after the siege. A number of officers seated on both sides of a large table; at the head, and facing the spectators, is the Judge-Advocate-General who presided at the trial, Sir Charles Gould; above his head is drawn a pair of evenly balanced scales, inscribed "Sterling". He looks towards a witness (right) who is speaking. On the right behind a barrier and raised above the level of the Court are Murray, who clutches the barrier with an anxious expression, and two counsel (?), Draper and four witnesses or spectators; a partition divides Murray and his counsel from the others. Above Murray's head is inscribed "Matrimony". Draper wearing his ribbon and star (he was made K.B. in 1764) stands with both hands on the barrier with a composed expression. On his right is a lean and ugly man speaking and gesticulating. All the men seated at the table are in uniform except Gould. On Gould's right is an officer wearing a ribbon, evidently General Sir George Howard, K.B., the senior officer there. On Howard's right and on the left side of the table sit two officers looking at a map, one wearing glasses is inscribed "Yankee Doodle"; he is probably Lieut.-General Thomas Gage, ex-Governor of Massachusetts. The two officers on the left of the table lean against each other, asleep, and are inscribed "Capacity". Six officers on the right of the table are in attitudes varying from sound sleep, head and arms on table, to rapt attention. Over one sleeper is inscribed "Amen!!!", over another is a hand with a pointing finger and the word "Attention". On the left of the Court, behind a barrier, two men write at a raised desk, one perhaps Gurney, the famous shorthand writer who transcribed the proceedings. Papers, pens, and inkstands are scattered on the table. Beneath the title is engraved "Humbly dedicated to the Due de Crillon". 5 December 1782

A version in color may be found here.

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