Its Your History

An exctract from the Naval Chronicle, September 28th 1803: Portsmouth Report; Yesterday morning, at 10 o' clock, the Royal Marines were drawn up in the Court of the Barracks to hear the sentence and attend the punishment of Searjeant Schmitt, of that corps, for desertion and embezzling money with which he had been entrusted as Pay Serjeant. The proceedings of the court were read by Lieutenant and Adjutant Varlo. The charge being proved, the prisoner was sentenced for the desertion, to be reduced to the ranks and receive 500 lashes; for the embezzelment of the money (which was stated to be sixty-seven pounds, eighteen shillings and four and a half pence) to have all sums due to him for pay etc. applied to the repayment and tro have his future pay stopped, to an ammount not exceeding a half, till the whole deficiency be made good. The approbation of the sentence and the order to carry it into execution by the Lords of the Admiralty was then read. The Prisoner, when he was brought out to hear his sentence and while it was reading, carried himself with a firm but modest air. Before he had received 100 lashes, his body began to writhe excessively, though his countenance was little moved. After that he moaned and complained at intervals with a low and evidently smothered voice. Once or twice he said, "I cannot bear it". He appeared to be of a delicate habit. When he had received 300 lashes, the surgeon took his pulse, after which he received 50 more, and was then taken down. Many similar Naval History articles can be found in The Portsmouth Telegraph, or Naval and Military Journal in the Naval History section.

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