CAPTAIN DUNCOMBE, referring to a statement in The Times of Saturday last with respect to a murderous outrage said to have been committed on one of the boats', crew of Her Majesty's ship Cossack, at Hango, while engaged in landing Russian 2150 prisoners under a flag of truce, inquired of the First Lord of the Admiralty whether he could state to the House the facts of the case, or lay upon the table any despatches received upon the subject?
§ SIR CHARLES WOODI am exceedingly sorry to say that the statement to which my hon. and gallant Friend alludes is only too true, I will state to the House what I believe did actually occur; and, in order that the fullest information may be laid before the public with reference to the subject, I will lay upon the table the despatches received this morning from Admiral Dundas, containing the full particulars of the transaction in question. It appears that some short time ago Her Majesty's ship Cossack took and destroyed some coasting vessels off Hango, and three persons were carried off as prisoners—namely, the captain of one of the vessels, his son, and another Finnish sailor. Admiral Dundas, anxious not to visit with any unnecessary severity the trade of the country, so long as the communications and supplies between the Gulf of Finland and St. Petersburg were interrupted, directed that the Cossack should put back to Hango and restore to liberty the persons so captured, and also four other prisoners, who had requested that they might be put ashore at the same place. The Cossack accordingly returned to Hango for that purpose, and, anchoring a short distance from the place, sent the cutter in under the command of Lieutenant Geneste with the seven Russian prisoners and an ordinary boat's crew. A flag of truce was displayed at least half an hour before they reached the jetty. Nobody, however, was seen but a single man, who ran away. The officers and prisoners landed, and put upon the jetty the baggage of the prisoners, the men remaining in the boat; when a body of Russian soldiers, thought to be 300 or 400 strong, came down to the jetty; upon which the British officer waved the flag of truce, and explained why they had come on shore; the Finnish captain also took the flag of truce from the lieutenant, and tried to explain both in English and Finnish the purpose for which the boat had come on shore. The officer in command of the Russians not only understood English, but spoke it, stating that they did not care for the flag of truce, they would show how the Russians could fight; whereupon some hundred Russian soldiers immediately Sired on the officer and the Finnish prisoners on the jetty, killing them all, and then 2151 fired into the boat until every man fell. They then rushed into the boat, threw some bodies overboard, dragged one wounded man out, and bayoneted him on the jetty, and retired, leaving five bodies for dead in the boat. The boat not returning, later in the day the gig was sent, but could only ascertain from a distance that the cutter was moored by the side of the jetty, with some dead bodies in it. In the night one man—a black man—who was wounded by two balls, one in the arm and the other in the shoulder, contrived to cut the fastenings of the cutter and scull her from the jetty; and, in the meantime, the Cossack, which was standing in, in order to ascertain what had become of the crew of the boat, and to claim the men, supposing them to have been taken prisoners, picked up the single survivor upon whose statement the truth of the circumstances which I have detailed to the House must necessarily rest, he being the only one of the boat's crew left to relate it.
MR. HEADLAMinquired whether any British officer had availed himself of the protection of a flag of truce for the purpose of taking soundings, at Kertch or elsewhere?
§ SIR CHARLES WOODSo far as any report has been received at the Admiralty, I believe any such statement to be utterly untrue.
§ The Despatches from Admiral Dundas on the subject were then laid on the table.