Brief as the proceedings of such a tribunal always are, ours were necessarily unusually so: a forward movement was at that moment being made by the French cavalry, and we were pressed for time. The following is a literal transcript of the short and singular document indicted by Lascelles on that occasion: it is still in my possession:—
"Proceedings of a drum-head court-martial, held on PIETRO NAVARRO, late of the Sicilian Engineers, by order of Captain DUNDAS, 62d Regiment, Commandant of the Castle of Scylla.
"The court being duly sworn, and having weighed and considered the evidence against the prisoner and his defence, are of opinion that he, Pietro Navarro, is guilty of the following charges:—
"_First_, Of assassinating Marco di Castelermo, a Knight Commander of Malta, and Captain of the Free Corps.
"_Third_, Conspiring with rebels to destroy the Villa D’Alfieri.
"_Fourth_, Poisoning the well of H. M. Castle of Scylla, and thereby endangering the lives of the garrison.
"_Sentence_, To be shot or hanged, as the Commandant shall direct.
"MEMBERS. "PAT. GASCOIGNE, Capt. 62d Regt. Pres. "O. LASCELLES, Lieut. 62d Regt. "PELHAM VILLIERS, Lieut. 62d Regt. "CONTE D’ARENA, Lieut. Free Corps. "CONTE DI PALMA, Lieut. Free Corps. "Scylla, Feb. 1808."
To this I affixed my signature, with the fatal words "_confirmed—to be shot_." Navarro grew pale as death when I laid down the pen; and as I gave the command, forming the close column into a hollow square by marching it to the front and wheeling the subdivisions of the central companies outward, he seemed to receive an electric shock. He moved mechanically to the front; when I desired Lascelles, who acted as our adjutant, to read the brief proceedings. So flagrant were his crimes that to have yielded him one privilege as an officer, was not even to be thought of, and he was treated in every respect as a private soldier.
Oliver read the proceedings and sentence first in English, and then in Italian; Navarro listened with dogged silence, knowing well that entreaties were useless if made to the stern military tribunal before which he found himself so suddenly arraigned. His lip quivered, and his brow blanched, when the last words "to be shot," fell upon his ear, and he gave me a dull inquiring stare, as I folded the paper and thrust it into my sabretache.