To George Murray

Sir,¹

I have been just informed that the fate of the individuals who signed the letter forwarded to you on the 9th ult.² has been settled – that they have received the final decision of Colonel Colby, which amounts to a confirmation of his original order for their discharge.

I am one of those affected by this decision. I am dismissed on the charge of ‘disobedience of orders in not signing Captain Tucker’s order³ and being concerned in a combination to force more pay to be given’. To the former part of this charge I plead ‘guilty’. I declined signing Captain Tucker’s order because I considered that by signing it I would injure my future prospects in the Survey. I am quite aware that disobedience of orders, taken in an abstract point of view, is a serious crime: but were the circumstances attending the appearance of the order in question taken into account much would be found to ameliorate even this. I laid before you my reasons for acting as I did, hoping that those reasons would be my justification. With respect to the latter part of the charge, namely being concerned in a combination to force more pay to be given, I, Sir, in the name of my fellow sufferers most solemnly declare that our combination extended no further than a common consent to lay before you, as our highest officer, a plain and truthful statement of our condition; and that whatever may be the grounds for supposing the existence of such a combination, the conclusions drawn from them are completely at variance with the motives by which we were actuated.

I leave London on Friday morning. Should you, Sir, in the mean time think proper to honour me with any communication, the address stated outside will find me. My address afterwards shall be: –

Leighlin Bridge, | Ireland.

I am, Sir, | Your most obedient humble Servant, | John Tyndall

RI MS JT/1/TYP/10/3906

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