Page images
PDF
EPUB

commanding officer of the said regiment, duly recorded and announced.
Baton Rouge, in the State of Louisiana.”

To which charges and specifications the accused pleaded as follows:
To the 1st specification to 1st charge-"Guilty."

To the 2d specification to 1st charge-" Not Guilty."

To the 1st charge-" Guilty."

To the 2d charge and specification--" Guilty."

To the 3d charge and specification---“ Guilty.”

This at

The Court, after mature deliberation on the evidence adduced, finds the accused as follows:

Of the 1st specification to the 1st charge--" Guilty."

Of the 2d specification to the 1st charge--" Guilty."

Of the 1st charge-" Guilty."

Of the specification to the 2d charge--" Guilty."

Of the 2d charge--" Guilty."

Of the specification to the 3d charge-" Guilty."

Of the 3d charge--" Guilty."

And does therefore sentence him, 2d Lieutenant Emil Peterson, Company B, 3d Regiment Louisiana Native Guards, "to be cashiered."

2. Captain H. B. Brown, 161st Regiment New York Volunteers.

CHARGE 1st "Desertion."

This

SPECIFICATION--" In this, that said Captain H. B. Brown, Company B, 161st Regiment New York Volunteers, did desert the service of the United States. at camp near Baton Rouge, La., on or about the 14th day of March, 1863."

CHARGE 2d- Violation of the 39th Article of War."

SPECIFICATION---“ "In this, that said Captain H. B. Brown, Company B, 161st Regiment New York Volunteers, did misapply money entrusted to him by men in his company and officers belonging to the 161st Regiment New York Volunteers."

CHARGE 3d- Violation of the 52d Article of War."

SPECIFICATION--"In this, that said Captain II. B. Brown. Company B. 161st Regiment New York Volunteers, did, whilst absent without leave in New Orleans, knowing that his regiment was under marching orders, represent to 1st Lieutenant George R. White, Company B, 161st Regiment New York Volunteers, that there was going to be a battle in a few days, and that he, Captain H. B. Brown, was not going to be with his regiment, and tried to induce Lieutenant White to neglect his duty by staying in New Orleans until the battle was over. This at New Orleans, La., on or about the 10th day of March, 1863."

CHARGE 4th-- Violation of the 77th Arlicie of War."

SPECIFICATION--"In this, that said Captain H. B. Brown, Company B. 151st Regiment New York Volunteers, did, at different times, leave his tent whilst he was

under arrest, and that the said Captain H. B. Brown, Company B, 161st Regiment New York Volunteers, did, in a clandestine manner, enter the quarters of his commanding officer, and take his sword and carry it away with him. This at camp near Baton Rouge, La., on or about the 14th day of March, 1863."

To which charges and specifications the accused pleaded “Not Guilty.”

The Court, after mature deliberation on the evidence adduced, finds the accused as follows:

Of the specification of 1st charge--"Guilty," substituting for the term "desert the service of the United States," the term "absent himself without leave."

Of 1st charge" Not Guilty," but "Guilty of absence without leave.”

Of the specification, 2d charge-Thrown out on account of not specifying any Of the 2d chargetime or date.

Of the specification, 3d charge--" Guilty."

Of the 3d charge-" Guilty."

Of the specification, 4th charge“ Guilty.”

Of the 4th charge-" Guilty."

And does therefore sentence him "to be cashiered and confined at Tortugas for a period of two (2) years and four (4) months."

III. Before a General Court Martial, convened at Pensacola, Florida, pursuant to General Orders No. 8, of February 3d, 1863, from the Headquarters, District of Pensacola, and of which Colonel W. C. HOLBROOK, 7th Regiment Vermont Volunteers, is President, was arraigned and tried :

I. Captain Lawrens J. Joyce, 15th Regiment Maine Volunteers.

CHARGE 1st--" Violation of the 14th and 15th Articles of War."

SPECIFICATION"In this, that the said L. J. Joyce, Captain, 15th Regiment Maine Volunteers, did fraudulently enter, or cause to be entered, upon the muster and pay rolls of Company F, 15th Regiment Maine Volunteers, the name of Thomas F. Coffin as a member of said company and regiment, and did certify said Thomas F. Coffin to have been enlisted at Brunswick, Maine, December 12th, 1861, by said L. J. Joyce, Captain, 15th Regiment Maine Volunteers, and to have been mustered by Captain B. B. Murry, 15th Regiment Maine Volunteers, July 12, 1862, at Camp Parapet, near Carrollton, La., and did issue to and draw rations for said Thomas F. Coffin, knowing the said certificate and said mustering in to have been false. All this at Camp Parapet, near Carrollton, La., on or about the 31st of August, 1862, and at Pensacola, Fla., on or about the 31st of October, 1862."

CHARGE 2d-" Violation of the 39th Article of War."

SPECIFICATION" In this, that the said L. J. Joyce, Captain in the 15th Regiment Maine Volunteers, did fraudulently enter or sign the name of Enoch Coburn, a private in Company F, 15th Regiment Maine Volunteers, on the pay-roll of Company

F, of date of the 31st of December, 1861, and did receive from Major Usher, the Paymaster of the United States Army, the amount of money due the said Enoch Coburn, a private of the company and regiment aforesaid, being at the said time absent from his regiment, sick at his home in Brunswick, Maine, and though often requested, said L. J. Joyce, Captain, 15th Regiment Maine Volunteers, has neglected and refused to pay said Enoch Coburn, of company and regiment as aforesaid, the amount of money thus fraudulently received. All this at Camp Arostook, Augusta, Maine, on or about the 17th day of December, 1862."

CHARGE 3d--" Conduct unbecoming an Officer and a Gentleman."

SPECIFICATION 1st--" In this, that Captain L. J. Joyce, of Company F, 15th Regiment Maine Volunteers, did take and receive from Patrick Kelly, private of Company F, 15th Regiment Maine Volunteers, the sum of two and one-half (23) dollars said sum being a bribe for not reporting said Patrick Kelly, of company and regi. ment aforesaid, who had been absent from his quarters without leave. All this at Camp Parapet, near Carrollton, La., on or about the 1st day of September, 1862."

SPECIFICATION 2d---" In this, that the said Captain L. J. Joyce, of Company F, 15th Regiment Maine Volunteers, did take and receive from Eugene McCarty, a private in said company and regiment, the sum of one (1) dollar, the said sum being taken as a bribe for not reporting said McCarty, of company and regiment aforesaid, who had been absent from his quarters without leave. All this at Camp Parapet, near Carrollton, La., on or about September 1st, 1862."

SPECIFICATION 3d—“ In this, that the said L. J. Joyce, Captain, Company F, 15th Regiment Maine Volunteers, did fraudulently enter, or cause to be entered, on the allotment rolls of Company F, 15th Regiment Maine Volunteers, the name of William McCarteny, private in said company, without his (McCarteny's) consent or knowledge, thus transferring one (1) dollar per month from the pay of said McCarteny's monthly pay to a minor son of said Joyce. All this at Brunswick, Maine, on or about the 26th of February, 1862."

To all of which charges and specifications the accused pleaded "Not Guilty." The Court, after mature deliberation on the evidence adduced, finds the accused as follows:

Of the specification to the 1st charge--" Guilty."

Of the 1st charge-" Guilty."

Of the specification to the 2d charge--" Not Guilty.
Of the 2d charge-"Not Guilty."

Of the 1st specification to the 3d charge--" Guilty."
Of the 2d specification to the 3d charge--" Guilty."
Of the 3d specification to the 3d charge-" Guilty."

Of the 3d charge-" Guilty."

And does thereforo sentence him, Captain Lawrence J. Joyce, 15th Regiment Maine Volunteers," to be dismissed the service of the United States, and his pay stopped from the 28th January, 1863."

1

IV. Before a General Court Martial, convened at Opelousas, La., pursuant to General Orders No. 50, of May 2d, 1863, from the Headquarters, 3d Division, 19th Army Corps, and of which Colonel J. W. KIMBALL, 53d Regiment Massachusetts Volunteers, is President, were arraigned and tried :

1. 1st Lieutenant W. H. H. Smith, 2d Rhode Island Cavalry.

CHARGE" Conduct to the prejudice of Good Order and Military Discipline." SPECIFICATION- "In this, that he, W. H. H. Smith, 1st Lieutenant 2d Rhode Island Cavalry, being placed upon picket, deserted his post, and was absent five hours. This at Opelousas, La, April 27, 1863.”

To which the accused pleaded as follows:

To the specification-" Guilty."

To the charge-"Not Guilty."

The Court, after mature deliberation, finds the accused as follows:

Of the specification--" Guilty."

Of the charge--" Guilty.”

And does therefore sentence him, 1st Lieutenant W. H. H. Smith, 2d Rhode Island Cavalry, "to be dismissed from the service of the United States."

2. Captain Ross Deegan, 162d Regiment New York Volunteers.

CHARGE 1st-" Conduct to the prejudice of Good Order and Military Discipline." SPECIFICATION 1st--" In this, that he, the said Captain Ross Deegan, 162d Regiment New York Volunteers, refused to sign his name to an order issued by Lieutenant Colonel Blanchard of said regiment, it being required that company commandants should sign all orders issued by the regimental commanders, as evidence that they had seen and read them. This at Bayou Monteseno, La., March 19, 1863."

SPECIFICATION 2d-" In this, that the said Captain Ross Deegan has caused a document to be gotten up and circulated in the 162d Regiment New York Volunteers, (and to which document he, the said Captain Deegan, had subscribed his name,) the object of which document is the removal of the said Lieutenant Colonel Blanchard from office, and that in said document contempt for the said Lieutenant Colonel Blanchard is expressed; and that furthermore, by means of the said document, the said Captain Ross Deegan has created a party of which he is the acknowledged leader, and that the existence of said party is destructive to the discipline and effectiveness of the said 162d Regiment. This at Baton Rouge, March 25, 1863."

SPECIFICATION 3d-"In this, that he, the said Captain Ross Deegan, being asked by Lieutenant Colonel Blanchard if his company were provided with four days cooked rations, replied in a very impudent manner that he did not know,' and that the said Lieutenant Colonel Blanchard asked him, the said Captain Ross Deegan, Company A, 162d Regiment New York Volunteers, again, if his company had four days cooked rations with them, to which question he (the said Captain Deegan)

again replied that he did not know, and that verbal orders from Colonel Ingraham to the effect that the men should carry two days cooked rations in their haversacks and two days cooked rations in their knapsacks had been communicated to him, the said Captain Ross Deegan, Company A, 162d Regiment New York State Volunteers, and also to other company commandants, and that in consequence of the said Captain Ross Deegan's refusing to answer the said Lieutenant Colonel Blanchard's question, the said Lieutenant Colonel Blanchard was obliged to inquire of the enlisted men of Captain Deegan's company, in order to discover if they had the required number of rations or not. This at Baton Rouge, March 13, 1863."

SPECIFICATION 4th-" In this, that the said Captain Ross Deegan, Company A, 162d Regiment New York Volunteers, having drawn from the commissary of his regiment five days cooked rations for the use of the enlisted men of his company, did dispose of, or else d'd suffer the aforesaid enlisted men of his company (A) to consume the entire number of rations, drawn for the said period of five days, within the space of forty-eight hours, or thereabouts, thereby exhibiting a lack of care for the good condition and weifare of the enlisted men under his command. This at Baton Rouge, La., March 13, 1863."

SPECIFICATION 5th--" In this, that he, the said Captain Ross Deegan, Company A, 162d Regiment New York State Volunteers, being on picket duty with his company, did shamefully and grossly neglect the duties devolving upon him (the said Captain Ross Deegan) as the officer of the picket guard, and allowed his men to perform their duty in a lax, regardless manner, and even allowed them to take off their equipments while on post, and that he (the said Captain Ross Deegan) exerted no vigilance whatever, thereby endangering the safety of the camps which were in and about Baton Rouge. This on the march to Port Hudson, on or about March 13, 1863."

Supplementary Specification to Charge 1st--" In this, that he, the said Captain Ross Deegan, 162d Regiment New York Volunteers, on the evening of April 1st 1863, did play at cards with an enlisted man of said 162d Regiment New York State Volunteers, while on board the steamboat St. Maurice, on her passage from Baton Rouge to Algiers, La."

Supplementary Charge and Specification--

CHARGE--" Breaking his Arrest."

SPECIFICATION" In this, that he, the said Captain Ross Deegan, Company A. 162d Regiment New York Volunteers, being under arrest, did absent himself from camp without permission, and remain so absent for four hours and upward. This at Barre's Landing, La., April 26, 1863."

To which charges and specifications the accused pleaded as follows:

To specification 1st, charge 1st-" Guilty."

To specification 2d, charge 1st--"Not Guilty."

« PreviousContinue »