The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1812-02-29

2urr, Geuerat Wilkinson underworld to en-
gage the Governor Of Indiana, in q plan to
cause him to be elected delegate for that
territory and the manner of doing this
implies an apprehension, that Mr.. Burr
would do some desperate act if he failed.
The expressions are, "I will demand from
your friendship a boon, in its Influence * eff
fects co-extensive with the Union !; Il boon,
perhaps. On which that Union may much
depend"
1t is in evidence before this court, that in
the month of October, 1895, subsequent to
this last and Intellectual effort to serve & olo-
mel Burr, but twelve months before any dis
e@ery was made by any other person, Gen
eral Wilkinson communicated to one OF the
heads Of department, his suspicious that
Mr.. Burr was about something, whether
internal. or external he could not discover,
but he thought he ought to keep an eye up
sn him." These facts seem to be irrccon-
sileable with any views hostile to the peace,
order, and tranquility of these u. $.
Respecting the sth charge, it ought to be.
remembered, that General Wilkinson was,
by the order of government, at the head Of
an avowed expedition against the Spaniards
al the very time he is thus charged with be-
ing concerned in secret and criminal
enc; and it is self-evident that he had it in
his power, by single skirmish only, to have
sarried such scheme into the most COM
plete effect, with the aid of the public force
under his command, and with the proba-
biity OF receiving the fruitim of all his views
In case OF success with certainty ALSO of
suffering neither loss nor blame. in case
of failure. but il Is IN evidence before this
court, that from the time of his leaving st.
Louis, to the concluding convention near the
Sabine, General Wilkinson was zealously
and necessarily employed in effecting an
honorable peace /; and particularly so, af-
he rtrrNSyN An.
discovered by him at Nachitoches it is,
besides. contradiction in terms, to saw that
General Wilkinson favored those views.
when it is avowedly owing to him, that they
were discounted.
From the evidence adduced on the sixth
charge 8eits specification, both for & against
the accused, the court is of opinion, that the
written orders and instructions from the
War department, bearing date April 3Oth
1902, relative to the removal Of the troops
from New-Orleans to the high grounds in
the rear of Fort Adams and Natchez, were
sufficiently explicit and imperative to have
authorised an expectation of prompt O.
bedience, had they reached New-Orleans
prior to the removal of the troops from that
place to Zerre an Boeuf; but as there is
no evidence that said orders and instructions
arrived at New-O Orleans, antecedent to the
I4th of June, 1909, which was subsequent to
said removal, the court acquits Brigadier
General James Wilkinson of the said sixth
charge, and of the specification attached to
the same.
After full examination of the evidence,
both tor and against the accused, OH the
.eventh charge, and after the most mature
dcliberation thereon, the court finds the
accused not guilty of the said charge, nor of
any of its three specifications, and does ac-
cordinS'y acquit him of all and each of them
On considering the great mass of testimo-
ny which has been produced to this court re-
ihtive TO TINS charge, there appears deci- |
siVc preponderance in favor of the atten-
ton, activity and humane exertions of Brig
adler General Wilkinson; and when it is |
considered that the troops consisted mostly
Of new levies that the climate on both !
sides OF the river Mississippi, to very great
extent, is at best ilsalubrious and that
the summer and autumn OF 1909, were unu-
suaily sickly; the court is of opinion, that
the misfortunes alluded to in the second spe-
cihcation are amply accounted for.
On the eighth charge, and its three speci- |
ncations, CATER hearing all the evidence,
both for and against the accused, aud due |
deliberation being had thereon,) the court
is OF opinien, !. that Brigadier General
lanes Wilkinson is not guilty of said |
charge, nor any of its specifications, and
therefore acquits him Of all and each of
them.
L lie court deems it necessary to offer |
few remarks in explanation of the above de-
oision, especially as it regards the two first
specifications to the eight charge.
The transportation of the baggage Of Ge-
neral Wilkinson by the public, appears not |
to be prohibited by the '' Act fixing the mill
tary peace establishment of the u. States" |
nor by the rules and articles of war. IT. is,
therefore. presumed, that his claim to trans-1
:pnrtation is as equitable as that of other
efhcers; in this view of the subject, the Or
der for the payment of transportation, as
mentioned in the first specification, cannot
be considered by the court as military
,crime-morc especially as the sum paid
by the assistant military agent at Pittsburg,
appears to have been debited to General |
Wilkinson as long ago as 1906, on the books
Of the Accountant of the Department of War
The court Cannot perceive that the public |
sustained any injury from the short halt of |
the detachment on the Ohio, to take on |
board the horses of Gen. Wilkinson; nor
does it appear that the public sustained any
injury from the transportation of said horses,
Ia public boats to New Orleans.
1t does not appear. in evidence, that Cen
oral Wilkinson directed said horses, on their
passage down the river, to be fed at the
public expcncs but it does appear in
evidence, that Gen. Wilkinson saved a GUAM
sity of public earn, which was sunk i'm the
Mississippi, on board OF public boat, in
front of his quarters at New-Orleans o,t