Virginia Argus. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1796-1816, 1812-03-12
CHARGE v

tue OF ms SAID commission, and BENG bound bl
the duties Of his office to do all that in him la'
to discover and to Illustrate all such enornou,
violations ofthe law as tended to endanger the
peace and tranquility of tho United States, did
nevertheless, unlawfully combine and conspire
to set on foot military expedition against the
| territories of nation then at peace with the U
l States.
Specification. He, the said James Wilkinson,
IN the years 1905 and 1906, combining and con-
spring with Aaron Burr and his associates, to
| set on foot military expedition against the
Spanish provinces and territories in America.
| CHARGE vi.
| Disobedience Of orders.
Specification. In that the said brigadicr-gen-
erai James Wilkinson, being then in command
| of the troops assembled at New-Orleans, was,
! by written orders and instructions from the
War Department. dated April 30th, 1909, re-
| CURED and directed to giye the necessary Or
ders for the immediate removal of said troops to
| the high ground in the rear of Fort Adams, and
| to the high ground in the rear of Matches, in
! the Mississippi territory, referring TO his dis
cretion To occupy those stations respectively
with such portion of the troops as lac should
Judge most convenient and proper; which OF
der and instructions the said General WiIl1in-
son wholly neglected and refused to obey, and
did, thereaftcrwards, in the month of .June fol,
lowing, cause said troops to be removed i'll a
contrary direction to station called Terre au
Bout, below New-Orieans, at which station he
formed an encampment andremained until the
month of September following
CHARGE VII
Neglect of duty.
Specification l. In that the said Gen. Wil!lin-
son permitted bad and unwholesome provisions
to be issued to, and consumed by, the troops
under his command, during the summer and au-
| tumn OF 1899, and did not exercise the right Of
commanding officer, in respect TO the execu-
ton of the contract made by James Morrison
with the War Department, for supplying provi-
sions, as provided in the 3D. 9Th, and 5th arti-
cles of said contract
Specification 2. In not selecting previous to
the removal of the troops to the Mississippi
territory, in Sept. 1902 and in not leaving at the
hospital IN New Orleans, under the care of
proper officers and physicians, such of the sick
and convalesccnt as could not be removed with
out manifest and increased danger of their lives,
and in so distributing the men in the trans
ports, when removing, TO incommodc and
endanger both the sick and well, thereby disre-
garding and defeating the primary object of the
order for removal
SpeciGcGtioa3. In not ordering the military
agent ri New-0rieans to make the necessary
advances OF money to the brigade and regimen
tai quarter-masters, and in not giving orders
tor the troops to receive their pay, clothing,
medicines and hospital stores, which were IN
readiness for them in New-orleans at the time
OF their ascending the river in September, 1859
CHARGE VIII.
MisapplcsticR and waste OF public money &
| supplies.
Specification l. In that the said Gen. WIZ
inson, in May, 1905, ordered the assistant miii-
tary agent at Pittsburgh to pay for the trans
portation of his private property from Dalti-
more, out OF the public money " and place the
same to the account of public transportation
for military service"
Specification 2. In hating detachment Of
the army, at Louisviile5 Kentucky, in February,
1909, consisting of several companies, which
detachment was descending the Ohio in trans
ports, and hen and there OBTAINING said de
tachment to take on board ten horses, the pri-
vate property of said General Wilkinson, which
horses were transported in public boats TO New
Orleans by his order, and were fed at public OK
pence for several months.
Specification 8. In authorising certificates
to be annexed TO the provision abstracts OF the
army contractor, to enable the contractor to re-
ceive from government the full price of good &
wholesome provisions, when it was we'll known
to the said General Wilkinson that great por-
ton of the provisions comprised in those abb
stracts, so passed in the summer and autumn OF
1909, were understandable and unfit for use.
To which charges and specifications General
Wilkinson pleaded g Not Guilty"
The court being cleared, proceeded to form
and deliver It's dehnitive sentence as follows,
viz
On the first charge, and the ten specifications
attached to the charge, CATER hearing all the
evidence both for and against the accused, and
due deliberation being had thercoR) the court
is of opinion, that they are not supported, and
therefore acqiIits Brigadier General Wilkincon
Of all and each Of them.
1t is due 20 the nature and magnitude of this
trial TO state, that the testimony adduced in
support Of the two first charges, and their sew
eral specifications, appears to be well calcu!a-
ted to warrant The suspicious which have long
prevailed, of a corrupt connection between said
Wilkinson and the late Spanish Provincial Co
vernnent of Louisiana, and fully to justify q le-
gal inquiry into the grounds of them The
court, to the best Of its ability, has pursued
this iuquiry--whch has been the more iabori-
GUS and perpleying, from the agreement of the
government and accused, to admit, on all the
charges and specifications without discrinina-
ton, the detrimental testimony, collected and
reported 20 the House Of Representatives by Sc
vcral committees Of that body, as also part of
the testimony given on the trial Of Aaron Burr
much ofwhch is nucssentiaI IS TO matter, and
incorrect as to form, and inadmissible in judi
ciM proceedings on any otter principle than
| that above stated.
Hence tho admission Of testimony in support
Of the two 6rst specifications TO the first charge
| though il is within tic knowledge Of some Of
the court, that in 1879, rthc time when it is al
| lodged the accused received of the agents of
| Spain large sums ofmoney on account Of pen
| sion or stipend said Wilkinson did not hold a
| commission in the army of the United States,
and therefore ia not amcinble 20 a military tti-
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