Virginia Argus. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1796-1816, 1815-01-21
CHARGE III.

Ungentlenanly and unofhcerlke conduct.
Specification first in this-Being ordered
bv brig. zen Cass, co or about the 18th of
October, 1918, at Detroit. together with coli
onels Wells and Paul, to value the public
property taken from the enemy on the
Thames, expose the same to public sale, and
account for the proceeds thereof to the
Quarter Master at Detroit he the said
Owirgs appropriated to himself divers of the
valuable articles of said property, contrary
10 said general order
Specifca ton second in this-Contrary to
the existing laws and regulations for the
army, forcib'y OBTAINING and refusing to de-
liver to Major Puthuff, OF the ID Rife Re-
giment. on or about the 18th of MAY, 1914;
at Lexington. Kentucky, six recruits made
from the privates of the 28th Infantry 4; and
accompanying said refusal To deliver them
up with the exr ressions that if the Gov
eminent or the War Department would
interfere with his regiment by authorizing
any part of it tn re-enlist in any other corps,
thar such regulations were damned foolish
ard unjust, and that they (thereby meaning
the Government) might goto Hell :" OF
words to that amount and upon remon
STRANGE made by Major PuthuH, of the Cd
r he Regimen, on or about the 18th OF
Nav. 1914, at Lexington, Kentucky, he the
said Owings observed " that he would be
damned If he did not rank Major Puthuff,
and that whether pursuant to law or not, by
Gcd he wuold take the men Ohereby mean.
inv the soldiers thus re-enlisted)" or words to
Ii ; amount and he the said Owings did
fnrcibiy retain said soldiers on or about the
18th May 1914 at Lexington.
T. all which charges and specifications the
Prisoner plead {" Mar Gully"
TIE court, after mature deIiberatiou on
the testimony adduced, find the prisoner
C,,cnel Thomas d. Owings. of the c3 h re-
eimert Of Infantry, guilty of the third charge,
so far as unofiicerike conduct: guilty of the
second specification Of the third charge !:
not guilty of ali the other charges ard spe-
cjScaticns and sentence him to receive a
pr,vste reprimand from the commanding ge-
neral of the 9th Military District.
The commanding general disapproves
the sentence in the case of Col. Thomas ID.
Owings, Of the 2sth regt. of Infantry. In
this instance he is not sensible of the dis.
tirction made by the court, which convicts
Col. Owiugs of The unoSscerlike conduct but
not of ungentlemanlike conduct the court
haring established the I'd specification OF
the Sd charge, should not in the opinion OF
the general have Disseminated. The con-
juct OF Col, Owings appears to have been
hirhly reprehensibIe, not only in relation to
THE subject of the Cd specification under the
80 charge. but also as to some parts of his
defeuce before the court. Under the char.
pes as exhibited, no evidence should have
been admitted which referred to the distrir
button Of fripafe froherfy-but such having
been introduced, the general is constrained
to say has unfured course of conduct on
the part of the officers concerned, by no
mean, hatteriDg to the pride of the army
The very extraordinary delay that has
attended the proceedings of the court mar.
tial, connected with the necessity which the
tin e. impose on every officer to be ON his
post, alone forbids the idea of directing the
court to econsictr their opinion in the case
Of Col Owiogs, whose sword is hereby res.
tored 70 him
Similar considerations also induce the
general 10 postpone til, trial Of Capt. Gist,
Of the 2Sth regiment who will in the mean
time resume bis sword
The general court martial. whereof Coll
Anthony Butleris President, is hereby dssol.
we'd. BY order Of Brig. Gen NI'Arthur,
G.. 8 TODD,
Hclirs 1jIfgu.sg u.