Martinsburg gazette and public advertiser. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1826-1833, 1827-09-06
z. w HART
.4dj. Gen. in The u. s SerUicr
From The Cumberland idvocate.
GENERAL JACKsON,s LETTER

To Mr., Wm. Owens, Of Kentucky, will be
found IN another part OF this days paper, IN
der the Political head-it sh 1uid have been
published without one word OF comment by
us, had il not contained in it's Postscript, .
charge against the character and we'll earned
reputation OF that stinguished Patriot and
Hero Gen. Greene, whose memory IS dear to
the heart ofevery American. We make the
%subloIned extract, not for the purpose OF injur.
ing general Jackson or giving offence to am
OF his supporters, but with The view OF rescuing
from disgrace the name OF one OF our most dis
tinguished and meritorious Revolutionary Pa
triots, whose life was devoted to the service oil
his country.-Tbe subjoined extract is copied
from Zen. Green's orderly Book, which has
been preserved by Col William Lamar, OF this
county-who was attached 70 the Southern ar
my, from the time General Greene took com
mand of it, until The 18th of Oct. 1871, when
he, with some other officers. were ordered to
JOIN some other corps-and was during the
whole of that time under the immediate com
mand Of Gen Greene. The annexed copy OF
the proceedings of the court martial held on the
30th day of April. 1871, at Hugey's MI,
proves most conclusively, that those men were
not 'hung on the boie for deserrion, uithout Court
Martial as the General states, but for DE
SERTION. looming THE ENEMY. AMI
BEARING ARMS AGAINST THE UNITED
STATES Col. Lamar, then Captain states,
that they zvers actually found IN The enemg's
ranks Nth arms in their hands, and clothed m
British uniform, and that they mere taken prison
ers, reifh about 200 British soldiers, after the
battle Of Hobksrks HI, By Col WiLiam Wash
ingfon. and thd. they we're all hung Nth their
READ CoArs en-
The charge made against gen Washington,
has been proved to be entirely false. he never
having issued any such order. Col. VIM. ID
Beall, of Prince Georges county, in this state,
who was an eve witness TO the whole transac
uon. knows and has pronounced it TO be false
Copy ofte proceedings Of the Court Martial, held
as Rugeiy's .NiH. on The 30th cf.3prR, 1881:
scamp at Rugely's Mill. Z
Monday 30th April, 1881.
cats General Court Martial, whereof 1t
Col. Howes, is President. Thomas Wood, Of
the 5th South Carolina Regiment, William
Hennessly, of the LIST Virginia Regiment, Will
liam Sugars, of the Sd Maryland Regiment,
Samuel Sherrin Johnson of the 9Th Maryland
Regiment, and Bartholomew Kelly, oft he De,
lewsre Regiment. were s~everally charged with
Desertion, Joining the Enemy and bearing arms
against the United States. The Court after
duly considering the charges, evidence and de.
fence Tor and against the prisoners respectively.
are OF opinion, that each and every one OF them
are guilty, and do sentence that the said Tho
mas Wood, William Hennessly, William Su.
gars. Samuel Sherrin Johnson, and Bartholo
new Kelly, be each banged by the neck,
(more than two thirds of the Court agreeing
t%hereto) The General General Greene) ap.
proves OF the proceedings of the Court. He
would be extremely happy if the offences of
these unfortunate men deserved a punishment
less severe. But desertion is a crime so DANCE
rous to an army, that policy has dictated the
mode OF correction.
1.-THE indispensable necessity of giving som
serious example. and the recent m~isfortunes
the Troops have suffered by the perfdy of some
of their unworthy companions, forbid the ex-
ercise OF lenity, and compel the General to ad.
init the force of martial law.
'The criminals are TO be executed according
to the sentences annexed against them, at four
O'Clock to. morrow afternoon"
ETfrdcftrom an Essay signed Truth IN the Ma.
honal ~blteligencer.
The sycophants who surround Gen.
jackson, and who do not blush to ca
illuminate the illustrious dead as we'll
as the living in order to minister to
the vanity of their idol, have so often
compared him to the father of his coun-
iry, that even the General himself, alb
surd and preposterous as is the notion,
seems at last to fancy himself "a second
W~ashington;" and attempts tojustify his
acts of cruelty by falsely ascribing to
that great man the same thirst of blood
In the Postscript to bis letter, he thus
irreverently sacrifices the truth Of bisto-
tory to the interested and unsupported
assertions Of his own partisans;
Up. s. 1t will be recollected, in the
Revolutionary war, at a time of great
trial, Gen. Washington ordered desert.
ers to be shot without trial. Capt. Reed,
under this order, having arrested three,
had one shot without trial. and his head
brought to the General, but he, Gen.
Washington, FePrimanded Reed for not
shooting the whole three"
Now mark how History speaks of this
affair, in the person Of an eye and ear.
witness to all that passed.
The army was posted on The Hud
son above West Point; It was before we
stormed stoney Point. Col. Lee was
sitting at a table writing. An officer.
came in and reported that more of the