Delaware patriot & American watchman. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1828-1828, 1828-03-14
TENNESSEE MlLI1IAMEN

TENNESSEE MlIl1IAMEN.
Mr Hamilton from the Committee Military Affairs, TO
which the subject had been referred, made the following
REPORT:
The Committee on Militia Affairs, to whom we're refer
re tie documents by the Secretary OF War,
81 obedience 10 the call Of his Fl use 1T the 10th Of jam
agy relative 10 the proceed IS Of Court Mala which
commenced its sitting y or neal Mobile on The on 81 pc
ccmber 1914 fnrte tria OF certain tennessee Mamt,
gethel sUh the correspondence between The NeFnor
OF tha state aud the Seceiay Of War, respec' ihg The
length Of rvcc Of militia ats, of that State DUNG The
late var report
Tha by the reference Of these papers your Commit
tee they been unable place any other consruc ion
your Order than, thai The attention Of the House,
that they should the same, and determine whe-
er all he documents had been lnmuncated or were On
file ii the Departing necessary understanding
O III. which the call for these documents aFp-
cable aid, if any alins, a-certan IN What mal-
ne the deficient papers could be supplied ami, nfep"r'
ing upon The nature OF the Transactions, sach these pa
disclose, determine @he her the legislative inter-
ference OF Congress be necessary as TO any amendment
eer Of the Rules and Aricles Of War, or the laws gov
.rnng the militia OF the United States
In the discharge Of this duty your Committee VIII pro
ceed succiny state to the ouse the character OF the
documents transmitted by he Department OF War the
periods and events 10 which they are applcab!e the a~
and public exigcncv under which The Governor o. Ten
nessee, during the late war ordered on the ma drafts
Of that State for he defence OF country and
lastly, the crimes AID offences committed by portion OF
the militia drafts ordered out, which produced nects
siy for the examples which made and which are
disclosed in the proceedings Of The Court Natal cohyen
ed at Mobile on the 5th of December, lSl4.
The first criticism to which the correspondence trans
mil ed in obedience the order of tins House, by the De-
armen Of War, is liable, the numerical classification
made by vat Department, Of the letters composing his
correspondence
The Secretary Of War has transmitted twelve letters
Which passed between the then Secretary, General Arm
strong, and Governor Bount Instead of commencing the
with the letter frsi date by which the indnce
would be shown for the reply this order IS inverted
and the series with letter from the cretary
Of War, of the Sd Of January, 1914 marked No | aud
his letters continued T. No S. so happens hat the
first letter in date is as low down as No y, UNITS
of the 10Th of December, 1885, and the second letter IN
date, is No. 7-Govenpr Blount's, Of the "a q Decem-
Der, 1885, 10 both IF ahch the letter of II Sd Ut Janu
,ry. 1874, IF the Secretary of War, IS an ansHer.
Your COMMITTEE believe that this ARA. ement OF NE
correspond nee calculated lead on misappre
henson thai realer very attentive comparison
OF dates ld suppose that he letter OF the Sd ct Jann
AIRY, 1914 referred such militia drafts were to be made
in that year. when i is exciusvei ppsicabe T. the drafts
which had ,een made j. 1918 70 TIC secut'on of the
Greek war, I'd which admit ed t. have been execo
ted but for three months The insce rich, by con-
fusion of dates would be done, nv poss by, to the
parties ncerned in the transactions Of he militia drafts
If Tennessee, which made fer six months IN 1914.
b, applying the letter of the Secretary II War, of the Sd
Of January 1914, to subsequent drafts for months
srad Of those which we're made u 1915 for three months
has induced COMMITTEE arrange the cpriespOn-
dsnce that the leading Letter, de series, should
au FIRST and the subsequent e trs follow in the natural
rider of their respective dates. This obviously just clas
the Sd Of January, 1914. has bearing upon the
drafts of militia, which afterwards ma e for mon his
in The progress Of that year, by the Of Tennes
see, Of which The regiment under the command OF Col
| Ppkin composed a nart
perusal Of The correspondence s rcclted the mus
ter rolls Of the different companies f Cp Ppkins reg
merit and he proceedings Of the Court Martial which was
convened at Mobile the 5ih Of December, 1914 fnl
the trial of certain Tennessee militia men,, present upor
their face the following inquiries;
lst Whether the Governor Of Tennessee. had the
a he NJ Ott
for six months tour Of SC vice.
IDLY Whether Col f'pkins regiment ordered
ont, and il conformity with such authority?
!, 3dy Whether he soldiers OF This egiment who were
srragned Cor certain and offences before Cour
Martial, which convened at Mobile the 5h December
1914" sc legally tried; and whether the commanding
General approving the proceedings Of this Court properly
exercised the power and discretion vested in him by law
In rela ION to the rs branch of the inquiry, will b.
proper TO premise, that, on the 10Th APRIL 1872 in antic
patton of the war about to take place Congress passed
act which will be fonn in the 4th vol of the Laws of tn
United States, page 400. which authorizes the Presden
TO require the different Executives of the States,
game their respective proportions of 100000 mila an
to cali into service the whole, part of these quotas
: which attachments not compelled to serve longe
than six months after they arrived a. the place of
vouz This act was All enlargement Of the If HOS
which restricted the service Ut the militia when called
by the authority Of the United ates TO three months
The act of the 10Th Of April, 1912 expired by its
s limitation on the 10th Of April, 1914. On The flh
January, 1874, whilst however, this law in full :rce
the then Secretary of Wa, Gen. Armstrong, tn
letter, numbered in the documents, Governor Bfoun
which authorizes him $40 supply by militia drafts.
volunteers, any deficiency Which may srise in the mi
division under the command Of Major Jack
and sUato referring, This head, his Department an
further Informs Governor Boun that cit may be well thu
your Eycelency consult General Pinckney such occ
sons he best Judge Of The whole number necessar
If to the attainment Of the public objects.
e This letter, in the opinion Of your Committee veste
plenary power in Governor Blunt, until ii revoked
either by express orders, or by peace, to call out